The Mull of Galloway tide race, at full belt!

A day trip round the Mull of Galloway, a 21km paddle from East Tarbert Bay to Port Logan, taking in the Mull of Galloway tide race. December 2009.


The Mull of Galloway tide race at full belt.

Destination, the Mull of Galloway.

Sunny skies and calm seas.

Sea kayaking the Mull of Galloway.

Hiding in Lunnock Cave, Mull of Galloway.

P&H Cetus excels as a photography platform.

Mull of Galloway to Gallie Craig.

Taking in a Kindram or two on the Rhinns of Galloway.

Picnic at Rainbow Rock!

The pot at the end of Rainbow Rock.

Transition from the terrestrial to the maritime.

Crammag Head.

The Silurian simian sentinel of Breddoch Bay.

Port Logan sunset.

"It was at the Mull of Galloway...and this giant wave..."

"It was at the Mull of Galloway...and this giant wave..."

Jim ran Phil and myself down to the Mull of Galloway to recover our shuttle cars. Since there was no other car left at Port Logan, the others were forced to take refuge in the Port Logan Inn.


From above East Tarbert Bay, we looked down on a suspiciously calm looking Mull of Galloway. The only movement appeared to be the steady sweep of the lighthouse beam.


Back at the pub we warmed ourselves by the roaring log fire. Phil regaled an enraptured audience with tales of monster waves. Well, enraptured might not be an adjective that could be fairly applied to David, he looked dead beat!

Mull of Galloway to Gallie Craig

After the excitement of the Mull of Galloway tide race, we proceeded in a westerly direction, round Carrickcarlin Point.


Far below the lighthouse, our kayaks were dwarfed by the the yellow and ochre coloured cliffs. We paddled on under the gaze of pointing tourists...


...until we disappeared from their sight in the huge Seal's Cave hidden far beneath their feet.


From the lighthouse we wended our way...


...through a series of skerries towards the pointing rock fingers of Gallie Craig.

Destination, the Mull of Galloway

The Mull of Galloway is the most southerly point in Scotland. It juts out into the strong tides that swirl round where the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea compress into the North Channel between Scotland and Ireland. It always takes longer to get there than you think. After Stranraer, the ferry port for Ireland, the roads are very narrow and slow and the final track down to East Tarbert is barely surfaced. Last Sunday, we left Ayr on the Firth of Clyde at 0800, dropped a shuttle car at Port Logan on the way and arrived at East Tarbert, 72 miles later. We were on the water by 1040. Our planned route was to tackle the 20km between East Tarbert, round the Mull of Galloway and up the west coast of the Rhinns of Galloway to Port Logan.


First we paddled east along the north side of the Mull. The current flows east here both on the flood and the ebb.


We were approaching the Mull at the end of the 3rd hour of the ebb and the current carried us towards the race with increasing velocity. This was another occasion when we crossed a sea kayaking Rubicon. We were already committed to rounding the Mull by the time we saw the lumpy water of the race on the horizon.

P&H Cetus excels as a photography platform

Last Thursday a brand, shiny new P&H Cetus demo kayak arrived at seakayakphoto towers for a long term test. Unlike previous test kayaks that I have reviewed, which have been arranged through Ocean Paddler magazine or by local dealers, this one (and its predecessor) has come direct from P&H. In case readers might be concerned about my impartiality under these circumstances, I already have 4 sea kayaks of my own so don't need a demo kayak to go paddling. It might also be worth reading what I have said about this kayak's predecessor.

P&H boats come really well wrapped and there was not a blemish on this kayak's finish. A really nice thing I noticed is that P&H have gone back to glassing in the foot track mounting screws rather than just drilling the hull, which they have done since about 2004. The decals are also a smart new raised 3D design.

The seat was fitted much lower than the last one, with shims under the cockpit rim. I had previously raised the issue of high seats with P&H and got this reply from Graham Mackereth, boss of Pyranha, the company that owns P&H:

"Doug
I'm very sorry about the seat issue -it's an obvious point that we recognised some time ago and didn't make happen.
I went out to the N.American West Coast Sea Kayak Symp 2 weeks ago and we had some there that were just too high, so as coincidence would have it I came back and issued instructions that all moulds are to be tweaked so seats are no more than 10mm between kayak floor and the lower side of the seat, that's to include the foam support, so hopefully this will get the boats paddling again as they should be. Then I got a copy of your mail, that very nicely reinforces the point.

Anyway its in hand, though I'll no doubt get some that want it higher for performance, but at least adding foam is much easier than lowering the seat.

I really appreciate the input
Graham"
It is very reassuring that P&H are taking account of user feedback in product development.
Now I am sure you are keen to hear about the skeg. This one worked faultlessly and smoothly all day, in fact it was perfect. It hasn't been exposed to fine sand yet but the last one was stiff out of the wrapper, so this is very promising.
I will post a full review of the Cetus, once I have had more time in it. However, my first impressions are that it is very comfortable and easier to get in and out of than a Quest. It has less foot room than a Quest but the 4th hatch is just so useful and a safety feature to reduce cockpit volume. It is much more manoeuvrable than a Quest and is very stable on edge. It is also very stable when not paddling e.g. when photographing or fishing. It is extremely well behaved crossing eddy lines. It is low and handles high winds well. It looks beautiful. I prefer the Quest when on long downwind legs with following swell, as the Quest is less likely to broach and is easier to maintain a fast speed. On the big surf beaches of Coll and Colonsay I prefered the Quest for surf landings. It is much less likely to broach, though the Cetus is very stable in the broached position in front of breaking surf.
In short, there is a great to like about the Cetus. However, in this post I want to concentrate on its use as a photography platform. It is quite simply the best kayak I have ever been in for photography.


This photograph was taken with £3,000 worth of non waterproof photographic kit. Although I did not take the camera out in the race itself, I have just paddled through that race with the camera in an Ortlieb Aqua Zoom camera bag on deck. In no other boat would I be confident enough to do that in a race of this magnitude.


You can see the Aqua Zoom bag on the foredeck. Photo JLW.


Despite the swell, I took photos...


...inside this cave. Photos JLW.
The P&H Cetus is a superb photography platform.

Hiding in Lunnock Cave, Mull of Galloway

Once we had made sure that Phil and David were safely round the Mull of Galloway, Tony and I thought we had better hide in Lunnock Cave for a bit, till they cooled off!

David had done incredibly well, given it had been his work Christmas Party the night before and he had not got home till 330am. Phil had done the gentlemanly thing and driven him down to the Mull. We had told David and Phil that it might get a wee bit bumpy at the point, but David wasn't really listening, as he was trying to tune his radio into Radio 2. Apparently, he did not hear me shouting to keep close into the rocks and Phil thought the waves at the rocks were clapotis to keep well clear of. So David and Phil spent a little longer in the race than might be prudent.

The first few waves broke right over him and David said later that he never wished to wake up from a hangover that way again! The third wave imploded his spray deck and filled his cockpit with water but full of stoic, he paddled on till eventually, he and Phil broke out of the race.

This was all incredibly entertaining for the rest of us. Jim rafted up to pump David's boat out, as he regained his composure and Tony and I thought we had better retreat to the cave, where our laughter might be more discrete.


Jennifer soon found our hidey hole...


...as the race roared by at 7 knots.

Sea kayaking the Mull of Galloway

This map shows the Mull of Galloway tide race on the ebb. The race catches a number of kayakers out because the published information is not accurate, close inshore where kayakers will be. The tidal diamond on the chart is 3km SSE of the Mull and shows the west ebb flow starting at +0020 HW Dover at a spring rate of 4 knots.

The Cooper Reid book, Scottish Sea Kayaking says the WSW stream starts about 1 hour after HW Liverpool ( +0115 HW Dover). I know at least two kayakerswho have been caught out by this information. Rab says "This was certainly the biggest unplanned tide race that I had been in!" The ebb SSW flow close inshore at the Mull, where kayakers will be, starts at -0130 HW Dover, 2 hours and 30 minutes BEFORE the time in Cooper and Reid's book ( I have been in touch with both Doug Cooper and Franco of Pesda press and this will be corrected in the next edition.)

On Sunday I was keen to gather information for my forthcoming South West Scotland Pesda book and I was keen to experience the race first hand, at full belt. On Sunday it was 3 days before springs and HW Dover was at 0828, so the ebb started at -0130 HW Dover i.e. 0658. We timed our arrival at the Mull for 0958 to experience the full benefit of the flow.

This map above shows the ebb flow. From East Tarbert an eddy carries you with increasing velocity (12 km/hr) right into the heart of the race and the junction is quite confused with random pyramids of water. There are no nice surfable standing waves here. The main race comes right into the base of the rocks, there is no inside passage. You are now travelling at 14km/hr and ideally will now want to try and break out into the flatter eddy which is just round the corner, however it will be trying to push you back into the main race and the eddy line is quite challenging. With the greatest respect to Mr Gordon Brown's recent DVD, I employed none of the graceful strokes and edging he displayed when crossing eddy lines. Basically I PLFed with a liberal application of low braces. If you break out of the race as soon as possible, you will only be in it for 150m.In the top 3 photos in my post above, David and Phil are enjoying themselves far out in the race. They didn't want to get too close to the rocks because they thought it was clapotis. They PLFed a lot more than Tony, Jim, Jennifer and myself did. In the pub afterwards David refused to take his new Palm salopettes off!


Jim is sitting in the eddy looking back at the race we just paddled through...


...note the randomness of the water.


Tony attempted to paddle up the race by surfing on the waves but they were too irregular.


We were lucky there was just a light force 3 wind.


We have paddled the Mull of Galloway a few times recently, you have to treat it with respect. A mistake here and you will be carried far out into the North Channel. Midway between neaps and springs we found the flow to be 14km/hr which suggests a spring rate of about 19km/hr which is faster than the Corryvreckan.

We had a great time but if you are looking for a mellow trip from east to west, I suggest arriving at the Mull at -0130 Dover!

Port Logan Inn

Leaving the Mull of Galloway we drove north to where we had left the shuttle car. We were bound for Port Logan on the west coast of the Rhinns of Galloway. The cars were shaking in the car park as we looked out to the windswept sea.


We had driven right past the Port Logan Inn. This is a truly convenient sea kayaking pub. You can paddle up to within a few yards of the door and in summer sit at the outdoor tables and watch the sun go down behind the now empty stone tower of its former lighthouse.


There was a decided nip in the air so we decided to make use of the interior facilities. A roaring fire greeted us and we were soon ensconced within its circle of warmth. The barman said:

"Sorry you didn't get out lads."

"Oh but we did!"

"Where on earth did you get shelter on a day like this?"

"We just nipped round the Mull of Galloway."

"The Mull? The Mull o Gallowa? Yerra right pair o' eejits!"

"Maybe so barman, but we're thirsty eejits!"

Fortunately the Port Logan Inn is stocked with a very extensive and fine range of refreshing liquids. Indeed, if you ask very nicely, a bottle of Fraoch Leann might even be produced from under the counter!

All in all, the Port Logan Inn meets the very highest standards required to be called a sea kayaking pub!

15/12/2008

The spell of the nine tides!

The complex tide races of the Mull of Galloway change by the minute and can catch out even experienced sailors. Many years ago a Galloway witch sought to undo the good work of the fairies of the cave who looked after sailors in peril. She had been spurned by a particular sailor so she spun a spell that wove nine tides to entrap him at the Mull.


But the sailor heard about her spell and, from that day onwards, he always pulled his boat over the Tarbet and avoided the Mull. He was never caught but the spell of the nine tides is still in place today.

15/12/2008

A drink made from some unknown kind of fog!

The foggy ramparts of the Mull of Galloway were the scene of the final battle between the Scots and the last of the Picts of Galloway. The Picts had managed to repel successive waves of invaders including the Romans and the Anglo-Saxons. How could this warrior race have been defeated by the Scots? One reason for their down fall may have been their secret brew! A Scots historian wrote: "The Picts brewed some awful grand drink they ca't (called) Fraoch Leann from heather and some unknown kind of fog". The Scots king coveted the recipe for this heather ale and was determined to get it from the last surviving Picts.


The Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stephenson, was the grandson of George Stephenson, who had built the Mull of Galloway lighthouse in 1830. R.L. Stephenson had visited Galloway on a walking tour and had heard of the legend of heather ale. He composed a poem based on the story called “Heather Ale: A Galloway Legend”. In it he has a pretty good idea of what led to the Picts’ downfall.

“They brewed it and they drank it,
And lay in blessed swound,
For days and days together,
In their dwellings underground.”

After the battle, the king of the Scots tortured an old man and his son, who were the last two survivors of the battle. The king said he would spare one of them, if he was told the recipe for Fraoch Leann. The old man knew they were both doomed and blurted out, “Spare me, and I will tell you!” So the son was thrown into the sea below the Mull.



The king again demanded the recipe but the old man said, “I feared my son might tell you to spare me”. R.L.S. continues the story:

“But now in vain is the torture,
Fire shall not avail:
Here dies in my bosom
The secret of the Heather Ale."

The old man leaped over the cliff after his son and the Galloway Picts and Fraoch Leann were apparently no more....

15/12/2008

End of the road: the Mull of Galloway tide race.

After we reloaded the kayaks onto the car, we drove to the road end at the Mull of Galloway, the southernmost tip of Scotland.


Looking east on the spring ebb tide you can see the main race comes very close to the east end of the Mull but it then heads SW, out to sea, leaving most of the cliffs below the Mull standing in a relatively flat eddy.


This is the spring ebb race running against a force 4 to 6 SW wind.


Looking south towards the Isle of Man over the ebb race.


Looking west, the ebb race is well offshore...but the water round Gallie Craig is not exactly flat.


To give an idea of the scale this is Gallie Craig from the sea looking east towards the lighthouse! (17/02/2008)


The above photos show the ebb race. The flood race come much closer to the cliffs than the ebb. We went through against the flood tide, 2 hours from slack water at springs. This photo (in a similar wind to that which we experienced) shows the water state below the fog horn, 2 hours from slack water at neaps. It gives an idea of what we met. We found more broken water and the conditions persisted without a break for 2km! To give some idea of scale, the photo was taken from a height of 71m. (28/12/06)


Going east to west, on the west going ebb you have only a short 100m or so of race to cross at the east end of the Mull. After this you enter a large relatively flat eddy which extends right to the west end of the Mull and beyond.

Going east to west on an east going flood as we did, even in close to the rocks, you are much closer to the main race. From the light house you have to fight adverse currents at each headland. The red arrow highlights a submarine reef which throws up standing waves especially on the flood.

What a fun place! No wonder several legends attach to this place.....

PS Of course most people would have driven up to the road end at the top of the cliffs and looked at the race before they paddled it. Many would have decided that one look was enough! The trick with this type of paddling is not to look first! We didn't, but of course I am not recommending this ostrich type of approach to planning sea kayaking expeditions! In truth I knew exactly what it would look like as I have gazed down on the race in many different conditions but not paddled it afterwards.

15/12/2008

Myths, caves and tides of the Mull.

Let no one accuse the staff of seakayakphoto.com of being mindless thrill seekers! After our adrenaline fuelled circumnavigation of the Mull of Galloway, we set off northwards into the sheltered waters of Luce Bay on the lee of the Rhinns of Galloway. We were bound on a learned voyage to find the Cave of St Medans or the fairies!


We had paddled right past the cave because it is hidden within a deep cleft in the rocks. An outer wall was built across the open end of this cleft and roofed over to form a Christian chapel.


Sir Herbert Maxwell drew this view in 1885. The outer wall of the chapel has deteriorated over the last 123 years. In the 1825 an archaeological dig unearthed a prehistoric human tibia in the cave and in the chapel, 12th century coins from the reigns of Kings Alexander and David of Scotland.


This is the present day view from the door of the chapel, just where the figures in Maxwell's drawing are standing. Apart from the corner wall of the chapel, which has crumbled so that you can't see where the window and door were, the only change is the low roof of the Gallie Craig visitor centre which is right on the horizon of the Mull, to the right of the lighthouse.


Tony explores the cave at the back of the chapel.


Modern but rusting ironwork supports the door lintel. The cave was remarkably warm and dry.


The oldest inscription we found was AD 1850.

Of course the Christian Church has long built on ancient superstitions and pagan places. The cave was originally known as the Fairy Cave. Sailors of old would leave offerings of food to ensure fair winds and tides for a safe passage round the Mull. It was not advised to wait for the fairies to come out of the darkness of their cave and watch them gather these tokens of maritime respect. The mere sight of a fairy, by even one sailor, could prove bad luck for an entire ship. Apparently a hermit led a pretty comfortable and very well nourished life in the cave for many years. I threw the last of my lunchtime sandwich towards the mouth of the cave but a hungry gull proved faster than any fairy!

We had of course planned this day all wrong. We should have paid our (edible) respects at the cave before starting our voyage round the treacherous tides of the Mull. Frankly, after such disrespectful behaviour towards the fairies' nutritional needs, we were lucky to get round the Mull in one piece but we learned a lot!

15/12/2008