| Having paddled our kayaks two thirds around Horsey | | | | impossible to get out and pull the kayaks up the banks. |
| Island situated in the Walton-on-the-Naze backwaters | | | | We had no other option but to keep paddling. The |
| we were confident we would soon find a suitable | | | | channel seemed to go on and on until we eventually |
| place to land. | | | | rounded a corner to find to our horror that the channel |
| We paddled down Hamford Water not knowing that | | | | come to a dead end. It was evident we had simply |
| we had in fact missed our turning to go around the | | | | been following a large creek inland and were now |
| island back at the fork after Stone Point. Despite | | | | around the Beaumont Cut area. |
| paddling further and further we could not spot a single | | | | We were extremely tired, hungry and stranded in this |
| place to portage. As it was nearly 9.00pm and the sun | | | | creek with the only option to either call the coast guard |
| had dropped behind the horizon Hamford Water took | | | | or attempt to paddle back to the beach at Stone Point. |
| on an ominous feel. | | | | Although exhausted nobody wanted to call the coast |
| We were starting to feel lost, tired and hungry. My | | | | guard so we wearily began to head back in the dark |
| inflatable kayak was unforgiving and the weight of my | | | | to Stone Point with the feint hope we had missed an |
| camping and kayak accessories made paddling even | | | | exit point along the way. |
| harder. I had a five litre water bottle stuffed behind my | | | | It was now gone 9.00pm and we had a three or four |
| kayak seat, a foot pump, tent, sleeping bag, food and | | | | mile paddle back to Stone Point ahead of us. Not |
| so on, all of which were making the inflatable kayak | | | | much was spoken on this stretch and the two of us |
| drag heavily against the tidal water. | | | | paddling the inflatable kayaks started to lag behind. At |
| The banks along Hamford Water seemed to be | | | | 10.00pm and what felt like hours had passed we |
| getting higher or maybe it was just our moods getting | | | | started to see the silhouettes of the rusty barges in |
| lower. Having planned to pitch a camp long before | | | | the distance. This uplifted out spirits but as hard as we |
| sunset and travel back the next day, nobody had | | | | paddled they never seemed to get any nearer. |
| thought to bring a torch. This added to our worries as | | | | We remembered there was a beach behind were the |
| we were in a channel used by other boats. Still we | | | | barges were moored which would be closer than |
| pushed on looking for any nook or cranny where we | | | | Stone Point. After what seemed like an age the |
| could pull ourselves out. | | | | barges were now just a few hundred yards from us. It |
| As it was now getting quite dark and we were | | | | was taking all my strength every time I lowered my |
| starting to become desperate one of the group tried | | | | paddles into the water and my inflatable kayak |
| to get out and climb the mud banks. He instantly sank | | | | seemed heavier than ever. |
| up to his knees in the mud and knew that it would be | | | | |