COASTAL DISCOVERY
William Thomson starts a new series exploring various geographical features of the British Isles coastline
To coincide with William Thomson’s epic voyage around the British Isles in his catamaran, we start a new series as we discover the coastline with him. From bays and headlands to estuaries and marshes, he will be helping us build a stronger connection to the coast by teaching us
to read tides, winds and waves in safety and with expertise
One of my favourite coastlines is the bay – but only at low tide. This is when the bay environment comes into its element, a vast expanse of sand in all directions. The reason this happens is because the bathymetry (seabed/depth) of a bay is generally gently sloping, so a small drop in the tide makes the water go a long way out. You may have noticed this at your local bay, and wondered why it is so different to the beach around the corner where the tide seems minuscule by comparison. In fact, their tidal ranges will be the same, but if a steeply sloping beach has a slope of 1:1, a one-metre drop in the tide will make the water go back one metre, but if the bay’s gradient is a gentler 1:10, the same one-metre drop will expose 10m of sand.
With a six-metre tide, the effect can be profound. While the tidal activity creates a wonderful sense of space in a bay, there’s also a unique feeling of shelter as two arms of land wrap around the coast on either side, like a hug. It creates a feeling of being in a bubble, a pocket of tranquillity in a chaotic world.
Morecambe Bay is one of the best-known bays in the British Isles, and is a perfect case study for the opportunities and dangers of this environment. On the plus side, the vast expanse of sand at low tide is ideal for activities that need a large surface area, like horse riding and land sailing. As the tide then rises, the gently sloping seabed creates shallow water for a long way out, which is perfect for kite and wind surfing. But this is not an environment without dangers, as was tragically highlighted in February 2004 when 23 cockle-pickers were drowned here by the incoming tide. It is said that the tide at Morecambe races in faster than a galloping horse – whether or not this is true, if you are on a slightly higher sandbank and not really concentrating on your surroundings, there is a very real risk of the tide flooding in fast around you and cutting off any escape to dry land. On top of this, quicksand is a common feature of bays all around the UK and for those who get stuck when the tide is rising, panicked movements will only deepen the trap. To minimise these risks, time your activities for when the tide is falling. That way you won’t need to worry about being cut off by a flood of seawater and if you get stuck in quicksand there will be
‘There’s a unique feeling of shelter within a bay, as two arms of land wrap around the coast on either side, like a hug’
plenty of time for the coastguard or RNLI to come to the rescue.
THE THRILL OF LAND SAILING
The vast expanse of sandy bays at low tide makes them perfect for land sailing, which as its name suggests is essentially sailing on land. Instead of having a dinghy and gliding through the water, land sailors sit in a buggy and race over the sand. ‘Race’ is an important word here, because land sailing is an activity for those who love speed. I first tried this thrilling sport on a vast sandy stretch in Northern Ireland and the sense of adrenaline was unrivalled; it’s not uncommon to hit 35mph, which feels incredibly fast in so delicate a contraption.
The model I trialled was the ‘mini class’, which is what most beginners will learn on. It consists of a simple tubular frame with three wheels and a seat. The sail is mounted on a sectional
mast designed for easy packing and the boom is controlled by a simple rope and pulley system, while steering is done with your feet. The beauty of this design is that it is easy to learn on, but also provides enough speed and control for an experienced land sailor to enjoy. However, if you want to get serious about land sailing the ultimate option is the ‘class 3’, with a seven squaremetre sail on a rotating aerofoil mast attached to a lightweight composite frame, designed for maximum speed.
The best way to get started with land sailing is to do a demo session or a taster day with a club. While some people enjoy the camaraderie and racing events of a club, it is just as easy to go out by yourself. While the initial outlay can be costly, the advantage is that you can go all year round, on almost any day. While many sea sailors hang up their suits for winter as sea temperatures plummet, land sailors can keep going all year round with a good pair of thermals and gloves. And there are fewer bad days than with sea sailing because you don’t need to concern yourself with which way the currents are flowing, or the direction of wind in relation to the tide. All you need is low tide, a bit of wind, and you’re off!
Next month: William looks at channels in this series exploring the geography of the UK coastline and how it shapes our adventures.