Soundoftheseagull,s: Penmaenmawr, Puffin, West Shore and return

I was having a good run this week and the weather had been the main reason for such, I can’t remember such a fantastic week in March.
Gareth was free this Thursday and the tides fell right to do Penmaenmawr, Puffin , the Great Orme and return.
MTJ had some commitments but hinted he might try and join us so C8 was left open for comms.
This paddle ended up in three distinctive stages.
Stage 1 launching from Pen it seemed the week was getting better, clear, oily and sunny we could see the sand eels below us.
We couldn’t though see Puffin so some GPS work and a later decision as to whether we would go around Puffin clockwise etc.
Eventuality spotted the Island the later stages seemed to take ages, got near to the NW side and as usual it’s fairly shallow the sea state picked up, we were looking to pick up on the flow to take us to the Ormes which again was not visible.
Stage 2
A strange feeling to be out there, some wind over tide and short deep waves with hull slapping.
It’s not a problem no tensing up but it’s that head thing being out to sea with no landmarks still good to get out of the comfort zone and very much like a an open crossing feeling.
I could hear some intermittent transmissions on C8 but stopping was a problem as the wind immediately took you back some yards.
We thought that with the conditions MTJ would not launch.
A big slog to get to the Orme and as we approached a call from the coast guard MTJ was checking on our welfare.
A quick chat and I rang Mark who was on the West shore and he had ventured out fair do’s.
A quick stop and then, Stage 3 a very leisurely paddle back, Stage 3, wind and tide so flat seas again and we soon arrived back.
A great end of a paddling week for me, we had discussed this one on many occasions good to bag it although it had taken some effort.
Lots of birds and our first sighting of Gannets fantastic.