Another one for the fleet

A new chapter in our 'outdoors' family

18th March 2012

After much disscussion & brain wracking, we finally decided on a 7th birthday present for Connor.

We finally found one at a good price at http://www.seakayakoban.com/

The guys at Sea kayak Oban were great, really helpfull, and just happened to be having a demo day at Aberdour just across the Forth Estuary meaning we could save a bit on travel.

It really was brand new! Still in the packaging

Connor uses a knife to cut off the packing tape.

All will be revealled! Its certainly lightweight, Connor can manoever it on land nicely.

The weather today couldn't have been better, cool, but the water was flat-calm with a little SE wind, but amazing hot hot hot sunshine. So sunny I couldnt open my eyes for a picture.

Maiden voyage!

Connor eager to have a quick try in his new boat. A Prijon Viper kids sea boat.

12' long, and scaled down to suit the smaller person.

I got him in, deck on, and he was off!

Wait for me!

Silversands - Aberdour, another gem of a place hidden away somewhere you'd never expect!

Today was really the first time Connor has used his 'proper' paddle having used the tiny two piece one up until now.

We found a sheltered bit of water in a corner of the bay and had a little practice at steering a long boat.

I had borrowed a Demo kayak, this one is a Plastic Northshore Atlantic LV, I really liked it, it felt quite sprightly. Very good initial stability, and it edged nicely.

After Connor was suitably worn out, I had a go in the Atlantic LV composite version. Much less initial stability, but wow! it turned and stopped on a sixpence! That was until I fell in! I fluffed my roll twice, and decided to bail out. The water is cold at this time of year.

A birthday treat.

Saturday 11th Febuary 2012

A biting wind

At the end of January I had my birthday, and I fancied a trip over to Angelsey for a celabratory paddle. The weather has not been in full support for the last couple of weekends, so I decided to try this one.

My Mums amazing cake making skills!

(Oh, and I was 40 aswell)

I left home and travelled West at 21:30 on Friday night. Arriving in Holyhead at about 1am I checked out the sea state at Porth Dafarch, I couldn't see much, but it didn't sound bad!

I drove down to Borthwen and bed down for the night in the back of the car.

So when I was awoken at 845am (lazy) with the car being buffeted by the wind, I was most dis-pleased.

Looking out to sea I could make out a mass of white-caps. and a gusting wind that whispered No-go today!

I went and got some breakfast, and decided to have a paddle on the 'inner sea' an almost land-locked area of water created by the Stanley Embankment and Four Mile Bridge - my starting point today.

Arriving at Four Mile Bridge, I found the RNLI flood recue team from Ireland practicing flood rescue techniques in the flow created by the flood tide blasting through the bridge arch.

Here is the Southside of the bridge, the water is being squeezed through the arch by the rising tide.

The resulting white foamy mess on the other side attracts all kinds.

The little engine on the boat was just enough to get over the 'stopper' and into the arch.

Finally on the water I found the white water to be a swirling mess, not really much fun to play in for me, but I had 1 or 2 near misses and got to practice a couple of support strokes!

WOW!

Just look at the difference in height of the water.

On with the paddle, looking ahead I could see all different views, fields, wooded areas and the big ugly chimmney stack from the former aluminium works.

The Stanley Embankment carries the A55 dual carriageway across the Northern end, along with the old embankment road and the railway.

Looking back at Four mile Bridge, you can just make out the water hieght difference through the arch.

I really enjoyed the next bit, it was like being in a valley, paddling on a river.

I saw all kinds of birds, a massive Hawk ( not sure what kind) circling above me.

What an amazing place to live! Just these two houses occupied the end of this inlet, just some grassy sand flats, loads of wildlife and some brightly coloured person in a kayak stuck in the middle.

I made a couple of videos of myself gliding through. If I stopped paddling and just sat still there was no immediate noise at all, just the sound of crashing surf beyond at Treardurr Bay

One common thing I notice a lot as I spend time in the great outdoors, is how we (mankind) always seem to have to build a wall - this one is actually in the water! In fairness, I think it was to keep the water from erroding the ground around the trees.

Over at Stanley embankment. This is the new bridge, it has a fairly big span, allowing water to surge through relatively un-restricted.

Sadly the old bridge did not feature such a wide opening, and thus creates the same standing waves and turbulent waters.

If a kayaker wants to circum-navigate Holyhead Island, you need to pass through both of these!

Now heading into the wind, I had to put on the poggies to keep my hands from getting numb.

Back at Four Mile Bridge I had a play in the white water. It seemed a little strange practicing S - turns in the sea boat, but did allow me to explore how the kayak works in the soupy stuff.

When I got out, I realised I had done the trip with the marker flag still attached from the car journey!

Off for beans and eggs on toast at a local cafe before the journey home.

A great alternative for a windy day, it'll be great to get Connor out on here in the summer.

Boxing day Raft race

Monday 26th December 2011

Old team back together!

After a few years of not doing this annual event, Graham & Chris were up for another go.
We used to do this every year, but with families and various people living away from the area its not been easy.

Chris, enjoying being back in the water, massive crowds all along the route.

Graz looking for play waves, there was way too much water really. Mostly washed out and very fast moving.

Let the water fights begin, kayakers and charity rafters have a good laugh getting wet, and the crowds throw flour bombs at both from the bank side.

There were some excellant rafts with petrol powered water pumps on board, Chris looks like he's having a giggle at someone getting blsted by one here!

Matlock canoe club's slalom course, and the heights of Abraham cable cars.

The shed. and the biggest wave on the river today!

Chris and Graz jump off the bridge.

Splash down!

watching the rafters negotiate the wier, it was pretty powerfull today with all that water, I felt really silly after taking this picture, I went to get my paddle and found it had blown off my deck and was making its way down the wier! A very kind kayaker returned it after seing it at the bottom! Doh!

Hogwarts express!

Cars and kayaks! No idea how they'd sealled this up against the water but it floated well.

A good day out, even if it did take 25 mins to get out of the finish car park.

Heres to next year.

A familiar trip - solo

Sunday 16th October 2011

A little bad planning!

If Dad had been 100%  we were going to pack up the gear, and drive North to Dinas head and paddle there, then drive back from there.

I thought we'd save Dinas for when Dad is fit again, so he drove me around to Porth Clais.

I had run through the trip in my mind....along the South coast from Porth Clais, through Carreg Fran, and Carreg yr Esgob. Leaving the harbour, I knew it would be a bit rough out there.

A rare shot from the shore, you can see the wind sweeping across the water surface.

Must have been a rubbish photo to take, Dads boat on the roof of the car.

Hope the back is good to go soon.

I wish there was a better way to capture the size of the conditions on the water, it looks flat calm here, there won't be much picture taking today.

As I approached Carreg Fran, I suddenly had this nagging thought that the conditions around Pen-Dal-Aderyn were going to be interesting/challenging/dangerous/exciting - delete as necesary!

Getting through the submerged rocks at Carreg Fran was hard work, with a massive foaming torrent pushing through with each swell, I din't fancy trying to go out and around the head.

I never thought I would be so pleased to see the seemingly 'tranquil' Ramsey Sound.

Passing around and into the sound was not too bad. But just before it, with a gusting South Westerly and the big swell I was way out of my comfort zone! I raced through the overfalls that I had expected to be subsiding now, I'm sure they were bigger earlier on, but the swell was causing them to rear up nicely each time it passed through.

I could see that the Bitches looked pretty calm, the ebb tide was inside an hour from starting, I decided to stay over by the mainland and go through the centre of the counter eddy in the bay below St Justinians. There was a little confused water, but had mostly gone as the tide was going to be turning anytime soon.

Dad had stopped by at St Justinians, and there were a few passengers waiting to go to Ramsey for the day.

I was tempted to get out here, I was battered after being a little tense for most of the journey (if Scott is reading this, I no how you felt)

Dad got a couple of shots with my phone camera.

I decided to paddle around to Porthsele, the carry up the lifeboat stations steps would be worse than the paddle around the point.

I made it around! But not easily, with tired arms, and a slight pain developing in my right arm I had to battle the gusts and the now wind over tide Ebb flow. It wasn't going much really, but what I had not banked on was the flow coming out of Whitesands bay and emptying into the Southerly Ebb between Carreg-Garfeiliog and the mainland. I havn't seen this before to this extent but it was hard going. See map below.

It really was pouring out, and I could only just make headway against it, there was a lobster pot boat sat right were I wanted to paddle aswell, so I had to work around them, I did get the slight feeling of comfort from someone else being close-by though!

They say 'do something that scares you every day' today didn't disapoint!

Sorry that Dad could have experienced that! Lol!

Here's to next time. We had booked the caravan for the weekend, so were committed really, although it was nice to be back in the best place in the world.