This week's 'from the vault' post recalls the trip we took out to Broughton Island to celebrate both my & Stacka's fortieth birthdays, which fall on the same day.
It was an hilarious trip, drafting as we did our best mate The Adonis who had never paddled before, along with Rob to ride shotgun & come up with sensible ideas if anything went pear-shaped.
To cut a long story short, despite falling in seven times, we managed to cajole, tow & intimidate Adrian the best part of 20km out to Broughton where we enjoyed a tired & emotional evening reflecting back on 40 years of existence….
To this day it's a story people will often ask me about 'hey has your mate ever paddled again, you know the bloke who fell out 17 times…?' Answer…? No. It was a Patrick Cummins like debut, streaking like a star across the sea kayaking landscape only to settle below the horizon never again to appear in the neoprene & lycra.
You can read the post, 'The Broughring Forties' HERE (or a more comprehensive report with extra pics HERE).
Broughton Island remains something of a rite of passage for sea kayakers in our area. It's far enough away from a non-surf landing to make it a good hike on the sea, the islands you thread to get out there produce a mix of clapotis & currents, and the prize when you arrive is a genuinely beautiful coastal island. On all but the most benign days you need a full set of skills to make the crossing, mess around in the amazing array of rock gardens & gauntlets you find on a lazy circumnavigation, 20km is too far to risk not getting your boat trim right etc. All up an achievable & worthwhile challenge for paddler wanting to experience the exposure of a crossing & a brilliant journey on the sea!
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