tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058816085374002332024-03-19T10:03:19.514+00:00jb kayak logKayaking log book of John BunyanJohn Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.comBlogger427125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-26101831053475869852016-12-08T19:37:00.000+00:002016-12-08T19:37:31.995+00:00A gentle paddle around Trearddur Bay - 22nd October 2016We'd arranged to take one of Rachael's friends kayaking and arrived at Anglesey Outdoors to pitch our tent at lunchtime. While setting up camp we got chatting to a neighbouring camper who had been left for the day while her partner was out paddling. We asked if she would like to accompany us for a gentle paddle around Trearddur Bay since Rachael's friend was pretty much a beginner.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So four us launched from the slipway on the North side of the bay and we had a very pleasant potter around the various reefs and the little bays thereabouts. With the sun out and little wind there were lots of other groups out, so it ended up a very sociable paddle as we stopped to chat with people we knew.</div>
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About 5km paddled.</div>
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John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-47386216243423760752016-11-30T22:16:00.002+00:002016-11-30T22:16:30.037+00:00Blackpool Illuminations - 8th October 2016Seeing the Blackpool Illuminations from the sea is a great excuse for a night paddle with the added bonus that it is very difficult to get lost.<br />
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Six of us launched from the slip at the south end of the breakwater with about an hour of daylight remaining. Dramatic dark clouds loomed menacingly over the land, but luckily there was no rain and the clouds dissipated as we began to lose the light.<br />
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To use up a bit of time we headed out to one of the navigation buoys that was about a kilometre off the beach, This gave us a wide sweeping view of the Blackpool pleasure beach, the piers, the Tower and then in the distance the hills of the Lake District.<br />
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As darkness closed in we headed towards Central Pier and were pleased when they turned on the lights on the Tower. We carried on northwards for a couple of kilometres, then we landed on the beach for a quick snack and comfort break. Landing was mildly entertaining because we couldn't see the sandbanks and we ran out of water a couple of times getting in and out of the beach.<br />
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We made our way back south again enjoying the light show on the tower and the bright lights from the illuminations. The trolley buses that go up and down the promenade were made up with lights to make them look like trains and large ships and this was particularly effective from our viewing position.<br />
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By time we got back to the slip, the tide had gone out quite a way, so we had a long carry back to the road. The excellent evening was rounded off with some fine fish and chips at the Squires Gate chippy.<br />
<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-5920071060011976762016-11-30T20:57:00.000+00:002016-11-30T20:57:43.079+00:00Kingsbridge Estuary - 25th September 2016The kayaking gods were not on my side... we had planned a trip to circumnavigate Mull, but the weather was looking awful, so we decided to head south instead and go to Devon. Then on the first evening after we arrived, I did something painful to my back that severely curtailed my activities.<br />
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We stayed in Devon for a few days, but I only managed one trip in the Kingsbridge Estuary.<br />
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We launched from the lovely sandy Mill Bay beach on the east side of the estuary, opposite Salcombe town. We crossed the estuary and watched the ferry exchange groups of passengers with the sea tractor on South Sands beach.<br />
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We were curious as to the conditions on the open sea, so we headed towards the mouth of the estuary to have a look. The wind was blowing strongly from the west, and as we rounded Sharp Tor and into Stairhole Bay, we were met by heavy downblasts as the wind came over the cliffs. The tide was also trying to take us out to sea, so discretion was the better part of valour and we made a hasty retreat for the sanctuary of the estuary.<br />
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We passed the infamous Bar that guards the entrance to the natural harbour and resisted the temptation to surf the waves that were being kicked up.<br />
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We had a pleasant paddle alongside the Salcombe waterfront and into the multitude of moored boats that cover this end of the estuary.<br />
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Once clear of the moorings, the estuary widens out to give a broad vista of the rolling Devon countryside. We carried on towards Kingsbridge and hauled the boats out on a small slipway at the end of the tidal navigation.<br />
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We enjoyed our lunch in the sunshine, then retraced our steps back to Mill Bay.<br />
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18km paddled.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-81572298873064227402016-08-30T10:06:00.001+01:002016-08-30T10:06:29.271+01:00Lismore and Mull from Ganavan Sands - 28th August 2016It was the day after the Oban Sea Kayak Race, and a number of us arranged to meet up for a paddle to shake out some tired muscles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out on our route from Ganavan sands</td></tr>
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The day dawned sunny and still, and we set off in mirror-like conditions heading for the lighthouse on the southern tip of Lismore.<br />
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The route out to the lighthouse and back is the course of a race that is held on the last weekend of May each year. I haven't managed to make it to this race, but I hope to one year.<br />
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The wonderful conditions made it a very relaxing paddle with views down towards Jura to the south and a mountain panorama around us from the island of Mull through to the highest mountains in Scotland further up Loch Linnhe.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountains of Mull</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lighthouse on Eilean Musdile on the southern end of Lismore</td></tr>
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We had lunch by the lighthouse, then set off to make the short hop over to Mull. This entailed us crossing the busy ferry route of the Sound of Mull and we had to dodge the odd CalMac ferry going to/from Mull and Barra.<br />
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We didn't have time for a stop on Mull, so I just touched the rocks to complete the crossing, and then we turned around to head back via Lismore and reversed the crossing back to Ganavan. A bit of a breeze had developed and the crossing was a bit more lively with some chop and small swell on our starboard beam. It would have been nice if the swell was from more behind us, but you can't have everything!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duart Castle, Isle of Mull</td></tr>
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A great paddle, and I was glad I stayed to make use of the good conditions rather than heading straight back home from the race.<br />
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About 24km paddled.<br />
<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-4878889328678096052016-08-30T09:41:00.000+01:002016-08-30T09:41:28.610+01:00Oban Sea Kayak Race - 27th August 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oban harbour</td></tr>
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The English August bank holiday weekend saw me heading north to compete in the Oban Sea Kayak Race. I did this race the first two times it was run (2010, 2011) and I have always enjoyed it.<br />
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The course circumnavigates the island of Kerrera in a clockwise direction. The initial stretch is south down the Sound of Kerrera and then the course has its most exposed section as it rounds the southern end of the island. It then makes its way up the west side of the island en route back to Oban harbour.<br />
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The weather this year was overcast but with no wind, in contrast to most years when there is normally wind from the south west making the bottom part of the course quite challenging (or fun depending on ability).<br />
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The keenest paddlers are now competing in surf skis, and out of a field of 47, 16 skis were competing, with 8 "performance" sea kayaks (Epic 18/Taran etc) and the rest were touring kayaks. I was paddling my Epic 18x, which has a similar hull to the more stable skis. Numbers in the race were a bot down this year which is a shame.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start - photo credit Gilbert Speirs</td></tr>
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The race was won by Mark Ressel who had come up from Devon in a time of 1:36:16, way ahead of the rest of the field. Mark is an ex UK ski and K1 champion, so it was not a surprising result. My own time was a more modest 2:06:15, but I did squeeze into the prize giving as 3rd old git in a racing kayak. I've not been training so much this year, so I found the last third of the race hard work.<br />
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It was great to see a lot of friends again and to meet some new ones. The event has a good social side, and a number of us paddled together the following day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post race social - photo credit Roswitha Wagenknecht</td></tr>
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Thanks to Gus and the team for organising the event.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-27141103595519973212016-08-19T11:37:00.001+01:002016-08-19T11:37:33.998+01:00The Stacks from Porth Dafarch - 15th August 2016After the Skerries paddle with Alan we said goodbye and then started to think about where to spend the night. I had brought bivvy gear and was contemplating a wild camp, but it was getting into the evening now and being a bit tired I couldn't face the hassle of re-launching, so I chickened out at camped at Anglesey Outdoor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bivvy gear</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holyhead Mountain sunset</td></tr>
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The following day dawned bright with light winds. Neap tides gave a lot of options, but I decided to go for the classic trip of visiting North and South Stack from Porth Dafarch.<br />
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I was parked up fairly early, and the beach only had a few people milling around and a small fishing boat getting ready to launch. With the warm sunshine I paddled in a rash vest and no cag, so nice to avoid the "boil in the bag" drysuit.<br />
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The trip was pretty much a repeat of the journey I had made a few weeks earlier and again I enjoyed exploring all the channels and caves of this wonderful stretch of coast. It's hard to tire of this spectacular area, and this must be my favourite part of Anglesey.<br />
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On the return leg near South Stack I saw a dolphin/porpoise fin break the surface a few times, but wasn't quick enough on the camera to catch it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arch near Penrhyn Mawr</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Stack come into view shortly after Penrhyn Mawr</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching South Stack</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbers on Gogarth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Stack flowing, but in friendly mood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch stop in Abraham's Bosom</td></tr>
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When I returned to Porth Dafarch it was very crowded, with many small boats in the area. I carried my boat up to the car and then enjoyed a very welcome ice cream in the afternoon sunshine.<br />
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19km round trip.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-82807321938615451252016-08-19T11:06:00.000+01:002016-08-19T11:06:01.676+01:00The Skerries from Bull Bay - 14th August 2016A more settled forecast saw me head to Anglesey for a couple of days paddling. On the first day I met up with Alan from the Macclesfield club. We fancied "doing something a bit longer" so given the timing of the tides (low tide at Holyhead at 2:40pm) we decided to do a round trip to the Skerries along the north coast.<br />
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With the tidal assistance you can cover "ground" fairly quickly, so we left the cars at Bull Bay and headed out into the westward ebbing tidal flow. The Skerries were 16km to the west but it only took us about 1 hour 40 minutes to get there.<br />
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On the way out I was treated to the sight of a dolphin/porpoise completely breaching out of the water. I was talking to Alan and looking his way, and the mammal jumped out of the water about a hundred metres behind him. He looked around and only saw the splash.<br />
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With weak tides the trip out to the Skerries was a relatively simple navigation excercise - we got ourselves into a position E/NE of the islands and tuned our course appropriately.<br />
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The Skerries were bustling with boats - kayaks, sailing boats, speedboats and jet skis. The benign sea conditions had brought everyone out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not much room on the beach!</td></tr>
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We ate lunch below the lighthouse. The last few Terns were still nesting on the island, so there were lots of signs asking people not to leave the main path so we didn't do any exploring.<br />
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We set off back again around 1:45pm. In theory the "flood" flow should have started around 2pm, but we didn't seem to be picking up much assistance, so the initial crossing back towards West Mouse was a bit of a slog.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Mouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Mouse resident</td></tr>
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Luckily as we neared Harry Furlong's (or Furlough's) Rocks we started to get some benefit from the tide and we were going at a more reasonable pace.<br />
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It took us about 2 and a half hours to return to Bull Bay.<br />
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35km round trip.John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-49251300866939379822016-08-19T10:35:00.000+01:002016-08-19T10:35:48.562+01:00Cemlyn to Bull Bay - 7th August 2016It would be nice if the club trips could coincide with some decent weather! With a forecast force 6 from the south west, we opted to paddle in the relative shelter of the north coast of Anglesey and to head east.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cemlyn Bay</td></tr>
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We sorted the shuttle out, leaving a couple of cars at Bull Bay. As we left Cemlyn Bay we picked up some of the wind on our backs and it created some lively conditions on Wylfa Head. Once round the headland conditions moderated and we could enjoy the scenery a bit more.<br />
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We stopped for lunch in the ruined brickworks in Porth Wen. By now the sun had started to show itself, and in the shelter of the wind the beach became a pleasant sun trap.<br />
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Suitably refreshed we re-launched and leisurely paddled around the bay rock hopping. As we made our way back to Bull Bay we passed through the natural arch and cave that are tucked away in the cliffs. The arch isn't that obvious when you are paddling away from the cliffs, and it is only navigable towards high tide.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journey end at Bull Bay</td></tr>
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A fairly short paddle, but enjoyable all the same. Given the conditions there were not many other options.<br />
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12.7 km paddled according to my GPS.<br />
<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-84356521521752777272016-08-17T12:31:00.001+01:002016-08-17T12:32:31.028+01:00The Stacks - 20th July 2016With an excellent weather forecast I made plans for a mid-week trip to Anglesey. Warm sunshine and negligible winds coupled with neap tides meant I headed for Holy Island with a target of paddling around North and South Stack headlands.<br />
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I wanted to make the trip a reasonable distance, but I struggled to find a parking place and ended up parking and launching from a pebble beach just north of Trearddur Bay - which later to prove a mistake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great launch site.... but at high tide only!</td></tr>
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It was just after high tide when I set off, and it was so nice just to be paddling in a tee-shirt and beach shorts. Such a change from the restrictions of a dry-suit.<br />
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Paddling solo I could take as much time as I wanted, and with flat seas I explored all the possible inlets, caves and arches of this wonderful piece of coast.<br />
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I was paying so much attention to my exploring that I didn't recognise passing Porth Dafarch and continued round to Penrhyn Mawr. With no appreciable flow, I was pre-occupied exploring and again didn't really register where I was. I rounded the headland and South Stack lighthouse came into view and to my surprise I realised my location.<br />
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I was in need of a comfort break, so I stopped off on the rocky/pebble beach of Porth Y Gwyddel and had a quick chat with Roger Chandler who was leading a group that had also stopped there.<br />
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I set off again and made my way over towards South Stack. It was getting near the end of the nesting season, but there were still quite a few birds on the cliffs, so I didn't go in too close. I sneaked through the channel between South Stack island and the mainland and entered the magnificent Gogarth Bay.<br />
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I headed for the cliffs and large arch of Wen Zawn and watched a party of climbers on Dream of White Horses. I must have surprised them, because one member of the team was relieving himself from his hanging belay... not the best view!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wen Zawn cliffs</td></tr>
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I stuck my nose around North Stack and had a look at the flow created by the ebbing tide. Some small waves were being kicked up, but nothing serious and I crossed the flow a couple of time before starting to make my way back.<br />
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I paddled back a bit more directly, and returned to my launch spot. Only problem was that the nice pebble beach at high tide had been replaced by a very rocky shoreline at low tide. It took a number of attempts to find a spot where I could get out, and I had to carry my boat quite a way back to my car. This didn't detract from a fantastic paddle.<br />
<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-36093586837176614272016-08-16T19:18:00.001+01:002016-08-17T12:32:31.024+01:00Conwy Ascent - 25th June 2016Nice to catch up with friends at the annual Conwy Ascent race and also great to see a lot of Macclesfield club members out. Much more benign conditions this year, no nasty headwinds to contend with and no rough water.<br />
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I was racing with Glen Parry in a surf ski on my tail for the first half of the race, but managed to pull away from him. Was making some headway on the boat in front, but run out of time to catch him. I didn't realise he was the lead boat in the same class as me, so I finished second sea kayak in a time of 1 hour 10 minutes and 49 seconds.<br />
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After refreshments and the prize giving we returned to our boats to have a leisurely tour back to Conwy.John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-37352829968198678702016-07-12T14:49:00.000+01:002016-07-12T14:49:09.858+01:00Loch Roag and Loch Roag Beag - 16th June 2016This was the final paddle of our St Kilda trip. We had left the Monach Islands on the wednesday evening, motoring into an increasing NE wind. We spent the night in the bay on the east side of Taransay, and then on the following day we spent a while on shore exploring this wonderful island. It was too wild to paddle, so we returned to the Cuma and carried on north, past Scarpa to anchor for the last night in the shelter of Loch Tamnabhaigh on the west coast of Lewis.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taransay</td></tr>
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Conditions were pretty wild on the Friday morning as we completed the final leg of our trip and rounded Gallan Head and back into the calmer waters of Loch Roag. We launched the kayaks from the Cuma and explored Pabaigh Mor, entering the hidden lagoon on the northern end of the island. We comtemplated leaving the lagoon on the NE side, but wisely we opted to return down the SW side and made our way south down through Loch Roag to enter the long, thin Loch Roag Beag.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Motoring north towards Loch Roag</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pabaigh Mor lagoon</td></tr>
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The strong wind from the north were making conditions pretty choppy, but we didn't necessarily seek shelter. We swung out into the loch to enable us to get a better downwind run into Loch Roag Beag. So we surfed our way down the loch and completed our week's adventures at the Giosla power station.<br />
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About 20km paddled. Thanks to Gordon, Rowland, Murdo and the gang for a great holiday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3SNKEkBHwVydBQ8RPvjIDqWETuA59ymQaeWg0BgBxl7pf-jmzaZWCzM5Vn1lmsXsAn24guROObdndOjpRwJn2_3ADJ8mMiRd8s0IidSDOvbyXEznTiXDk-6n0BWE2SbEP8v3ERA8UtU/s1600/A086+IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3SNKEkBHwVydBQ8RPvjIDqWETuA59ymQaeWg0BgBxl7pf-jmzaZWCzM5Vn1lmsXsAn24guROObdndOjpRwJn2_3ADJ8mMiRd8s0IidSDOvbyXEznTiXDk-6n0BWE2SbEP8v3ERA8UtU/s320/A086+IMG_2665.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquusg7hdgTstgAMq3Lb5livmKyBq_4HSCmNjKsd8GtFNmvXGexwNhM_74bS_5yUxtGxxwNCNk2DzdZkao55RGTp9JfWKqodxEt2XERg4qmaSvN-DJKf7diRRS3xb6XQbqmvSPLI4dBL0/s1600/A082+IMG_2660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiquusg7hdgTstgAMq3Lb5livmKyBq_4HSCmNjKsd8GtFNmvXGexwNhM_74bS_5yUxtGxxwNCNk2DzdZkao55RGTp9JfWKqodxEt2XERg4qmaSvN-DJKf7diRRS3xb6XQbqmvSPLI4dBL0/s320/A082+IMG_2660.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowland Woollven</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murdo MacDonald</td></tr>
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Links:<br />
Skyak Adventures - <a href="http://www.skyakadventures.com/">http://www.skyakadventures.com/</a><br />
Island Cruising - <a href="http://www.island-cruising.com/">http://www.island-cruising.com/</a><br />
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John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-69049521926505222732016-07-12T14:03:00.000+01:002016-07-12T14:03:07.780+01:00Monach Islands - 14th June 2016The forecast for the next few days was for strong North Easterly winds, so we reluctantly bade farewell to St. Kilda and headed east towards the Monach Islands. Situated off the west coast of North Uist and Benbecula the Monach Islands are a stark contrast to the geology of St. Kilda. Low-lying and windswept, they are made up of two main islands and then a number of skerries. Joined together by sandy beaches they create a wildlife haven for seals and numerous sea birds.<br />
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We had motored over during the night to moor up in a sandy bay on the west side of Ceann Ear. We awoke to calm but overcast conditions. The lack of wind suprised me since the boat had been rocking a lot overnight, but this was due to the atlantic swell and not the local conditions.<br />
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After the usual hearty breakfast, we launched from the Cuma and headed off on a clockwise circumnavigation of the islands. It was not long before we found a mainly submerged skerry that was creating an interesting wave break and a teasing challenge to paddle over. Gordon demonstrated the correct approach and timing - to get pretty close and then time your take-off on top of a wave avoiding being surfed on the front of the wave over the exposed rocks. As the wave washed over the rocks it provided enough depth to safely paddle over them. We all then took turns in repeating the manoeuvre, with varying degrees of success and dignity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Rowland Woollven</td></tr>
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We carried on in a similar manner, finding interesting rock features to play with until we reached the lighthouse on the small island of Siolaigh. One advantage that the Monachs have over St Kilda is that it is easy to land for a pee!... so we stopped for a comfort break and a quick snack. Care had to be taken to not step on the eggs of the nesting birds.<br />
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Resuming our paddle we were increasingly surrounded by the large number of seals that make the islands their home. Always keeping a small distance, they kept an inquisitive eye on us.<br />
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The sky brightened and cleared as we continued playing and surfing as we made our way round Ceann Iar. We stopped for lunch in the wide sheltered bay of Croic, lounging in the sun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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Setting off again, now in bright sunshine, we crossed over to Ceann Ear enjoying the wonderful sandy beaches and dunes. As we rounded the southern end of the island we turned back into an increasing wind, a sign of the conditions to come. A couple of us headed off in front to find the Cuma... but it wasn't where I thought it was! In order to save some time, Murdo had taken the Cuma round to the north side of the island ready to continue our journey back towards Harris and Lewis. Luckily Rowland had been listening on his radio and picked up a call from Murdo to say where the boat was.<br />
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So it was a bit of a slog heading into the wind in the channel between Ciann Iar and Ciann Ear and in choppy conditions we reloaded the Cuma after another great paddle.<br />
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About 20km paddled.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-65993190619095725222016-06-27T13:59:00.002+01:002016-06-27T13:59:47.229+01:00St Kilda: Morning paddle around Dun and departure - 13th June 2016This was the second paddle of the St Kilda trip with Gordon Brown on the Cuma.<br />
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The day dawned bright with fairly light winds, so the prospects were for a good day. The plan for the morning was to explore Dun, the island off the southern tip of Hirta, with the two islands only separated by a small channel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dun seen from Hirta</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy wasn't expecting visitors - fast asleep!</td></tr>
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There can't be many places where you can pack so much adventurous and dramatic paddling into such a small area. The narrow island of Dun is breached by the sea in a number of places leaving spectacular through caves. Some of these are obvious arches, others are hidden requiring prior knowledge to find them or an adventurous spirit!<br />
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We practiced the protocol for how to navigate through the caves - one person goes through to check it out, if they survive and come back in one piece, we then determine if it is safe to go through one at a time! We navigated a few caves like this. One cave involved negotiating an awkward sloping roof that didn't leave much room to paddle that then opened out into a big pool. At right angles to the route in, another exit from the pool's cavern was out to the open sea on the west side. This looked far too intimidating to take on, so we reversed our route back to the calm of the east side of the island, but not before Matthew got trashed in the pool by a couple of big waves and had to roll a couple of times.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the slanting through cave</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me negotiating the slanting cave - photo credit Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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We carried on up the east side of Dun till we got to the large arch. The swell was making this look interesting, and a few of us paddled through it to the turbulent west side. Gordon paddled through and a couple of us then went down the west side of the island towards the gap between Dun and Hirta, the rest of the party decided not to venture through and turned around on the east side.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CvBPBHhpvLTccux94slGxzGECrVP1ZtXYTVoRplGr8-x1kJ_rGqO6405_mVJQ8zPriR9GfyWt_lVEWLqk0wgP4Ih9QYB2OiMoKLqyfi9Gas5q9TN01dQnq4H8io1w5k5Y7ve9ZACzgM/s1600/dun+arch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CvBPBHhpvLTccux94slGxzGECrVP1ZtXYTVoRplGr8-x1kJ_rGqO6405_mVJQ8zPriR9GfyWt_lVEWLqk0wgP4Ih9QYB2OiMoKLqyfi9Gas5q9TN01dQnq4H8io1w5k5Y7ve9ZACzgM/s320/dun+arch.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm inspecting the large arch - photo credit Bob Grose</td></tr>
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The gap has a number of large rocks in it, and with the breaking waves pushing water through the channels it again created "interesting" conditions. Gordon led us through to show the route and I followed. Once Bob also joined us we re-grouped with the others to determine what to do next. I had a bit of a headache (and also needed a pee - a constant problem on St Kilda with no easy landings!) so I returned to the Cuma that was moored in the bay, but the others were coached by Gordon and persuaded to go through the gap and to return again which led to some excitement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenWpBdE9rjI-33B9_0n1gALGvHS-rVXZizWTIgM3a8wsojcrqnSVwzU0LTIrhRTgNKelDJvTjaswRRJHr22WEDeyq02YbMhfvFQax5LPWFUtao0Cz6eFqcbvZ2CSWN93M9glGzpvWydI/s1600/IMG_3706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjenWpBdE9rjI-33B9_0n1gALGvHS-rVXZizWTIgM3a8wsojcrqnSVwzU0LTIrhRTgNKelDJvTjaswRRJHr22WEDeyq02YbMhfvFQax5LPWFUtao0Cz6eFqcbvZ2CSWN93M9glGzpvWydI/s320/IMG_3706.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching the Dun gap - photo credit Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfxlBcQfXZBsqMyul_6spM2JfOtQKxTi5WloaL6fIoDuCizfdcQP0wdPTwmqYIJnufnR-gxhDyQZVV-erg4CrbQ-MWXLA6QG4eUT9ghryJxHlvY9r1gpkPEhL9wO13UJdbeTBCAIjbdQ/s1600/dun+gap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfxlBcQfXZBsqMyul_6spM2JfOtQKxTi5WloaL6fIoDuCizfdcQP0wdPTwmqYIJnufnR-gxhDyQZVV-erg4CrbQ-MWXLA6QG4eUT9ghryJxHlvY9r1gpkPEhL9wO13UJdbeTBCAIjbdQ/s320/dun+gap.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Me negotiating Dun gap - photo credit Gordon Brown</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing in the Dun gap - photo credit Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiff going through the gap - photo credit Gordon Brown</td></tr>
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We then had lunch on the Cuma and discussed plans. The weather window was closing, and it looked as though the weather would break the following day with strong north easterly winds. Based on this forecast we all decided that we would like to spend the afternoon exploring Hirta on foot, and then we would have to leave St Kilda that evening to motor over to the more sheltered islands of the Outer Hebrides.<br />
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A pleasant few hours were spent exploring Hirta - looking at the old village and a hike up to the highest point that is a fantastic viewpoint. We experienced the plight of the Gannets when we were subject to attacks by the Great Skuas (Bonxies).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the unique St Kilda storage Cleats</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boreray from Hirta - the route paddled the previous day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonxie attacks!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soay in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dun in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdHlt5R0vuuyRl_0s09YLfe0mtURG2nTKHpcABgcG54yEd-lrlHl81SMfFGVRSNbF86Lpls71MPmXhYaT-oGXh91RV8GTQjA0Wj_pujWpIqXA7L1tYrCUqJRWvXPk-iTYS0iOIRqdpDo/s1600/A038+IMG_2477+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdHlt5R0vuuyRl_0s09YLfe0mtURG2nTKHpcABgcG54yEd-lrlHl81SMfFGVRSNbF86Lpls71MPmXhYaT-oGXh91RV8GTQjA0Wj_pujWpIqXA7L1tYrCUqJRWvXPk-iTYS0iOIRqdpDo/s320/A038+IMG_2477+%25282%2529.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restored village houses</td></tr>
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We left St Kilda by a small detour around the west side of Hirta to enable us to get a view of the spectacular west coast. We motored up through the channel between Soay and Hirta and were treated to a wildlife spectacular of birds, a basking shark and a minke whale. It was sad to leave St Kilda after such a short stay, but we managed to pack a lot in and maybe I'll be back one day.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-37540394026975662502016-06-27T11:18:00.000+01:002016-06-27T13:17:37.120+01:00St Kilda: Hirta to Boreray - 12th June 2016First paddle of a trip out to St Kilda, a remote archipelago 40 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. This was a guided trip organised through Gordon Brown and Skyak Adventures on board the Cuma.<br />
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Five of us met up on the Saturday morning to travel with Gordon and the other guide Rowland Woollven across Skye and onto the Uig to Tarbet ferry. After the early start it was nice to avail ourselves of the Calmac restaurant and tuck into a traditional Scottish breakfast.<br />
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Once on Harris, we drove the van north up to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis to meet another paddler who was arriving as a foot passenger on the Ullapool ferry. We visited the Stornoway Co-op to stock up on last minute necessities... which mainly consisted of various cheeses and alcohol.<br />
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We then drove over to the west coast of Lewis to meet the rest of the group and to board our home for the next six nights, the motor vessel Cuma. The Cuma is a converted trawler that has bunks and catering facilities for 12 plus crew. The boat is skippered by Murdo MacDonald who has many years experience fishing the waters off the west coast of the Outer Hebrides, and on this trip his crew consisted of Michaela and Amy who organised the catering.<br />
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Up until this time, the weather in north west Scotland had been fantastic for the last three weeks, however it was now starting to break down and it looked as though reasonable weather was only going to hold on for a few more days and then strong winds from the north and east were due to set in. Based on this forecast, the plan was to load up as soon as possible and motor out to St Kilda that evening.<br />
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So around 5pm we set off from Miavaig and motored out of Loch Roag, past Gallan Head and set course for St Kilda. There was a moderate wind and some swell, so the boat was rolling a fair bit on the crossing. I started off admiring the scenery and the wonderful birdlife but gradually I was feeling more queezy, so retired to the comfort of lying down on a bench. Around 10:30 I was rudely awakened by my excited companions as the stacks and cliffs of St Kilda suddenly appeared, their tops truncated by low cloud and an eerie atmosphere in the dusky light. I took a quick glance, groaned and rolled over back to lie down. Not exactly the most exciting first view of these islands!<br />
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We carried on round at anchored in Village Bay and around 11:30 dinner was served. Apparently I was looking rather green, so wisely I declined dinner and went straight to bed.<br />
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I awoke the following morning feeling fine, and everyone was up early and enjoying the view as the day dawned much brighter and we got our first proper view of the main island of Hirta. The only decent anchorage in the whole island chain is in Village Bay that is relatively sheltered facing south east. In the bay the abandoned village has been taken over by volunteers that monitor the wildlife and the military personnel that operate the small base.<br />
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With the relatively settled weather, the plan for the day was to paddle out of Village Bay and then make the 7km crossing over to Boreray and its impressive sea stacks. We launched the kayaks from the Cuma - a process that takes a bit of time lowering them into the water alongside the Cuma's inflatable tender that is moored alongside. The paddler gets into the tender, then into their boat. This took about 45 minutes the first time we did it, but this improved as the week went on and we got used to the routine.<br />
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Once we left Village Bay and around the south eastern tip of Hirta, we caught our first sight of Boreray in the distance. The crossing wasn't too difficult - mild swell, with a small chop, but as you approach Boreray you forget the paddling and are just awestruck with dramatic scenery and the increasing density of Gannets heading to and from the colony on Stac Lee. This is the largest Gannet colony in Europe that also attracts a rather nasty bully in the form of the Great Skua.<br />
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You can't but feel sorry for the Gannets that get picked on by gangs of Skuas - the Gannets have been roaming for many miles fishing and keeping the food in their stomachs to regurgitate for their chicks. Just as they near their nest a gang of maybe four or five Skuas attack a Gannet and force it to regurgitate its food for their consumption. The poor Gannet then sits on the sea looking forlorn.<br />
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We circumnavigated Boreray anticlockwise, passing under enormous cliffs that disappeared into a cloud cap that had formed on the island. We paddled around Stac an Armin and then in the lee of the cliffs on the west side of Boreray we made a rendezvous with the Cuma for lunch - how civilised! With no anchorage, the Cuma was put in a slow circle as we re-boarded and left the kayaks tied up on the tender.<br />
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After lunch we explored some of the caves on the west side of Boreray and played in some of the rock features. The swell made some passages interesting, requiring correct timing to negotiate small gaps or to cover ledges. Gordon gave plenty of opportunity for people to get into trouble after he made it look so easy himself. Luckily I didn't get into any awkward situations (unlike some).<br />
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We paddled around Stac Lee with the constant company of thousands of Gannets circling overhead. Other birds also nest on Boreray, so there were also many Guillemots, Razorbills, Fulmars and to a lesser extent Puffins.<br />
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We then plotted a course back to Hirta and the return crossing was a bit calmer. We headed for Mina Stac and then paddled west, exploring more caves. A strange wailing noise came from some of the caves and it was accompanied by a pungent odour. These caves were the ones with small beaches or ledges in the back of them and were the home of the island's small seal population, and it was the pups calling out that we could hear.<br />
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Carrying on we had another rendezvous with the Cuma in Glen Bay. A few decided to catch a lift back with the Cuma to Village Bay, but for those of us who still hadn't had enough paddled back round the east side back into Village Bay.<br />
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We landed by the pier with the plan to leave the kayaks up on the pier to save the hassle of loading and unloading them from the boat. It was strange to walk on solid ground again. Murdo came and picked us up in the tender to take us back to the Cuma and another hearty dinner.<br />
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Approximately 30km distance.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-62924157493968184542016-06-26T20:17:00.001+01:002016-06-26T20:17:45.493+01:00Ravenglass Seaquest - 5th June 2016Fine weather greeted the competitors that gathered on Ravenglass beach for the annual seaquest orienteering event. This event is a 3 hour "score" event where you try and collect as many controls as possible, each control being 10, 20 or 30 points, and then you get time penalties as deducted points for any time taken over the three hours.<br />
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I decided to head off up the Esk collecting the controls on the right bank. I managed to find the controls without any difficulty and I was feeling pretty good as I made the turn at the top of the river just through the road bridge. On the return I was now paddling against the incoming tide so I had to eddy hop my way back towards Ravenglass, this time collecting the controls on the other bank. My tactic seemed to pay off as I made up a couple of places on the return and surprisingly John Willacy wasn't out of sight!<br />
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I normally budget 90 minutes for the Esk, 30 minutes for the Mite and then 60 minutes for the Irt, and I was pretty much on schedule as I turned into the Mite estuary. Again I collected controls on my right on the way up, which actually meany I only left one control in the middle of the estuary for the return.<br />
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Still on schedule, I then started making my way up the Irt. By this time the tide was starting to go out, and I just made the shortcut across into the Irt to reach a control on a fence. This required me to get out of my boat and to jog over to the control to clip it. I then returned my boat that I had hauled up out of the water and place it back in the water in what I thought was deep enough water for me to get going again. Unfortunately once I was back in I was still beached, and I used by paddle to try and pull myself into deeper water. Crack!... I'd exerted too much pressure on my paddle and snapped the shaft.<br />
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So another early finish. Luckily I wasn't far from the event start/finish so I could J-stroke with a single paddle back to Ravenglass beach.<br />
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About 20km paddled.John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-9856727979349166412016-06-26T19:56:00.002+01:002016-06-26T19:56:52.292+01:00St Bees Head - 4th June 2016Arrived early afternoon planning to stay overnight for the Ravenglass Seaquest on the sunday.<br />
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Launched from St. Bees beach by the lifeboat station. The tide was starting to go out and we headed north for an hour before turning around under the lighthouse.<br />
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Fantastic bird life with the cliffs covered in guillemots and razorbills.<br />
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Returned to the beach at low tide, so the trolleys came in handy for the long carry back up the beach.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-42970937370075314562016-06-26T19:36:00.001+01:002016-06-26T19:36:12.294+01:00Training sessions - May 2016<div>
A few training sessions on the canal in May,,,</div>
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Clubhouse to Bridge 18 - 10th May 2016<div>
Clarke Lane to Higher Poynton Marina - 15th May 2016</div>
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Adlington Marina to Marple - 20th May 2016</div>
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Clarke Lane to Fools Nook Swingbridge - 25th May 2016 - The canal was closed in Bollington due to a leak, so went south for a change.</div>
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Had a couple of sessions at Brereton greenland rolling. My left sided roll seems to have returned, still can't perform a proper reverse sweep.<br /></div>
John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-60860309529776950292016-05-20T20:18:00.002+01:002016-05-20T20:18:26.623+01:00Rhoscolyn to Trearddur Bay - 8th May 2016Nice weather and big tides. Went with the back end of the flood rock hopping and exploring caves on our way to Trearddur Bay. We had lunch and then I did a couple of rolls... water still pretty cold! Paddled back via the Beacon. Lovely sitting on the beach at the end of the day in the warm sunshine.<br />
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16.4km paddled.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High tide - not much beach left!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Rhoscolyn</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the back of a gully</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many caves on this stretch of coast</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alan Tonge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Trearddur Bay </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low tide - lots of beach!</td></tr>
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-64178755422230678162016-05-20T19:57:00.000+01:002016-05-20T19:57:03.303+01:00Canal and Brereton Sessions - April/MayGetting a bit lazy keeping the blog going for the routine stuff!... here's a summary...<br />
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Canal sessions:<br />
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April 19th - Clubhouse to Bridge 18 - 10.1km<br />
April 24th - Clarke Lane to Higher Poynton - 16.7km<br />
May 1st - Clarke Lane to Higher Poynton - 16.7km<br />
May 3rd - Clubhouse to Bridge 18 - 10.1km<br />
May 10th - Clubhouse to Bridge 18 - 10.1km<br />
May 15th - Clarke Lane to Higher Poynton - 16.7km<br />
May 20th - Adlington Marina to Marple - 13.8km<br />
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Brereton sessions:<br />
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April 28th - Did two rolls, water freezing!<br />
May 4th - Sunny, but water still cold<br />
May 12th - Lake finally warmed up!<br />
May 19th - lots of rolling, can't work out the reverse sweep yet though.<br />
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-58770047286654036162016-04-19T12:36:00.001+01:002016-04-19T12:36:27.650+01:00Macclesfield Canal - 17th April 2016Clarke Lane <> Higher Poynton Marina<br />
Back for a quick blast on the canal - out in 53:20, back in 56:42. Not too bad. A pleasure to be out enjoying the spring sunshine.John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-45754566853963853312016-04-18T21:28:00.003+01:002016-04-18T21:28:52.376+01:00Rhoscolyn to the Cymyran Straits - 10th April 2016After the previous day's exciting exploits, we opted for a more leisurely excursion for the Sunday paddle.<br />
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Four of us set off from Rhoscolyn and made our way east towards the entrance to the Cymyran Straits. There was a small choppy swell that added interest to the excellent rock hopping that can be found along this stretch of the Anglesey coast.<br />
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We had lunch in the pleasant sunshine on the island just inside the Straits and waited for the tide to turn.<br />
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A trio of noisy jet ski riders interrupted our snoozing, and we relaunched to make our way back.<br />
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As usual there were some breaking waves near the mouth of the Straits and I had a quick play in them, though they weren't breaking with much power.<br />
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It wasn't long before we entered Borth Wen at Rhoscolyn and packed up to make our way home after a great weekend.<br />
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Only a lazy 9km paddled!John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-48298288507741485762016-04-16T22:08:00.000+01:002016-04-18T21:29:01.931+01:00The Skerries from Porth Dafarch - 9th April 2016This was the first day's paddle of the NWSK meet based at Anglesey Outdoor. We split up into a few different groups, and I was in a group of four that decided to make the long return trip to the Skerries from Porth Dafarch.<br />
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I'd been wanting to do this paddle for a while. I've visited the fabulous Skerries from Camaes and Cemlyn Bays on the north coast, and from Church Bay nearer to Holyhead to the south east, but all of these are relatively short trips. The round trip from Porth Dafarch gives a route of nearly 42km, an impressive distance were it not for the considerable assistance that can be gained from the tide, and this weekend it was a big one (over 10m Liverpool).<br />
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With high tide on the Skerries around 12:30, it was perfect timing. We knew the tide would be going at up to 10 kph in places, so we aimed to get on the water for 10 and take it fairly "easy".<br />
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There wasn't much wind forecast, so we were surprised to meet a fairly strong SW breeze as we left Porth Dafarch. This was kicking up a bit of chop and small swell that made the first kilometre or two a bit hard work and didn't bode well for the long trip we had planned. We carried on though and soon had something to take our minds off the small chop.<br />
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The route we were taking requires the negotiation of some of Anglesey's most notorious tide races, and we were going to be tackling them near peak flow on a big spring tide. So it was with a little trepidation that we approached Penrhyn Mawr. Without any large swell, from a distance the race did not look too confused, so Rob and I decided to go for the "middle race" while the two other opted for the less turbulent inner channels. I led, and was accelerated to the first wave that knocked me to the left a few feet and then we hit a number of large "haystack" waves that gave an exhilarating roller-coaster ride. Luckily the race was in a fairly friendly mood and we emerged to meet the other two paddlers who had shot the race closer to the mainland.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBUoyr7NOqCX_pxN4-Fbib9q6LjYxGhn9tM2rCw6HIF0sDrXcuDuWXHy74-WJ0A4Ma8aX-wql5mQqfGAu1d21rdE_F9yCuVYvdZHYsUxfE_212KkJHd9CqCdWuOXQlApH7JTkuI3DzQw/s1600/penrhynMawr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBUoyr7NOqCX_pxN4-Fbib9q6LjYxGhn9tM2rCw6HIF0sDrXcuDuWXHy74-WJ0A4Ma8aX-wql5mQqfGAu1d21rdE_F9yCuVYvdZHYsUxfE_212KkJHd9CqCdWuOXQlApH7JTkuI3DzQw/s320/penrhynMawr.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen grab from Rob's video of Panrhyn Mawr</td></tr>
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The wind seemed to die down, so we made quick and pleasant progress towards South Stack. With the flood tide, South Stack does not kick up too big a race (unless you have wind/swells against tide) so we didn't have too much difficulty starting off on our northerly track, but we were soon to fall foul of a man-made hazard rather than the natural ones. Another feature of this route is that it crosses the main shipping channel between North Wales and Ireland, so it is criss-crossed by large car ferries. Sure enough we saw a ferry inbound to Holyhead that would cross our path. It's difficult to judge the distance from us to the ferry, so we decided to stay put and let it cross in front of us before proceeding. However our hearts sank as we made out another ferry following behind it in the distance. By this time we had managed to get hold of Holyhead port control on the radio and we stated we would hold our position and let both ferries pass. Perhaps we erred on the side of caution, we certainly considered crossing the shipping channel between the ferries, but it is better to be safe than sorry.<br />
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We'd lost over half an hour because of the ferries, and I was now getting a bit more anxious about the timings. We had planned to use the flood tide to push us initially north, then expecting it to push us north east as we neared the Skerries. It was now getting towards the last hour of the flood, and its speed would be decreasing, giving us less assistance. We resumed our route and initially made good progress at about 13-14 kph. The Skerries changed from a distant object on the horizon to a discernible lighthouse perched on a rocky island. We paddled on a generally northerly bearing, but continually checking the resultant route was taking us towards our objective that lay to our north east.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Skerries can be see in the distance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer!</td></tr>
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As we got closer the paddling seemed to be getting slightly harder work, and this was confirmed on our GPS devices. We were now only making about 7-8 kph and therefore not getting any more help form the tide. So it was with a bit of relief that we finally reached the Skerries at around 12:30, just when the tide would start to change and flow against us.<br />
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The normal landing site of the beach between the two main "islands" was not available to us due to the high spring tide. So we made a slightly awkward landing on rocks in the lagoon under the lighthouse.<br />
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We ate our lunches against a backdrop of dramatic dark clouds and bright sunshine on the lighthouse. Not long after settling down we were surprised to see Chris come round the corner into the lagoon followed by a few other paddlers from his group that had left from Church Bay. We knew two other groups were aiming for the Skerries but we thought they had come and gone earlier. Our rocky landing spot was rather full, so they went off and found a much better landing on a shingle beach to the north.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south to our return route across Holyhead Bay</td></tr>
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Rob and I had a quick walk around the lighthouse. Within a few weeks the island would be home to thousands of Arctic/Common Terns who aggressively protect their nest sites, but for now the island was fairly quiet.<br />
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We were getting ready to head off, but after checking in with Holyhead port we realised we would be setting off straight into the passing of two ferries on their outbound journey to Ireland. So we hung on for another 15 minutes before relaunching and making a leisurely paddle south. The tide had now fully turned, and without making much effort we were doing 12-13 kph. So in order to give time for the ferries to leave port we mainly drifted in the tide, being bounced about a bit as we passed over Langdon Ridge.<br />
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The ferries left port on schedule and we had kept a good distance, but it was now time to turn our attention to our route home.<br />
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On the outbound leg it is Penrhyn Mawr that is the major tide race, but on the return leg North and South Stack build up on the ebb, and with the wind and swell against the flow, we were expecting conditions to be lively.<br />
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We made our way towards North Stack and plotted a course to cross the race get on the landward side of the flow to then decide how to tackle South Stack. Jim led us through the large waves, big enough that we occasionally lost sight of each other, but thankfully not really breaking, and we made our way into the eddy between North and South Stack.<br />
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It was a good decision to head for the inside, because on our right and heading out to sea was the main flow and some serious looking breaking waves. So we followed the eddy line towards South Stack and we could pass the headland without difficulty fairly close in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching South Stack</td></tr>
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The sun was now shining and we were in good spirits knowing we had negotiated the main difficulties. The main flow was more out to sea than our route, so the paddle became somewhat hard work to make progress as we made our way against strong back eddies. We passed back through Penrhyn Mawr - totally different on the ebb, with no hint of the dramatic conditions of the flood earlier in the day. It was then a short paddle back to Porth Dafarch and our cars. A fine day out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porth Dafarch in later afternoon sun</td></tr>
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42km paddled, off the water just before 4pm.<br />
<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-25675501471099525832016-04-04T22:04:00.001+01:002016-04-04T22:04:32.672+01:00Macclesfield Canal - 2nd April 2016Long paddle from Clarke Lane to the northern end of the Macclesfield Canal, and then another mile towards New Mills on the Peak Forest Canal. Short break for a chewy bar and a drink, then paddled back. Just over 30 km paddled. Kept up a reasonable pace, nice not to totally fade at the end.John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-13050896303575608572016-03-29T13:04:00.001+01:002016-03-29T13:04:10.416+01:00Macclesfield Canal - 27th March 2016Back on the canal for a short training paddle. Clarke Lane to Bridge 18 (Adlington Marina) and back again. Out in 39 minutes, back in just over 42. Gusting southerly wind affected the times.John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-805881608537400233.post-54232369212227732692016-03-22T20:34:00.002+00:002016-03-22T20:34:48.275+00:00River Eden - Lazonby to Armathwaite - 20th March 2016Annual Macclesfield Canoe Club jaunt down the River Eden. 14 club members set off in the sunshine with the river at an unusually low level for this time of year.<br />
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The low level meant that many of the rapids were trickier to pick the way through, but it also meant that some waves and features were present that would have normally been washed out.<br />
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The final obstacle is the weir at Armathwaite. We normally shoot this river left, down a rocky ramp but the normally fierce drop on the right hand side was somewhat tamer than usual, so half a dozen of us opted to go down this way. I managed to get down unscathed, but a couple of our group were nearly backward looped in the hole and ended up swimming. Fine entertainment for the walkers watching from the bank.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM6r5Z1OmGO4mGVGFozEnzy_O1HlxlbxO2Rl3HFsIC6Am4XrfFhH-lppzvlGO6bnHMtxKg9Fz5NNZKQxEdm2Wt15ELiUoVDSASZg8mSCcpijQgGvohDb1FDQXFcFS5xov_7Xgm032-KU/s1600/armathwaite+weir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM6r5Z1OmGO4mGVGFozEnzy_O1HlxlbxO2Rl3HFsIC6Am4XrfFhH-lppzvlGO6bnHMtxKg9Fz5NNZKQxEdm2Wt15ELiUoVDSASZg8mSCcpijQgGvohDb1FDQXFcFS5xov_7Xgm032-KU/s1600/armathwaite+weir.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me shooting the weir - photo credit Alan Tonge</td></tr>
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<br />John Bunyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15376345862876416040noreply@blogger.com1