A near miss on the Solway

 On the 30th of April, I was enjoying a holiday on Fleet Bay in the Solway Firth. Despite the sun a strong offshore wind meant my kayak stayed firmly on the beach. Actually it didn't! It got blown about 10m from where I left it!

The wind was blowing straight out the bay towards distant Burrow Head.

My anemometer was averaging 28knots on the beach. I watched enviously as Richard was enjoying a good blast on his windsurfer. Due to increasing problems with my knees, the last time I got out windsurfing was in October 2008. I do miss it.

Anyway, I have a nice pair of 7x50 binoculars and was enjoying watching the fun when I suddenly noticed a double sit on top being blown out to sea at a very rapid rate. There was no sign of any paddlers, so I was just about to phone Liverpool coastguard when I noticed a 20 foot day sailing boat heading for the kayak. Her experienced crew had decided to motor out (she has an inboard outboard well if you know what that is!) despite being competent sailors. I scanned the surface of the sea but I couldn't see anyone in the water.

The day boat very sensibly motored straight up wind covering the area over which the kayak had been blown. Then I saw an arm held straight up. Fortunately the day boat crew saw it. They had a hell of a job trying lift the lone kayaker into the cockpit as the day boat has a relatively high freeboard. The lucky kayaker was clearly barely able to help and collapsed into the cockpit. He was not wearing a buoyancy aid and, despite the water being only 6.5 degrees centigrade was wearing shorts. It turned out he had gone out on his own in the back seat of the sit on top. He couldn't turn it round into the wind to paddle back to the shore in the strong wind. He then fell in and the wind blew the sit on top away.

It was an ebb spring tide so if he had been swept out past the islands he would probably not have been found alive. He was extremely lucky he was spotted and that help was at hand. This sort of near miss and rescue will never make national statistics but it must be happening all round the coast. A combination of hot sun, cold water and an offshore wind can be lethal. I have witnessed 4 fatal boating accidents in Fleet Bay since 1968 and lost count of innumerable near misses. Thank goodness this one had a happy ending. I was glad I had decided to stay on the beach.

This is the Hawk 20 lying at her mooring on a calm day. It is a nice boat.

Sandy Robson sets off to retrace 1930's voyage by kayak from Germany to Australia

Sandy Robson has set off on the first leg of a sea kayaking voyage from Germany to Australia. She will need to return to Australia and work between each stage but hopes to complete the trip in five years.

She hopes to retrace the amazing voyage by Oskar Speck from 1932 to 1939. He set off in the Depression looking for work. By the time he arrived in Australia WW2 had broken out and he was arrested and interred as an enemy alien. Oskar used a sail on his folding kayak and Sandy will be using a Flat Earth sail to help her on her way.

Good luck Sandy!

New calves at Cardoness

This is just a little test to get my mobile phone working with Blogger.

Sea kayaking round Arran

From Brodick round Arran, Firth of Clyde, a 93km 4 day/3 night paddle, April 2011.

Day 1, Sannox Bay

A tale of three harbours and some ferrous sheep on Arran

The lack of a saw was like a millstone round our necks.

Eking out a living and doing their pan in, on the north shore.

Day 2, Cock of Arran.

Away with the fairies and an unconformity on Arran!

The "castles" of Loch Ranza.

An early supper with the Twelve Apostles.

Raised beaches and a raised graveyard on Arran's west coast.

If it was good enough for a Royal to kip down, it'll be good enough for us!

Day 3, Bennan Head.

Up and doon the Doon, before breakfast!

False impressions at Blackwaterfoot.

A distinct lack of nudists at Cleits Shore.

A big cave and big appetites at Kildonan, Arran.

Day 4, Holy Island.

Running before the wind, below the sill.

By paddle, sail and oar across Whiting Bay.

Sailing into the lee of Holy Island by sea kayak.

Sammy the Otter slumbers at sea.

An effective navigational strategy for the Arran crossing.

An effective navigational strategy for the Arran crossing.

The sails had driven us so quickly that we very nearly made the earlier ferry back to Ardrossan. The ferry attracted our attention because (unusually) it gave several blasts on its horn. It was being trailed by a noisy tribe of jet skis riding its wake. Every so often one of the bolder ones would skillfully cut across the ferry's bow, under the admiring gazes of the many passengers crowding the rail. The captain would then let off a blast. By following the ferry, the jet skis manage to cross to Arran then return to Ayrshire from whence they came. It's quite an effective navigational strategy.

 It wasn't long until we were  back on the little beach beside the ferry terminal at Brodick.

 We sorted out our gear leisurely until the MV Caledonian Isles (minus jet skis)...

...made her return approach.

Once aboard, we made our way up to the aft deck to take a last view south towards Holy Island and...

...north to the mountains above the villages of Corrie and Sannox.

Soon we were back in Ardrossan and we waited with the cyclists to disembark behind the cars. There is no charge to take a kayak onto a Calmac ferry but I strongly suggest you invest in a trolley. The ferries operate on a very fast turn round and you will not be popular if you hold up loading as you attempt to carry several kayaks the length of the car deck, the link span and the approach road!

By the time we had unloaded the contents of our hatches into our trusty Ikea bags, a full load of cars (including the extra mezzanine deck) had loaded and MV Caledonian Isles was on her way to Arran again. Once the traffic had cleared we walked through to the car park and paid £6 for having left the cars for three nights in a secure car park with a 24 hour attendant, quite a bargain!

Our trip round Arran was over. David and I reflected on how lucky we had been to share such a mellow trip amidst such fantastic scenery.

Sammy the Otter slumbers at sea.

We left Lamlash Bay at Clauchlands Point.

The coastline became more mountainous the further north we travelled along Arran's east coast. We drifted in the peace of this wild place.

We were not the only ones enjoying the peace. We came across our old friend, Sammy the Otter,  having a quick nap!

 "What's that?"

"Cripes, two of the ugliest sea kayakers I have ever seen!"

Sailing into the lee of Holy Island by sea kayak.

 From Kingscross Point we crosssed the southern entrance of Lamlash Bay to the south end of Holy Island.

 The brisk crossing was rewarded with a wonderful view from the Holy Island inner light into Lamlash Bay and the Arran mountains beyond. Since 2008 the north part of Lamlash Bay has been a protected marine reserve with a complete ban on commercial and recreational fishing. The great news is that fish, shellfish and sea weed stocks are recovering quickly after the bay had been turned into a virtual desert by scallop dredging.

The wind increased as we rounded the end of Holy Island and...

...we had great fun overtaking the waves. We hit 14km/hour here.

 The wind eased as we passed below the outer light and...

...entered the wind shadow of Holy Island. The east side of the island is a wild place with Tertiary lavas topping steep cliffs of Carboniferous red sandstone. We didn't see a soul, access was clearly too difficult for the legions of geology students that were visiting Arran on their Easter field trips.

As we approached the north end of Holy Island, Goatfell came into view again and the wind dropped. This brought to an end 37km of continuous sea kayak sailing. The final section of our round Arran trip was about to begin.

By paddle, sail and oar across Whiting Bay.

We now entered Whiting Bay and caught our first sign of the eponymous village, below the heights of Goatfell.

A large sea wall protects the attractive villas and just before we arrived it had been put to good use. The wake of the Troon to Larne had been crashing into it.

We continued to speed on our way under sail and..

...landed near Kingscross Point at the north end of Whiting Bay for...

...a spot of lunch while...

...we were entertained by these two. It appeared that the younger lad had been blown away by the fresh wind. He did not seem to have oars and the older lad went to his aid and towed him (with some effort) back to shore.

Running before the wind, below the sill.

Leaving Kildonan on the fourth day of our trip round Arran we hoisted our sails then paddled along a wild coastline. The scenery was dominated by an extensive tertiary sill, which extended...

...all the way to Dippen Head where we were...

...dwarfed by the scale of the cliffs.

Once round Dippen Head, we caught our first sight of Holy Island since the first day of our trip. We continued to sail all the way, mostly running before a southerly wind. The gusts round the headlands gave some exciting bursts of speed.

From Dippen Head we literally flew before the wind to Larybeg Point. Beyond the point we looked over Whiting Bay to Holy Island.

It was almost a relief to break out behind Lagybeg and take a last view of Ailsa Craig before continuing on our downwind blast.

A big cave and big appetites at Kildonan, Arran

From the sadly deserted beach at Cleit Shore we sped past huge boulder beaches until a dramatic change in the landscape announced our arrival at Bennan Head, which marks the southern tip of Arran.

Just offshore lies Pladda which is the second biggest of Arran's three satellite isles: Holy Island, then Pladda, then tiny Hamilton Isle.

We were sailing and paddling  at 9-10km per hour and David spotted the Kildonan Hotel in the distance. We might make the 3:30 Race after all! Bennan Head is composed of a sill of hard igneous rock. The original softer rocks, through which it intruded, have weathered away leaving it standing exposed. A waterfall cascades down its west (left) side.

A huge cave, the  Black Cave, cuts right into the head and...

...emerges through a high window into the gully on its west side.

We sped on to Kildonan, David made straight for the Kildonan Hotel to catch the Scottish Grand National at Ayr on the television in the residents' lounge. He looked very dapper in his plum suit with cummerbund!

Meanwhile I set my tent up in the Seal Shore commercial camp site. (There is plenty of wild camping about 2-3km away but we fancied a hot shower!)

As the flood tide began to pour between Kildonan and Pladda, we made our way to...

..the truly excellent Kildonan Hotel. The owners, Rodrigo and Anne had just by chance arranged a Mediterranean buffet night for a very reasonable £15 per head. Needless to say, we signed up on the spot. We were not disappointed, neither were the many locals, who had clearly enjoyed previous buffets. After our meal David and I retired to the bar for a Guinness, where we had a very pleasant chat with the amiable Rodrigo. We will definitely return and so should you. I just hope that our appetites have not caused a seakayakers' levy to be added to the buffet bill!