Rockpool Menai 18 in the Sound of Islay

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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!)


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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

Water, fire and peaty smoke on Islay!

Paddling across great leagues of ocean and battling against katabatic winds had left us hot tired and sweaty. We noticed a waterfall of bracing cold mountain water which rushed down from the hills above and tumbled over a small cliff almost into the sea. We found shelter in an old cottage nearby and took turns to enjoy a natural shower. At the back of the waterfall there was a thick bank of soft moss to lean against while the fresh water cleansed the salt. It was very brrrracing!


We soon warmed up beside a blazing fire, fuelled by a log which Tony had brought from one of our stops.

Uncorking a bottle of the great Ardbeg, we swapped sea kayaking yarns late into the Islay night as the wind and rain lashed the outside of the bothy. Although we were burning logs, the room was filled by a peaty aroma from the Ardbeg.

14/07/2008

Of lighthouses and lenticulars!

We were completely exhausted by the time we rounded McArthur's Head so we decided to take a breather by the lighthouse jetty. This lighthouse, though on the mainland of Islay, is so remote that it was supplied by sea.


While David rested, Tony and I decided to climb up to the lighthouse. There were quite a few steps!


The boats were soon left far below.


Then there were more steps and we got a great view up the Sound of Islay.


After some further steps, we finally made the lighthouse gate. We were just grateful we did not have to carry supplies on our backs, as the light keepers of old had to do.

Dougie MacDougall was one of a family of Islay boatmen who served the lighthouse. You can read more about him over on Islay Weblog.


McArthur's Head lighthouse was built in 1861 by Thomas and David Stevenson. The light shows two flashes every 10s, and is red from NW to NE an white from other directions. The light is 39m above datum.

We were struck by the very unusual looking clouds which had formed downwind of the headland.


These are lenticular clouds. These are caused by warm moist air blowing over mountains and form as standing waves down wind of high ground. Once formed, air rises very rapidly round the clouds and this sucks even more wind into the system. The result is very strong winds at the surface, which is what we experienced crossing Proaig Bay. The wind would also have been accelerated down through the mountains in Proaig Glen.

14/07/2008

Blowin' away the cobwebs round McArthur's Head!

Aroused from our slumbers, we paddled the SE coast of Islay under some very unusual clouds.


As we approached a headland, the wind steadily increased.


Round this point Tony tried to paddle straight across the bay into the wind but at times he was going backwards, straight out to sea. We were now very much awake, as we battled our way into the wind by hugging the shore. At times our progress could be measured in inches.


Only once we were in the shelter of McArthur's Head did we finally escape the blast of the wind. McArthur's Head is an interesting place. This detatched stack has a cave running right through it to the narrow channel behind.

14/07/2008

Siesta on Islay

Refreshed after our stop at Ardbeg, we made our way north east, hotly pursued by a fresh west wind.


We had covered leagues of ocean and were becoming exhausted by our exertions.


Just in time, we spotted an idyllic white shell sand beach which was sheltered from the wind by wooded slopes above.


We found ourselves in yet another stunning location with a view under brooding clouds to the great Sound of Jura..


On our travels we have been greatly inspired by tales of great Spanish navigators. Taking our lead from them, we decided it was time for a siesta!

14/07/2008

Sea kayaking in search of the Holy Grail: the Ardbeg distillery, Islay

We continued to paddle with a tail wind along the SE coast of Islay. As a result, we had no olfactory warning of the delight that lay round the headland. Tony sprinted ahead leaving David and I in his wake.


We decided to the tie the kayaks up as we thought we may be spending some time on land. The essence of our trips is exploration but this one was more of a pilgrimage.


The clear Celtic symbols left us in no doubt that we were now on hallowed and spiritual ground. We had arrived at the Ardbeg distillery, home and birth place of the Lord of the island malt whiskies.


Tony was quite relaxed as he waited for our arrival outside the temple of the old drying kiln. He was still licking his lips as we approached, a clear sign of a quick one!


We entered the great shrine of Ardbeg and prepared for worship of a palatial kind.


But first we were delighted to find that the old drying kiln now served sustaining food and drink for the faithful. As we placed our order, the serving staff did not bat an eyelid at our dripping kayaking gear. As the sun had not yet passed the yardarm, we decided to wash a bowl of delicious soup down with a pint of bottle conditioned Finlaggan Ale from the Islay Ales brewery. Afterwards we found the facilities to be warm and spotless. Only after a ritual washing the salt from our faces did we feel prepared to sample the great Ardbeg....

14/07/2008