August 2007 Portsmouth And District Canoe Club

Trip Leaders are reminded that their group should carry at least one radio and at least one set of flares. If you don’t have them borrow them from the club.

If you wish to attend please contact leaders as soon as possible, preferably by Thursday, so leaders can KNOW the strength of the group and let others know as they call in.

Trip List 2007     August, September, October     Next Item      Back to Top
Advanced Weekend
Eastney
Eastney - GAFIRS
Hamble
Keyhaven - Newtown
Poole Weekend
Portchester
Putney - Greenwich
River Dart / Barle
Round the Isle of Wight
Round Langstone Harbour from Eastney
River Hamble from Warsash
Sally Port
Sally Port - Bembridge
Sandy Point
Solent Forts from Southsea
Southsea
Southsea - Fareham
Sweden

CHAIRMANS REPORT     Next Item      Back to Top
There have been some exciting happenings over the past few months, not just the club organised trips, but I have heard of various groups exploring the Scottish Coast, paddling across the Irish Sea or heading for the north coast of Brittany. If you can, do use the Club Forum to share your experiences and pics, or any ideas for future paddles. If you want to attempt one of these trips some time, then ask for advice, but do not bite off more than you can chew! (Remember a live paddler with a story is better than a statistic.)

This year has seen the Monday nights developing, with very good attendance’s, and many people making good progress in their paddling skills. Hopefully some star assessments can be done shortly. The Wednesday meets have been slightly less "skills" based. Though skills have been required, as some forays have been quite a push, and this summer, wind has been an ever present element. So practice at Edging and turning boats in rough waters, plus opportunities to surf have at times been demanding.

I hope that all of you have received your new PDCC boat sticker, if not, they should be out to you soon, please feel free to contact me if you think you’ve been missed out. If you want extra stickers, contact Simon, details below.

Please note that an extra trip has been included in the list, to facilitate a BBQ at GAFIRS. Details are included in this Newsletter. Hope to see you there.

Russell Paling

PDCC BBQ     Next Item      Back to Top

Last year Glynn T organised a "Grand Day Out" for folks. A BBQ was organised near Southampton and some folks paddled to the event whilst others drove there and met the soggy people.

Russell P and Richard B will be organising a similar event this year but it will probably be at GAFIRS - Stokes Bay. The planned date is 23^rd September with paddlers starting from Eastney. Yes, we know it is a little late in the season but so many folks seem to be away until then. The proposed cost is £5 per person for the food – this does not include drinks so please bring what you wish to drink. Russell is the contact for the food and Richard for the paddling so if you wish to attend please contact the relevant organiser (it may mean you need to contact both!!!).

Monday Nights    Next Item      Back to Top
These are being run again by Richard G for the "summer". The location is Eastney and the start time is 19:00. If you have need of some improvements in your paddling skills then give Richard a call and he will be able to help. There are occasions when Richard is unable to make these sessions. He lets folks know when they attend the sessions so if you are new or attend infrequently it might be worth checking with him first.

Advanced Kayaking Course    Next Item      Back to Top
By Dave R
The club is planning to run another advanced kayaking course over a weekend in October. This year we have Mark Tozer coming to run the course. The paragraphs below are taken from his web site.

Whether you are a beginner looking for a sound introduction to the fundamentals or an experienced adventurer searching for greater challenges, Mark Tozer has the knowledge and experience to turn your dreams into reality."

Mark is a Level 5 Sea Coach and has paddled extensively throughout the UK and in many other parts of the world.

The venue will be the Swanage coastline, using the Scout Hut at Langton Matravers, which we have used for the last two advanced weekends.

The course will be based on the ideas in the 5* requirements but the exact content has yet to be decided, and is weather dependant.

We are only taking reservations for the full 2 days. We are limited to 10 places on the course so the first members who send me their money and a stamped, addressed envelope will reserve their places. If more than 10 members apply by the 8^th September then I shall draw the lucky names out of a hat and hold the other deposits as reserves. These will be returned if there are no last minute cancellations.

Finally, and most importantly, this course is for the more experienced club members who are, at least, of 4* standard. If you are not up to this standard then please do not apply. The majority of the club’s instruction is aimed at the less experienced so this course is for those who often give their time to assist on internal courses and leading trips.

Eastney Swimming Pool Sessions    Next Item      Back to Top
The club has again arranged for the hire of Eastney swimming pool on a Saturday for the winter. Session will be mainly aimed at teaching rolling but basic tuition will also be available for novices.

6 October – 24 November – 7 weeks (10 November not available)

1 December – 2 February – 8 weeks (no sessions 22 & 29 December)

9 February – 29 March – 8 weeks

There are costs per session or for the full set of 8 weeks, which will be payable in advance for the whole set.

Due to the size of the pool we are limited to 10 people per set. Places will be allocated on a ‘first come’ basis. If you wish to attend one of the set please contact Simon A.

Club Equipment    Next Item      Back to Top
Over the years the club has gradually gained a few kayaks. Sometimes these have been bequests whilst on other occasions they have been purchased. In the past these have been lent out on a "first ask first get" basis. Thanks to Sport England the club has recently been able to obtain a number of new kayaks for the Pool at Eastney. They are much closer to the style of kayak used normally and reduce the need to bring kayaks in from outside. The original kayaks were purchased in 1987 so have not done too bad.

In addition to these a yellow rotary moulded Avocet sea-kayak has been purchased. This is available for club members that wish to use it. It is a similar specification that most regular club-members may choose. It has hatches as well as a skeg and is good for sea-trips run by the club. The long-term objective is for it and other club equipment to be stored somewhere rather than in members’ gardens or garages. To cover this cost and wear and tear to the kayaks a small fee is being introduced.

Other kayaks Day use £5 Evening £2

Dates to avoid Portsmouth Traffic       Next Item      Back to Top
It would appear that there are a number of events taking place in Portsmouth that may make traffic difficult. So check your diary if you plan to be in the area on the following dates. You may even wish to take part!!

P&DCC Kayak Stickers    Next Item      Back to Top
By now all members should have a sticker with the new logo on it. Additional stickers are available for £2 each. These will be able to be obtained from Simon A by the end of August. Two styles are available. In both cases the design is black but the background can be either white or clear.

The "Werthers Pirates" Circumnavigate The World As We Know It (The Isle of Wight )      Next Item      Back to Top
By Adrian B
It has been an ambition to circumnavigate the Isle of Wight in a day for a while, and this year I sat down with chart, tide tables, pencil and lots of paper and came up with a plan. Having found several suitable dates to fit the tidal window and spoken to Dave R and a mentor on the Island about the feasibility, the time had come to "Suck it and See." Saturday June 9th was the Big Day.

The Club Navigation Days of the last 2 years must have paid off as we made it.

On the morning of Saturday 9^th June 5 intrepid paddlers calling themselves the "Werthers Pirates" left the beach between Puckpool and Seaview with a mission to circumnavigate the "World As We Know It!" i.e. the Isle of Wight.

We were supposed to leave at 6am but were delayed and eventually left the beach at 6.20 am. We shot down the Solent avoiding the St. Clare ferry coming into Fishbourne and both the Red Jet and Red Funnel at Cowes. We had our first "Werther’s moment" at Gurnard Ledge buoy at about 8.30 then progressed down to the Needles.

On approaching Yarmouth we thought that we were about to be accosted by a "Mad Motor Boat" so we manoeuvred Alan into position as the Team Expert on Verbal Abuse, but it turned out to be Trevor P with Paparazzi on board. ( First photo call of the day. ) We then had our second photo call as we overtook a large Yacht from UKSA which I think was racing. We really must stop doing this Yacht Overtaking otherwise we will get kayaking a bad name.

I think that the Sea God of the Needles has a thing about seeing Alan, Martin and myself all at the same time in Alum Bay. Last year we were paddling with PDCC and were hit by the all time Daddy of a squall. The wind blew and the rain was so hard that we could not see a thing. 12 boats and 12 paddlers ended up in a cave at the western end of Alum Bay. Today at about 10 a.m. we arrived at Alum Bay this time in hazy sunshine thinking "This is more like it!" Then some one commented "Look at the cloud on the top of the cliffs, isn’t that a picture."

Within 2 minutes the "pretty as a picture cloud on the cliffs" had descended and cut visibility to about 100 yards. So once more it was "Head for land and follow the cliffs" I could not believe it. At least there was no wild wind or rain this time so we went round the Light and landed at Scratchell’s Bay for our planned Nammet Break at 10.30 which was not much down on time. While paddling alongside the Needles Alan reckoned that the cormorants sitting on the tops looked like the Sirens from Jason and the Argonauts.

While having our Nammet, (this is the official term for a meal break on the Island ) the airwaves were very busy and we gathered that the fog spread all along the South Coast and over to France with visibility varying between 1 mile and 100m. After deliberation we decided to press onward but to adopt Plan B. Instead of heading out into the English Channel for 2 hours to gain maximum tidal flow then turning left and fine tuning for St. Catherine’s, we would follow a heading which would take us across Freshwater Bay until we reached land then turn right for St. Catherine’s. This was a longer route and lost us time. Just in case we missed St. Catherine’s and did end up in France we did practice what is reputed to be the motto of the French Navy. "To the water It is time" or in French "A l’eau C’est l’heure" (Just read it out loud). Martin "the Technophile" came into his own on this leg keeping us up to date with his GPS. This leg seemed to last for ever, taking 3 hours and only being able to see 100m in any direction. This leg brought to mind one of the choruses in South Pacific "We joined the Navy to see the World, but what did we see, We saw the Sea" or "We might have missed the Scene but we have seen the mist".

We were all looking forward to a little excitement after the last 3 hours, and we decided that we must be somewhere near St, Catherine’s, when Andy announced "That’s the Light House, we’re there!" I think that St. Catherine must have gone away for the weekend. I have seen rougher water on the River Medina, and the Fog Horn wasn’t working, unlike the Needles although that one was about 5 minutes before it kicked in. Andy did take a photo just to prove that we were there. So 5 very disappointed paddlers continued onward to Ventnor and the next Nammet Stop. Andy left us here and shot off on his own so that he could go to "The Festival." The fog lifted here so we were able to head straight across Sandown Bay to Culver and Bembridge. Unfortunately the delays meant that we missed the tide and the stretch from Culver to Bembridge Harbour was against the tide which had turned now. Anyway we picked it up again after Bembridge Harbour which helped us back to Puckpool. Seaview Yacht Club had even laid on a Jazz Band for our return. Well I can always think that.

We arrived back at Puckpool at 7.30 pm. which was a little later than hoped for, but none the less 13 hours was what came out on paper. We all enjoyed it and once again Nature had the last word with the fog in West Wight, and the non Tidal Race at St. Catherine’s.

We Missed the Guinness AGAIN !!    Next Item      Back to Top
By Dave R
"This has been quite an uneventful trip", said I. "Andy B reckons that when he paddles with me there is always a sting in the tail". I spoke too soon. We had done 12 hours and had another planned 6 hours to go. But I am ahead of myself….

I had always wanted to paddle from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire but, for various reasons, it had never happened. This year John B, Dave W and Andrew W agreed to go for it. The weather seemed acceptable for the chosen day so we blasted up to the Anglesey Outdoors campsite, by Port Dafach. One last check on the forecast stopped us dead. They were suggesting a Force 4, possibly Force 5. But would that be later? Who knows. We knew that bad weather would follow the following day after our planned attempt so should we risk it? After much soul searching we agreed to abandon the idea and, instead, spent the next day paddling from Point Lynas to the Skerries, a good 20 mile trip to the offshore islands north of Anglesey. After this we returned home.

A week later the forecasts for the following Saturday looked good. Dave W and I managed to re-arrange work but, alas, John and Andrew could not make it. Dave and I blasted back up to the campsite and booked in. "How many nights is it for?" the lady asked. "Well, half a night actually", said Dave. "You’re going to Dublin then?" the lady concluded.

We packed the kayaks, checked our equipment, including the borrowed GPS from John, then had an early night. Up at 3 am and after a hurried pack up we were at the beach for a last bite to eat and pee. At 4.05hrs we were on the water. Our planning was to take us south of the ferry route. What I had not allowed for was that the time of High Water was 2 hours earlier than the previous fortnight, for which I had done the detailed planning. It was reasonably light as we pushed off and we could see the water disturbance at Penrhyn Mawr but there was no breaking water. An hour later the sun crept above the horizon and the day began to warm up.

We had planned to stop each second hour for a drink and something to eat, following the guidance that Andrew had given us. We also checked our position using John’s GPS. As the day progressed and we were left alone in a circle of 5 n. miles visibility we knew we were south of our intended route, but we expected the tide to pull us back up north.

Occasionally we had to get our pee bottles out. Dave used an old Tomato Ketchup bottle, I used a large necked curry jar, which proves that size does not count !

Occasionally we spotted an isolated dolphin arching its back out of the water. We saw 3 fishing boats and four other ships, two of which were near the Irish coast.

Eventually land appeared out of the mist, directly ahead of us. With time it became clearer but with the westerly sun the land was in shadow so we could not make out details. After 16 hours on the water we entered the harbour. It did look small and I couldn’t see where the ferry could moor up to. I asked two girls who were on a raft where the ferry left from. They looked at my quizzically. Then I asked a group on a small yacht if this was Dun Laoghaire. "No, this is Bray Harbour", was the reply. "Where the hell is that?" I thought. We were 5 miles south of our planned destination. This was the sting in the tail !!!!

When the yachties realised where we had come from they tried to pursued us to go into the yacht club for pint and a shower. It took great resolve to stay in the kayaks. We knew if we got out we would not get back in the boats again. The tide had now turned against us but we were on neaps so it was not too hard to work northwards close to shore. About 1½ hours later we were close to the Dun Laoghaire breakwater. A solo kayaker came out to speak to us. He asked our call sign then said that the coastguard had warned the departing ferry that we might be in its path. He rang the coastguard to tell them we were about to land then, the "killer comment", he said he had left 3 hours after us from the same beach. This made us feel even more depressed after missing our planned target.

Never mind, we both needed to land, change and sleep. Once on shore we found a partly covered car park with some space in it. We pushed the kayaks into a parking place and rolled our mats and sleeping bags out. Sleep came quickly.

Next morning was clear and sunny. We were up early, packed and wheeled our kayaks to the ferry terminal. On the way the solo kayaker walked past us going the opposite way to collect his kayak!. We met again outside the terminal. I asked if he had done the route before. "Oh yes. I have also done Ireland solo and a circumnavigation of Britain", he said. I began to feel better because he was obviously in a different league to us. So if he did the journey in 15 hours and we did coast to coast in 16 hours we had done quite well. As the conversation warmed up we discovered that he was Harry Whealan, who was the paddler who dislocated his shoulder on the circumnavigation of Britain two years before. He also works in watersports in London so he was a lot fitter than us two computer keyboard pushers.

We bought two single tickets then asked where we should put the kayaks. This caused a bit of uncertainty although the staff did not indicate that we could not take them on board. After a half hour of indecision by the staff we took the kayaks to the car park and joined the coaches waiting to go on board. Soon we were in our seats and returned over a glassy sea to Holyhead. True to form, Dave did not bother to hire a taxi but jogged to the campsite to collect the car! Maybe he should have paddled back instead of using the ferry?

Soon we were on the road and another ambition has been ticked off.

Thanks Dave for coming along. My apologies to John and Andrew for doing the trip without you. My thanks also for the loan of the trolley and GPS, and for the tips on food and drink.

Lepe – Newport 17^th June     Next Item      Back to Top
By John B
The weather had changed quite a bit for the days before so I was pleased to find Richard B, Steve E and new member Mike C already at the car park. We were soon joined by Nigel P and Andrew W. Having paid our £4 for parking we were soon ready. The sun was out but we were all still wearing cags to cross the Solent. Our bearing of 170 was intended to make the most of the tidal drift and place us close to Egypt Point.

For most of the crossing we were undisturbed by yachts and all settled into a steady pace quite soon. We "naturally" fell into pairs and the small mooring buoys just off of Cowes were reached just a little ahead of schedule. It was then a simple case of staying close to the West side of the River Medina as we threaded our way past the vast number of yachts heading out to sea. Most of us had been to Cowes on a few occasions but not many had been beyond the chain ferry just inside the entrance.

Once past this "major" hazard there were just a couple more marinas then the river was effectively ours. There was a brief pause for a drink at the UK Sailing Academy to mark the first hour then we followed the river relatively undisturbed. With the tide pushing behind we made good progress up the river to arrive at Newport harbour ahead of time. According to GoogleEarth it should have been possible to progress further up the river but the water was a good 18 inches beneath a weir so we had lunch on the quay.

The sun was still keeping the day comfortable and we were able to relax and watch the tide come in quiet quickly. As it was coming in so well we cut the lunch short and headed further along the river. Unfortunately at a small tunnel with a stone indicating 1875 we had to stop. Noise of water could be heard at the end and two paddlers investigated – mindful of the rising water level behind them. The end proved to be a few rocks as well as a very large flow of water from the river itself. By the time the water reached that we would have been trapped in the tunnel!!! We quickly made our exit and with a bit of limboing under a pipe we were on our way back up river.

The Medina was now full and the slight breeze behind made for a comfortable journey. As we got closer to the first marina at Island Harbour it suddenly got busy! They had opened the tidal doors and most of the yachts seemed to be making a dash for it. Picking our moment to cross we remained just east of the channel to allow the yachts to chug past us. Again it was reasonably quiet until we arrived at the chain ferry. At this narrow point the yachts compete for space and by being able to stay close to the shore we slipped past.

Thanks for coming folks, hope you enjoyed it.

Starlight and Sandhoppers    Next Item      Back to Top
By Peter B
Brought together by the Yahoo PDCC group, seven paddlers set off from Eastney at about 8.30pm one Friday night. Flat calm, warm and slightly misty. The GPS track and photos have been posted on pdcc yahoo (http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/PDCC/photos/browse/b47d), suffice to say we crossed the shipping channel at Horse Sand Fort, waiting for an LD and 2 Brittany ferries on the way over and a Guyanese freighter on the way back. The kink in the return track is the tide taking us whilst we waited.

I was all for camping on the ledge around St Helen's Fort, with the tide out all night and no waves it was bound to stay dry. However, the majority rejected this as too narrow and hard, favouring the comfortable sand of Bembridge Point as our bivouac for the night.

After some barbecuing we settled down for a comfortable night under the stars. The resident sandhoppers had other ideas, sparked by passion and the chance of a romantic brief encounter, discounting the sleep requirements of human beings, they hopped in their millions all night long. Sounding like rain descending on the bivi bag, hopping in and out of the sleeping bags-, the last ones have only just hopped out of my beard a week later. Seriously, numerous were the stowaways transported back to Eastney to enhance the Pompey gene pool.

The trip gave me a chance to try out my new folding, burn-anything-burnable stove (www.backpackinglight.co.uk) which does seem to cook a meal on a few twigs and dry seaweed. Breakfast was from 4.30 am and we were back in Eastney by 8.30 ready for an active weekend.

The title of this account was stolen from 'Starlight and Storm' the English translation of 'Etoiles et Tempetes' by Gaston Rebuffat published in 1956 and my childhood inspiration. This account of Alpine climbing, balances danger, discomfort, enjoyment and despair. You realise exactly why he has to do it and the mental qualities required to come back alive. Never bettered, reading it will help you home on that stormy day.

The Novice Trip for Experienced Paddlers    Next Item      Back to Top
Eastney to Sally Port 24^th June
By Russell P
The forecast was not great for the trip, however the wind was from the south, and although a little overcast, and the odd drizzle, conditions were fair for the trip. I drove via the seafront to check conditions, only to find a large number of Cat powerboat racers preparing themselves, a brief chat informed me that they would be commencing racing at 11.00, and most of the course was inshore!? Pete and Liz B, John B and I set off at 10.00. I had anticipated some slower paddlers on this novice trip, with a pause at South Parade Pier, but we made Sally Port well before time, having passed the powerboats before they were ever on the water.

This led to the highlight of the day, lunch. Sitting on the benches under the walls near the old Portsmouth Power Station Outfall. I offended John when I was surprised that he did not remember it! (Does that mean I’m old????).

The return was uneventful, apart from avoiding the Hovercraft, dealing with a beam sea, etc., and of course paddling straight though all the mad people in the power boats. Pete did his usual attempt to greet other water users, but with little reception as half had finished their heat, and another load were waiting for us to stop "boat hopping" and get clear so they could roar off.

At Eastney some members of the group used the spare time to practice strokes and perfect their rolling, one member of the group contented themselves with Instructing the others, well with no Novice’s what else could they do?

The Outer Hebrides    Next Item      Back to Top
By Tony S
We had three possible paddling scenarios: The Outer Hebrides, Raasay and Knoydart. After collecting as much information as possible on the College’s computers, we decided to travel down to Oban and take the ferry out to South Uist. We had rain for the duration of the 6-hour crossing, but a few pints of beer at the Lochboisdale Hotel went down well at the end of the day.

Forecast. N/NE 2-3 The decision to paddle south was because of the relative wildness of the area, which had a number of uninhabited islands. If weather permitted we also hoped to circumnavigate the island of Berneray on which Barra Head lighthouse is a feature. It rained for most of the first day, although the sea was flat and we camped at Sheisinis on the west coast of Eriskay. (Eiriosgaigh) I saw my first otter of the trip, as we pulled into the small bay. During the night it rained hard and the wind got up.

Forecast. SE 6-8, 4-5 later With gales forecast for the day, we decided to explore the island after the rain had stopped. We walked to the trig point on Beinn Sciathan and admired the views. After scrambling down to the road, we made for the pub that was indicated on the map. It was called the Politician, after the ship of the same name that was wrecked on Eriskay during the war. It didn’t look like a pub, but was just another, not very attractive bungalow. Needless to say at 11am it was closed and all we wanted was some light refreshment. Compton McKenzie wrote the book ‘Whiskey Galore’ which was also made into a film, about the aftermath of the wreck. The ship had been carrying large quantities of whisky, which mysteriously disappeared into secret caches all over the island. We arrived back at the campsite after the 3-hour hike and lounged around in the sun for the rest of the day. It was still very windy and the sea was not particularly inviting.

Forecast. SE 3-4, 5-7 later The day had gone without incident, then we ran into a tidal race when crossing to the island of Sandray (Sanndraigh) (yes, it is similar to Sandry isn’t it). Although it was nothing horrendous, with fully laden boats it took us a while to get through it. Safely across, I looked again at the tidal stream data on my map. Oops, sorry Axel. I had mistaken a badly written plus + sign for a minus -, so my calculations were out by about 6 hours. You know what it’s like, too much air in the map case, water on the outside and it’s easy to find your hastily scribbled notes distorted and blurred. About an hour later we found a good campsite at Rubha Sheadair.

Forecast. SE 5-8, 3-4 later It had rained all night and the wind tested our tents to their extremity. Late in the afternoon the rain stopped and gave us an opportunity to explore a bit. About 30 minutes walk away I saw a badly damaged lifeboat from some ship that had been thrown up on a rock platform. Apparently it was for 34 people, but I couldn’t imagine how hellish it would be with a third of that number.

Forecast. S 2-3, 5 later En-route to Mingulay (Miughlaigh), we decided to visit a couple of small islands. According to the map Flodaigh had an arch and Lingeigh a cave. The big swell and the clapotis made us paddle 100 yards + offshore. The arch looked as if it had collapsed and we couldn’t see any sign of the cave, but then, the conditions were hardly ideal for rock hopping. We had a slight stream against us at Creag a Bharnaich, but once we were through, the going became easy. This island clearly had good drinking water, as within 10 minutes we came to a lovely waterfall cascading into the sea. When we turned into the bay, white shell sand beach, turquoise sea, backed by machair laden with wild flowers, we saw tents. We later found out that researchers from Scottish conservancy organisations and universities spend some time on the island looking at the flora and fauna. That evening we clambered up to the trig point at Carnan to have a look at the sound. There was little swell and the passage looked perfect. We decided to circumnavigate the island the next day. Mingulay has spectacular cliffs on its western side, which are popular nesting sites for a range of birds. We saw several Great Skuas or Bonxies circling overhead. Occasionally other birds would try to harass them.

Forecast. N/NW 2-3, 5 later We had double/triple checked the tide details and with a fair forecast set off at 7am. Slack water was at 8am, so we would be getting the last and first hour of the tides. When we turned east along Barra Head (Berneray/Bearnaraigh), we were paddling through rafts of puffins and guillemots. There was a swell that passed noiselessly under our boats, but exploded and hissed through fissures in the cliff face. Because of the swell, we rafted up and took a few pictures of the lighthouse. The tower is 58 foot high and made from stone quarried on the island. The light is 693 feet above sea level and can be seen from 18 miles. As we entered the western end of the straight the water was very confused. Clapotis from both sides were meeting mid channel and we also had a headwind to contend with. As we were battling our way through, we saw a fishing boat carrying out some dangerous manoeuvres close to the rocks. It seemed inevitable that it would be trashed at some point and Axel and I didn’t want to be rescuers in our present position. I’ve heard of head-bangers using play boats in rather more benign conditions, but to see this fishing boat going so perilously close to catastrophe made us realise how relatively sane we were. Playing ‘chicken’ with this swell didn’t appeal to either of us. The circumnavigation took 30 minutes longer than we had expected and we were back at the campsite by 9.30am. About 2pm we paddled north again and stopped at yet another magnificent beach close to Meanais, on Sandray.

Forecast. NE 3-4 Today we decided to push ourselves a bit and after about 8 hours paddling, with few decent campsites, we made for Lochboisdale to treat ourselves to some pub grub and beer. During the day we spotted some movement on a kelp-covered rock and slowly glided towards it. An otter was on a rock, in ‘classic’ otter fashion, eating something whilst lying on its back. We watched the otter for several minutes before it saw us and slipped into the sea. After swimming around for a little, it went back to the rock to finish its meal before eventually becoming bored with us and leaving, as we fumbled for our cameras.

Forecast. Variable 2-3 Because we had to be back in good time for the ferry, we decided on a very short, leisurely, day. After paddling north for a couple of hours we found a small rocky beach with low cliffs overlooking Caolas Stulaigh. The island of Stulaigh was only .5km away across the sound. Like at every campsite, the resident seals soon arrived to check us out. Gannets were fishing in the still waters, their dive culminating in a spectacular entry into the water. Later in the afternoon, terns joined the gannets, with their elegant ‘ballet’ like flight. A basking shark, which must have been about 20feet long, spent several hours meandering around, with its tail fin flopping casually from side to side. We saw shoals of fish and at one point a shoal was just below us, making the water ripple furiously. Then a seal popped up.

Forecast. NE 3-4 I looked outside the tent; visibility was down to less than 50 yards. There was no need to make an early start and by the time we left, the sun was out. With wind and tide behind us, we made good progress and managed to do a bit of surfing back to Lochboisdale. The hotel, only a few minutes walk from the ferry terminal, was previously owned by a fishing syndicate that didn’t look kindly at campers. The present owners, Calum and Karen MacAulay, allow free camping and we were happy to reciprocate by drinking their beer. For arrivals to South Uist docking at 9pm, or leaving at 9am, the hotel is ideally situated for an overnight stay.

During our time paddling these southern islands of the Outer Hebrides, we were amazed to virtually have the sea to ourselves. We saw no kayakers, and rarely saw yachts. An occasional fishing boat went about its business and a ferry, usually some distance away, passed by. The weather and unrelenting Atlantic swell, of course play their part. Numerous islands, tidal streams and occasional races, as well as rapidly changing sea conditions, are always a potential threat.

It was only after we had looked at the information available to us that we made the crossing from Oban. We did have 2 non-paddling days because of gale force winds, but apart from that, the weather gods looked kindly upon us. The UK has so few places where you can feel remote and this of course, was one of the reasons that we came here. Add to this, the magnificent shell-sand beaches, towering cliff faces and the huge variety of flora and fauna, and you have a world-class sea-kayaking destination. We will be back.

The Skerries – A "Safe" Alternative    Next Item      Back to Top
By John B
So there we were, Dave R, Dave W, Andrew W, Tymele & myself, at a campsite near Rhoscolyn, Anglesey. We had spent a reasonable part of the Whitson Bank Holiday Friday behind caravans and lorries to get to here. The "plan" was for a very early start and land in Ireland for supper. There was only a narrow window in the weather but the forecast was worse than expected. After much discussion and soul searching we moved off to another campsite that was easier for the early start.

They were very accommodating and even allowed us to check the forecast on the internet. It was agreed to abort "the plan" and so in "The Paddlers Rest" – the local pub/restaurant we had to make a new one. There we were able to have a fantastic meal and check the tides for a run out to the Skerries. These rocks are 1.5 miles off the NW coast of Anglesey and have a notorious reputation. To make the trip worthwhile we decided to start at the NE tip of Anglesey and see the Northern coast.

The morning had a little breeze to it that would be in our face. None of us were happy with the choice of aborting but this did at least make things a little more palatable. After a run through narrow lanes we arrived at Porth Eilian. With gear quickly unloaded we pushed out of the sheltered bay into a slight breeze. With the tide giving a decent push we had the occasional wave push over the deck. The bump of East Mouse could be seen ahead and once we could see Middle Mouse we set a course just right of it. From there "all" we needed to do was paddle due West.

The tide was certainly in our favour and after a while we could see The Skerries. The visibility was excellent and the size of them meant they would appear to get no closer for the next hour! During that time the tales of large waves, whirlpools and other nasties kept running through my head. As we drew closer we split into pairs, Andrew & I maintaining a bearing whilst "the Dave’s" held their course, intending to use the Southbound tide to drop in from above. The waves were nowhere near as scary as planned as we had got the tide exactly right. In fact we had all seen the Solent much worse.

Closing in on the Northern tip with the lighthouse above us we kept the island on our left to land at the sheltered bay on the western side. The 12 miles had taken just 2 hours but we were not alone! Whilst entering the bay plenty of seals were visible and there were two kayaks on the beach. It seemed they had come out earlier and were about to head back. We felt this a little odd as the tide was not due to run for another 2 hours – but they were local and seemed experienced.

Lunch was relaxed watching the seals and enjoying the sunshine. After a while a rib arrived with three divers who spent their time getting ready then exploring the bay. I wonder what the seals made of them? When it was time to head back we continued our anti-clockwise route making sure we did not disturb the seals. The tide was certainly heading East and this made small waves to play on at the southern tip. Once away from the main Island the sea went flat and we just had the following breeze and tide to push us home.

In the far distance we could see Middle Mouse and made a course for it. Passing just inland of it we then had definite prove of the speed of the tide here. It made the run to East Mouse seem to go very quickly. As we approached the Mouse we split up again. This time Dave W & I stayed offshore whilst Andrew & Dave R followed a more inland route. Again the tide provided a good push here and I was a little surprised how much it gave along the eddy line of the Island. Once past the island we regrouped for the run back to the finish. With the weather forecast looking worse we decided to take the long drive home and plan for Ireland another time. Thanks for the paddle folks, where were the promised BIG waves and whirlpools?

PADDLING NOTRE DAME BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND,SUMMER 2008    Next Item      Back to Top

Closing date for application is February 11th 2008. For further information and list of gear you need to bring contact John Ramwell at jjramwell@provider.co.uk. Places strictly limited so apply early.

Minutes of the Committee Meeting 22^nd July 07        Back to Top
Apologies: Simon A, Richard G, and Steve E.

Minutes of the last meeting were agreed

New Website: John B is still in the process of arranging this and acquiring the domain name.

Next meeting: 23^rd Sept. At BBQ.

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