Crest of a Wave

Indulgence

2011-10-06T21:36:00.000+01:00

Just for the benefit of my daughter, her Rockpool Isel.

I wish I fitted in it better!

Deceptive!

2011-10-02T21:08:00.000+01:00

We've had a prolonged period of anti-cyclonic weather and the coastal forecast for Saturday 1st October 2011 was for wind easterly becoming southerly F1-4, gusts up to 19kn, sea state slight, visiblity moderate becoming good. Tides were fairly high, just after Springs. As seemingly nearly always at Borthwen, the bay was very sheltered and the water near flat. Just the right sort of day for a paddle....

Paddling out of Borthwen we turned northwest and immediately hit the chaotic waters often found on the way up to Rhoscolyn Head, an area where tidal flows frequently clash. No photos here then! Rounding Rhoscolyn we entered the relative shelter of Porth Saint where this geo can be found. It's very narrow and I went in backwards, not realising there was an almighty seal right at the back on the cobble beach. I heard a bit of a splash, a little louder than many of the other splashes, but thought nothing of it, until this massive

seal swam under my kayak and stuck its head up at my bow, then dived again. I quickly exited to leave it in peace. It bellowed at me as I paddled away, the sound reverberating off the walls of the geo.

From Rhoscolyn to Trearddur the sea was chaotic close inshore but much more amenable further out. The swell was very variable and every now and again a massive swell set would come in, washing up the cliffs. There were many fishermen on the cliffs herabouts and it wouldn't have taken too much more on some of the waves to drag them in.

It was high water when we reached Trearddur and we had lunch on the thin strip of sand between the sea and the promenade, if you can call it that, with about 60 other people. While we were there the RNLI IRB launched and headed off in the direction we had come from. Setting off back to Rhoscolyn I resolved to try and get some more pictures.

We frequently lost sight of one another as the large swell sets came through.

On the way out we avoided paddling through the white arch due to the swell but on the way back we decided to give it a go. Paddling in to the arch the swell was coming at us from the right and breaking immediately before the entrance. Careful timing and judgement was needed to get through this zone and under the arch.

The exit required a 90 degree turn to face the incoming swell, which was breaking badly on the cliffs either side but holding good in the middle. Obviously you go for the middle if you are sensible. Fiona was on the other side of this beasty and I was very hurridly putting my camera away after this shot. I had somehow managed to not hit the shutter button on several occasions before this picture. I can't think why! There are cliffs to my left and right and also at my back.

We paddled on to Rhoscolyn Head, where a party under instruction were holding station before going in to the cave one by one. Shortly after, Fiona decided to breakout of the chaos of the inshore passage and head to the beacon, so naturally I followed. The water was much better behaved in the lee of the rocks, but chaotic on the other side of the outer island. We went through the middle and along the southern edge.

Just off the inshore side of the rocks was a SoT with two people on. No BA's, wearing jeans and jumpers, just sat there on more or less flat water! Within a 100m in a 180 degree arch the sea was foaming. Fiona and I were pretty damp, even all kitted up. Roll-on Bothwen!

Ambition fulfilled

2011-09-27T22:14:00.000+01:00

My family are Lancastrians and since being a young'un I've been fascinated by the concept of the county being split in two, Furness (now part of Cumbria) lying to the north of Morecambe Bay and the rest of the county to the south of the bay, with a bit of Westmorland (also now part of Cumbria) in between.

For many years I've wanted to walk across The Bay, having been intrigued by supposed rights of way marked on maps and stories of the Queen's Guide and the Fishermen of Flookburgh published in mum's magazines, like Cumbria. Every year there are a number of guided walks across the bay to raise funds for charities. Cumbria Wildlife Trust had a slot allocated to them for a date in August and we duly met up at Arnside and registered for the 8 mile crossing to Kent Bank.

Walking around the coast from Arnside to White Creek it soon became apparent just how many people were on this walk - around 300! The walking speed was also rather variable. How would they get everybody safely across the sands?

Answer - a whistle! Line everybody up at an obstacle and wait for the stragglers, instruct everyone what to do, then do it. Simples!

Everybody soon got the hang of what was going on and what to do and obstacles such as the channel of the River Kent were crossed safely without too much carnage! (Yes, there's always the one who does a runner and has an early bath, so to speak).

The walk wasn't a straight line as quick sand, river channels and creeks in the saltmarsh all dictate the route. These shift position so recce's are done by the guide's team the day before and if necessary, on the day, before setting out on the main event.

The Queen's Guide to the sands Cedric Robinson (with sunglasses) and his assistant Mike Carter. Thanks guys for a splendid day out and a long held ambition fulfilled.

Ardskenish

2011-09-13T21:09:00.000+01:00

Our final day on the island was to be a walking day around Ardskenish, the south-west end of the island. This is a really beautiful and relatively remote area, blasted by the weather off the Atlantic, and made of dunes, beaches and skerries.

Seals were all over the place in these waters and numerous waders scurried along the beaches feeding.

The opposite coast of the peninsula backs on to the deep U shaped and sheltered bay of Traigh nam Barc.

The house at Ardskenish sits pretty well in the middle of the peninsula, surrounded by flowering machair teeming with redshank, snipe, oystercatchers,lapwing. ringed plovers, teal, mallard ..... you get the picture. One night during World War II the house was apparently clipped by a low flying plane and became something of a local attraction. It is no longer permanently occupied.

Some serious work went in to wall building hereabouts, and while they are no longer tended they remain an attractive feature of the landscape.

The islets and skerries offshore look like they could provide interesting rock-hopping, but that wasn't going to happen today. Next time perhaps.

We lingered a long time before leaving the peninsula behind. It was a superb day.

Roll on our next visit to Colonsay. We won't wait 30 years.

Balnahard

2011-09-09T20:28:00.002+01:00

Less than a kilometre down the coast from Lamalum is the rather splendid beach of Traig Ban at Balnahard. Approaching from the north are some skerries you can work around, depending on the state of the tide, with views back up the Firth of Lorn and to Mull.

The remnants of the wreck on the beach are of the S.S. Wasa, a wooden steamship from Liverpool that, oddly enough, caught fire. It was under tow but grounded in the bay before being wrecked.

Most of the wreck is, apparently, still underwater a couple of hundred yards offshore.

Despite the wonderfully clear water I couldn't work it out from the surface.
Top 20 beach? Possibly.

Colonsay: Lamalum

2011-09-06T21:03:00.002+01:00

Having reached the northern tip of Colonsay, conditions were so benign I was half inclined to continue with a semi-circumnavigation of the island and land at Traig an Tobair Fhuair. However I was paddling solo, hadn't mentioned that as a possible Plan B to the wife and mobile reception was poor, so I stuck with my original plan to return to Scalasaig.

Returning south down the north-east coast the first beach you come to is Lamalum, with views towards Mull to the north...

... and Scalpay, the Gulf of Coryvreckan and Jura towards the east. On a day like this day it was an absolutely sublime place to be.

Behind the beach is a narrow isthmus, Bealach Lamalum, barely 50m across, before the land drops in to the water of the west coast at Poll Ban and views open up down the island's north-west coast.

Being an exposed placed, the beaches inevitably catch a lot of flotsam and jetsam and more than one person has been tempted to create the marine equivalent of a cairn, or maybe it's art-work. Returning to the "best beach" theme of my earlier Colonsay posts, I think this one beats Port a Chapuill on views and setting.

Chilled out - eventually!

2011-08-22T22:02:00.000+01:00

This should really be a picture of a ready to go kayak with no kayaker. We all have those days when we forget something, like the VHF for example. I searched all the hatches, dry bags and the cockpit several times. I turned the car inside out, twice. My wife went back to our hotel room, as did I subsequently. Could we find the blasted thing? No. I'd just about given up when I suddenly remembered ..... back at the hotel I'd put it in the hydration pack pocket in the rear of my BA. Argh! An hour or so wasted.

So eventually, off I paddled up the north-east cost of Colonsay. Can you detect my mood from my posture?

Having paddled about a kilometre north from Scalasaig I had eventually paddled out my mood and was fairly chilled out like these four feral goats, presumed ancestors from goats that wound up on several Scottish islands after the Armada.

Further up the coast again are the ruins of Riasg Buidhe. An eighth century cross where the stone is described by William Stevenson in 1880 as "dressed only in front, undressed on the back" was removed from here in 1870 to Tobar Odhran by Colonsay House. Suffice to say there's Christian symbology on the front and and something rather ruder on the back! The 1841 census has 64 people living here and the village remained occupied to a lesser extent until 1923, when the last inhabitants were re-housed in new houses at Glassard, just north-east of Scalasaig. With that move Colonsay became the first community in Britain where every household had running water and lavatories. The roofs of the houses at Riasg Buidhe were burnt to prevent their reoccupation. A certain Collach, Dr. Roger McNeill, an internationally recognised authority on infectious diseases, particularly tubercolosis, was the prime mover in this achievement. This and more information can be gleaned from Kevin Byrne's excellent book, "Lonely Colonsay, Island at the Edge".

Heading north the coastline scenery takes on a certain uniformity with the exception of Eilean Olmsa and the woodlands of A' Choille Mhor and A'Choille Bheag. Seals, otters and goats abound and there is the chance to spot a goldean eagle. Landing opportunities are limited until you reach the beach at Balnahard or Traigh Ban.

From Balnahard it is only a short paddle to the cliffs at the north of Colonsay. The fulmars hereabouts were very inquisitive, flying within catching distance of my head.

On reaching the northern tip, where the tide can really pull you along or push you back, the skerry of Eilean Dubh comes in to view as does the view towards Mull and northern Jura. Views to follow!

South East Colonsay

2011-08-19T19:48:00.000+01:00

Leaving "her outdoors" on Oransay, I paddled on out of the Strand and up the south east coast of Colonsay.

Through Port a' Chapuill to...

... Cable Bay. The beach here is "compact" but with a view down to the Sound of Islay and the Paps of Jura. Port a' Chapuill and Cable Bay are counted as seperate beaches in the SNH top 20. Given their close proximity I struggle with this when the whole of Oransay is counted as a single unit! Cable Bay as a top 20? Possibly. Port a'Chapuill on its own? Not in my book! But then it is all rather subjective anyway.

Interestingly, a proposal has recently (spring 2011) been put forward to place a salmon farm off Cable Bay / Port a' Chapuill. Personally I hope it doesn't proceed. It's very pleasant to kayak somewhere off the west coast without the infernal things.

Just around the corner from Cable Bay is Meall an Arbhair, a pleasant sheltered spot with two entances to the shallow bay and otters chilling out.

Rubha Dubh is a very low lying headland. Beyond is Loch Staosnaig otherwise known as Queen's Bay, on account of HMY Brittania regularly mooring up here for the night when HM was doing her holiday tour around Scotland.

Views to the northeast include the northern end of Jura, the mouth of Corryvreckan and the rounded lump aka Scarp.

Meanwhile the tide was going out and I needed to get back to Oransay sharpish to collect "her outdoors" and then paddle back to the road's end at Garvard otherwise there would be a long trolley haul.

Oransay Priory

2011-08-15T21:48:00.000+01:00

Oransay Priory was founded around 1350 as an Augustine monastary but was reported as being in ruins by 1623. The current owners of Oransay have done much to improve the island and this includes moving the superb collection of carved mediavel grave stones in to a recently roofed area of the priory to protect them from the elements.

OK, not part of the priory proper, but I like this shot of the nearby walls with the three baby wrens!

Again, not a carving but a fascinating natural detail of one of the stones in the priory wall.

All photos on this page by Angela Smith

Oransay

2011-08-14T08:03:00.000+01:00

Our first trip to Oransay was on foot. Having waited for the tide to recede we crossed the Strand, walked the road to the priory then on to the machair. Waders, corncrake and geese abound. Several areas of the island, including some of the beaches, obviously held large numbers of ground nesting birds and we did the sensible thing and avoided them.

This isolated shelter on the south west coast had a superb view towards some offshore skerries and islands and out in to the Atlantic.

Colonsay and Oransay were occupied in the Mesolithic period. On Oransay this is evidenced by several shell middens such as the one above, near Seal Cottage.

On the east coast the view opens up towards Jura and Islay. Jura has three of the SNH "top twenty" beaches.

One of the Jura paps.

When we crossed the Strand to Oransay it was pretty grey and wet but upon our return the weather had brightened up and better displayed the brilliance of the place.

All photos by Angela Smith

"Do the Strand"

2011-08-13T21:12:00.001+01:00

With apologies to all those who are old enough to know of the avant garde hip chic of 1973....

There are two ways to "Do the Strand".

You can walk across when the tide is out

Or you can paddle across when the tide is in

Of course if you paddle across, you could do it on a table..... sorry! 1973 and all that.

This day we paddled, in kayaks, and the photograph is historic as this is the first time that Angela has been in a kayak on the sea since we were last on Colonsay thity years ago.

The Strand we are really talking about here is the one between Colonsay and Oransay. The latter island is regarded by the authors of the SNH report referred to in my earlier Colonsay blog as one of the four top twenty beaches, although calling a whole, fairly large island "a beach" is using a bit of licence. There are many fine beaches on the island, which is leased to the RSPB by its American owner. There are also the remains of a rather old priory.

And the rather nice beach we landed on.

Look out below!

2011-08-03T20:37:00.000+01:00

At the weekend Fiona and I went for a 25k bimble around the Ormes from Rhos. I'm not sure if it's a bright idea to leave Rhos at high tide as inevitably you will have the tide against you during the paddle back and then a long carry up the beach at the end of the day. Gluttons for punishment, eh?

Whilst doing some rock-hopping under the cliffs of the Great Orme we were suddenly assailed by a fall of stones from above. We paddled away from the cliffs to see what had caused the fall only to see these three Angora billy goats chewing the barest of vegetation. All the other lusher, verdant green stuff and they had to choose this bit just as we were paddling underneath!

On the way back the tide was falling and thousands of starfish were exposed on the rocks around the Little Orme. They were slowly peeling themselves off the exposed cliff and falling back in to the relative safety of the sea. I managed to catch one on my paddle as it dropped!

Kiloran Bay, Isle of Colonsay

2011-08-01T22:06:00.001+01:00

Kiloran Bay can catch magnificent surf and, as is often the case in this part of the world, there won't be many of you on or in the water!

If the surf is high then I found the best place to land the kayak was at the southern end of the beach where the stream enters the sea, although with rocks close by and challenging surf, good judgement is needed. If it is too difficult to land then there is a more sheltered north facing beach about 300m west: not too sure how you climb the cliff though! Failing that there is a small south-westerley facing bay round the headland north of Kiloran Bay.

The bay is backed by an impressive dune face with machair behind, which is managed to provide a foraging area for the rare chough, at their most northerly breeding area in Europe. Corncrakes rattle away nearby while dune gentian and Irish ladies tresses are amongst the rarer flowers in the vicinity. In 1881 a viking ship burial site was found in the dunes. The artefacts can be seen at the National Museum in Edinburgh.

When on the west coast it is always tempting to "do the sunsets".

I rather like Kiloran Bay.

Thirty Years After

2011-07-29T21:56:00.001+01:00

At pretty close to midnight on the 12th August 1981, thirty years ago, Mrs Smith and I met for the first time just on the other side of that headland. We were both Assistant Leaders on a Schools Hebridean Society expedition, her to lead kayaking, me climbing and both with some marine biology and ecology thrown in. My recollection was that the opening greeting was something of a Dr Livingstone / Stanley moment. The island is Colonsay and although we've visited many if not quite all of the other inhabited Hebridean islands since, we had never been back to Colonsay until June this year.

The changes have largely been subtle. Certainly part of where we camped is now beach. The island also has this developing whale sculpture. The artist Julian Meredith started this 183m long beast on a raised beach and visitors are invited to continue to fill the outline with stones.

Then there are the beaches...... according to a Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Repot No. 048, "The Beaches of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland", four of the top twenty beaches in Scotland are on Colonsay. This is one of them, Kiloran Bay. OK, the report is largely subjective but I could easily add a couple more to the four!

Oh, and guess what we had with us! My objective, perhaps not shared with Mrs Smith, was to kayak from/to the said four beaches. This is Kiloran Bay and I launched and paddled solo here in large surf and significant swell. There are no on the water shots and Mrs Smith stayed in the cottage, so there are no paddling photos from the land either. The kayak is my daughter's Rockpool Isel, which was superb in the very challenging surf but a little cramped for me. Landing was very interesting!

Hell Hole

2011-03-27T17:39:00.002+01:00

There's a place near us called Hell Hole. This forwarder found it!

They've been felling a line of lombardy poplars by the brook and this piece of kit had been extracting the logs. I'm surprised they didn't fell the trees to the west side as it least they wouldn't have been constantly driving through the same place, constrained by a gate.

Unfortunately it passed through the gateway once too often and the ground had become well and truly liquified! It's bad enough here in the summer. Over the top of wellys stuff.

Dusting off the cobwebs

2011-03-18T21:59:00.001Z

Sunday 6th March 2011

It's that time of year where you just have to get the boats out and get on the water again. A seven and a mile return bimble from Porth Trecastell to Aberffraw. Great weather and loads of waders alomg the coast - redshank, greenshank, curlew, oystercatcher, turnstone, dunlin, sanderling......

Arisaig in the autumn

2011-03-03T21:25:00.000Z

So often you see "Caribbean" pictures, but it certainly wasn't like that in late October. A raw, strong south-westerley and a rising swell curtailed our time out in the skerries. This picture was taken from very much in the lee of the peninsula.

Loch Ailort

2010-12-09T20:51:00.002Z

photo: Angela Smith

We launched at one of the fish farm slipways in to a very calm Loch Ailort and headed west towards the open sea.

After passing a few islands and skerries in the confines of the hemmed in upper sea loch, the view opened out towards Eilean nan Gobhar, with Eigg and Rhum in the distance.

Gobhar has an iron age fort on its southerley summit and has a large pebble beach that joins the northern to the southern half of the island. This shelves steeply in to the sea and provides for a fun, often wet, landing if you don't get it right.

Eigg came more in to the view as we headed down the northerly shore.

It was very quiet and Fiona enjoyed drifting whilst admiring the scenery.

This beautifully renovated and isolated cottage (no road) is presuambly someone's summer retreat.

Meanwhile Angela had driven down to Glenuig to walk over to Smirisary before collecting us at the Glenuig slipway.... and the wind had got up.

photo: Angela Smith

We'd been having a leisurely lunch on Gobhar in the shelter from the wind. After lunch we paddled around the north side of the island and hit a very strong south-westerley head on. It was a bit of heads down battle back to Glenuig and a smug-looking wife!

Loch Moidart revisited - pt.2

2010-11-09T21:20:00.000Z

photo: Angela Smith

It isn't often I spend a day on the water and don't take a photo from my kayak, but this was one of those days. Loch Moidart is my favourite sea loch and I'd decided to be absorbed by the experience rather than fiddling with a camera.

photo: Angela Smith

When we got back to Dorlin the tide was advancing quickly across the sands, however earlier on out at the mouth of the loch the tide was so low the only way to get in to the lagoon had been to approach from the open sea.

photo: Angela Smith

The birds gathering as the evening closed in.

photo: Angela Smith

This confiding deer had been standing in the middle of the road and been very reluctant to cede its ground to my car with two kayaks aimed at it on the roof.

OK, my only photo of the day but Fiona does rather like her Isel!

Loch Moidart revisited - pt.1

2010-11-07T08:53:00.004Z

Being 300 miles further north than home, light arrives later here. This was 8.15 a.m. BST. on a cold and frosty morning

photo: Angela Smith

Having had a long journey yesterday, we were in no particular hurry to get going, especially with a superb and constantly changing view as the mist and frost retreated and Loch Shiel was gradually revealed.

photo: Angela Smith

Eventually we dragged ourselves down to Dorlin and Loch Moidart. Time to pack the boats and get going, at a very low tide.

First snow of the season

2010-11-06T08:12:00.003Z

We were on our way to Acharacle for some long awaited paddling.

photo Angela Smith

We spotted the first dusting of snow on the northern flanks of Ben Lomond but as we neared Crianlarich, the top of Ben More came in to view to show us some real snow.

photo Angela Smith

Over the top of Rannoch Moor .....

photo Angela Smith

..... and dropping down in to Glencoe, the weather changes as it so often does.

photo Angela Smith

Just after arriving at Acharacle the moon rose over Loch Shiel. No snow on the low lying hills here, but it was bloomin' chilly!

Pembrokeshire August 2010

2010-08-29T20:08:00.004+01:00

We finally got down to Pembrokeshire for the first time in two years. The weather was very mixed but we managed a decent paddle around Castlemartin. The cave scenery is specatcular.

and Fiona's new Rockpool Isel caught the eye of many a person on the cliffs above - we could hear the comments!

Mauritius? The Caribbean? No Barafundle. A few years back we brought a cousin here who lives in Bermuda. It reminded her of home!

The Isel has landed

2010-08-10T21:55:00.002+01:00

So the Isel has finally arrived!

Picked it up from Rockpool on Saturday morning and then launched from Cemaes Bay...

and whizzed around to Porth Llanlleiana. Rocky landing!

The previous week-end I did a similar trip, but carried on to PorthWen.

Unfortunately there was a bit of a chop so not many on the water photos.

The remains of the old life-boat station below Wylfa Power Station

Yachties make their escape

Isle of Man

2010-07-08T22:15:00.001+01:00

My paddling has gone to the dogs so far this summer as my weekends have been choca with other matters BUT we have a Rockpool Isel on order for Fiona, who has now finished her GCSE's. That event was a convenient excuse to take her on a short break to Mann to see basking sharks

We had some great views of several sharks. In this pic you can see the nicks on the fin.

and these three peregrine falcons were having a play.

The Ayres

south west coast

Niarbyl

Cronk

Next time the kayaks will be on the roof.

B&B - with a difference

2010-05-16T22:12:00.000+01:00

I make no apology for this indulgent posting. After working in Canada for a short period there is something incredibly refreshing about returning to the UK in spring. Enjoy.

Wifey took the photos. I couldn't get the camera off her!

The photos of the badger were taken between 11.30am and noon.

Springwatch eat your heart out!

A whizz and a slog

2010-04-14T22:35:00.004+01:00

North coast of Angelsey, 11th April 2010.

High water was at about 09.30 and low 15.00 and it made sense to make the most of the weather and the tidal flow to have a bit of a blast from Porth Eilian in a westerley direction off the north coast of the island.

Five of us were on the water for about 10.30, myself, Ray and Kate

and Bill and Royanne.

As we were launching we were joined by a group of what looked like serious local rowers with their tub.

We paddled out of the bay under the rather dominant feature of the Point Lynas lighthouse and started heading west in the helpful westerley flowing tidal stream.

Soon the entrance to Amlwch harbour hoved in to view.....

with the adjacent chemical works.

This corner of Angelsey has a long industrial past with the nearby Parys Mountain providing copper and other ores, while more recently an offshore terminal with an onshore oil storage facility and chemical works provided much needed employment. All are now closed and the industrial dereliction is apparent.

We whizzed on past Bull Bay and the beautiful Porth Wen to

Porth Llanlleiana.

Kate, Bill and Royanne had more time to play with and carried on west (heaven knows where they ended up!) whereas Ray and I needed to be off the water by 16.00 and so decided to lunch here to give ourselves enough time to paddle back against the tidal flow.

The industrial archaelogy here and at Porth Wen is quite astonishing, not only because of the location but also because of what they were producing, although sometimes even that is difficult to get to the bottom of. Was this a china clay works, or a brick works specialising in kiln bricks, or maybe it was a shoe factory? Best check with Ray though on the last one.......!

Middle Mouse is perfectly framed through the gap between the walls

and it's a long way down without too much opportunity to bounce!

Inland are some reedbeds that would be pretty cool to investigate for their wildlife. However we needed to get back, so off we set aginst a forecast 14-19 knot easterley wind and a westerley flowing tidal flow. It was a case of head down and slogging along between headlands, battling around even the smallest of headlands with clapotis and random waves, taking a quick breather in each lee and then cracking on for the next one.

We were literally at the last lobster pot bouy before entering the final bay when the tidal flow turned in our favour. But we had done pretty well with an hour half outward paddle and a two hour return paddle, being off the water for 15.30. I wonder where Bill, Royanne and Kate got to?

Rockpool Isel

2010-02-19T20:38:00.003Z

We've been looking at smaller sea kayaks for Fiona for sometime, who, over the last couple of years, has paddled perhaps four or five different boats but none of them have been quite right. Today it was the turn of the Rockpool Isel, which we collected from the workshop in Holyhead and launched at Porth Dafarch. "Isel" means low, and it is! Look at the depth of the back of the boat compared to the paddle float.

In the time honoured tradition of teenagers, my daughter is reluctant to have her photgraph taken, so I've not trashed her street cred by publishing any here. Suffice to say that at sea, in the low winter sun, the boat and my daughter were in pretty good harmony once we had moved the seat and footplate position around a bit and at the second or third time of asking her she had put her pogies on! The boat has beautiful lines and even I fit in it. Very responsive, picks up surf easily and edges well. A good little boat.

On the cliffs out towards Penrhyn Mawr we came across this enormous scaffolding structure tethered to the rocks. Is it a camera platform from which to film rare birds on the nest? It ought to be demolished IMHO.

Wake up call

2010-01-12T20:48:00.003Z

Complaints from my readers that I hadn't been out much, so I thought I would put this picture up.

Loch Eishort - June 2009

2009-09-26T11:57:00.020+01:00

One day I'll finish my write-up of my June 2009 trip!

For this particular day the weather forecast wasn't particularly brilliant but the sea still beckoned. Heading across the mouth of Loch Eishort towards Rubha Suisnish, the outline of Bla Bheinn is particularly difficult to ignore. The sea also slopes hereabouts. Honest!

The view north from the mouth of Loch Slapin is also one to sit and admire. There be eagles in them there hills, and a lot closer....

Heading back along the north shore of Loch Eishort I came across this cliff which had repeatedly collapsed in to the sea. Under my kayak were huge slabs of rocks and boulders, some disconcertingly close to the surface. Not a place to practice rolling!

The cliff line was broken in places by pebble beaches and interesting rock scenery. On this particular beach the smaller pebbles are on the right and they graduate to larger stones towards the left, presumably due to the variable affect of exposure to the prevailing wave direction and action.

Boreraig is a now a ruined village, having been cleared in 1853 by the owner, Lord MacDonald, in favour of sheep. Many of the people were shipped away to New Zealand. There is no romance in Scottish history.

Near Boreraig is this delightful waterfall and in the rocks along this section of coast there are some interesting fossils.

Lunch stop #1, complete with a view to Rum and a wrecked toy tractor. Otters hunted along the shoreline, oblivious of me and the kayak. Somewhere you could linger all day if you were so inclined, but I wanted to get on and complete a circuit of the entire sea loch.

I headed on past the community of Heast, working against the falling tide and exploring the interesting coastline in this area.

Towards the head of the loch what was presumably a mussel farm was located off Drumfearn. Beyond here the loch narrowed and then opened out again in a very large pool, in the loosest sense of the term. The tidal flow rotated around the loch here and I let the kayak drift with it while watching a black throated diver fishing. Curlews and other waders were flying in to feed on the newly exposed mud.

I paddled hard down the southern shore of the loch to the delightful islands lying north of Ord. Coral sand beaches are exposed on the falling tide and seals haul out on the exposed rocks.

This part of Skye is often ignored by visitors going for the more spectacular scenery on the island. You can't not like this largely hidden side of Skye.

Happy 50th Birthday, old man!

Skye - Dalavil June 2009

2009-08-26T20:51:00.014+01:00

After a recommendation from a couple of local paddlers, I launched at Tarskavaig (Cod Bay) and went down the coast to the remote bay at Dalavil. Abandoned croft buildings lie inland, away from the direct exposure of the weather coming in from the sea.

The bay has numerous skerries and plenty of sand, including this mini tombolo!

Given the viking connections hereabouts, I had to do the old "boat haul over the isthmus" routine rather than paddling around the "coast". I saved all of 50 metres, but who cares? It was a delight to rock hop in the numerous channels and around the skerries accompanied by seals and otters, with starfish and urchins visible in the crystal clear water on the sea bed.

Lunch stop #1 had a fairly decent view!

The journey back was out through the numerous skerries around Dalavil bay but then offshore, picking up the numerous small rocks lying off the coast. The crazy seals followed me all the way. I had a quick lunch #2 back at Tarskavaig where, incidentally, low tide goes out a long way and it is something of an almighty haul back to the road with a loaded kayak, especially when tired!

After lunch I decided to complete my kayaking coverage of this bit of coast by paddling back up to Tokavaig. There are a couple of not very obvious arches and also this volcanic dyke, which resembles the spinal column of some sea monster. Well it does to me!

A brief stop at Tokavaig and then it was back to Tarskavaig.

22/08/2009 North Anglesey

2009-08-23T20:30:00.015+01:00

NWSK'ers Mary, Rosie, Dave and myself spotted a decent weather window to get out and enjoy some brilliant scenery. We launched from the beach at Cemaes, a small coastal village with active harbour largely catering for rod and line anglers. Funnily enough there was a fishing competition going on today so there was more boat traffic than usual.

At the beach car park a sign explains that two thirds of the beach is out of bounds to dogs. It doesn't say anything about horses though.....

We set off along the north facing coast. The sun rarely reaches these dark mainly north facing cliffs, reaching Porth Llanlleiana after a couple of K. Here are the ruins of an old china clay works, a hint of things to come as Angelsey has many features of interest to the industrial archaelogist.

Today was one of the highest spring tides of the year. Offshore the flood tidal stream was tanking eastwards, but closer inshore, and perhaps for a kilometre out, there was a substantial eddy and we were paddling east against it.

Every so often the line of cliffs broke to reveal a storm beach and potential landing site, such as here at Porth Cynfor, or Hell's Mouth.

Eventually we reached the substantial bay of Porth Wen. At its entrance, where there was some tidal interfaces causing mild turmoil in the water, a couple of porpoises were briefly glimpsed. We paddled slowly in, enjoying the sunshine, shelter and beautiful scenery.

In front of us the ruined brick works rose from the waters edge, up against the cliffs. A real sun trap and a great place to have lunch. Dave spotted a lizard here and butterflies abounded. Offshore we could see gannets dive bombing. Obviously there were fish about.

After lunch we paddled through the arch and around the wide curve of Porth Wen. The tide was exceptionally high and at the back of the bay the beach was totally covered by the sea right up to the foot of cliffs. As we exited the bay we found the porpoises again at the tidal interface, three adults and a young one feeding, swimming around us and breaching regularly. Beautiful.

We headed west, back the way we had come. Of course the tidal flow had changed direction and we were again paddling against the eddy close in shore.

We paddled past Middle Mouse, the island in the distance, and across the mouth of Cemaes Bay. The water was confused here with many rapidly moving wavelets and a wind quarter beam on that combined to continually try and push my kayak to starboard. The west side of Cemaes Bay has some sheltered coves, an island and a long abandoned life boat station. Much quieter than the main beach at the village. Shame about the nuclear power station perched on the headland above!

Musings from Skye - Punks, Plastic, Patterns and Perfect

2009-08-16T08:12:00.007+01:00

Punk Sheep - Spotted first on a walk and eventually outside our cottage, quite the most bizarre haircut I've ever seen on a sheep. Green dye is obviously in short supply.

Plastic Beach - The remote Talisker Bay on the west coast of Skye catches more than its fair share of non-biodegradable rubbish thrown over board or lost from ships. How long before we see the complete plastic beach?

Patterned Sand - Talisker again. I love this place. I really must kayak rather than walk in one day.

Perfect Sunset - From Ord on the east coast of Sleat, which is positioned perfectly to capture summer sunsets over the Cuillins.

Vikings and Warriors

2009-08-15T11:41:00.015+01:00

Ord was once part of the MacDonald lands on Sleat, with a farmhouse and steading together with some farm wokers' houses and several cottars. The main house later became a hotel (now a B&B). Other houses were built in the 1960's and in the late 1970's a small complex of holiday chalets was built, which were later individually sold off. The views from here across Loch Eishort to the Cuillins can be stunning, but more of that later. Today was the day for a trip down the east coast of Sleat.

Heading out in to the loch, the back views to the Red Cuillin clustered around the head of Loch Slappin dominate.

Pootling down the coast, accompanied by curious seals, black guillemots and oystercatchers ever so keen to see you off out of their patch, the ruins of a small castle come in to view. What chance, in an area of so few people, that a walker should just happen to be stood by the arch of the ruined bridge. A mad scramble for the camera ensued before they moved off!

Rounding the headland, the ruin of Dun Scaith is more obvious. The castle is thought to be one of the oldest in the Hebrides and has many myths and legends associated with it. It is said that here, Cuchullin chief of Skye in the third century, received training in the art of warfare from the Celtic warrior queen Sgathach.

The castle is situated on one of the headlands of Ob Gauscavaig, the bay lying in front of the small township of Tokavaig, a name of Viking origin meaning boisterous bay or bay of the whale. Take your pick with the meaning but neither was the case today.

Indeed, it seemed just the place to beach the kayak and chill out on some rocks whilst having a long lunch number 1. I don't know what it is about kayaking, but at least two lunches always seems a good idea.

After lunch a bit more exploring seemed in order. There are some very nice skerries in Loch Eishort, complete with coral sand.....

......... and some very nice views down towards Rum. We really mustn't over tax ourselves today.

The Cuillin and Soay - Part 2

2009-08-12T20:09:00.013+01:00

"It's one o'clock and time for lunch...." but there are no lawn mowers around here. Just a slightly exhilarated paddler, a seaweed strewn beach and a rather brilliant view of Loch Scavaig and Rum in the distance. Oh, and it can hardly be 11 o'clock. Unbeknown to me while I feasted on a first lunch of sandwiches, fruit cake and a very decent coffee whilst lying on my kayak, the first tourist boat of the day had disgorged its day trippers just around the corner, and many of them were now stood behind me taking photos of yours truly in the foreground of a rather decent view. Tourists eh?!

Just to my left the magnificently short Scavaig River, which must be all of 300 metres long, discharged its flow over the boiler plate slabs of rock in to the sea.

Follow the river upstream and you come upon Loch Coruisk which lies right in the heart of the Cuillin surrounded by 3,000 foot mountains and ridges. Truly stunning. I've long held an ambition to paddle this loch, but that wasn't going to happen today.

Having scoffed and viewed, it was time to set off again and I slowly worked my way around the numerous skerries, trying not to disturb the seals off the rocks and succeeding in the case of all bar one. The views in to the mountains were quite something.

Eventually I worked my way out of the inner confines of Loch na Cuilce and Loch Scavaig, around Rubh'a a' Gheodha Buidhe and across to Soay, picking up the constant west bound tidal flow in Soay Sound. Landing on Soay and looking back a new perspective of the view opened up.

Across the Sound, the slopes of Gars-bheinn sloped straight down to the sea at a near constant angle, from nearly 3,000 feet to zero in 1.5km!

As I was paddling solo, I again exercised caution over valour and declined the opportunity to circumnavigate Soay. Instead it was straight across 4km of open water back to Elgol. My reward for that decision? Two porpoises surfacing right in front of my kayak, so close I could see the dorsal fin structures. What a day!

The Cuillin and Soay - Part 1

2009-08-09T20:37:00.014+01:00

On Saturday I travelled from Sunart to my new base at Ord on Skye. Having suffered immediate withdrawal symptoms Sunday had to be a paddling day. Fortunately the weather was superb and the trip I had in mind was one not to be undertaken lightly by someone traveling solo - Loch Scavaig and the isle of Soay. My launch spot was Elgol, a delightful village with a superb tea room and small harbour.

I was very keen to get on the water as the conditions were just too good to be true and the scenery quite stunning. The ridge of the Black Cuillin lay before me, Gars-bheinn to the left leading away to Sgurr nan Gillean in the distance at 3/4 right. The little hill in the front right is the modestly high but still striking Sgurr na Stri.

To prove how keen I was to get paddling, please observe the day-glo yellow jacket still tied to the stern of my kayak from when it had been on my car roof rack! I beached at Claddach a' Ghlinne at the mouth of Glen Scaladal to remove this item of uncool paddling kit.

Then I noticed the view in the other direction - Rum. The island is about 18km away.

Having corrected my faux-pas I pressed on, passing the bothy and other buildings at Camasunary. The estate here used to be owned by Ian Anderson of Jethero Tull fame, before he sold up to the local community. The hill to the right is Bla Bheinn and the one at the back Marsco, both part of the Red Cuillin.

Eventually I entered Loch na Cuilce, hemmed in by the Cuillins and with many islets covered with seals, hundreds of them. The Junior Mountaineering Club of Scotland have a hut here, the Coruisk Memorial Hut. What a superb location. Landing around here is generally difficult as the rocks slope straight down in to the sea, but just in front of the hut there is a seaweed covered rocky beach. Time for lunch number one.

Ardnamurchan Point

2009-07-07T19:56:00.016+01:00

Apologies for the indulgence but that streak on the horizon is one of my favourite islands and I would have loved to have been on that ferry to Coll. This gentleman was there recently...... grrrrrr! and he can take real photos..... GRRRRRR!

Instead I "kayaked" (ahem!) to Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerley point of the island of Britain.....

....or is it? What about that bit that sticks out a mile or so further south? The land in the background is the north west coast of the Isle of Mull.

Kayaking books and websites talk about the few places to land if rounding the Point. Most if not all refer to the bay on the north side of the point but this one to the south looks to be do-able so long as the weather is not from the general direction of the west.

Portuairk at the southern end of Sanna Bay is the most approachable place by road to unload kayaks and kit and launch. A larger parking area is a couple of hundred yards up the hill from this view. I met the postie several times while reconnoitering Ardnamurchan. Her round starts at 10am (I guess the mail comes over from Tobermory on the ferry) and finishes at about 5.30pm, and she doesn't hang around either! Is this one of the longest postal rounds in Britain?

Kilchoan harbour, where the ferry lands from Tobermory on Mull. The lighthouse on Mull in the distance is the same one as seen on an earlier blog for Day 2 of this trip.

Nice bay is it not? If on the second day I had continued to paddle around the headland for another couple of kilometres instead of turning and paddling a couple of kilometres in the other direction to camp on Oronsay, I could have camped here. How annoying!

And what superb views! McLean's Nose is the significant headland.

Moidart

2009-07-05T13:30:00.015+01:00

Small enough to pootle around but with plenty of interest and stunning scenery to keep you occupied for a full day, Loch Moidart has to be my favourite sea loch.

Castle Tioram, formerly home of of Ranald, son on Somerled, Lord of the Isles, sits on small island that can be approached on foot along a tombolo at most times other than higher tides.

Eilean Shona is a large tidal island that splits Loch Moidart in two. Much of the north channel dries out at low tide and is shallow at high tide, being passable for a kayak but most other craft will struggle. Large parts of the island are wooded and there are a number of properties scattered around the island, some of which can be rented from the estate as holiday homes. A cracking place to get away from it all.

I spotted this old trawler from my launch spot so headed up the loch to get a closer look. I have this thing for old wooden fishing boats.....

There are a small number of superbly located cottages along the coast and islands of Loch Moidart. Dream on.

Turning towards the southern channel of the outer loch you soon get sight of the skerries that guard the entrance and passage of the outer loch. Seals, otters, popoises and eagles, both golden and white-tailed can, and were, seen here.

At the mouth of the loch the view opens up from Ardnamurchan to Muck and on to Eigg and Rum.

Close to the entrance of the loch a sandbar joins Eilean Shona to one of the skerries. A group from Rockhopper Seakayaking were on a day trip in the loch and had decided on the same lunch location, but it was easy enough to lose one another here.

After lunch I slipped out of the loch and headed out to some of the offshore skerries, working my way through the many inlets and channels, enjoying the rise and fall of the swell on the outside of the rocks and the push and pull of the wash through the channels. Given the big skies it was easy to see the weather changing. The pattern of the week, a rising and strong afternoon northerly wind, was brewing again, so rather than heading further up the coast I turned south to Farquhar's Point and headed back in to the loch, exploring the southern shore of the Loch, then the northern, and back to the southern side again.

The wind really picked up, the rain started, and stopped, but soon the loch was a mass of white horses and I was on the south-side with breaking waves and the wind beam on. Oh joy! I ground out a tough paddle, switching to the north shore to avoid the shallows where the River Shiel flows in to the loch before finishing back at the castle.

Day 4 - R&R

2009-06-28T20:42:00.006+01:00

Sometimes, you need to go somewhere you know.....

To reflect......
to renew...........

and to refresh.

My favourite sea loch...........

Day 3 - Loch Sunart

2009-06-28T20:09:00.006+01:00

Chez Vince for night 2. A pleasant enough bay with room for a couple of tents but exposed to the northerly wind that was blasting away for most of the evening and which lulled me in to a deep sleep very quickly. I was visited by a red deer doe, which came within a yard of the tent, grazing the grass around where I had pitched. I lay still and quietly with the tent door open and watched her. Absolutely brilliant.

My stove was still playing up and the strong late afternoon winds that seemed to have set in to some sort of weather pattern preyed on my mind so I made the reluctant decision to return to Reisipole rather than travel further along the Ardnamurchan coast. I needed some hot water to give the stove a strip down and good clean: Moral of the story - use Coleman fuel rather than unleaded petrol, or get a gas stove. I paddled across to the Ardnamurchan shore and turned east, passing Glenborrodale Castle and a maze of rocky islets.

The trip back up the loch was basically a paddling slog and fairly boring. My destination was
below the summit of the distant hill.

Salen, a small village on an inlet favoured by the yachting fraternity, provided a brief interlude from the drudgery of the inner stretch of the north shore. A couple of interesting islolated bays also offered decent enough food stops.

Drambuie - day 2

2009-06-25T21:15:00.013+01:00

After a night disturbed by the wind and the clanking of anchor chain, caused by the crew of the ketch having to up-anchor to change position at least once during the night to seek better shelter, dawn came with the low sun and mist gradually moving from sea level up the hills as it was burnt off by the rising temperature.

The plan was to pack up quickly, get on the water and continue heading west towards Mull, possibly getting to Tobermory or thereabouts and then seeing how things were. Oh for the best laid plans..... The reality was a little different. My multi-fuel stove was playing up and while it would cook food and heat water, it was taking a long time and ultimately I had to strip it down, thoroughly clean and then re-assemble it...... twice. A filthy job that wasted a lot of time. The other niggle at the back of my mind was the way the northerly wind had been getting up in the afternoon for the last couple of days and blowing a real hooley at F5 in the relative shelter of Loch Sunart. What if I got across to Mull and was then stuck on a north facing shore, unable to move due to the high wind, with a stove that was playing up? When you are alone your mind can start to play these wonderful games.

So after a later then intended start I pressed on to Auliston Point, the entrance to Loch Sunart and the turning point in to the Sound of Mull. I arrived there as the tide turned to the flood, so any crossing would be against the tidal flow and if the wind got up, then the wind would be against the tide. It's funny how these things gang up on you. Although I was seemingly miles from anywhere, the picture above shows Mull, the lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall and some aerials on the hills behind. For the first time for a couple of days I had a mobile phone signal! So I phoned the management to let her know I was alive and kicking and watched the tide rise towards my beached kayak.

Yachts were taking advantage of the switch in tidal flow and were coming in to Loch Sunart on the flood tide.

Under foot the ground was covered with the insectivorous butterwort (above), cotton grass and marsh orchids (left). En route I had paddled around a headland only to spook an otter, which launched itself from 6 feet up on rocks, in to the air, landing with quite a splash in to the sea by the side of my kayak. My first flying otter!

Given all the circumstances I decided to retreat back to Loch na Droma Buidhe, a well known anchorage to the yachting world and therefore suffering a name corruption to Loch Drambuie. I passed these rather wonderful rock formations en-route. The loch lies between the Sunart Peninsula and Oronsay with a navigable entrance on the west but a severely constricted and tidal dependant outflow to the east. I just made it through the rocks and kelp beds in my kayak on the risng tide. I enjoyed the loch with its inlets and creeks so much I totally failed to take any pictures of reasonable quality! Breeding terns are on some of the islands in the loch and seals haul out on the rocks near the eastern entrance.

I was now nearly back to where I camped the night before, but not wanting to camp in or near the same place twice, I set about searching for another suitable location. I circled around Oronsay and crossed over to the Ardnamurchan shore in a rising northerly wind searching for a suitable camp site. What looked like attractive beaches from the distant Sunart shore turned out to be steep boulder beaches with no where to pitch a tent, or reasonable beaches with sodden ground behind, that would be a real midge fest in the morning if the wind dropped. I wasn't that desperate so retreated to Oronsay where I had identified a suitable spot when passing in the morning. The wind was well and truly up and waves were breaking over the back of my kayak in the loch. Time to go and do battle with the stove again.

The Big Trip 2009, day 1

2009-06-24T21:58:00.015+01:00

Launch was from the campsite slipway on the north shore of Loch Sunart at Resipole. They allow cars to be left for £2 a night. The kayak is loaded up with provisions and water for a four day trip. The sun is shining and the sea loch is almost mirror calm. It was good to get on the water and start paddling.

For the first day the plan was to follow the Sunart (southern) shore. The Sunart Oakwoods are an internationally important site for mosses, lichens and liverworts as well as various vegetation communities, birds and animals. Much of the southern shore of Loch Sunart has this important semi-natural woodland dominated by oak, but there are also enormous conifer plantations and significant areas of rhododendron, which thrive in the climate here. The alien conifers and rhododendron are being removed.

There are massive areas of clear-fell and jetties exist in a number of places to facilitate the removal of the timber by coasters. This particular one looked more redundant than used.

This coaster had arrived on Monday evening for loading at a jetty on the southern shore of Loch Sunart opposite the Resipole campsite. I had seen it earlier that day heading south down Loch Linnhe near Fort William, so presumably the timber is going to the pulp mill at Corpach. 24 hours later it was loaded up and on its way back.

After a few hours of gentle paddling I reached the island of Carna, an island with narrows on either side that is at the entrance of Loch Teacuis. The hill in the background is Ben Laga.

I came across this urchin shell on top of a rock that had presumably been used as an anvil or lunch place by a gull or perhaps an otter, which are plentiful hereabouts.

The channel on the west side is narrower than on the east and has quite a few submerged rocks. The tide really rips through here and it was fascinating watching the changes of the tidal flow as time passed by.

It was at this point I decided to make my campsite. It was a very warm day and as it was my first days paddling I didn't want to over do things or become dehydrated. I'd only paddled for about six hours, perhaps covering 25km, but sometimes it is best to quit while you are ahead.

The ketch on the far left seemed to be some sort of research vessel that came in to anchor on the north side of Eilean nan Eildean. A couple of tenders were working the channel and there appeeared to be some sort of observation of the sea floor and collection going on. Apparently there are some important reefs hereabouts. Later in the afternoon the wind started to blow a real hooley from the north west and during the night the ketch had to be moved around the Eilean for more shelter.

2009 "The Big Trip"

2009-06-23T21:39:00.003+01:00

Hello!

It's 1st June 2009 and I've scheduled four days to solo paddle a fair chunk of the Sunart and south Ardnamurchan coasts wild camping and fully self supported before moving on to the luxury of a cottage on Skye and day tripping. Time to get away from work and retain my sanity.

Three kayaks

2009-06-23T20:56:00.007+01:00

Well more accurately four kayaks actually! Earlier this year we tried out the new P&H Scorpio and Scorpio LV. My daughter and I took them out in huge seas to Roscolyn Beacon off the west coast of Anglesey in February. As the sea state was so mad there are no photos on the water so this is as good as it gets, the LV on dry land. Both boats handled superbly, up wind, down wind, cross wind with the sea head-on, following and on the beam. On the downside, I'm not too keen on the new P&H pinched skeg slider, particularly if fingers are cold, and my feet (size 8) don't fit in the LV too well with my kayaking boots on, so it would be the Scorpio for me. Highly recommended. Thanks to Pete Braas at Summit to Sea for the loan of the boats.

Last summer we made our usual trip to relatives in Pembrokeshire with the loan of an Avocet LV from Valley via Desperate Measures in Nottingham for my daughter to try out. The car rack is as good a place as any to see the difference between the Avocet LV and my standard Aquanaut. The volume difference is huge!

The Avocet LV handled well but the depth at the cockpit was too shallow for my daughter and I've since heard a couple of similar comments. Maybe the boat is something of a work in progress but it would seem there is a market for a smaller sea kayak.

Spot the backend of the boat in a cave at the entrance to Milford Haven.

Cruising the coast

2008 catch up - Skye

2009-01-18T16:40:00.016Z

Life was a little silly in 2008. Employers eh? Anyway, time for a bit of a catch up on a few of the highlights. May saw me returning to Skye after many years absence.

I was on the island for a week, including four days of sea kayak coaching from Gordon Brown of skyakadventures - Highly recommended.

Gordon seems to have most of the kayaks and kit that you might ever want to try out! We of course got a little damp (!) even though the weather was sunny, the wind calm and the sea as flat as a pancake. At least the tidal races of Kyle Rhea proved to be a good place for having a play.

During the summer a small ferry plys backwards between the mainland and Skye. It's quite amazing to watch the angle it has to take to defeat the tidal flow within the narrows.

South of the narrows the Kyle opens out in to Sandaig Bay and further south is the entrance to Loch Nevis and then down towards Knoydart. All stunning scenery and an objective for another time.

Return trip

2008-09-02T21:21:00.004+01:00

A month had passed and I hadn't been out in my kayak. Life at work has been mad and it was time to relieve some tension. The weather on Saturday looked to be set fair so off I went to Angelsey again to repeat my last trip, this time solo.

Launching in to the mist at Borthwen created a great atmosphere and a conversation beforehand with the couple whose family own the old lifeboat station was interesting. They liked the kayak (composite Valley Aquanaut) and were fascinated by all the kit I carried, most of it very necessary if paddling solo.

The sea was flat calm and an instructor had a group of four paddlers in the bay practicing edgeing their kayaks. Being the summer there were one or two jet skis around and as they seemed intent on heading south towards Silver Bay, I turned north and headed up towards Trearddur, rock hopping my way up the coast and using the eddies to progress against the ebb tidal flow. Some of the caves, gloups and arches are simply stunning and I was dawdling and playing that much that other sea kayakers caught me up before turning around and heading back.

The sea was dotted with pleasure fishing boats anchored in strategic places near rocks or eddylines where the fishing is best. Fish were leaping high out of the water to catch flies, and waders: redshank, knot, turnstones, curlews, greenshank, perhaps on passage, were feeding or resting on the rocks.

Turning south I decided to head out to Rhoscolyn Beacon, always something of a smelly experience (guano) but also good for a few seals. Sure enough a couple were lying up and weren't bothered as I paddled past within touching distance through one of the channels. After, when heading in to Borthwen, the mist was clearing and the sun was fighting its way through. I met a couple from Sheffield paddling sit on tops. The man had offered to help when I was unloading the kayak off the roof of my car after my arrival. They confessed to being new to this paddling lark. It was calm so I offered to escort them over to the islands. I think they got the best view of seals they had ever had. Brilliant.

Heading back in to Borthwen the lifeboat house people were about, he reading what looked like work (how sad in such a superb place), while sitting on a deckchair at the top of the ramp, she snorkelling with someone else in the water at the entrance to one of the channels. The sea was covered in a thin film of what looked like fuel, presumably from jet skis and other powered craft, and trapped in the bay by the calm. Another conversation ensued before I headed in and reluctantly climbed out of my boat after five hours on the water. Shortly afterwards the training group appeared and also packed up.

Great day..... but no pics! I left the camera at home. Doh!