Sunday 23 August 2009

Macclesfield Canal - 22nd August 2009

Clarke Lane <=> Higher Poynton Marina
Out in 54.40... one boat delay, but had a bit of a following wind.
Back in about 58, chatting to John from MADCC who was paddling his K1.

Used the Nordkapps, and they felt a bit weird compared to the wings. You can definitely feel the "flutter" as you pull on them. Hopefully should have some wings again for the next outing... I'll try and keep hold of these!

Monday 17 August 2009

Eddystone Challenge - 15th August 2009


This race is billed as a 28 mile round trip from Plymouth Harbour out round the Eddystone Lighthouse. It is organised by the mayflower offshore rowing club. My GPS track on the day showed the race to be more like 26.

When we turned up we were not sure if the organisers would go for the lighthouse route, or the poor weather alternative up the Tamar. However the forecast wasn't as bad as it had been and conditions were about a F4 SW with a few feet of swell. Still, this is about the limit of safety for the event and with a 3hr cut off at the light, it was going to be tough.

I did manage to get around the light - last kayaker to do so along with a few others and a couple of rowing boats. We were a few hundred meters short of the light at the official cut off, but they let the group I was in go round. Our case was pleaded by Yankee 6 (the yacht stationed at the light) that could see us clearly. In the end only about 7-8 kayaks out of the 30 that started made the cut-off, the rest were turned back.

The paddle out was hard work, I kept up a reasonable rhythm but this didn't yield a decent speed because of the headwind and occasional slamming off the steeper waves. Using my GPS I was maintaining about 4 - 4.4 mph whereas on the flat I would reckon to paddle nearer 6.

I was looking forward to the return run expecting to be able to surf a bit, but being a tired by then I couldn't maintain speed to catch many waves and my boat handling skills didn't feel comfortable when I did. We were going a bit faster on the return, more like 5+ mph but I would have hoped for more. Then about 5 miles out, one wave did broach me and my attempted support strokes with wing paddles didn't work, I capsized, rolled myself out of the boat and ended up swimming. However my "buddy" (Glen Parry) and I had stayed together and I called him over and he got me back in my boat with no other assistance needed.

Not having swum in anger for years I was mighty pee'd off, and my lack of discipline showed when I realised I was no longer holding my paddle and it was nowhere to be seen. My hat had also come off, and I saw it a few yards away and swam to it.... another no-no. I struggled to then swim back to my boat to complete the rescue as the raft was being blown downwind. I completed the race in a time of about 6 hours and 15 minutes [6:17:27 official time] with my spare paddles with no further problems, very humbled and a pair of all carbon Bracsa VIII wings the lighter.

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Macclesfield Canal - 10th August 2009

Clarke Lane <=> Higher Poynton Marina.
Out in 53.45, return at slightly slower pace, stopping for chat with MADCC at Adelphi Mill. Still suffering a bit of numbness and slight pain in my L wrist, but doesn't seem to get any worse. Recovers quickly after a couple of minutes rest.

Portland Harbour - 9th August 2009

Short half hour paddle with Allen in Portland Harbour. Launched from "windsurfing beach" across road from main car park and then paddled under Ferry Bridge and back again. Allen had a quick go in the Epic and seemed to like it.

Weymouth Bay - 8th August 2009

Looking towards Weymouth town beach

Solo paddle, launching from the car park by Secondwind watersports shop at the end of Preston Beach road. Sunny, but with a F3 NW.

Paddled towards Weymouth, along the beach and to the harbour entrace. I then went due E across Weymouth bay to reach the coast again near Bat's Head. Carried on to Lulworth Cove for a snack, then further E into Mupe Bay for a quick call of nature!




Paddled back along the coast to launch point. On the water for 4hrs 20 minutes, covering about 21 miles. Conditions going across the bay was small chop with occasional whitecap on my port side. Maintained track OK using rudder and slight lean when needed. From the GPS I seemed to be doing around 5.2 mph crossing the bay, then more like 5.8 - 6.0 mph once alongside the coast again heading to Lulworth. Return was slower, perhaps averaging around 4.8 mph into slight headwind.


Paddling the Epic and using the wing paddles.

Saturday 8 August 2009

Macclesfield Canal - 3rd August 2009

Clarke Lane <=> Adlington Marina
Bit of a late start, so turned around at Adlington. Still keeping it a bit easy to avoind straining my wrist. Paddled with my normal LH feather. On the water for about 1hr 40min.