Leaving the "Angel's Share" on Islay.

As we continued up the Sound of Islay, the Carraig Mor light announced our imminent arrival at Port Askaig.


The Eilean Dhura ferry was in port. This ferry connects Islay to Jura. Vehicular traffic for Jura needs to arrive on Islay first then transfer to Jura.


Our ferry had not yet arrived so we decided to let the now north going tide carry us on past Port Askaig to the Caol Isla distillery. It was very enjoyable sitting there in the offshore wind savouring the "Angel's Share!"


It was a short paddle against the tide back to Port Askaig.


There is a very convenient beach and slipway by the conveniently situated Port Askaig Hotel which boasts the oldest bar on Islay! Unfortunately a full review will need to wait for another visit....


..as our boat, the Isle of Arran, had come in!


Sadly this brought our visit to the island of Islay to an end but we had made lots of new friends and we will return!

15/07/2008

A lunchtime Guinness and a quick shag!

We made surprisingly good time up the Sound of Islay. We knew we would easily arrive in Port Askaig in time to catch the ferry so we decided to stop for some lunch. We drew the kayaks up this remote and delightful beach. Our boots made satisfying crunching noises in the pebbles as the tides in the Sound of Islay swept by.


As the sun had crossed the yardarm, some 20 minutes past, it seemed appropriate to wash our sandwiches down with our favoured libation.


At the other end of the beach, the local shags remained unmoved by our presence as they squabbled among themselves for possession of the highest perch. One of the shags was much quicker than the others and always seemed to end up having ownership of the favoured ledge. This lovely spot, at the edge of the white capped waters of the Sound of Islay, is overlooked by the Paps of Jura, which heave towards the NE sky.

15/07/2008

Rockpool Menai 18 in the Sound of Islay

Photo T Page.

On our Islay trip, I left my Quest at home and once more borrowed the Rockpool Menai 18 expedition kayak from the good folk, Geoff and Anne at Kari-Tek. I had previously borrowed it in autumn 2007 and used it for day trips on the Solway. I really wanted to use it as intended when loaded with camping gear and Guinn...I mean supplies! This boat is beautifully made and did I mention huge? Despite its size it is not too heavy and I have never had such an easy time with packing! It's also incredibly comfortable with the usual Rockpool ergonomics in seat, thigh braces and foot rest. The little fore deck hatch is so useful for items you want to get to quickly. It is a fast boat. If Tony and I are both in Quests, I can't keep up in a sprint. In this boat on a long sprint, to see who would get the best seat in the bothy, I was able to just keep in front of Tony's Quest. (It's a pity he can leap out of a kayak so quickly, as he still got through the bothy door first!)


Photo T Page.

We had a lot of wind on our visit to Islay and the Menai 18 was very easy to trim to any course with Jeff's really excellent Hydro skeg rudder system. When it was really blowing, it was best to use this in skeg mode rather than rudder mode. It has a low deck profile for such a large boat. This reduces windage but the low back deck makes it a very easy boat to roll for those that favour lay back rolls.


For big crossings and expeditions I think the Menai 18 is outstanding. Its only drawbacks (when compared to smaller day boats such as its sibling the Alaw) are a comparative lack of manouverability and a tendency for the long flat bottom section to slam on short steep waves. However, my friend Alan tried it as a dayboat on the Solway. Alan is 6'5" and a very muscular 19 stone. He raved about its comfort, fit and manouverability and has now bought one second hand. Its lighweight former owner has now bought an Alaw Bach.

Unless you have a similar build to Alan, I would not recommend it to use as a single kayak, if most of your trips were day trips with just the occasional weekend or week long expedition. However, as a dedicated expedition kayak the Menai 18 has it all: practicality, carrying capacity, speed, handling in strong winds and most of all comfort, day after day.

And where better to test a kayak than on Islay's varied coastline with views to Jura?

15/07/2008

The fastness of south east Islay.

After the night's rain, the day dawned fair in the Sound of Islay. Due to the Clyde Coastguard industrial action we did not get our usual MSI weather forecast. Fortunately my Pocketsurfer 2 was able to get reception, even in this remote place. XC weather was forecasting westerly winds of force 7 for the rest of the week, so sadly, we decided that this would be our last day.


The south going tide was already well established and this yacht was making full use of it as she slipped away to the SW past distant Jura. To return home we would need to go north against the tide to the ferry terminal at Port Askaig. However, there are plenty eddies along the Islay coast in a south going tide and we decided not to wait for the tide to turn. By leaving when we did, we could make the afternoon ferry back to the mainland.


The south east coast of Islay is very beautiful with lonely hills tumbling into the Sound of Islay. In the 18km from Claggain Bay to Port Askaig no roads breach this fastness. I can feel the call of this wonderful land and I know I will return.

15/07/2008

Sea Kayakphoto.com trip index 2008

I have been posting little snippets of various trips concurrently. For those who would like to follow the thread of a single trip, I hope this index will be useful.

Less is more round Lismore!
27/12/08

What a carry on round the Mull!
15/12/08 The Mull of Galloway

Another West coast sunset! Firth of Clyde
14/12/08 Bute from Portencross,

Dunure from Maidens, Firth of Clyde
06/12/08

The Four Castles of Carrick, Firth of Clyde.
02/11/08 Turnberry to Ayr

The River Fleet from Fleet Bay
17/10/08

Loch nan Ceall and the Sound of Arisaig
13/09/08
14/09/08

To the Corryvreckan
30/08/08 Seil to Scarba via the Corryvreckan
31/08/08 Scarba to Seil via the Grey Dogs and the Cuan Sound

The Mull of Kintyre
26/07/08 Macrihanish to Sanda via the Mull
27/07/08 Sanda to Davaar Island

To Islay
12/07/08 Claggain Bay
13/07/08 Traigh Bhan
14/07/08 An Claddach
15/07/08 Port Askaig

To St Kilda
30/05/08 Loch Roag
31/05/08 Taransay
01/06/08 Monach Islands
02/06/08 Hirta and Dun
03/06/08 am Village Bay, Hirta
03/06/08 pm Boreray and the stacks
04/06/08 Loch Reasort to Scarp
05/06/08 Pabaigh Mor and Bhacsaigh

To the Garvellachs
10/05/08 Seil to the Grey Dogs via the Corryvreckan
11/05/08 Grey Dogs to the Garvellachs and Seil

Lady Isle
08/05/08 A busy night at Troon

Ailsa Craig
05/05/08 Gannets and granite

Fleet Bay
02/05/08 Solway sunshine

A misty Firth of Clyde
27/04/08 Maidens to Ayr

Arran
18/03/08 Portencross to Brodick via the Wee Cumbrae, Bute and Glen Sannox

Mull of Galloway
17/02/08 Ardwell Bay to East Tarbet

Dorus Mor
12/02/08 Craignish through the Dorus Mor to Crinan and Loch Craignish then back through the Dorus Mor as the sun set.

The four maritime castles of Carrick
20/01/08 Turnberry to Ayr.

The Cumbraes and Bute
12/01/2008 A day trip in the Clyde from Largs

The Sound of Islay

After disembarking from the ferry at Port Askaig, we wasted no time, in getting onto the water. We did not even stay to sample the ales of the Port Askaig hotel, whose beer garden conveniently overlooks this little jetty. It has been a licensed premises since the 16th century.

With the hills of Jura just a short distance away over the narrows, at 3 hours past the turn of the tide, the south going ebb was running strongly down the Sound of Islay. Even though it was neap tides, the current was sweeping past the mouth of the harbour and it was quite a sight to see a 3,000 ton ferry break out into the current. The combination of tide, wind and forecast made our decision to go south with the flow an easy one. We were on the water by 16:00 hours.


Although the spring rate in mid sound is 5 knots, we hit 10 knots in the current just outside the harbour. The wooded slopes of Dunlossit estate made a gentle introduction to the wild and remote east coast of Islay beyond. The south going ebb in the Sound of Islay starts at +05:15 HW Dover and the North going flood starts at -00:50 HW Dover. The spring rate is 5 knots.


We then made our way into mid channel to take maximum advantage of wind and tide. We averaged 12km/hour (6 knots) down the upper part of the Sound of Islay.


The tide slowed as we approached the entrance of the sound with Am Fraoch Eilean on the left and McArthur's Head on Islay straight ahead. The distant Kintyre peninsula can just be seen on the horizon. We now turned west and made for Islay's lonely eastern shores.


This map shows the GPS track of our route over the 4 days of our visit.

12/07/2008