Daily Picture - 60

Great view of a squall approaching St Ouen's around lunch time today.  Surprisingly where we were standing there wasn't much rain but the winds did gust up to about 55 knots.  It has been a day of fast changing weather but optimistically as the weekend approaches things are looking like they will calm down and warm up.  Could even be an Ecrehous day on Saturday, fingers crossed.

Daily Picture - 54

Looking north along St Ouen's just before another shower hits.  Looking at the Aviation Weather section of the Jersey Met site they were forecasting that the larger cumulo-nimbus clouds would reach up to 25,000 feet.  No wonder that the showers were pretty lively during the day!

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Final approach through the low cloud into Jersey earlier on today.  Very large spring tide so plenty of beach exposed at St Ouen's.  Good views of St Ouen's Pond to the north.

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I had to complete some work at St Ouens this afternoon so I cycled via the smaller lanes including past this bridge.  Although it no longer links to anywhere, in the past it carried one of the German railway lines which crossed St Ouen's Bay.

There used to be an embankment coming in from the left of the bridge, the remnants of which can still be seen in the fields to the west.  I have thought for a long time that there should be a plaque nearby explaining why this concrete bridge now stands alone below Val de la Mar dam.

A windy paddle from La Pulente

I have lost count of the number of times I have driven past La Pulente in a howling gale and when the tide has been at the right height thought about paddling amongst the reefs. Experiencing strong winds but without the rough water. The outer reefs take out the largest swells and with a limited fetch inside the reef there is very little possibility of waves of any size developing.

This morning with low tide at 11.22 we launched at 10.00 and throughout our time on the water the wind didn't drop below 30 knots with frequent gusts up to 46 knots.  So without doubt  it was a steady force 7 from the northwest.

It was perfectly safe as the worst that could happen is that we would get blown onto the beach, in fact for significant amounts of time the depth of the water was such, that we weren't out of our depth.

An ideal venue for practicing skills in high winds.

John and Jim launching.  Although it doesn't really look it but the wind was howling across the rocks forcing us onto the other side of the narrow inlet.

 Progress was made by paddling from one small reef to the next, gaining some shelter and then planning the next few hundred metres.  John was really enjoying himself.

 Turning underneath La Rocco Tower.  It was a matter a paddling into the channel and then turning right into a large gully.  It looked far worse than it actually was.  We did it a couple of times.

 Matt and John making the turn on the first circuit of the reef.

 Matt running down the gully.  With the wind behind us we were traveling at nearly 4 knots without using our paddles.

 Heading out to sea.  We headed out a few hundred metres and then surfed back in.  It was a really quick ride back.

Ruth just enjoying the pleasure of being out on the water

After about 90 minutes of playing around in the wind we headed south, Corbiere Lighthouse is visible above the reef

Back on dry land, time to warm up and have a pint at the La Pulente.

Daily Picture 32

Matt and John turning in the wind, close to La Rocco Tower.  Whilst we were on the water this morning the data from Jersey Met showed that the wind was consistently above 30 knots and gusting to about 45 knots. 

Daily Picture - 31

The last day of the month and so far I have manged to get out somewhere every day and take a photograph.  Today's picture shows where we hope to be kayaking tomorrow.

I have looked at this area for a number of years and thought at the right state of tide it would be possible to paddle safely in strong winds as the reefs would protect you from the larger waves.  Tomorrow morning the forecast seems ideal NW force 6-7 possibly gusting to 50 mph and low water at 11.22.  The worst that can happen is that you will be blown onto the beach.  So hopefully tomorrow morning we will be able to paddle in the reefs off La Pulente at the southern end of St Ouen's Bay.

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Inspired by thoughts of Morbihan and its rich archaeology I decided to visit the what is probably the oldest dolmen in the Channel Islands this afternoon, being approximately 6,500 years old.  Heading to La Sergente, on the headland above Petit Port it was a matter of dodging the showers which were being blown towards the island on the brisk northwesterly wind.  Sark, on the horizon appears to have missed one but it looks like Herm and Jethou were being hit.

The dolmen was excavated in 1923, prior to this time it was covered by a mound.  During the excavation the only finds were 4 pottery items, there were no human remains present.

Today it is located on the headland between Petit Port and St Ouen's Bay, a special place to visit, particularly at sunset.

Daily Picture - 29

Another blustery, cold day with a strong northerly wind, it was gusting at nearly 50 knots when I took this photograph of La Rocco Tower, in St Ouens Bay.  It was built between 1796 and 1801and named Gordon's Tower after the Lieutenant Governor.

It looks particularly dramatic when up close.  It has been recently refurbished and will soon be able for rental from Jersey Heritage.  What a great place to stay!

If you were to head due west from here (straight out to sea) the next landfall is Newfoundland.

Some more aerial photographs

It has been a while since I have posted some photographs taken out of aircraft windows so here are a few from the last few years.  Some great kayaking destinations seen from above.  With views like these it is hard to understand why anybody would book an aisle seat!

 Passing over Calshot when heading south towards Jersey.  The site of the BCU Sea Touring Committee Symposiums in the early 1990's.

 Greenland West Coast.  The island on the right is Uummannaq and the larger Salliaruseq to the left.  The cliffs and the larger islands are over 1,000 metres high.  This post documents the day we paddled between the two islands.  This was taken whilst flying from Heathrow to Seattle.

 Final approach into Stockholm.  It looked like a kayaking paradise.  Little did we realize the frustration which was to follow after we landed

 Take off from Jersey on a beautiful summers day.  The aircraft is banking north over St Ouen's Bay.

 Sunrise over the Thames estuary.  The south coast of Essex is clearly visible, just minutes after leaving Heathrow.

 A few hours later the Essex coast had been replaced by the Turkish coast to the west of Istanbul.

Approaching Heathrow.  The rectangular shaped water directly in front of the engine is the location of Tower Hamlets Canoe Club, an area we have visited regularly over the years as members of the Jersey Canoe Club paddle with kayakers from London.

Daily Picture - 24

Another day of winter sunshine.  The network of Green Lanes on Jersey are ideal for cycling and allow some unusual views of a familiar landscape.  This is looking across St Ouen's Bay, early afternoon today.  St Ouen's Pond is visible, surrounded by its reed beds, they provide a home for the Marsh Harriers which could be seen flying around the area earlier.

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For what seemed like the first day in weeks there was some sunshine and good visibility.  The whole of the west coast is visible and in the distance the island of Sark, one of the great sea kayaking destinations.  There was quite a heavy swell running into St Ouen's Bay, with a number of the more experienced surfers taking advantage of the conditions.  La Rocco Tower, visible in the middle of the bay, was built between 1796 and 1801, badly damaged in the Second World War it was restored in the 1970's and has been refurbished in the last couple of years with the result that from the Spring of 2015 it is available as a holiday let from Jersey Heritage.  What an amazing place to stay.

Daily Picture - 8

St Ouen's Pond is a real gem at the heart of the bay.  In Febuary 2014 a new wetland centre opened, which gives excellent views in relatively comfortable surroundings.  This afternoon the wind was blowing relatively strong from the west so most of the birds were sheltering close to the reedbeds.  The low January sun was lighting the reeds perfectly.

Daily Picture - 4

Cycling around the west of the Island this morning I came across this unusual feature on the junction of two lanes running up a narrow valley.  The stream was flowing down the valley, through a hole in the wall and then in a pipe under the road.  The thing that intrigued me was why was there a covering of granite slabs?  From the lichens growing on the granite it would appear to be quite an old feature. 

West coast damage

For the second time this year a damaging storm and large swell has coincided with a spring tide, creating the potential for significant damage and disruption.  Fortunately the pressure wasn't too low, about 1006 mb, so although it had an impact on the height of the tide it was too significant.

All around Jersey the islanders have been counting the cost of the late and early morning battering including on the west coast where the Splash Surf Centre has been almost destroyed.  At 10.00 last night we were rushing to remove all of the boards, wet suits, stock etc as the waves pounded the sea wall.  Amazingly the whole building was moved by the power of the waves and the rear wall ripped off.

First light today, when the full extent of the damage could be seen also coincided with a 12 metre high water, so water was again pouring over the sea wall, some of the waves must have been shooting nearly 50 feet in the air and with a particularly powerful wave we witnessed the building move on its foundations.

Fortunately nobody has been injured and it proved possible to save virtually all of the equipment.  Amazing power of the sea.

 Looking towards the Splash Surf Centre at first light this morning.  The side of the building is missing.

 I think the wedged board is the only thing keeping the roof in place.  Emptying this at 10.30 last night was quite a challenge but people turned up and saved virtually all of the equipment.

 Looking south towards El Tico, the car park has turned into a lake.

 Every now and again a bigger set would roll in.

 Dave Ferguson from the Jersey Evening Post, perhaps going beyond the call of duty as a photographer

 This was a split second before a large wave swept over us.  The dark bits are seaweed contained within the wave.  The posts in the car are just visible to the lower left.

Looking north towards the White House as another wall of water crashes over the sea defenses. Just beyond the White House there was some significant damage to the sea wall. 

Corbiere Waypoint

A day of warm sunshine and low tide provided the opportunity to rush out to Corbiere Lighthouse to complete some of the preparations for the Jersey Sea Kayak Symposium, which is going to be held towards the end of May this year.

The Highland's Hotel is within a few hundred metres from the lighthouse, which promises to be a spectacular backdrop to quite a bit of the sea kayaking that week. 

Corbiere Lighthouse marks the south west corner of Jersey, and although people may think I am biased I think it is one of the finest lighthouses in the world.

If the opportunity arises to look around inside the lighthouse it is truly memorable.  We are hoping to be able to arrange a visit for the Symposium in May.

Looking along the south west coast of Jersey.  The Highland's Hotel, where the Symposium is going to be based is just behind the tall German tower.  The large white building on the left is the Corbiere Phare restaurant and bar.  This is where the Monday evening meal and social is going to be based.

Looking north, across St Ouen's Bay.  There should be plenty of paddling through the reefs in this area with the launching spots just a few hundred metres from the hotel.  We are aiming to keep traveling times to a minimum.

Looking back across the causeway.  Some interesting water conditions can be created when the tide  floods across the causeway.

A photograph that has been taken thousands of times.  The reflection can be perfect when there is no wind.

Day 2 of the Blizzard

This really was exceptional weather event for Jersey, the heaviest ever one day snowfall for March and very strong winds.  Jersey Airport has been closed for 2 days, it is hoped to start flying tomorrow afternoon.  With many roads impassable it was just a matter of heading out doors, experiencing the moment and taking some photographs.

South coast cliffs around La Rosiere, Corbiere is just visible in the distance.

This is the descent path of the start of the Gorselands coasteering trip.

The path, like to roads, has filled up with wind blown snow making progress hard work.

The garden shed is clearly not spindrift proof.

La Moye Golf Course.  Not sure what number hole is disappearing in the snow.

Lisa and Chester on the Railway Walk.

Its not that often that the Jersey pistes come into condition.

Jersey's premier apres ski location.

 The Five Mile Road.  The snow wasn't as deep here as we were at sea level.  Not the depth of the drifts on the right.

 

 Nicky on the south coast footpath, it if wasn't for the gorse it could have been the Lakes in winter.

Frozen gorse.  It is difficult to imagine the impact the weather is having on birds such as Dartford Warblers.  The summer migrants, Wheatears and Sand Martins which appeared on the Island at the weekend must have had a shock.

 Beauport.  Spot the high tide mark.