Sunday 30 October 2011

Macclesfield Canal - 30th October 2011

Clarke Lane <> Adlington Marina.
Out in 39:30, then toured back in a leisurely 50 minutes. Bored with the canal!

Sunday 23 October 2011

Macclesfield Canal - 22nd October 2011

Clarke lane - Higher Poynton Marina.
Out in about 55:00 (GPS turned off by itself), back in 58:50. Boat delays and a headwind on the return slowed me down somewhat.

Macclesfield Canal - 19th October 2011

Night training paddle, Clarke Lane - Adlington Marina. Out in 39:28, back in 39:45.
Scariest moment was meeting another paddler coming towards me with no lights either.

Monday 17 October 2011

Macclesfield Canal - 9th October 2011

Usual training paddle, Clarke Lane <-> Higher Poynton Marina.
Out in 54:50, back in 54:15 including some boat delays.
Must sync up better with the Macc CC and use one of the K1s. Left wrist has been feeling a bit sore, so need to keep an eye on it.

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Puffin Island - 2nd October 2011

Relatively short paddle from Benllech to Trwyn Y Penrhyn. 18k paddled, SW wind F3-4, slight sea. Went around Puffin Island around high tide, so no real tidal action. Stopped to watch the seals on the N end of Puffin. Approx 3.5 hours on the water.




Hilbre Island Race - 1st October 2011

This was the first time Liverpool Canoe Club had organised this race, so it was not widely advertised to keep numbers under control and to see how it goes.

The race started and finished at the public slipway at the south end of the marine lake at West Kirby. There were two options on race length, either a shorter 4km race around Little Eye and back, and a long race of 8km going around all the islands and back to the start.

Conditions were somewhere between slightly choppy and calm, with a southerly breeze. I was averaging over 10kph on the outward leg and more like 8-9kph on the return upwind leg.

There were 21 starters in the main single kayak class of the longer race, and I came in first in a time of 51:48.

The 3rd boat back was a canadian canoe paddled by a team of two. They looked pretty impressive and I later found out they are world marathon "masters" champions!

Preparing for the start