In my humble opinion, you cannot beat sea kayaking for simple, honest, slow, decent enjoyment.
My last trip was a classic. Our boats were packed with 12 cans of beer, food and water for 3 days, camping gear, and a change of clothes.
We found a perfect uninhabited island off the coast of another island (which was itself off the coast of the British Isles). Is that a level 3 recursive island?
We camped on a strip of grass, lit a fire, drank beers, and watched satellites, stars, and meteorites.
On day two, we moved on and found ourselves ahead of schedule. As the sea was still, we decided to cross the mile and a half to yet another island. As we got closer, we were very excited to see that the lighthouse had been abandoned. A huge, rusting winch had started to fall down the cliff, and the outbuildings were collapsing in places. Many of the windows in the keeper’s house were missing their glass. The trees and vegetation looked rather too big for their setting.
We made our boats safe from the rising tide and climbed the 50 or so steps up the cliff face. The lighthouse must have been very important in its day, as there were several large stone buildings and two large, comfortable houses attached to it. One of the buildings still housed a substantial generator (see photo).
The house doors were all open, so we took a careful look around. I was fascinated to see a Wilkins-Servis Homepride washing machine complete with mangle. Next to it was a Hotpoint spin dryer. Almost everything else had been removed, aside from the odd bit of brown furniture and a dirty mattress.
We took a look at the lighthouse itself, and I noticed a rack of batteries the size of a van. It said “Don’t use acid” in bold letters—probably good advice.
There was no litter or graffiti; I guess the location must act as a big filter. I could have spent all week exploring it, but we had to move on with our plans. We did no damage and loved seeing the place. I have the utmost respect for the men and women who lived and worked there when it was a functioning lighthouse. It was an exceptional privilege to go back in time and see a little of their world.
The rest of our trip was pleasant and uneventful. Another night camping out, we paddled amongst some porpoises. A perfect antidote to daily stresses and petty concerns—I highly recommend giving it a try.
Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this report, I’d love to hear from you — just drop me a comment below.
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