At last, for the first time this year, I have managed to get out on the water with my folding kayak for a 'proper' paddle.
I did get out with my small inflatable kayak (The Twist) one fine Saturday morning back in February (Feb. 9th.), but that was just for an hour or so pootling around in Garrucha harbour. Ever since then fickle weather, on the coast and at Embalse de Negratin, has kept me off the water. Whenever I looked ahead at a day which appeared good for kayaking, the weather forecast changed at the last minute and strong winds, from the worst possible directions, put paid to any plans.
However, yesterday, everything looked promising for an early morning start at Embalse de Negratin. There was a last minute change in the forecast, but very high winds weren't predicted until late in the day. I planned to be off the water long before then. So I arrived at Playa de Freila at 7.00am and was all set up and on the water by 8.45am. Breakfast had to wait until I was afloat. The water level in the reservoir was much lower than when I was last here, so I expected the various inlets along the shoreline towards the dam to look very different.
Just a gentle headwind at the start. A fresh N.W. wind was forecast for the morning, coming over the top of those high 'badlands' in the distance. I had banked on it being a lighter wind at water level.
I didn't recognize this inlet at all from a previous trip along this bit of shoreline.
Sun bleached and weather-worn dead trees, stumps, roots and bushes were quite a feature of this trip. Some were quite sculptural. I could see mystical figures or creatures in all of them .... perhaps I shouldn't give my imagination free rein!
Some rock outcrops were quite nice also.
I stopped here for a leg-stretch and a comfort stop ..... also to try getting out of the kayak when fitted with the spray-deck which was supplied with it. Until now I'd never felt the use for it .... but on this occasion I thought I would try it out and see how I managed getting in and out of a much reduced cockpit size. Getting in had been O.K. but I thought I would try getting out again somewhere private, rather than embarrass myself when I got back to Playa de Freila and found an audience there! Luckily I managed just fine, as there was quite a few people around on the shore when I did get back.
I got as far as the Torre de Maruq, the remains of an ancient Moorish lookout tower last visited on May 19th. 2017, before turning back at around 11.00am. It was getting uncomfortably hot on the water by then. The outward leg of this trip, dipping in and out of all the inlets, had taken just over two hours
As I made my way back to Playa de Freila the wind died away completely, leaving the water quite mirror-like. However, this didn't last and the weather forecasters were eventually proved correct. As I packed up to leave for home the wind came back with force ...... and created a nasty chop on the water with flecks of white where wave tops were collapsing. Just as well I had made an early start.
My straight-line return leg to Playa de Freila took just 45 minutes. The cafe-bar, which was closed when I set off, in the car park at the top of the slipway, was now open and quite busy.
Time on the water for this quiet paddle was approximately 3 hours and the total distance paddled, according to my GPS thingy, was 6.95 kilometres. All in all, a very nice morning on the water - it was good to finally get afloat again.
