Paddle 9 Hilsea Creek

The view from Mountbatten Center car park towards Portsdown Hill across the West end of Hilsea Creek.

Weather and water temps were fine for Fiona to take a trip out in her Sea Flea.

The Sea Flea is one hand car top-able at only 9 lbs!

Wrecks or ruins are magnetic for kids - and adults now I come to think about it

She uses a Greenland paddle I made for her from a cheap 2*4.  It weighs 410 grams and is the right length for her at age 8.  Her Sea Flea is only 50 cm wide so she is able to use a paddle that is close to the same anthropomorphic measurements as Greenland paddles for adults.

I have been making a few changes to my kayak.  I re-routed the cables that raise and lower the rudder, they are now fitted closer to the factory position.  The previous owner had fitted the pulley in front of the cockpit and it was catching on my paddle.  I also removed various bolt on accessories he used for fishing.  Prijon sell HTP sticks the right size for putting into a glue gun so that you can weld over screw holes etc, but since I haven't got any I filled the holes with "rivots" of polymorph plastic.

Polymorph filled bolt holes from the outside

Just pop some in a cup, pour over boiling water and you have plastic about as hot as your fingers can handle that molds like putty but sets hard. No leaks and its easy to remove, just use a sharp knife to cut off one end of the "rivot" and you can pull it out.  No leaks today and I much prefer having a clear deck.

3 hours after HW

The tide today was 4.83 metres at 12:45.  The picture at the top of the page was taken at 2:30, but the water height was almost the same as the top of the tide.  The effect of the Isle of Wight during spring tidal flows is to cause a long high water stand in Portsmouth Harbour.  See the graph below from Magic Seaweed showing how the height various through the tide cycle.

On spring tides once the stand is over the sea level drops quickly and can easily leave you with a muddy landing or stranded a long way from your car.