Five boys spent a wet and windy weekend on the North Coast as we returned to Dunseverick Harbour for our annual overnight camp.
The boys and leaders met at the church hall to load the gear into the van and hook up the trailer. This would be our first outing to the sea with the sit-on-top kayaks we had purchased earlier in the year. There were a few ominous downpours as our convoy headed north but thankfully the rain eased off as we reached the coast, allowing us to set up our tents relatively dry.
We lit the BBQs, and as we waited to cook Leader-in-Charge Jonathan shared a Bible message based on Matthew 5 – “The Sermon on the Mount”. He explained that followers of Christ still struggle with sin, and that the boys shouldn’t be put off by their own sinfulness, they can come to Jesus as they are.
Once the charcoal was ready we cooked sausages. Enjoying some hotdogs that night and saving the leftovers to eat on Saturday. Unfortunately the rain returned, and forced us into the comfort of our tents until the next day.
Saturday
We awoke to sunny blue skies, which allowed us to dry the tents out in the warm breeze dry before packing them away. After breakfast, the boys headed out to fish from the rocks on the eastern edge of the harbour. Some of the leaders remained in the carpark to set up our basecamp for the day, and to begin preparing lunch. A hearty mixture of onion, garlic, pepper, carrot, rice and chopped sausage fried in a pan over gas stove.
With our bellies filled we were ready to burn some calories on the water. Unfortunately the conditions had worsened as the day went on and the leaders concluded it was too rough to launch the canoes or kayaks. With no improvement forecast, we decided to pack up base camp and go for a walk. We followed the Causeway Coast Way east to Portbradden Harbour, exploring the rock pools and caves as we went.
When we returned to the carpark, the boys were rewarded by a fellow camper. A lady from a neighbouring tent wanted to thank them for how well behaved they had been on Friday night, and gave £25 to buy chips. An encouraging acknowledgement of the good group of lads within 2nd Ahoghill. So with cash in hand, we drove to Bushmills to enjoy dinner in our traditional spot beside the river, before continuing on back to the church hall.
Although it was disappointing not to get in the water, we still enjoyed our weekend break in the great outdoors.
