Despite setting the alarm clock and actually getting out of bed early on a Saturday morning, by the time we reached the beach by Conishead Priory there was only about an hour and a half of the flood tide left so we set off on a long ferry glide toward Chapel Island. On arriving we discovered that it was no island at all, bring connected to the far side of Morecombe Bay by a sand and shingle spit; good feeding for the ducks, geese and other waders though. We quickly spun the boats around in water only 6" deep in places - amazing how much power one can put into a stroke when half an inch of paddle blade is buried in the sand - and made for Canal Foot and the Leven estuary.
Geese walking on water by Chapel Island
There was still a bit of the flood tide left and before too long we passed Canal Foot and had a good view of the Hoad Monument standing above Ulverston. Except we didn't since it is wrapped in scaffolding and protective sheets in readiness for repair work (probably as soon as this fantastic spell of weather breaks!).
Cracking on, we passed under the railway viaduct - where we were "buzzed" by a train - and into the estuary proper. This is a surprisingly peaceful, unspoilt area. Open fields and farmland lead the eye to wooded, low lying hillsides above the estuary and there were plenty of birds feeding on the ever shrinking sand banks as the tide reached its peak. Plenty of small fish breaking the surface also - maybe along the freshwater / saltwater boundary or because we were disturbing them, the water or the estuary bed - who knows?
Sue, Canal Foot and the Hoad Monument
We were now an hour after HW and so time to head back downstream. Just as well we called it when we did; although we had probably a knot and a half carrying us down (by Canal Foot), by the time reached the beach the water had dropped so far that we had a good 100 metres of mud to drag the boats across. The coffee sure did taste good after that!
Back onto the Bay - Chapel Island in the distance
I'm watching you....
...not...
