New Kayak?

A few weeks ago I brought this lovely old North Shore Shoreline kayak. It needed a lot of TLC but was basicly sound. Unfortunatly it's to small for me. The front bulkhead has been set back so it could be used as a footrest. The lady I got it from was very petite, she had 6 inches of foam against the bulkhead. Even with this removed it's still about two inches to short.

I thought about moving the bulkhead, but that is such a pig of a job, I've decided to sell it on. So far, I've taken off the old backdeck mounted pump and I'm replacing it with a new hatch. There's a third bulkhead behind the seat with a screw in hatch mounted on it. This digs in to your back when sat in the seat. I'll be taking this away and blanking the hole off. I've spent today sealing the skeg box which leaked a bit. When all the work is done I'll put it on the market, I'm thinking of asking £600 for it.

I'l be putting the money from the sale towards one of these, an Atlantic RM, again from North Shore. Plastic because a, I can't afford a new fibre glass one, and. b, Plastic takes the knocks better. A couple of weeks ago I tried to get my 4 star, I didn't get it, and the old Anas Acuta took quite a beating. I'll still be keeping the old Anas but the plastic one will be more of a workhorse.

Three star Dave Crocket, not me.

My atemps to slowly climb the BCU ladder took a bit of a down turn last weekend. Not good enough at controlling the boat in moving water. I just wasn't making the eddies well enough for three star in open canoe. Oh well.

Me atempting self rescue, it's much easier in sea kayaks.

The other on the course, all very good canoeists.

Lunch break on the Tummel.

More of the east.

The mistic east

Scotland's west coast is a world famous paddling destination. What is less well known is that the east coast is every bit as good.

Up the Clyde.

A few weeks ago I went over to the Clyde to join up with my old friend Peter and some of his cronies. The plan was to paddle up the Clyde from the Erskine Bridge. Then take the Whitecart river up to Paisley abbey in the middle of the city; not your normal sea kayaking trip. Low water stopped us under the car park. Then we went further up the Clyde to see some new war canoes being made.
Should we really be this close?

Paisley city centre.

The Waverley.

20 years on.

In 1990 I went ski touring in Norway, the weather was atrocious. Afterward back in England I was talking with some mates down at the climbing club about it. One friend, Phil said he'd always wanted to go sea kayaking in Norway. I said "tell me more", soon after I got my first sea kayak. We decided to have a trial run in Scotland and meet up with some friend of Phil, Brian and Steve. Our route went from Arisaig to Egg on the first day and then on to Rum and Soay on the second day. From there we made out way back along the southern coast of Skye; not bad for a first trip. Eventually Phil emigrated to America and we lost touch with Steve but I still keep in contact with Brian and every year or two we have a trip out on the west coast. This year we went out to Canna and then back to Rum and Soay, twenty years after we first padled this way.
Brian paddling off soay 1990.

Brian (standing) and Phil taking a lunch break on Rum 1990.

Brian with Basking Shark Canna 2010.

Brian taking a lunch break on Rum 2010.

Rockhopping.

Arbroath to Auchmithie, the slowest three miles you'll ever paddle!

Rocks, caves, sunshine and just a little swell, heaven.

I took my camera but didn't take a single shot, I was that absorbed in the paddling. These were taken by Ray Wilson.