The weather doesn’t look at all good for the weekend.  On Saturday and Sunday they are forecasting 26 mph winds – which would take the sea conditions beyond Neil’s level of sea-kayaking competency.  So it looks as if he’ll have to operate plan B: to walk the coastal path.  From a previous walk he knows that he finds the stretch from Exmouth to Brixham, which runs through seaside towns, not terribly inspiring walking.  So today he decided to cycle the stretch from Exmouth to Berry Head in advance.

Alan dropped him in Exmouth at 8.30, and it transpired that the first ferry across the river to Dawlish wasn’t until 10.30, so rather than hang around he set off on the bike.  From Exmouth he travelled via Exeter, Dawlish Warren and Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay, Paignton and Brixham before making the climb up to Berry Head.  Neil’s comment: “Devon is full of hills, and today I seem to have climbed most of them!”

So he is prepared now to abandon the sea-kayaking on Saturday and Sunday.  Friday looks marginal: the winds forecast are just about on the margins of what he feels he could cope with.  So tomorrow’s decision whether to paddle or not looks like being a tricky one.  All he can do is assess the situation on the day.