When I’m out kayaking in Maputo bay I can always see the island Ilha Xefina. So the temptation to visit has always been there. Local legend has it that on really low tides you can walk out there. You just have to time it right getting back. Or get a lift with a local fishing from a Dhow.
So when a Sunday seemed pretty free, apart from the compulsory gymnastics training, it seemed the perfect opportunity (after two years of thinking about it) to get out and explore the island. While Zoe and the kids were at gym I got together lunch, drinks and everything we needed. There was a storm forecast right at the end of the day and I was keen to get started as soon as we can. But, gymnastics training is never a quick affair and despite a 10am start it was well past midday before they all got back to the house.
We headed down to Maritimo as quickly as we could. Maritimo is a local sailing club. I have a sea kayak that lives there. They also hire kayaks. There is a choice of two types. Very stable, very slow, bath tubs, or fast but tippy plastic racing kayaks. The sea was the calmest we’d seen it in a long time, so we went for the fast boats. We also have our own plastic kayaks, but the Mozambican government (in their infinite wisdom) have a complicated set of rules whereby all kayaks have to be registered with the government to be launched in Mozambique. I am sure the Mozambique government has more pressing issues to deal with than kayakers, but you wouldn’t know that from the regulations.
So, the four of us set off onto the beautifully flat water. Maputo bay is well protected from the swell of the Indian ocean, that makes some pretty serious surf elsewhere. The water was warm, the sun was out and the paddling was very pleasant. It wasn’t much over an hours paddling before we reached the island. We pulled the kayaks up onto the sand and I dug out a nice picnic from my boat. The girls were pleased I’d managed to bring chilled cans of drink to the island and we all sat around enjoying the warm sunshine, cold drinks and good food.
We explored the beach a little and thought it would be nice to come another time and have more of a chance to explore. But we had set off late and time was against us a little. As we had been enjoying the island a steep bank of cloud had been building up off to the south. At the same time the wind had started to pick up. The forecast storm was starting to build. With the change in wind had come an instant change in the state of the sea. Between us we had one relatively stable sea kayak, 3 quite wobbly racing kayaks, a bumpy sea and a good way to get back.
We didn’t notice the change in sea state much until we were out on the water again. But the children were instantly nervous and worried in their boats. Imogen was particularly nervous so Imogen and I switched boats, while in the sea. This is a slightly tricky manoeuvre. But Imogen being light made it a bit easier. Before long Imogen was relatively happily in my more stable sea kayak, while I was left in a wobbly racing boat with the foot rests setup for someone much smaller than me, so my knees were almost at my ears.
While we were changing over Harriett and Zoe had carried on paddling, as paddling is much more stable than sitting still while the water is rough. So, they were now a good distance away. They only had the wobbly boats. Imogen and I decided the best route would be to head towards the shore and then follow the shore line back to the start. We were hoping there would be more shelter from the swell nearer the shore and we could always get out and take a rest if we wanted to. It seemed Harriett and Zoe had other ideas and they were headed on a more direct course back to Maritimo. Imogen found the going tiring and was soon complaining about the distance to go and the difficulty of the paddling. I had to paddle ahead and try and to guide her along behind me. But it wasn’t easy and if my concentration lapsed she was suddenly looking rather disgruntled a long way back.
It wasn’t very sheltered nearer the coast and it wasn’t possible to head to the beach for a break. As it had been a good day and it was still sunny (with the storm building up off the coast) the beaches were packed. So as soon as we got near the beach hoards of swimmers would just head towards us. Not wishing to be sunk or mobbed we kept a good distance out to sea.
Progress was easier to see and measure along the coast than out to sea and so we could see we were making clear, if slow progress towards our goal. A good two hours after we set off from the island we were finally landing on the beach at Maritimo. Zoe and Harriett were already there. They had taken the more direct route and Harriett had had a couple of capsizes on the way. But, she had managed to get back in and carry on both times. By the time we found her she was happily enjoying a tub of ice cream on the shore.
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