Saturday 4 November 2017 Wonboyn Lake

While not strictly a CKC paddle, it could have been if the rest of the committee didn't have better things to do - granddog sitting and a music festival - have you ever heard such silly excuses! However they were there in spirit as S&V had lent their slappers to the Greencape contingent so we could all paddle.

Thanks to Angela, a friend June's, we were able to launch from Wonboyn House, a beautiful place with a long and interesting history, which cut over two km's of lake paddling - a blessing on this windy day.

At 7.50am getting ready for the big adventure. With boat allocation done we are nearly ready to launch.

 D'd and me, in Big Red, according to plan, are the last to take to the water. However, as nearly always, L's safety plan goes down in flames, as GT, a novice paddler, lives up to his initials and takes off like a scalded cat with L having to chase him down once we are all safely launched into the choppy water.

With lots of wind assistance, Dd's & I mooch along in the rear, here keeping an eye on G in S's slapper

GT, caught up with at last

P, in Dani. Whilst a bit hesitant on the outward paddle, by the time we were on the homeward leg, P had found his old sea legs and paddling arms and had Dani flying along into the stiff headwind

The flotilla, with El Capitano, more or less in control

KT in V's slapper
\

A short relief from the wind as we navigate a bend

At least it was a tail wind

With some of the novice paddlers feeling the strain, we stopped for a tea break just after 9.00am

With the wind speed increasing, and knowing we would have a headwind on the way back it was decided to cut our paddle short and head for home.  For the return leg, G came with me in Big Red and D'd took V's slapper

Once we got into the wind proper, we clung to the shore as much as possible.

No pics of the intervening half hour - once we got around the corner in the far distance in the pic above we faced the biggest swells I've ever paddled through. Couldn't stop paddling, if you did, you were immediately blown sideways and backwards. One wave came over the back side of Big Red and dumped right into my lap (no rude thoughts about my weight, thankyou)!

At last, the end is in sight.

KT and GT coming into land

Around 10.30am we were all off the water and unpacked and loaded the boats and retreated to the deck of Wonboyn House for a well deserved and yummy picnic lunch

As you can see from the map, there is a lot more exploring to do at Lake Wonboyn. A stay at Wonboyn lake retreat is being planned for late summer/early autumn next year. If we haven't put KT and GT off kayaking, they might join us :)
Many thanks to Angela for allowing us; and to KT for arranging for us, to launch our kayaks from Wonboyn House, a very special place on the South Coast.

A farewell wave from a Greencape passerby

Trip Notes
Put In/Take Out: Wonboyn House
5.3kms
2 1/2 hours