Trwyn Penmon - 25th January 2009

Second day of NWSK meet to celebrate Burns night.

Paddled out from Trwyn Penmon (the headland by Puffin Island) round the coast to the NW to keep out of the very strong SW wind (had been F9 overnight, maybe 5-7 when we set off).


Sea very calm considering the conditions elsewhere. When we got ready to launch it was raining heavily but by time we set off the sun had come out and stayed out for the duration.

We lunched on a steep shingle beach and I had a major scare as while we were finishing our lunch, first Kev's, then my kayak slipped down the beach and into the water. Kev managed to retrieve his from the beach, but mine was being blown out away from the beach. I tried to swim to it, but couldn't catch it up, so Kev had to jump into his kayak to tow it back to me on the beach.

Covered around 8 miles. Paddled with Kev Robinson and Terry from the NWSK.

Menai Strait - 24th January 2009

First day of a Burns weekend with the NWSK staying at the Bangor YHA.

Launched from the slipway on the Menai side, just NE of the Menai Bridge. Played for a little while in the waves/flow of the "swellies" before carrying on down the strait to have lunch at Fort Belan. Assisted by the ebbing tide all the way.


Set off back again, still paddling slightly against the ebbing tide, but this subsided and by time we got back to Menai, they was quite a flow under the two bridges.

Launched about 10am, got off the water at 4.30pm. Weather mainly sunny. Great views of the snow capped hills of Snowdonia. Saw many herons on the shore of the straits - about one every 200 metres it seemed!


Total distance: 21 miles (used my GPS on the return leg to help monitor effect of the tide). Paddled with 6 other NWSKers.

Macclesfield Canal - 17th January 2009

Training paddle on the canal. Clarke Lane <-> Higher Poynton.
60 minutes out, 70 minutes back.
Cold headwind on return!