Nuclear winter

Yesterday on a cold January day Billy, Tony and I went for a little 30km paddle over to the island of Bute. You would think we would have had the place pretty much to ourselves but this Royal Navy Vanguard class nuclear (powered and armed) submarine was making its way home to Faslane on the upper Clyde. By the look of her paintwork, she had been on a long World cruise and I am sure that the families of her crew will be overjoyed by her return.


Having not crossed the bows one of these particular vessels before, we were unsure of protocol. Should we stop and let her past? Should we dip our Red Ensigns? Should we welcome her home by the firing of flares? Should we call out greetings on Channel 16 followed by a chorus of "Rule Britannia"? Should we ask "What ship are you?" (She could be the Vanguard, Vigilant, Victorious or Vengeance but boats like these do not have name plates.) Should we attempt to surf her bow wave?


Having left our maritime protocol books ashore, we decided to stop and let her past.

12/01/2008

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar December 2008

Soft winter sun on Ayrshire's remote and lonely Atlantic coast.

If you would like to download the December desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

Well that brings the 2008 calendar to a close. This year, six of the photos were taken in my home waters; the Firth of Clyde. The 2005 calendar had one Clyde photo, the 2006 had one and the 2007 none. I have made a concious effort to do my bit for the environment by consuming less energy in getting to sea kayaking trips :o). Sometimes it is easy to overlook what is close to home, today we paddled over 30 km from a launch site less than 1 hour's drive from Glasgow. We visited 3 islands and saw a huge bulk carrier's coal cargo being unloaded, two nuclear powered stations (one decommissioning, a wind farm, an oil fired power station (mothballed), snowy mountains, eider duck, two ancient castles, a tide race, a Fleet Auxiliary vessel and finally a Vanguard class nuclear submarine returning to its base from a World cruise!

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar November 2008

Winter sunset behind Ailsa Craig, Firth of Clyde.

If you would like to download the November desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

December to follow....

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar October 2008

Stormy autumnal skies over Huisinis, Isle of Harris.

If you would like to download the October desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

Other months to follow....

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar September 2008

Approaching Holy Island from the south end of Arran.

If you would like to download the September desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

Other months to follow....

Some other computer calendars you might like to peruse are the Islay Weblog Desktop Calendar, John Gray's Seacanoe E calendar (requires Flash player) and Bjorn's with images from Norway, Germany and Eastern Canada.

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar August 2008

Paddling in perfect peace over the clear waters of Traigh Bhan, Iona.

If you would like to download the August desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

Other months to follow....

Sea Kayaking Desktop Calendar July 2008

Rockhopping in crystal clear waters along the Wilderness coast of Mull.

If you would like to download the July desktop, it is available in sizes of 1920x1200, 1280x1024, 1024x768 and 800x600.

For best results, do not use the photos from this blogger site but visit the Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery and click on the size of your desk top. Most visitors to this site use 1280x1024 or 1024x768. You can check your desktop size by right clicking anywhere on it then left click properties then left click settings.

Other months to follow....