Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Kayak Caledonia progress report #2



Day 5, 26th May: 33km
Tony 16:31 "Made it round Rubha Reid, camped on isle of Ewe. Wild scary ride f5-6, 3m swells-but fun. Well knackered!"

Day 6, 27th May: 32km
Tony 18:32 "Arrived art Isle Ristol.Windy day big swell on Greenstone Point. Tomorrow aiming for Rhuba Coigach then Achmelvich."

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

9th Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium.


Organised by Gordon and Morag Brown, Duncan Winning and Ken Nichol and a myriad of supporters, the 9th Scottish Symposium was a great success. The range of activities was incredible and went ahead despite some pretty windy and wet weather. The event was also well supported by the trade, with a variety of stands and a huge demo fleet. Geoff and Anne from Kari-tek had even brought along a mobile shop!

The opportunity to test boats back to back is a great reason to visit a symposium. I spent an afternoon with my Nordkapp LV against the Sea Kayaking UK Pilgrim (Romany LV), Rockpool GT, P&H Cetus and Cetus LV. I edged them to the point of no return and did about 50 rolls. The wind was a gusty 5 to 6 offshore with flat water. I am 5'8" and 200lbs.

Sea Kayaking UK Pilgrim (Romany LV)
This is a small version of the classic Romany. It is designed for paddlers up to about 150lbs so I had to squeeze inh and I am really too big for it but I liked it straight away, it was so manoeuvrable. It had a nice low rear deck and the only sea kayak I have tried that was as easy to roll is the Anas Acuta. With my weight it did seem to have a limited top speed but it accelerated up to that very quickly. The finish on this boat was superb but I have to say that a demo Greenlander, one of my friends borrowed earlier this year, was not well finished round the cockpit and one of the compartments leaked. Despite much rolling, this one was dry as a bone. Smaller paddlers should definitely try a Pilgrim!

Rockpool GT
The finish on this boat was stunning, the work of a master craftsman. It is a bigger hull than the Alaw/Alaw Bach but not so large as the Menai 18. The usual Rockpool cockpit ergonomics were superb. As you might expect, it felt faster than the Alaws but slower than the Menai 18. It edged superbly but it didn't feel quite as responsive to turning as my daughter's Alaw Bach. However, as a boat to do it all, including having decent space for camping trips, it is pretty much unbeatable and a welcome addition to the Rockpool fleet.

P&H Cetus
Amazingly, I had not yet tried one! I like my trusty Quest too much! This is a big boat and the wide point is behind the paddler. However, it has a low foredeck and I was surprised how snug it was on the thighs, despite its size. The cockpit feels much smaller than the Quest LV but for most people that would just mean less padding. The stability on flat water was amazing, I think it will make a great platform for photography. You can hold it right on edge with none of the feeling of instability you get from a Quest at that angle. The Menai 18, which is also a big boat is equally stable on edge, so I was not too surprised about this. However, what did surprise me was how much the Cetus turned when on edge. Even in windy conditions I was nearly doing 360's with a sweep and single bow rudder. It is more manoeuvrable than the Quest and considerably more so than the Menai 18. Although the Cetus is very stable on edge, once you push it to the point of no return it goes very quickly. It rolls pretty well for a big boat but in comparison with the SKUK Pilgrim, it was a bit sluggish. In an afternoon of 50 or so rolls it was the only boat that I failed a roll in. Mind you I was getting tired and cold by that time!

I would need more time in controlled conditions to be sure, but I think its maximum sprint speed is faster than the Quest but slower than the Menai 18. In the strong wind it tracked very well and responsively to adjusting the skeg at various paddling angles to the wind. I am not sure if I like the new locking ratchet skeg adjuster. In the gusts I do not think it was as directionally stable as the Menai 18. The only waves were the ferry's wash but the v bottom of the Cetus did not seem to slam as much as the flat bottom of the Menai 18. The construction and finish on the Cetus was impeccable.

I was not expecting to like the Cetus as much as I did but it was so manoeuvrable that I wonder if it might make both a camping boat and a day boat. P&H have very kindly offered me a loan of one for a long term test and I look forward very much to that.

P&H Cetus LV
Everything I have said about the Cetus applies to the Cetus LV except that the LV is much smaller. I could hardly squeeze in. Despite its smaller size, I didn’t find the Cetus LV any more manoeuvrable than the Cetus. I think the Cetus LV is really for smaller paddlers who want a decent fit, rather than for big paddlers wanting more manoeuvrability. I noticed a very small paddler having a great time in this boat and he did not seem undully affected by the strong wind.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Kayak Caledonia progress report #1


Due to being at the 9th Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium in Skye, I have not yet posted the progress of my pals, Tony and Gavin's Kayak Caledonia expedition to raise funds for McMillan Cancer Releif and Childline.

Day 1, 22nd May: 17km.
Embarked from Morar, south of Mallaig at 18:30 in beautiful spring sunshine and light winds and made camp on Knoydart peninsula.

Day 2, 23rd May: 38km
Heavy rain, wind Force 4-5 S veering N. Spring tides. Tony and Gavin made their way up through the narrows separating Skye from the mainland. They passed the Sandaig islands before entering the tide races of Kyle Rhea and then Kyle Akin. They had a rough crossing in a head wind to the south of Applecross where they spent the night in a bothy.

Day 3, 24th May:0km
Heavy rain Force 6-7 SW. Stormbound day, second night in bothy.

Day 4, 25th May: 47km
Heavy rain clearing up. Force 3 S dropping during the day. Applecross, across Loch Torridon, round Redpoint and into Gareloch.

Follow the rest of Tony and Gavin's trip on their blog.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

End of the day at end of the road, Ardnamurchan


It was a while after rounding Ardnamurchan Point before I felt safe enough to get the camera out again! Jim and I were really impressed with Phil's paddling round the Point, especially considering that he has only been paddling for six months (and most of that time was in a double).


Once we had left the disturbed waters of Ardnamurchan Point, the wind began to drop with the dying sun...


... until there was not a breath left as we paddled between the reefs on the north coast of Ardnamurchan.


Our keels finally kissed the sands of Portuairk again at 21:43 some 10.5 hours after we had launched.


We covered a total of 42km on the water. We packed up leisurely in the darkness and brewed up soup and coffee before leaving for the long drive home at 11pm. We arrived back in Glasgow at 03:30am on the Monday morning.

What a day! This is seakayaking!

10/05/2009

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Rounding Ardnamurchan Point at sunset


If we had set off to round Ardnamurchan from Paradise Beach, we would have hit Ardnamurchan Point with a force 4 north wind against the peak flow of a north going spring tide. It would not have been particularly pleasant for Phil. By taking time out for an evening meal in Laorin Bay, the wind had dropped to force three and I reckoned that we would hit Ardnamurchan about 30 minutes after the tide had to to flow south again.

We decided to go for it and avoid that 7km walk from Kilchoan over to where we had left the car on the north of the peninsula! We set off for Ardnamurchan Point, 11km due north across the Sound of Mull.


On the way across the Sound of Mull, we spotted a familiar outline approaching. It was the Pharos, the Northern Lighthouse Board maintenance vessel.


We approached Ardnamurchan as the sun was setting. Muck, Rum, Skye and Eigg lay beyond the point.


Huge swells were coming in towards the point and the sun sank below the "horizon" several times before it finally disappeared. It was an incredible experience to be off the most westerly point of Britain at sunset.


Despite the favourable conditions, it proved to be quite lively round the point, particularly on its north side.

There is now a 20 minute gap in the photographs!

10/05/2009

Monday, May 18, 2009

The lochs and headlands of the north coast of Mull



Our return journey started by rounding Rhuba an Aird on Mull's north coast in perfect sea kayaking conditions.


We the entered Loch a' Chumhainn as we passed Port na Ba.


The Loch extends deep into the heart of Mull through a narrow tidal passage and ends at the planned village of Dervaig. The village has an excellent bunkhouse which would make an ideal refuge if stormbound on this coast. The fishing vessel Eilean Ban, OB998 has a sheltered anchorage near Croig. She is a lobster boat and was built in 2004.


Leaving the shelter of the loch we rounded Quinish Point and crossed Loch Mingarry before entering the delightful shelter of Laorin Bay. We decided to stop for a full cooked evening meal and the consumption of some golden steadying liquid (18 years old!). This was for Phil's benefit as he was not sure if he would make it back round Ardnamurchan Point. This would mean landing at Kilchoan on the south side of Ardnamurchan and a 7km walk back to the car. Not a pleasant prospect for a sea kayaker!


After a very pleasant meal, the spring tide had made its way right over the beach to the grass. This long stop now meant it would be slack water at Ardnamurchan by the time we would get there.

Had the golden steadying liquid had the desired effect....?

10/05/2009

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Paradise found, on Mornish, Mull.


From Quinish we paddled SW across the mouth of Loch a' Chumhainn (Loch Cuin) and rounded Rhubha an Aird. The headlands on the north coast of Mull can be quite lively on a spring tide and we were not disappointed. As we explored further, we came across...


...this delightful cove which was hidden among the dark basalt cliffs and reefs of the Mornish coast.


This looked like an excellent spot to partake a second luncheon.


We made our way over white shell sands to the dunes at the back of the beach.


From here, the sea stretched away in shades of aquamarine, turquoise and finally ultramarine to distant Arnamurchan. Beyond the point, the islands of Muck, Rum Eigg and Skye crowded the horizon with soaring ridges. The lighthouse at Arnamurchan looked a long way away.

What a great spot this was to enjoy lunch with like minded friends. We felt we had escaped to Paradise!

10/05/2009