Hi Sandshark, I've recently moved out of Inverkip, and my family have a caravan in Kintyre. I've soloed the MoK and led trips round it as well. To be totally honest and you asked the question, but in my opinion yes, as a novice it's too big an undertaking. Everyone's rightly pointing out that the Mo...

I remember us discussing this a few years ago, I've just found the brilliant BBC documentary on youtube:


AllanC

I re-sat my 4* training three weeks ago, and the changes to the 4* as was wasn't mentioned on the course. I'd heard through instructor friends that changes were proposed but I hadn't heard exactly what was going to happen. I did ask but nobody on the course told me what changes were coming and when....

There's also the like of the North Shore Aspects, which if they're anywhere near as good as the Atlantic will be really nice boats to paddle. I've posted on another thread about how much I like the Valley Sirona, and the smaller sizes of that could be worth looking into.
Allan C.

I tried both the composite and the RM Sirona 16.1 last Autumn at a Sea Kayak Oban demo day in Largs. I was looking for a RM boat for doing 4* and beyond (hopefully) and coaching from, and was blown away by the Sirona. It turned really well, responded readily and predictably to edging, there wasn't m...

Has anyone camped at the head of Loch Etive recently? I'm part of organising an overnight trip for my club, and one of the options is Etive, but it's been years since I was there and I understand the area round the boathouse has been significantly changed. We previously camped along the loch around ...

Long post warning. In all honesty I look like a Palm sponsored paddler when I'm on the water, new style Kaikoura BA, Oceana cag, Ion sallys, but I'm not. I've just come to think their gear is good. Mostly this is because I got into a cycle of replacing one major item per year as it wore out or I had...

Hi everyone, I'm looking for opinions and advice. I went on 4* training last year, and having been shown a few different towlines I've decided to replace my deck mounted line. What I'm unsure about is where to place the elastic in relation to the hook end. There will be about half a boat length's cl...

I've managed to kill my old Palm Kaikoura ba, and was set to buy a new model to replace it, but was wondering if anyone could suggest any alternatives or a review on the new style Kaikoura. I've been happy enough with the old one, but sometimes thought the pockets were a bit small and awkward. I've ...

I've a North Shore Mariner, good condition, cerise pink on white, unused the last 5 years. £500 ono. got a reed deck for it as well. Boat is in Greenock. I can send photos if wanted.
Allan C

Hi all just to update, I've posted on the forum before regarding my Cetus skeg, and actually had a boat replaced because the skeg was so bad (boat had manufacturing defects too). However my current boat has the mk1 slider and I've just priced it's replacement with the mk2 slider via Karitek, whom I ...

Hi everybody, I'm selling my North Shore Mariner. I'm not using it so someone should. It's Cerise pink, apparently the only one ever made, NO skeg, slalom cockpit a size quite a lot larger than the ocean but not keyhole, with a failsafe (bar) footrest, front and rear 7" Valley hatches. It is the sam...

Why could we not have a rudder where the skeg is? Surely it can't be that hard to engineer a rudder there? Lightspeed kayaks, on Canada's Vancouver Island, have had such rudders for some time. http://www.lightspeedkayaks.com/about_rudder.html KariTek had a significantly more sophisticated design un...

I've got an original Cetus (pre lv, mv hv) and still with the mk1 skeg slider. I love the boat itself, I've never felt it insecure or tippy, but it is loose enough to be very responsive. The skeg appears to be an Achilles heel with P&H. The slider in my boat is crap, I spoke to Kari-tek at the Perth...

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies. I took the plunge at the Perth show and bought a pair, time will tell how I get on but I've been reverting to using lot of Palm gear and been generally happy with it. I did notice the dungaree straps are the wrong way round but I wasn't too worried by that (n...

I've been looking for a new pair of paddling trousers and like the look of these. I've been using Peak Storm trousers for the past few years, but it's time to renew them and I want to go to the high waist style and need something with feet, so does anyone have any experience with these or recommend ...

I have never come accross open mutiny on the water with part of a group paddling off in a huff to do thier own thing so my conclusion is that mostly, paddlers understand the dangers of sea paddling and will put their egos down and follow a leadership decision to do something more conservative. I, v...

Another vote for ordinary Dunlop wellies. I bought a pair more than 5 years ago now as an emergency measure prior to a trip and they're still what I wear for all my paddling other than wet work. They've just seen me through a week on St Kilda as well as digging out and rebuilding a retaining wall in...

Hi there, As I've mentioned on here before, I spent the first 10 years of my paddling career using only North Shore boats, and the Calypso is an utter peach of a kayak. The chronology for North Shore I have heard is this: The Mariner hull changed very slightly for the Calypso, but the Calypso and At...

Hi Douglas, There was another sign at that site in the summer, fastened to one of the wooden rubbing strips on the old pier, that was explicitly a charge for landing, the same as the one in your first photo here: http://seakayakphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/little-cumbrae-island-is-now-private-at.htm...

Marker for keep pot (the name I know for it) For keeping lobster or crab alive prior to use.

That said, it really was slightly worrying that only 200 or so Members voted. Mike. I renewed my membership specifically to vote, but like some others I mistakenly destroyed my voting card. I was talking about this on Saturday with a friend who was complaining he never got a voting card, not realis...

Hi thanks for your reply. The group ended up not using Arduaine, they launched from Seil instead, incase any other groups turned up at the same time and the area ended up too congested. It's good to know for the future that the area is still valid as a launch site.

Allan C.

Hi everybody, I was wondering what the current situation is regarding launching and parking at the old Arduaine campsite? It's been at least five or six years since I last launched there and I can't remember how much room there is for leaving cars and if there have been any changes about permission ...

Having paddled a variety of boat types, plastic and a variety of composites, I'm curious regarding the statement made above: "They are much the same boat, but the differences come from the fact a plastic boat paddles differently to a composite boat" Anyone like to add / comment further on this view...

From a sea kayaking perspective, Douglas Wilcox mentioned this issue in his excellent blog. A new landowner on the Island of Sanda off the Mull of Kintyre confronted him and his party when they had set up a camp for the night. The new owner (I believe new to Scotland) thought he had the right to de...

I'll stick my head above the parapet. Saturday was my fifth visit, and I thought the show was poor. A four of us went up from Greenock, and the only one who really thought it was good was the person who had never been before. I think the main thing for us was that there seemed to be little in the wa...

Shortlist is: 1. P&H Cetus HV 2. Tiderace Xplore-X 3. Valley Etain 17-7 4. Rockpool Taran Anyone have any thoughts on which might be best for this purpose? Realise it's about personal preference and comfort but all thoughts and advice welcomed. Before I start, can someone confirm - The original Cet...

The factory is still there, but there's no showroom.

MikeB wrote:Which came first? The Trangia - or the VCP hatch?

A good friend lent me his original copy of the Nordkapp trip report from the 70's. Along with the story of the genesis of the Nordkapp boat, I'm certain it states that the VCP hatch was designed for the smaller size Trangia.

Allan C.