Spurn to Cleethorpes

Swimming Spurn Point to Cleethorpes (pics 8-1 top to bottom)

On Wednesday 9th Sept 09 we set off to Grimsby Docks to meet Pete our pilot to attempt the swim from Spurn to Cleethorpes, 4.25miles in a straight line. Several dates had come and gone during the summer. Problems due to weather and the fact that the Spurn Sanctuary would not allow water vessels of any type to launch from Spurn. This meant that all of the team had to approach from the south (Grimsby) using landing craft which could not be detected by Spurn radar (pic1). This also meant that 2 swimmers was the maximum with Pete’s boat.
The weather was near perfect, warm, sunny and a light to moderate northly wind. The water felt very warm>20oC. We attached the kayak behind Pete’s boat and set off out of the docks at about 10.45. It took over an hour to reach Spurn. We landed with our gear but nearly got the boat stuck as the tide went out (pic2). With everyone pushing we floated it again. After this Pete stayed in the boat while we had a picnic on the windswept sandy beach looking across to Cleethorpes (pic3), whistling the tune to ‘Robinson Crusoe’ who was of course came from Hull. Simon was keen and had his suit on early. The coastguard kept us waiting while large ships went by. I couldn’t quite believe that after so much planning we were actual going to swim. Suddenly Pete gave us the nod and we were off. The water was warm and salty as we swam along side the Spurn beach. As we rounded the point the current took hold and we started moving, out to sea! The northly meant that the waves were coming mostly from behind. The shipping lane and deep water channel is very close to Spurn we could see big ships passing very close (pic4) and the waves got quite choppy. Soon we left Spurn behind (pic5) and into the shipping lane (pic6). Pete steered us expertly across and we were soon amongst the ships at anchor(pic7). The first time we spoke to Pete we had been swimming for 28 minutes and were assured we were making good progress. We had no idea. Our first drink came at 1hr 15mins and we felt we had been swimming solidly and covering a lot of ground. We could see the southerly shore but did not know where exactly. Pete shouted us on there was no time to loose. Simon and I were swimming quite close. Simon occasionally slowing to let me catch-up which endeared him to Pete as he had been worried about taking more than one swimmer at a time. Pete’s anxiety was also allayed by having Miriam paddling well to support me for the whole crossing and having Elena in the boat to keep him company and take lots of photos.
We were well over half-way when our support crew started gesticulating wildly. We looked up to see seals, larger than us swimming alongside. Quickly Pete was shouting to keep going so we did. Just past the 2nd fort and 2 hrs into the swim we turned and started swimming against the waves. For the first time I started feeling tired. We both swam alongside the beach on instruction from Pete. Suddenly he shouted ‘stand-up!’ We had finished. Very satisfying and although we would have liked to go on the beach it was difficult to hold the boat with the currents. We were waist deep and about 20 yards from the beach but as we motored back we suddenly found ourselves aground and had to jump out to push the boat over the sand bar. After that we could relax (pic7) arriving at the dock gates as the sun set (pic8) only to be locked-out awaiting a ship on the inside to come out. Fortunately the dock team took pity on us cold, wet and hungry crew and invited us into their mess for a hot shower and tea. Finally we got through the gates and arrived back at the sailing club in near darkness but very pleased with the day.
Simon and I were extremely pleased with the opportunity to swim the estuary (time 2hr 22mins) and are very grateful to Pete Winchester for his expertise and boat, to my daughter Miriam for her paddling and Elena for being co-pilot, photographer and good company.

Saturday morning swimming

Saturday Morning Swimming

Recently Caroline and I were coming up from the beach talking about early memories of outdoor swimming in Felixstowe. Of course the Palmer’s Pool was key, as well as the family beach hut, long since sold.

For Car, the Palmer’s pool meant time spent on Sundays. For me, their lightly-heated banana-shaped pool looking out to a windswept horizon of fields and river, was a Saturday memory. Bright, intensely sunny and carefree Saturday mornings, cycling there with Caroline and swimming in crystal clear sunshine-infused water. And Saturday mornings have always retained that sense of freedom and simple pleasure for me, as often as possible involving swimming and sunshine.

Yesterday morning had just that sunny Saturday feeling. It was Brucey’s 3rd birthday, the weather still a mix of sea breeze and Indian summer. While the little ones enjoyed the leisure centre play area, Brendan and I took a few steps down to the beach by the pier. It was low tide with a slight swell, so good conditions for some body surfing and boogie boarding on this sandy stretch of Felixstowe’s very own Blue Flag beach.

No one else was in of course, and Brendan wore his wetsuit as the sea temperature has been dropping off noticeably since the start of September. But with the sun mostly out from behind the clouds I loved the freshness of the water, the fun with Brendan looking out for the biggest waves, and our enthusiastic but probably unspectacular surfing efforts. Twenty-five minutes couldn’t be better spent.

And then another reminder of childhood swims - the welcome whiff of a big beach towel. It must be a mixture of various bodies with salt and suncream added, but the end result is so familiar and, it seemed to me yesterday, chilled as I was, with a tangible and comforting warmth.

We were still in time for the main event of the morning – Brucey’s birthday party. My Saturday morning reminiscences never included coffee and cake at the Little Ice Cream Co., but perhaps many years from now they will, and maybe Brendan’s will too.

Como-tion

The main purpose of this blog is to enable me to think up swimming related puns. 'Como' is so rich with possibilities that I have decided to go for a simple and straightforward pun. Lake Como is also as rich with possibilities as it is with the impossibly rich. We (Moorhouse and Bennett families) were lucky enough to be staying with one of their number in a beautiful house by the Lake a couple of miles from George Clooney's place and just down the lake from where part of Casino Royale was filmed (Daniel Craig rather than David Niven version).

At the house there was a decent sized outdoor pool where Maddy demonstrated her total confidence in the water and Amy decided to take off her arm bands and swim under water for as long as she could hold her breath. Naturally the pool featured in the daily 'phys' routine for Dom and I too.

We mostly used the Lake for wake boarding but one day we all went out for a turn in the speedboat. Stopping

to take in the ancient looking houses dotted among the wooded hills and hugging the shore we all decided to take to the water. Amazingly for water so deep and so close to the Alps it is perfectly warm. All the children jumped in from the boat and swam, unconcerned with the 400m of water below them.

So while there was fun to be had on the Lake, my thoughts naturally turned to swimming across from Moltrasio to the town on the other side. It is probably less than a kilometre of warm fish filled clear water but it is fairly busy and the traffic tends to be fast. However with a safety boat it would be safe. Did we use the boat to enable this challenge? No, we never got around to it. only on the last day did we recognise this missed opportunity. So we have unfinished family business in Italy, maybe next year.

Two week-ends in August

Since stopping work in London last year my open water swimming has dropped right off. I haven’t managed to replace my weekly dip in the Serpentine with one in the Frome at Farleigh Hungerford despite now being a member of the club or even a quick dip in the Avon that I cycle alongside every day. This is primarily to do with time. If I do have time on my cycle from Bath to Trowbridge I am more likely to go to the university to practice in the 50m indoor pool. Over the last couple of weeks I have managed to enjoy a few outdoor dips. Firstly at Parliament Hill lido on Hampstead Heath. Although it is a little municipal looking, the water is lovely – clear and relatively un-chlorinated and it is big. It also has a kind of reflective metal bottom which makes the water sparkle even more. The real surprise was how quiet it was. Maybe it was because it was before midday when we arrived and of course its size, but it seemed oddly quiet. Of the people that were there, many were kids and there was a diversity of backgrounds and cultures. The following day Steve and I went to the men’s pond on Hampstead Heath. I’d been past a couple of times and never ventured in. The setting is beautiful but first you face the changing area. The construction is functional at best. The novelty is the nude sunbathing area, random yoga practice and uninhibited staring by some of the men. It’s a bit disconcerting if you aren’t used to it. Once in the water it is tranquil and calm, and the water is clean and soft. It is so different from the Serpentine. The pond is large enough for a good swim around but probably not so great for long distance practice so I guess you wouldn’t get so many triathletes and channel contenders. It feels cosy because it is mostly bordered by trees and bushes, the Serps feels much more open. It also has a sprung diving board which encourages play and silliness. The Serps has a more clubby feel out of the water– it is a club after all – with it supply of tea, biscuits and banter. The men’s pond feels more friendly in the water. I really kick myself that after working so close to this lovely spot for four years I only swam in it after I left London.

The following week-end we went camping at Hartland Point in north Devon . We went for a walk to get our bearings and spied the waterfall at Spekes Mill. A bit later I went for a run to the waterfall and saw that it fell into two pools. I climbed over the notional barrier the down a vague footpath to the pools. The water moved quite quickly and I can’t say that I really swam and I didn’t even go under the waterfall. Caution got the better of me as I was alone and no one knew I was down there. Still it was great to get in the water. The following day, after the rain cleared, we went to Bude. As well as a sandy beach there is a large pool built in to the cliff which refills with water every high tide. This water is a little warmer than the sea and as well as being a bit more pleasant for kinds it allows swimmers to plough up and down without being thrown around by the swell or getting in the way of surfers. I’m not sure how long it is and I only did a few laps, but there were a couple of more dedicated ORCA wetsuit wearing chaps who made a better job of it.

Off to Lake Como this week-end. Swimming in a warm Italian lake doesn’t have the same heroic resonance as swimming outdoors in the UK . Might be more pleasant though.