Did YOU paddle today ?

[ForeverYoung]

My in-laws are staying with us this weekend so I took my mother-in-law out to experience sea kayaking.

I had hoped to launch at Tayvallich and pop round to the faerie isles, but the wind forecast was too high for a newbie. So instead we went in at Scotnish. We still got some seals, baby jellyfish, herons and cormorants, as well as all the lovely species of native trees which grow there too.

We had a lovely wee outing and she is keen to do it again sometime 😊

[P4ddy]

Not paddled but my suspicions as to my slight balance issue the other day has just been confirmed....I've put on a stone 😔.

[leighv]

I just got back from a fabulous weekend with Portsmouth Canoe Club, paddling around the Jurassic Coast. Even though I've paddled these areas so many times, I always enjoy them. We did Kimmeridge to Lulworth Cove and back, and Knoll Beach to Swanage and back. A bit of a mix of weather (weirdest summer ever?) but the sea conditions were very benign both Saturday and Sunday.

[mrcharly]

Were you nervous about damaging your pretty wooden paddle?

[leighv]

Were you nervous about damaging your pretty wooden paddle?

I actually got a couple of chips in it :( Definitely going to need to sand them out.

[PlymouthDamo]

Were you nervous about damaging your pretty wooden paddle?

I actually got a couple of chips in it :( Definitely going to need to sand them out.

Rock-hopping etc. will eventually butcher the tips, but you can keep a wooden stick going indefinitely by periodically repairing it with something a bit tougher. I use 'thickened epoxy.' Buy some epoxy resin and add some powder to thicken it - you could probably get away with any type of inert powder or fine sawdust, but I've got a tub of stuff specially made for this purpose. Make it thick enough so that it will hold its shape, a bit like toothpaste. Daub it into any gaps and gouges, and you could also build up a 1 cm layer all the way along the full width of the paddle tip, which will look neater and give you a tougher surface on the bit of the paddle which ends up getting whacked against rocks. Once it's cured, just sand it smooth and flush with the rest of the paddle. Google will tell you where to buy epoxy and how to use it, but West System Epoxy from East Coast Fibreglass is a good start. If you've coated your paddle in some kind of protective oil, you'll probably want to sand it back to clean wood first to give the epoxy a chance to adhere.

The other option is fitting a strip of harder (but probably heavier) material along the tips. I've never done this, but I believe the Inuit used to use whale bone or narwhal tusks or something. I'm sure there are more easily-available materials that would do a similar job, e.g a heavier wood than the cedar that we typically make our sticks from.

Don't get hung up on keeping your stick looking pretty, because it's inevitably going to get battle-scars if you're actually using it. An unpainted wood-grain finish is pretty good at hiding scrapes, and, as with a car, your paddle becomes a more useful tool once it's a bit battered because you won't mind using it for all the applications its useful for, e.g. holding up tarps etc.

[leighv]

Were you nervous about damaging your pretty wooden paddle?

I actually got a couple of chips in it :( Definitely going to need to sand them out.

Rock-hopping etc. will eventually butcher the tips, but you can keep a wooden stick going indefinitely by periodically repairing it with something a bit tougher. I use 'thickened epoxy.' Buy some epoxy resin and add some powder to thicken it - you could probably get away with any type of inert powder or fine sawdust, but I've got a tub of stuff specially made for this purpose. Make it thick enough so that it will hold its shape, a bit like toothpaste. Daub it into any gaps and gouges, and you could also build up a 1 cm layer all the way along the full width of the paddle tip, which will look neater and give you a tougher surface on the bit of the paddle which ends up getting whacked against rocks. Once it's cured, just sand it smooth and flush with the rest of the paddle. Google will tell you where to buy epoxy and how to use it, but West System Epoxy from East Coast Fibreglass is a good start. If you've coated your paddle in some kind of protective oil, you'll probably want to sand it back to clean wood first to give the epoxy a chance to adhere.

The other option is fitting a strip of harder (but probably heavier) material along the tips. I've never done this, but I believe the Inuit used to use whale bone or narwhal tusks or something. I'm sure there are more easily-available materials that would do a similar job, e.g a heavier wood than the cedar that we typically make our sticks from.

Don't get hung up on keeping your stick looking pretty, because it's inevitably going to get battle-scars if you're actually using it. An unpainted wood-grain finish is pretty good at hiding scrapes, and, as with a car, your paddle becomes a more useful tool once it's a bit battered because you won't mind using it for all the applications its useful for, e.g. holding up tarps etc.

Thanks for the suggestions! The paddle already has epoxy along the outer edge of the paddle tip; the accidental gouges and scratches came from landings on shingle beaches and also some boisterous kids at a recent club evening whose flailing about on the water put some nicks in the wood. I like the idea of filling the worst ones with epoxy powder and will try that (I know ECF well as I've ordered plenty of boat repair stuff from them before!).

[mrcharly]

I'm a firm believer in keeping some fast-set araldite to hand for these sorts of nicks.

Quick to mix a tiny bit, fast to set. You aren't tempted to wait for a more convenient time.

[Grian]

The wind has finally dropped and torrential rain stopped. Out at five with a flask of coffee.

[leighv]

I had the most brilliant overnight trip to Loch Etive yesterday. Thanks to Ian Johnston for the advice, I arrived in the afternoon, launched from Taynuilt and paddled up to the top of the loch before backtracking to a spot I’d eyed earlier in the day. A fairly strong easterly wind picked up this morning, F4 gusting F5, so I waited for the ebb to start and rode the wind and tide back to Taynuilt. An excellent micro adventure :-)

Sunset:



Best morning ever? You bet!

[ChrisJK]

Yep
Got out today, 9.4 miles up and down the Dee from Sandy lane to the Blue bridge cooled by rain and warmed by the sun. A no nonsense paddle in prep with a small group preparing to paddle round Arran.
For me it was a sheer relief to return to keeping up with the pack and re launch my Shrike which has been in dry dock for re epoxy and varnish.
Average speed around 4mph. I was the only gp user. Capella + gp = fall back. peers waiting bah. Shrike + gp = fall back return/overtake.-+Joi de vivre.

[Grian]

Yes, twice. Early in the day a productive session practising balance brace. I have an inflatable thing which provides masses of support and it was easy using that, and though I was disappointed not to be able to do it in elegant Cheri Perry hands-free style I was amazed to find my wooden GP provided more than enough buoyancy. Later, while men chased a small ball round the telly screen, I went out to watch the big golden orb in the sky. Before long I crossed paths with an otter fishing for her supper and as I drifted closer the sound of her noisy enjoyment was a delight - otters must be the loudest eaters of the animal kingdom! When she submerged I paddled quietly on towards the sunset and when I reluctantly turned for home she passed me heading purposefully in the opposite direction. Perhaps it was also her bedtime.

It wasn't easy to tear myself away from the glorious view.



But the return journey was also fairly idyllic. I went to bed feeling very thankful for days like these.

[leighv]

Yesterday my buddy Joe and I rounded up our week on Mull with the absolute cherry on top: a paddle out to Fingal’s Cave on Staffa. After a week of F4/F5 winds that made our various day paddles rather tiring (albeit enjoyable!), Sunday was calm with almost no tidal flow, perfect for a fabulous crossing from the Ulva ferry terminal out to Staffa.

On the approach we were surrounded by hundreds of different types of jellyfish. We also saw several seals and a whole raft of puffins.

Some swell was making the entrance to the cave rather lively, so sadly I couldn’t take any decent photos but my usual stern mounted GoPro got a few shots.

[seawolf856]

Yesterday my buddy Joe and I rounded up our week on Mull with the absolute cherry on top: a paddle out to Fingal’s Cave on Staffa. After a week of F4/F5 winds that made our various day paddles rather tiring (albeit enjoyable!), Sunday was calm with almost no tidal flow, perfect for a fabulous crossing from the Ulva ferry terminal out to Staffa.

On the approach we were surrounded by hundreds of different types of jellyfish. We also saw several seals and a whole raft of puffins.

Some swell was making the entrance to the cave rather lively, so sadly I couldn’t take any decent photos but my usual stern mounted GoPro got a few shots.

Awesome stuff Leigh, your paddling and micro adventures are an inspiration.
My sea boat is broken at the moment and is in with P&H for repair of a very large crack in the cockpit rim. However I reverted to my river runner to get some WW fun on the Dee with a paddle from Ty Mawr down to Erbistock including a few nice rapids. The look on my face tells you I'm not used to WW rapids.

[andycon]

Not today but earlier in the week managed a paddle across from Trwyn Penmon around Puffin island back through the channel and down to Lleiniog beach, early lunch stop. Then back up around the sunken dredger to the start, by now there were a lot of people around. But the coffee shop was open for ice cream. Nice fun paddle.

Sent from my moto g62 5G using Tapatalk

[Grian]

After a weekend of long workdays I set the alarm for early o'clock. All thoughts of tiredness were forgotten once on the water, I paddled through pastel clouds with only the sounds of terns and the distant thundering of a waterfall, absolutely heavenly.






Topped off with some of mum's crumble for breakfast!

[leighv]

That does look heavenly, Grian!

Fearing potential singledom if I abandoned my non-paddling partner for a fourth sea-bound weekend in a row, I was nevertheless able to sneak in a few hours with some friends at a local white water centre on Saturday while he went for a walk along the river and enjoyed some local hospitality. I'm not a WW paddle by any stretch of the imagination, but I do go with friends around once a month or so, and I've found some of the skills I've learned from WW quite transferable to the sea.

[ian johnston]

A pleasant day on the Moray Firth Riviera - Hopeman to Covesea and return :o)



The two-legged stack of "Gow's Castle"





Approaching Covesea lighthouse under bright sun




First luncheon stop





Some of the intricate rock architecture on this part of the coast

[Badger100]

[Solent Paddle to Isle of Wight



Nice paddle from Hill Head Fareham to Cowes Isle of Wight via the Bramble bank.
Quite strange going for a walk in the middle of the solent. Sharing the bank with a large harbour seal.Strong tides used to our advantage enroute and return.

[ChrisJK]

Not paddled today but spent the last five paddling and camping round Arran. Very tired but great paddle with a whole mix of conditions from glassy to against tide and f3 gusting f4 around the north of the island and a section further back with being caught between high chop and confused clapotis from a sea wall.
Also a 5 mile open crossing across a large bay.
Beautiful place.

[leighv]

Not paddled today but spent the last five paddling and camping round Arran. Very tired but great paddle with a whole mix of conditions from glassy to against tide and f3 gusting f4 around the north of the island and a section further back with being caught between high chop and confused clapotis from a sea wall.
Also a 5 mile open crossing across a large bay.
Beautiful place.

Aaaah, lovely! I circumnavigated Arran around this time last year and now your post is bringing back memories, as we also had quite a spectrum of conditions. Wonderful place, I’ll definitely go back sometime. I hope you’ll get a chance to post some photos :)

[ChrisJK]

Thanks Leigh
I did take a few photos but they are standard shots of lovely scenery and still water rather than those of an otter eating a fish ,gannets diving, and a seal which appeared to have followed our group for 10k.
There were also moments of midge misery and sheer keep your head down and keep paddling with one moment when my wooden Shrike could have been matchsticks.
All the trip I used my home made Greenland paddle apart from a short section across the north side of lamlash bay heading to the outer side of Holy island when I used the storm paddle I'd bought from a fellow paddler for £20 and I was suitably impressed though I didn't try it in the more challenging section partly because I'd have been in jeopardy trying to swap over.
There were points when perhaps a euro might have given me more power but less stability and in the trickier sections actually it seemed less effort with a gp and at certain points If more power was needed then I used a sliding stroke to dig deeper for more propulsion.

[Tricky Ricky]

South Rock Lighthouse

[Grian]

Visited neighbours but they were not home. Saw a couple of eagles and a number of red deer en route, the mackerel were more elusive. My new Lars Gram paddle was a treat to use on its longest outing so far. I've been studying online videos from Paulo Oullet, Sea Kayaking Online and Ivan Lawler, so was chuffed when husband said he had been paddling at normal pace. Well pleased to get out as August has been stormy.

[seawolf856]

I've just got back from a trip to the West Coast of Scotland, based on the Mull of Kintyre, with trips to Arran, Gigha, Islay and Jura thrown into the mix. The weather was absolute pants for sea kayaking with high winds and rain most days so we had to spend loads of time planning where we could go for some shelter!! Anyway, with some hard work and experience we managed to get 4 out of 6 days on the water including this (deceptively) beautiful day out of Arduaine into Loch Melfort.

[ChrisJK]

I brought my Shrike to Holland and this week have been in North Holland which has lots of waterways and the large inland sea the Ijsel meer which I have managed one paddle on as the weather has been fairly windy as commented on in paddling near Edam thread.
This is paddling particularly when part of a shared holiday with Mrs K. Again the Ijsel meer might have been tricky aline and at my skill level so we went inland to the Twiske which is an inland meer surrounded by historic old polder land. Again it was windy so sections were either into short pushed chop or filled by wind and water with skeg needed.
In the Chanels’ it was generally quiet whilst passing through hissing reed beds and alder packed woods with Great crested Grebes popping up and down as I paddled.
Check out https://www.kanoweb.nl/kanokaart/
If you are thinking of going.
I had half thought of taking a last minute paddle with a short section on the Marker meer portage through the sea lock and a bimble round the beautiful town of Edam but it was nearly dinner time and the forecast was thunder storms etc. I was very glad I hadn’t set off as we experienced what was probably a down burst which wasn’t entirely enjoyable in a caravan and awning but probably hazardous in a kayak with a stony shore to resort to

I did meet a couple in sea kayaks who may have taken a longer route which crosses over into two other sections of old polder land (see red route )
https://www.twiske-waterland.nl/documen ... t-kano.pdf

[ChrisJK]

What’s not to like about a sunlit return journey through heathland and forest pre and post paddle and 15 mile paddle along a virtually empty slow moving river in warm sunshine through rural countryside?
Such was my paddle today from Doesburg to Doetinchem and return. Given more time I would have liked to visit a refectory in Laag Keppel for a coffee and apple cake and
Perhaps finish with an Uitsmijter or pannekoeke in Doesburg nevertheless a grand day out.
Thanks once again to Marijn for the links to Dutch paddle routes.






Ah yes for anyone actually wanting to do this paddle and can read Dutch it’s no 45 but the parking place doesn’t appear to exist or is part of the river officialdom
I found a spot round the back of some flats and houses near Koppel weg with reedy access to the water all good if only one or two cars.

[leighv]

Just had a fantastic, totally-worth-it ten hour round trip for a one nighter in the Lake District this past weekend! I met up with Mark R from here, and we paddled around Ullswater, taking lots of photos and enjoying the fine weather before setting up camp on Silver Bay. The following morning was absolutely glorious with not a breath of wind. The autumn colours are starting to creep in, and I reckon when I go back next month it's going to be incredible :)

[seawolf856]

Fantastic photos Leigh. I love the drone shot, adds another special perspective. I'm doing a club weekend in the lakes in November and would like to lead a paddle on Ullswater. Any tips for parking and launching. We won't be camping but need to do a full day on the water with a lunch stop.

[leighv]

Fantastic photos Leigh. I love the drone shot, adds another special perspective. I'm doing a club weekend in the lakes in November and would like to lead a paddle on Ullswater. Any tips for parking and launching. We won't be camping but need to do a full day on the water with a lunch stop.

This was my first water-based outing with my new drone and it was a bit nerve wracking paddling out with the controller, which isn't waterproof and wasn't tethered to me! Definitely need to find a way to improve that for my next trip...

Ullswater is very easy to launch onto! You have several options:

- The National Trust car park at Glen Coyne; free for NT members, around 35 spots and usually easy to get a spot in winter, especially if you arrive early. Only small hitch is that you have to cross the road and then get your kayak down over some rocks (nothing major, just a rocky step of about 30-40cm height) to get to the pebbly beach to launch. The rocks make a trolley a bit tricky to use, so bear that in mind.

- The Ullswater Steamers car park. The easiest launch option, but it's a bit expensive, somewhere around £10 for the full day. However there's a cafe, a toilet and a small slipway of sorts that you can drive onto to unload boats.

- There's a carpark next to the river in Pooley Bridge, Dunmallard Car Park. It's quite pricey though (I believe it's somewhere around £5 for two hours)! I've never actually launched from there, only stopped there for a lunch break. Speaking of which, there are several cafes and pubs here for lunch. There is also a public toilet block; you have to pay though (it takes cards). There's a decent cafe on the B road that runs through town that sells sandwiches, cakes and ice cream.

My usual itinerary is to launch from the Steamers or NT car park, paddle up the western shore to Pooley Bridge for lunch, and then paddle down the eastern shore back south. You can also make additional stops at Howtown and Silver Bay to stretch legs. A full circuit takes around five hours. It's an absolutely fabulous lake to paddle :)