There are so many sea kayaking expeditions going on it is difficult sometimes to keep track of who is doing what and where.
But here is one that jumps right off the screen at you! Jörgen, from seakayakcobber, is going to paddle from the lake, where he lives in the Netherlands, by river and sea all the way through the heart of Europe to Moldova (some 4,200km distant) passing through 11 counties on the way.
He is not just doing it because it's there, to be first or to be fastest etc.. He is doing it to help raise money so that children in Moldova who are born with congenital or genetic facial malformations can get surgery.
It's an absolutely brilliant expedition. He will need our help with sponsorship.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Crinan, the gateway from the Clyde to the west coast.
Continuing our recent paddle in the waters of the Dorus Mor, we approached sheltered Loch Crinan. In the summer this bay will be full of moored yachts. Most of them will of course remain on the mooring for the summer with perhaps a weekend trip motoring up nearby Loch Craignish to Ardfern.
The village of Crinan stands on the rim of a steep promontory in the loch. It is sheltered by the wooded isle of Eilean da Mheinn. In the 1580/90s, Timothy Pont mapped this part of Scotland. He annotated the map thus "heir is a herbory for a ship at ylen Damein & also wthin the throat of the river".
The sea lock of the Crinan Canal.
Since his time, the Crinan Canal was built between 1794 and 1816 by John Rennie and Thomas Telford. It is 9 miles long, has 15 locks and rises to a height of 65 feet. It connects Ardrishaig on the Clyde with Crinan on the Sound of Jura. This saves the long and dangerous 128 mile long voyage round the Mull of Kintyre.
There is a fine hotel here with a very good public bar but for once we decided to make best use of the unseasonal sunshine and paddled on! We must return on a rainy day!
12/02/2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The long and winding road, to the Mull of Galloway
I might have mixed up my McCartney songs but you get the idea...
Despite being part of mainland Scotland, when you are travelling through the Rhinns of Galloway, you feel you are on an island and so must have fallen asleep on the ferry.
The lambing season starts early here, hinted at by palm trees being just about the most common garden plant in these parts. In the southern half of the Rhinns of Galloway, you are never more than 2.5km from the Gulf Stream warmed sea and so frosts are rare.
However, it is not always like this in winter. High on the Mull, Kennedy's Cairn commemorates a postman who died on this road while delivering the mail in a snowstorm .
We left one car at East Tarbert to pick up later when we landed there. There is a road down to the old lighthouse boathouse and jetty.
You can get right down to the grass beside the boat house. The jetty was built to service the lighthouse before the road was built. If you look carefully at the top of the beach you can see a huge steel deck hatch that has been washed off a ship rounding the Mull in a storm.
17/02/2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
End of a Mull of Galloway day.
We continued eastwards along the Mull of Galloway and came to a huge cave.
As we left the cavern in the gathering twilight, we caught sight of a waxing gibbous moon.
That reminded me of a total eclipse of the moon that was due at 3am on 21/02/2008. Since I had already got a great view and some photos on the last eclipse at 23:20 03/03/2007, I decided to give this one a miss!
Rounding the Mull of Galloway we encountered a brisk eddy which impeded our progress towards East Tarbert.
The chill February air caught our breath as the sun sank below Tarbert leaving us in darkness.
I have said this before, but you should come and paddle this amazing coast before the crowds come!
17/02/2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Sea kayaking perfection at the Mull of Galloway.
When we entered the Mull of Galloway tide race we found ourselves travelling at 12km/hour when not paddling. Fortunately there was no wind or it would have been a real wild ride!
There are a couple of bays along the Mull that you can break out of the tide into. There are a variety of caves and stacks to explore.
As the sun went down we realised we would need to move on...
..to allow time to play on the eastern race beforer the sun went down.
Why do we go sea kayaking?
17/02/2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Winter sunset as we approach the Mull.
We left Rainbow Rock as the thin winter sun was sinking towards the south western horizon and the air was full of the mournful calls of wheeling gulls.
With each headland we felt the power of the tide increase until it was like a huge lazy river, pushing us ever faster and inevitably towards the Mull of Galloway.
The rocks turned red as the sun sank lower.
We were often tempted to break out of the tide and take a diversion through rocky channels.
At last the Mull of Galloway, surmounted by its lighthouse, lay before us. We would be rounding it at 3 hours after slack water and there was now no turning back....
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Rainbow Rock
Rainbow Rock, Rhinns of Galloway
Leaving Slouchnamorroch Bay, we continued our paddle past cliffs that plunged straight into the sea. Just offshore huge blocks were inclined to the same angle as the cliffs.
With increasing tidal assistance we made our way round Crammag Head and found ourselves under the rocky ramparts of Dunman Hill. Two millenia ago, ancient Britons held a hill fort on its southern flanks.
On the north going flood tide (this is looking south) the sea builds up behind this gap and you shoot through the gap like a river rapid.
Far beneath the summit of Dunman lies the "Y" cave.
We stopped for a second luncheon of Christmas cake, just south of Portdown Bay, at the stunning Rainbow Rock with its folded strata.
17/02/2008