Near perfect condition: The group assembled at Whitesands.

THIS AUTUMN, Pembrokeshire Paddlers Canoe Club held the sixth sea kayaking weekend in memory of Sandy Buttle. Sandy who passed away in 2009 was known to most paddlers in Wales as the Canoe Wales President and for his lifetime commitment to canoeing in Wales. Sandy, and his wife Moira, were also hugely important to the community of Pembroke Dock. With his involvement in further education, youth clubs and scouts, Sandy was instrumental in introducing huge numbers of youngsters to outdoor experiences of all kinds. 

Every year in late September Pembrokeshire Paddlers organise a Sea Kayaking weekend in his memory. This year Celtic Camping, Pwllcaerog Farm, St Davids was chosen as the base for the weekend. They turned out to be brilliant hosts with excellent bunkhouse accommodation. Rob, Ian and all their staff being very helpful and accommodating. After assembling at the campsite on a Saturday morning a group of 20 paddlers mostly from West and South Wales headed off to Newgale. In view of the forecast for a stiff northerly wind the group set off under the shelter of the cliffs towards Solva and Saint Davids.

After passing Porthmynawyd and the headlands of Dinas fach and Dinas Fawr Solva was reached. Avoiding the temptations of the hostelries in Solva lunch was taken on a rocky beach to the west of Solva at Ystafelloedd. After lunch the party proceeded on past Caerbwdy, Caerfai and St Non’s Bay to Porthclais. It was a fairly tired but happy group who had enjoyed a 13km trip with superb scenery that then headed back to Celtic Camping. That evening in the bunkhouse a meal was prepared by club members and thirty people of all ages spent a very convivial evening talking about the day’s paddle and past exploits including many involving Sandy.

The next morning saw an earlyish start with a few hangovers to be brushed off over breakfast before we set off for a circumnavigation of Ramsey Island. The weather forecast was favourable and the day sunny and so we assembled at Whitesands in near perfect conditions. After paddling due west we picked up the south going tide to take us round and down the west side of Ramsey Island. The group was rewarded with the superb cliffs, caves and beaches of Ramsey’s west coast: “We couldn’t explore too closely in some places so as not to disturb the large numbers of seals that had gathered for the pupping season. This however did not stop them coming to investigate us!” We then paddled through the gap between Ynys Cantwr and Ynys Bery back into Ramsey Sound in time to pick up the north going stream to take us through the Bitches to the harbour where we paused for a break and some lunch.

The harbour is the only place on Ramsey you can land on during the pupping season but even here there was a mother and its pup on the beach! Some of the party then headed off back up Ramsey Sound to Whitesands while a few adrenaline junkies went to ‘play’ in the Bitches tide race. Eventually everybody rode the tidal stream back to Whitesands where we finished. Everybody agreed it had been a brilliant day’s paddling with magnificent scenery, challenging paddling and beautiful wildlife. Tea and cakes in the café finished everything off nicely before everybody headed off home. Pembrokeshire Paddlers would like to thank Celtic Camping for accommodating us for the weekend and also Nige Robinson at Sea Kayak Guides for the loan of sea kayaks.