Dear All,
Tim Gibson , Neil Black and Chris Gordon d’Rosario have picked up the Mallow bashing baton and here’s a short account.
Tim’s a Kiwi so I think you can guess that he’s understating it- well done and great to see people taking the initiative and working within the guidelines to get good work done- I’m really proud of you!!!
Hi David,
Just to keep you up to speed…
Neil, Chris and I finally met with John Hunt Friday morning for a quick induction and to collect some extra loppers before Neil and I paddled off to the Lamb with mallow on our minds. Swell forecast was 1.2m from NNE and there were a few surfers in Milsey Bay to prove it and the fairway at NB was starting to build as the tide went out and promising fun at low tide.
Wind was only about F3 S to SW. More worried about swell than the gusting to F6 forecast, the waves crashing into the Lamb left us sitting and watching for a while. Then going around the South Dog and more watching and deciding that maybe a trip around the whole Lamb was a good idea and maybe when we came back the tide would have gone out some more and everything was going to be OK. And we could do the gap on the north side at the same time. Which we did, but although you could now easily see the bottom between the waves where the wee spit connects the South Dog to the island, the waves were not much different, coming from both directions and a vertical explosion where they met in the shallows, and the obvious deterrent to trying to get out just there, but a wee shingley beach on the Dog was a bit more exposed, and catching a wave to go over some rocks and around others, and hoping not to mess up… actually landed no probs, hauled the boats onto the rocks, unpacked and waded across the spit in about 200mm of water between the waves. Cool. Got changed, picked a spot and started cutting mallow just before 11.00. Low tide about 12.00 meant we should be able to cut until 1.30 and getting back would still be pretty simple. So, deciding to leave the rocky bits and the cliffs and go for the obvious and easy bits, like the ridge above the cliffs on the south side alongside the large grassy patch full of puffin holes. With a short break for some lunch ‘we knocked the bugger off’ at 1.30, spot on time, only by the time we were changed, repacked and wading back to the South Dog the water was, well, closer to waist height… and even waiting for low sets to make the crossing in, the odd waves were somewhere about… well… maybe because we were in BAs, about that height that puts you on your tippy toes and going sideways a bit, but otherwise no problem.
Launching was pretty simple, the swell was smaller enough to make a difference, and headed north around the island, back to the gap… which was, um, a little more, um, challenging this time…!
So about 2 1/2 hours cutting for two of us and loads still to do. Hey, it’s not the same without twenty people and loads of cake. Seems we are the only ones to take up Uri’s invitation to party… but kinda neat having the island just to one’s self.
Tim Gibson