False Bay Crossing

We've talked about doing it for years but getting a willing bunch together on the same day with the weather perfect and on a Sunday is rare but it all came together at short notice this weekend.

Silke Carstensen, Kim Kryshaar, Derek Goldman, Chris Kryshaar, Mark Webb and Margot and William King set off around 7.45am...

...from Millers Point heading to Rooi Els 32.5km away as the Google Earth crow flies.

The forecast light westerly wind, which would have been a tail wind, and the main reason for going this day, never really materialised and for the first half of the crossing we headed into a moderate northerly. While it never blew strong enough to slow you down much it did create a cross chop against the 3m swell opposing it from the south.

By around half way the wind dropped to almost nothing and the swell increased as the barrier effect of the Cape Point peninsula lessened.

It's tough on the back and bum so it helps if you're a bit supple and can lean back this far!

Hangklip slowly - too slowly - gets closer and looms larger. An hour or so from landing another friendly Brydes whale paid a visit to the lucky paddlers, but this time did not stay to play. It passed across our bows, turned around us and from just 15m or so showed its fin, dived and disappeared. (Margaret said there was another whale very close to us as we left but none of us actually saw it!)

One expects the trip to be boring for long stretches but deeper into the bay the wildlife increases and we were often chased by playful seals and the birdlife is magnificent. The beautiful Cape Gannet is plentiful and (we think) Petrel as well. Nothing wrong with the view of the mountains ahead either.

Around 5 hours after leaving we arrive at the small holiday hamlet of Rooi Els to be met by our transport crew (thanks Liz and Honey), Hansa "bombs" in hand.

Click on the pictures to enlarge.