Hi Bluey, Platypus for me. Tough, flexible, nasty-free construction and easily cleaned- Milton tablets work well. Rather than one big 5-10 litre container, I use two x 2 litre and 3 1 litre containers. My thinking is this: These are more easily stowed than one huge bag, a two litre and a one litre g...

Impressive stuff, and a permanent change to the view from Kyleakin.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-43111943 As reported by some friends, a sea kayaking couple who were probably the closest people to the strike and had a closer view than they would maybe have wished! http:...

Hi Phil Douglas beat me to it! "EPIRB" has become quite a generic term, as has SART, but I used the wrong terminology above. You're quite correct: A PLB will usually consist of a 406MHz EPIRB function and a 121.5Mhz Homing beacon function which can be DF'ed by aircraft and surface rescue craft. A SA...

Chris & Rowland - one possible reason for the difference between Calmac and Northlink/Brittany Ferries rules is that Calmac services regularly carry bulk fuel in road tankers on their shorter sea routes and that will be factored into their certification; as far as I know that's not usually the case ...

I concur absolutely with the posts Douglas has contributed above. I was also in Loch Tamnabhaigh when Gordon nearly lost both hands (and his head) firing a rocket flare. The recoil also took a chunk out of the cockpit rim.....and remember that this was on flat water with plenty of time to prepare th...

Hello Mac, I didn't miss the question mark in your post, but thank you for clarifying. Owen says he's tried several GP's. Your default response was that it was (probably) due to poor paddling technique. You don't know Owen, and neither do I. To quote from further up the thread " Paddles really are a...

Mac50L wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:58 pm

Poor paddling technique (probably)?

Regardless of the pros and cons of GP versus Euro (yawn), that is an incredibly arrogant statement......

https://media.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/uploads/737/1516981896894-4071.png in between Phil appears to be having a spot of localised bladder difficulty there Douglas! :o) Jason, I absolutely agree with Douglas and Pathbrae's comments - and with Jim's note about the tidal gates on the ASKT. Regarding C...

Hi Jim, I usually do the same, but knowing what channel will be used I've found helpful. Being a Comms geek (and doing it for a living!) I've marked the antenna sites on my maps and mapping software so that I can have a pretty good idea which antenna is likely to be the closest in a visible line, an...

Hi All, Those of you who are out and about regularly will no doubt be aware of this as it's being announced on each MSI broadcast at the moment - the channels on which MSI broadcasts are transmitted are changing from the current 23,23 or 86. From the MCA website: "From Wednesday 6 September 2017 HM ...

Hi CC, We use the Aqua Zoom DSLR bag from Ortlieb. It's good...... https://seakayakphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/thank-lord-for-ortlieb-aqua-zoom-bag.html If you look at the header picture on Duglas' blog, he's surfing a Cetus under sail with £3K of camera gear in the Ortlieb bag on the foredeck. The...

Rainshine wrote:
Oh well, I shall just keep paddling on and enjoying myself!!

Good plan.... these are the only "stars" that matter in our paddling group!.....

:o)

Well, I guess the situation is a bit different in NL. Channel 16= Coastguard= emergency only. IN case of an ongoing emergency, the CG assigns a separate CH for involved parties. Every "traffic- area"has its own VHF channel via which all traffic is managed. This is what we as kayakers use to contact...

Hi JB, this makes absolutely no sense to me.... The purpose of Channel 16 is a Calling and Distress channel - vessels call on 16 and then shift to a working channel as a routine procedure. I work on vessels visiting Netherlands ports regularly - there is no restriction on use of #16 as a calling cha...

Hi Mal, In some ways our approach is very similar, but in some ways a bit different. Like you, I'm camping four seasons - over 50 nights in my tent over the last 12 months in conditions ranging from perfect spring/autumn evenings to midge hell to -15 celsius to gales high in the Cairngorms. A look t...

Hi Penelope, I've suggested what I and others use further down this reply, but if I was to offer some advice it would be to concentrate on the practicality and reliability of a tent rather than the space it takes up in your boat. Look for something semi-geodesic or geodesic initially, these will pit...

Sobering stuff Mal, and a prime reason why GMDSS PLB's are the best option.

Kind Regards

Ian

Hi there, KCS all the way for me - the best trolley I've ever used bar none. For reviews see here.... http://mountainandseascotland.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/equipment-review-kayak-carrier-systems.html and here..... http://seakayakphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/kcs-expedition-kayak-trolley-test-and.html ...

Hi, It looks like the differences are that the ResqLink is smaller and lighter (half the weight of the AquaLink) with slightly less power output on 406MHz (the GMDSS satellite frequency) but the same output on 121.5MHz (RACON homing used by SAR craft when in the vicinity of the beacon). Battery life...

My point is more "so what?" and "what difference does that make"? Sometimes bad stuff just happens, conditions change, tides and weather might not do what they were forecast to do and a 1 knot tide with a gentle breeze can quickly turn into a 3 knot flow when the wind picks up unexpectedly and empt...

It's a fairly big place Chris.....

:o)

Ian

Hi Juan,

You could also try the Scorpio Mk II with a Flat Earth sail....



Douglas blasting along off Bute in a fresh breeze :o)

Kind Regards

Ian

Sorry to hear about this Whaleshark - I'll certainly keep a look-out. Did the boat have any distinguishing features (stickers, coloured keelstrip etc?)

Kind Regards

Ian

To add to Douglas' points above, On the same Bank Holiday weekend I was in the area to assess a D of E group doing a route from Ardtoe up to Glenelg. On the Friday I launched from Morar at the small beach just west of the main road at mid-morning and parked my car up at the small car-park at the top...

Hi Daker, I've had three Reed Chillcheater decks - I wore one out after a number of years use and still have two (for different cockpit sizes) which are a good few years old. All seams are taped, they haven't ever leaked and are significantly more user-friendly than most neoprene decks. For what it'...

You won't regret that purchase Foxtrot, a truly tough, useful and well made piece of kit For what it's worth, three KCS Expeditions were recently used on the Jura portage - a notorious destroyer of trollies. Not only did they survive unscathed and perform perfectly, there was absolutely no movement ...

Now sold, thanks

Kind Regards

Ian

Hi,

Reed Chillcheater pre-bent Aquatherm paddling trousers for sale - size Large. Virtually unused and in as-new condition.

http://www.chillcheater.com/trousers/pr ... g-trousers

RRP £58, selling for £30 plus p&p or collect from Aberdeenshire

Thanks

Ian

Hi,

Reed Chillcheater mesh "Spare Paddle holder" for sale - as new condition

http://www.chillcheater.com/accessories ... dle-holder

RRP £28, selling for £15 plus p&p or collect in Aberdeenshire


Thanks

Ian

Hi river paddlers, Took a walk along the section of the River Don downstream from Montgarrie Bridge (Haughton Park) this evening. Whre the river bends sharp left at the end of Haughton Park (NJ583171) there's a Birch tree come down which is pretty much blocking the river. You wouldn't see this until...