Fresh Water Paddling, for a change.

Yesterday me and my Gumotex Halibut kayak went to the Negratin reservoir in Granada province. Hadn't been there since September 2022 (blog post 24/9/22), when the reservoir had got down to 19.75% of full capacity and the water no longer even reached the bottom of the slipway at Playa de Freila. According to the website of Spanish reservoirs, the capacity had crept back up during the winter to 25.22%. Hopefully launching and recovery was going to be easier than last time.

From a distance Negratin doesn't look much different at 25.22% to 19.75%. However, it was very different at the bottom of the slipway. Oh joy! - the water did now cover the bottom of the concrete slipway. The difficult bit this time was paddling into a stiff breeze, creating very choppy water, blowing up from the dam end of the reservoir. Had to paddle hard to make any headway until I could duck into the first of the many sheltered side inlets. Spent the morning dodging in and out of those inlets. Straight line return journey later, with wind and waves behind me, was a lot quicker.

Nice and calm in this first inlet. It was a lot different further out past that headland on the right. A low sun (it was about 10:00 am) accentuates the features of the 'badlands' side beautifully.

Even calmer in this inlet. The beauty of paddling Negratin is that nothing ever looks the same as the last time. Inlets appear, change size and shape, even disappear entirely with the change in water level. Even little islands come and go. Every trip here is a new little adventure.

The hazards of navigation on Negratin – you just never know what is lurking below the water! I've passed this way several times over the past few years and never seen the top of this tree exposed – and the water is quite deep here.

And there's worse in those side inlets. Like this:

Or like this beauty. Sometimes covered, sometimes fully exposed. But it's the ones lurking just below the surface you have to watch out for.

When I could see the dam from around this headland I turned back. From here to the dam, on this side of the reservoir,  there's nowhere to shelter from the wind. Fortunately the wind had eased considerably by this time.

Back at the car at Playa de Freila. That water looks placid from here.

Despite the wind it was an enjoyable paddle and good to find that The Halibut can handle such choppy water with ease. It was nice to get back to Negratin again. Launched at 9:30 am. Time on the water was 4 hrs. and I paddled a total of 10.5 kilometres.

Just a Play Day

 Thurs. 4th. May was a bit of a 'play day', play morning really, at Punta Parda with The Smart One.

Pushed off laden down with a selection of paddles, the Ecklar-Rolly trolley (see blog post 24/09/22) and all the bits of kit that I feel a lone, and elderly, paddler ought to have available when on the sea. I wanted to satisfy myself that I was using the right length paddle for this kayak, find out what the kayak felt like with the trolley secured on the back and check everything else was easy to reach if ever needed.

Most of my time on the water was spent in the calm water of the bay. Only after I had played around with different paddles and other stuff did I venture out into open water. I had confirmed that the main paddle I had been using, and the spare paddle I had been carrying, were definitely the best choice, and I was fine with the stowage of all that other stuff.

Bit of a long, lazy swell outside of the bay with a gentle southerly breeze adding a chop to the surface. The weight of the trolley on the back made no difference to the feel of the kayak. Forgot it was even there after a while.

All good now for further little adventures with the Neris Smart 1 kayak.

Time on the water was 2 hrs. and total distance paddled was 5.0 kilometres.

Longer Distances

 I managed to get on the sea at Punta Parda on Tuesday April 25th.  Although sea conditions had been against me for quite a while the weather forecast looked promising for that day:  very light wind off the land well into the morning, picking up a bit from the southeast later.

Although I always refer to this destination as Punta Parda, which is the headland at the entrance to the bay, beach goers know it as Playa de Los Cocedores.

I got on the water at 10:15 am. The water in the bay was glassy calm and outside of the bay, in open water, apart from a gentle swell, it was nearly as calm. It looked a good morning to try out my new Neris Smart 1 (The Smart One) kayak over longer distances. One of the reasons for buying it was for covering much longer distances than was comfortable in The Twist.

Approximately 2.5 km. southwest of Punta Parda is a small island, Isla Negra. It's that dark lump, in front of light coloured cliffs, directly above the bow of my kayak. For a first longer distance paddle it seemed a good place to aim for. The island to the left is Islote de San Juan de los Terreros. A much larger island, about another 1.4 kilometres further on. A future destination perhaps.

Getting closer now. The headland behind the island is Punta el Cañón and the structure on the top is an historical artillery battery.

Nearly there. I can see why the island is named Isla Negra (Black Island).

Couldn't come all this way without doing a circumnavigation of the island. From this southeast side it appears that the island is split in two by a rocky channel which opens out to a shallow lagoon in the middle of the island.  A bolder person, in an older kayak, might attempt paddling through there – but perhaps only when the sea is very calm.

Now halfway around the island.

Completed the circumnavigation by going through this inside passage, between the island and the mainland. Had to take great care paddling through there as it was very shallow. Fortunately the water was clear enough to spot and avoid rocks which came close to the surface. My starting point is way back there in the hazy distance.

Halfway back, the breeze, as forecast, picked up a little, creating a welcomed bit of a chop on the water to paddle into. Previously I had only tried this kayak on flat water, so I wanted to see how it performed in slightly rougher conditions. It performed just fine.

Including a bit of pootling around in the bay at the start of this trip, and more pootling around at the end, total distance paddled was 7.4 kilometres and time on the water was 3 hrs. I might have stayed on the water longer but it was getting uncomfortably hot by early afternoon. Summer seems to have come extra early this year. On days like this I need to get on the water a bit earlier and perhaps limit my time there, to not much more than a couple of hours.

I was back at Punta Parda two days later, Thursday April 27th. Made an earlier start and was on the water at 09:00 am. Sea conditions, perhaps a tad more swell, were much the same as earlier in the week and weather forecast looked good.

Plan for this day was a slightly more ambitious paddle, a round trip to a marina (Puerto Deportivo Juan Montiel) on the outskirts of the city of Aguilas, about 4.0 kilometres to the northwest of Punta Parda.

Not long after leaving Punta Parda I passed quite close to Isla Cama de los Novios. An island I had visited last November (blog post 28/11/22) with The Twist. Still a long way to go to that marina!

A picture to prove that I did get to the marina! Half way, and half an hour into the trip, the distance still to paddle looked daunting but it had to be tried – and I'm glad I did. I now know what I can achieve in this new kayak. Would have liked time to go right into the marina and look at the yachts and boats but time was against me. Perhaps next time?

Halfway back. This is the point on the outward leg where I had those doubts! With the swell behind me, along with a breath of a breeze, this return journey was a bit quicker. Plus I took a more direct route back to Punta Parda – that lump nearly on the horizon on the far left. In The Twist I always felt vulnerable too far out in open water, however, now I know it's capabilities, I feel completely at ease out there in The Smart One.

Nearly back. Punta Parda as seen from well out at sea.  Distance covered this day was near enough 8.0 kilometres and time on the water was 2 hrs. The Smart One has met all expectations when it comes to longer distance sea paddling. There is scope to go further in cooler weather.

It's Here.

 On Thursday March 9th. a large box was delivered to me from the Ukraine - a Neris Smart-1 single-seat kayak.  Despite all the terrible things that are happening in their country the Neris factory has managed to maintain some production of kayaks.  The Ukrainians are very determined people. 

My kayak was already well travelled by the time it reached me.  From the factory near Kyiv it travelled to Prague (CZ).  After visiting a couple of delivery company depots near Prague it went to a depot in the Netherlands, then to a depot near Barcelona, then to a depot in Almeria and finally to me.  It may even have flown one leg of its journey - tracking showed only a few hours between the depots in the Netherlands and Barcelona, and both were near airports.

For more details of this kayak see the My Kayaks and My Kayaks Photo Gallery pages of this blog site.

First trial paddle was on Sunday March 12th. at Punta Parda, where the sheltered bay was ideal for getting used to a new kayak.  After a few circuits of the bay I felt comfortable enough in this kayak to venture to open water.  

Punta Parda, as seen from this new kayak.  It's going to take some time to get used to having a lot more space around me than in the little Twist I normally bring here.

Time on the water for this trial paddle was 1½ hrs. and distance covered was 5 kilometres.

Second trial paddle was on Saturday March 18th. at the same place.  This time it was a totally different trip for me.  Until now I had only ever paddled on my own but this time I had James with me.  He was in The Twist while I paddled The Smart One - father and son kayaking together.

Nearly ready to go afloat.

James at sea in The Twist.

Because I've always kayaked on my own, and I don't 'do' selfies, I've never seen what I might look like in this kayak.  It was reassuring to see that an adult in this little kayak looked O.K. - and not ridiculous!

In fact The Twist looks bigger than it feels.  It suited James - as did the hat!

And I thought my new kayak suited me - as did my matching hat.

James was able to confirm that I had the seat in the right position for a level trim on the water.  Without him I couldn't be certain I had got it right first time.       

Another rare picture (because I don't 'do' selfies) of me in one of my kayaks.

So far this new kayak has exceeded expectations.  It weighs less than expected - so I can carry it quite a way without needing a trolley.  It assembles quickly and easily, it handles well and it has a nice comfortable seat.  I anticipate being able to paddle much longer distances on the sea than was possible with The Twist.

Should The Twist eventually become redundant I think I know someone who would like it!

Nothing very adventurous about this trip.   After a few circuits of the bay, for both of us to get comfortable with our kayaks, we headed out to open water and visited both the other bays, on opposite sides of thew headland.  Time on the water was about 1½ hours.      

     

Another Trio of Trips with The Twist

Wednesday December 21st. 2022 was the Winter Solstice and the weather was settled enough to celebrate it by taking The Twist kayak to Mojacar for a bit of a paddle.  Choice of venue was influenced a bit by the proximity of some shops for a last bit of Christmas shopping.

Got on the water at about 11:00 am in the bay behind the mole/breakwater in this picture, which is copied from a post card.  Conditions (gentle breeze and flat sea) were ideal to paddle southwards to a similar bay, behind a mole/breakwater, about 2 kilometres away.  

Didn't go ashore in this other bay.  Just stopped for a rest and to refuel - fig rolls today.  The sun was so warm and the sea & sky so blue it was difficult  to believe this was the day of the Winter Solstice.

Headed offshore a bit after leaving this bay and then took a direct route back to my start point - practicing keeping to a compass course.

Time on the water was 1½ hrs. and distance paddled was 5 kilometres.

Had success in the shops later with Christmas stocking fillers.

Saturday December 31 st. 2022.  The settled weather had continued, so I took The Twist to Punta Parda for a last paddle of the year.  This venue was influenced by my curiosity about groups of low shapes I had seen on the hazy horizon of the sea, straight out from the headland.  On my first visit here I assumed it was groups of fishing boats, perhaps working in pairs, on shoals where fishing was particularly good.  The next time I came it was too much of a coincidence that I could see the same, in the same places.  There are no islands out there, the shapes were all wrong for wind farms and it was stretching it too far to think I could see high points of the Algerian coast, 200 kilometres or more away.  So what was I seeing?  After kayaking I planned to take binoculars and a spotting scope up on the headland to find out.

Clear blue sky, no wind, glassy sea with just a slight swell - a perfect morning for a long paddle up the coast towards the port at Aguilas, in that hazy distance.  I went as far as that building on the near headland before turning back.  Time on the water this time was 2¼ hrs. and distance paddled was 6.5 kilometres.  Just one stop ashore for a leg-stretch.

There is a rough track part way up one of the headlands at the entrance to the bay.  The last bit was a bit of a scramble.  The horizon was too hazy to make out much with binoculars but my spotting scope solved the mystery - three separate groups of fish farms.

Each group consisted of several fish 'ponds', much like in this picture, linked to each other by walkways or bridges.  I lot of detail could be seen with the spotting scope.  There wasn't any boats in attendance, nor people on the farms, while I was looking.

Apparently seabream and seabass are raised in these 'ponds'.

Looking down on the bay from the headland - and along the coast where I had paddled this day.  I had reached the headland  just above that tiny little island (Isla Carna de los Novios)) in centre picture.  I had followed the coastline to get there and took a more direct route back, passing close to that island on the way.

I wasn't alone on the water.  I exchanged a few words with a German woman in an inflatable kayak, later a couple of hard shell kayaks passed at a distance and there was a paddle-boarder in the bay when I got back.

2023 started well with a trip to Villaricos on Wednesday January 4th.  Mild and settled weather still continued (and is still with us) and I took advantage of a day with a light offshore breeze to try out a kayak sail.  I had been waiting quite a while for the right conditions to do this.

Rigged and ready to go.

It had taken much practice to get the hang of folding this sail back into its circular retaining pouch.  Today I would find out if I could do the same from a sitting position!

We are sailing, we are sailing ......

It's tricky trying to get a decent photograph while juggling a camera, a paddle and the lines to trim the sail!

Can't say that sailing The Twist was a great success.  Yes, I sailed it - but in a zig-zag fashion.  I could hold a downwind course for a while, but then the kayak would take it upon itself to round up into the wind and collapse the sail.  A bit of frantic paddling would bring it back on course to refill the sail - only to have the same thing happen a few minutes later.  I think, with something as small as The Twist the sail needs to be mounted much nearer the bow - but then I wouldn't be able too reach the sail, from a sitting position, to collapse and fold it up.  And I've discovered I haven't mastered that bit yet!  Came back to shore with a mess of a springy sail trying to escape from the grip between my knees!  I think the sail might work better on a longer kayak.  Maybe I'll try the sail again when I get my new kayak and have got familiar with it.

Finished the morning with a bit of quiet paddling without the sail.  Time on the water was 2¼ hrs. and distance sailed and paddled was 4 kilometres.

 

   

Kayaking and Caving

Yesterday (Sunday November 27th.) I went back to Punta Parda, last visited a month ago (blog post 9/11/22), with The Twist.  A shopping trip to Mojacar the previous day, with a look at the sea, had confirmed that after a long period of high winds conditions were looking pretty good for another kayak trip.

After launching in the lovely sheltered bay, Cala Cerrada, I paddled out into open water and round to Cala Taray to have a closer look at the cave rooms I saw on my previous visit.  Of the three groups of man-made caves at Punta Parda this one is best reached by water.

A view of the interior from the entrance.  From the opening on the left the floor slopes up to a hole in ground above.  The arched alcove looks like a fireplace but there isn't a chimney nor any sign of smoke deposits. There is a near identical alcove at the back, past the dividing wall.  Ceiling is low, standing room for short people only!

Outside the cave is this shallow lagoon.  It transpires that these cave rooms were not storerooms for fishermen, as I first thought. but were used for storing esparto grass.  Part of processing of esparto grass, for its use in paper making, was soaking it in sea water - hence the creation of a shallow lagoon.  

Heading back towards Punta Parda.

From Cala Taray I had followed the beach southwards for a while, towards the town of  San Juan de los Terreros, until a beach angler started jumping up and down and shouting at me (in Spanish, so I've no idea what he called me!).  And I've no idea how he had managed to cast so far out and still have his line floating on the surface, to be picked up by my paddle.  Anyway, he calmed down when he realized his rod wasn't going to get towed out to sea.

Conditions, hardly a breath of wind and barely any swell, were perfect for a lengthy paddle.  So I rounded Punta Parta, through the nets and marker buoys still there, and headed across to an island, Isla Cama de los Novios, to the north of the headland.  Not much of an island, just a very big rock really, inhabited by cormorants and seagulls - which all abandoned the island before I could take a photo!  Had a closer look and did the necessary circumnavigation before a long, lazy  paddle back to my starting point.  Isla Cama de los Novios is a long name for a little island.  The name doesn't translate easily - it literally means 'Bed of the Newlyweds Island' (or 'Honeymoon Island' perhaps?).  Maybe there is more to this name!  

Time on the water was 2¼ hrs. and distance paddled was 6.7 kilometres - fueled by fig rolls, wine gums and a small carton of a tropical fruits drink.  There were a few people on the beach in the bay when I got back there at 1:15 p.m. but nowhere near as many as when I was there a month ago.  Colder days have arrived.

After packing the kayak away I went to look at the cave storerooms in the bay, which can be reached by foot.

The inside of one part of the storerooms, which I saw soon after launching in the bay last month.

The doorways to these rooms are too high above beach level to scramble into and some are gated.

 

Very close too these storerooms was the remains of another of the man-made shallow lagoons.  According to a bit of Google research these 'lagoons' were called 'cocedores'.

On the other side of the bay, nearer to the headland, there are more cave storerooms - too many to fit in the viewfinder.  I didn't get close to these last time I was here, because there were crowds of young people near them.  A coachload had arrived and they had chosen the shady spot outside these caves to congregate.

Looking into one of the cave store rooms.  One where the gates had fallen off.  Here the rooms were mainly bigger than any of the other locations I had been to.

At beach level outside these cave storerooms was the remains of another 'cocedores'.

According to the little we've found out so far about esparto grass, these cave storerooms date back to the 19th. century when the esparto grass trade was very important in this region of Spain.  Esparto was used to make rope, twine, baskets, mats, soles for shoes and all manner of everyday items.  It was even exported, in huge quantities, to England for the manufacture of quality paper - but it had to be damp ('fermenting' it said) before loading onto ships.

It had been an interesting, enjoyable and eventful kayaking day.

 

Catching Up

 A Trio of Little Trips with The Twist

The first, on Thursday October 27th., was to a new destination for my kayaking - Punta Parda.  I had been there a month or so ago to check it out for kayaking possibilities.

Punta Parda is the headland on the other side of this little bay.  The bay, Cala Cerrada, is shallow and horseshoe shaped - and a very popular bathing spot.  There are other bays, less sheltered, either side of Cala Cerrada.  Punta Parda is in Murcia Province and where I stood to take this photo is in Almeria Province - and the most eastlery point of Andalucia.

Lovely and calm in Cala Cerrada.  This bay is so sheltered I guess it would be possible to launch a kayak in most weather conditions.

Looking back, as I paddled out towards the entrance to the bay, I spotted cave houses.  Had to go and have a closer look.

I'm guessing that there was once a fishing community here and these were store rooms for their fishing gear.  It's obviously still a good fishing area as outside the bay I had to negotiate my way around long lengths of fishing nets and marker buoys close to the headland.

Looking back from just outside the entrance to Cala Cerrada.  Just a gentle swell out here.  A lovely morning for kayaking.

First destination was Playa de la Carolina - a bay on the north side of Punta Parda.  I wasn't the only kayak on the water that day.

The beach in this bay shelves gently out into shallow water.  Another good spot for bathing or launching a kayak.

As you can see, this is a very popular destination for motor homers!

Back out in open water I headed towards the bay (Cala Taray) on the opposite side of the headland. Those two islands, one centre picture (Islote de San Juan de los Terreros) and the other (Isla Negra) to the right against the white cliffs, are possible destinations when I have the bigger and faster kayak currently on order.  There is another small island (Isla Cama de los Novios) within reach to the north of Punta Parda.  There is scope for a variety of kayaking here.

Another cave (or store) in the secluded bay of Cala Taray.  A lovely little bay for those who want to be away from a crowded beaches and motor homes - but access isn't easy.  As I found out later, when I tried to walk to it.

Brief stop here, just past Cala Taray, for a leg-stretch and a can of lemonade.  It might be October but it was still pretty warm in the sun - the shade under those palm trees looked inviting.

Sculptural, wind eroded rocks at the entrance to Cala Cerrada.

The beach at Cala Cerrada wasn't this busy when I set out at 10:15 am.  This is definitely a good spot for kayaking.  Time on the water was 2 hrs. and distance covered, according to my Garmin GPS thingy, was 5.2 kilometres - of just leisurely paddling.

Next trip was two days later, Saturday October 29th., for a morning paddle at my more frequently visited place - Villaricos.

Although the settled weather was still with us it was a bit disappointing, when I got to there, to find that sea conditions had deteriorated a bit.  The swell had increased somewhat since Thursday and getting on the water might be a tad tricky where I had planned to launch.  So I relocated to a more sheltered beach just outside the entrance to the southernmost marina.  Outside of that shelter the paddling wasn't quite so leisurely as on Thursday, but it was quite fun - and good exercise!  Time on the water was 1½ hrs. and distance paddled was 4.6 kilometres.

I was back for another morning paddle at Villaricos the following day, Sunday October 30th.  Sand and salt water had made a mess of The Twist by now, so I thought I might as well have another outing before having to get the hosepipe out.

Sea conditions looked a bit better than the previous day.  However the swell was still there, just not so obvious from the shore.  Outside the shelter of the marina entrance it was another 1½ hrs. of brisk paddling - well, brisk paddling into the swells, more leisurely riding them back again.  Distance covered this time was 5 kilometres.