As the weekend approached all eyes were on the weather forecast, was the wind ever doing to drop? we certainly hoped so. We knew the section of the Crouch from Woodham to Battlesbridge was fairly sheltered so weren’t too concerned and the wind just dropped enough for the paddle to proceed. A day of discovery was in store, new boats on the water for the first time, people in sea kayaks for the first time, some people wondering if they can still fit in their sea kayak.
We obtained permission for South Woodham Ferrers Yacht Club for the use of their facilities in exchange for biscuits, this certainly made launching less muddy than usual as we could use their slipway. After the briefing we climbed in our boats and headed off a couple of hours before high tide, a detour up Fenn Creek first and then we all paddled on to Battlesbridge for a bit of lunch.
Following lunch, it was back under the bridge, after a photo opportunity, and a paddle back to SWF Yacht club, It was a bit windy in stretches with a solid headwind paddle for almost a mile as we headed up towards Hayes Caravan Park, but we all made it back safely grateful to finally get the sea kayaks out this year and a nice spot of fresh air.
Thanks all for an enjoyable paddle.
