Maiden Voyage.

At last we managed to get out paddling today, not quite the sea but a very fridge Loch Lomond. Really pleased with the new kayak. The water was still, the sun was shinning, it was flat calm but at least we were out.

Peter Baker.

Ray Wilson.

A chilly night out.

I went down to my sister's over the weekend for a family party. Had a nice time catching up with everyone. Driving back on monday, I'd listerned to the East Midlands weather forcast, it said snow showers from 15.00 onward in Scotlands central belt. So, when I crossed the high ground south of Glasgow, without seeing any falling snow, I thought I'd be ok. Ten miles from Hamilton services I ran into the back of mayhem. The snow had been falling all day, the snow ploughs hadn't been able to clear the roads so the snow was hard packed and the heavy lorries couldn't get traction and were stuck. By midnight I'd got as far as half way up the M73, about 13 miles from the start of the jam.
It became clear that this was as far as I would be getting. I wriggled into my sleeping bag, rapped my down jacket around me and tried to rest. Not the most comfortable night I've ever spent. Around 05.00 things started moving and in a series of short hops I moved up to Castlecary. Here in the road works the lanes are divided off by cones. Up ahead a 40 tonner lost grip and began to slid back down the hill. I was stuck once again when suddenly a motorway maintenance gang appeared from nowhere. They moved the cones and cleared the snow so we could change lanes and get around the lorry. I finally got home at 09.00, 26 hours after leaving Leicestershire.

Atlantic RM

Yesterday was my birthday, how did I ever get to be that old? That wasn't part of the plan. I spent the day driving, talk about a busman's holiday. I went up to Oban to pick up my new kayak. A shiny red Northshore Atlantic RM. I took it to the pool last night, rolls really well. Today was to have been it's maidan voyage, but we woke to deep snow and high winds. Should have gone for a walk instead but somehow didn't manage to get around to it, just mooched around the house. I'm not sure when I'll get to paddle the kayak as I've family commitments next week. Hopefully get on the water before Christmas.

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.