Sea kayaking with seakayakphoto.com: Search results for "18/04/2009"

Showing posts sorted by relevance for query "18/04/2009". Sort by date Show all posts

Monday, January 05, 2009

Seakayakphoto.com trip index 2009

For those who would like to follow the thread of a single trip, I hope this index will be useful. Unfortunately the Google "search this blog" function is not working properly at the moment so the link may not recover all the relevent posts.

2009 running total distance: 890km

December:
The Cumbraes, Firth of Clyde, 27km
The Mull of Galloway tide race, at full belt! 21km

November:
Sannox synchronicity: Portencross to Brodick, Arran, 31km

Maidens to Ayr, 20km

October:
A trinity of tide races: circumnavigation of Scarba 38km

September:
Fleet bay Solway Firth, 3km
Islay, Oronsay, Colonsay, Jura, Islay 109km

August:
Seafield, Ayr, Firth of Clyde, 7km
Lady Isle, Troon Firth of Clyde 9km

June:
Ardnamurchan to Coll, Gunna and Tiree
Inner Hebrides
15/06/09 Coll to Ardnamurchan, 18km
14/06/09 Gunna to Rubha Sgor-innis, Coll, 34km
13/06/09 NW Coll to Scarinish, Tiree, 40km
12/06/09 Ardnamurchan to the Cairns of Coll, 28km

A Solway smugglers' Ccave
Fleet Bay
09/06/09 Solway Firth 9km

Full Moon at Rumblekirn
Fleet Bay
08/06/09 Solway Firth 14km

Sea shells and egg shells
Fleet Bay
01/06/09 am Solway Firth 10km

The great dun of Carrick
Fleet Bay
31/05/09 pm Solway Firth 19km

Three Pillars of Knockbrex
Fleet Bay
31/05/09 am Solway Firth 12km

Plumage and blossom on the Solway
Fleet Bay
30/05/09 Solway Firth 13km

Sea eagles and coral sands
Loch Eishort
23/05/09 Isle of Skye 19km

A big day!
Portuairk to Mull and return.
10/05/09 Ardnamurchan Point 42km.

Surf's up on Ayrshire's Atlantic Coast
Finnarts Bay to Lendalfoot
02/05/09 Firth of Clyde 21km

Arran Direct, Firth of Clyde
19/04/09 Kildonnan to Brodick 19km
18/04/09 Lendalfoot to Ailsa Craig then Pladda then Kildonnan, Arran 41km

Dumfries to Southerness in search of the Nith bore!
13/04/09 Solway Firth 25km

The Islands of Fleet
11/04/09 Solway Firth 12km

Fairlie to Little Cumbrae
04/04/09 Firth of Clyde 20km

The Islands of Fleet
02/04/09 Solway Firth 11km

Troon Ballast Bank to Lady Isle
01/04/09 Firth of Clyde 11km

From Portencross to Bute and Arran
21/03/09 Firth of Clyde 31km

"End of the Winter timetable!"
By ferry to Loch Ranza on Arran and return to Portavadie
19/03/09 Firth of Clyde 30km

The Carrick coast, Maidens to Ayr
15/03/09 Firth of Clyde 20km

The islands of Loch Leven
01/03/09 Firth of Lorn 11km

Port Appin to Loch Leven
28/02/09 Firth of Lorn 29km

"Any port in a storm on Great Cumbrae"
21/02/09 Firth of Clyde 19km

Bute from Seamill.
15/02/09 Firth of Clyde 23km

Surfing from Turnberry Point to Carrick Shore
08/01/09 Firth of Clyde 9km

The MacCormaig Islands from Carsaig Bay
02/01/09 The Sound of Jura 35km

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Ailsa Craig to Arran

After paddling round Ailsa Craig there was still a nasty swell and force 4 northerly so we decided to explore the island for a bit and have something to eat. Then at 1630 the wind began to drop. I reckoned we would be able to complete the 22km to Arran by nightfall and even if we didn't, the lighthouse on Pladda would guide us. We would need to get going though so as we would be well clear of the high speed ferry from Larne to Troon which was due to pass between Ailsa and Arran about 7pm!

David and Phil graunched the double trying to launch of the steep boulder beach in the swell. There was an ominous crack and the rudder wouldn't work. Rather than risk re-landing I got the rudder out the water and left them to paddle without.

A menacing roaring and rumbling filled the air. The high speed ferry was on her way at 41 knots!

We turned round several times to scan the horizon but we were well out of the way when the ferry passed to the east of us. In the distance you can just see Pladda lighthouse to the right of Jennifer. It felt quite exposed out there!

It was a wonderful night for a long crossing and Jennifer and I really enjoyed it...

However, all the way across, David and Phil moaned that the double was just about impossible to handle. I thought they were just a couple of wusses who couldn't steer a kayak with only paddles so I had little sympathy.

Eventually we made landfall at Pladda. Its early lighthouse has two towers. Before flashing lights were invented, this was to differentiate it from the other lights at the entrance to the Clyde. We had intended camping on Pladda but we discovered the island was completely covered in nesting gulls. Even worse, we discovered the huge centre hatch of the Aleut double was full of water and David and Phil had not enough dry bags for all their clothes and sleeping gear! The next day we discovered the cracking noise was a due to the bulkhead bolts (which fix the two pieces of the Aleut together) loosening off and allowing the bulkheads to flex apart. The bulkhead sealing gasket had been leaking all the way across. No wonder the Aleut was not handling with all that water sloshing about. I did by now feel a little sympathy for the Aleut boys so...

... time for a sharp exit to Kildonan camp site, a hot shower and the pub! There was a wedding on in the pub, it was like something out the Wicker Man. It was a late night after a long day.

This is seakayaking!

18/04/2009

To Arran via Ailsa Craig

We had originally intended going to Colonsay last Friday night but the easterly winds were up to 35 knots. The forecast for the Clyde on Saturday was for force 3 easterly and on Sunday force 3 southerly so we thought we would go on a little 42km trip to Arran via Ailsa Craig. We met at Lendalfoot on the south Ayrshire coast.

Of course the forecast wasn't quite right and we had a fresh northerly on Saturday. At nearby Campbeltown airport it got up to 19 knots. It made for a bumpy crossing and I thought that we would need to abandon our attempt on Arran. You can see from our track to Ailsa Craig where we got blown down wind on two occasions when the wind really got up.