DCKC Loch Goil

A message popped up on the WhatsApp DCKC Sea/Loch Peer Group: "Meeting 10.30 this Saturday at Divers' Layby, Finnart, for paddle to Ardgarten, Arrochar and back . Winds low and tide assist. Let me know if intend coming. Iain."

I let Iain know I would be there, afterall the diver's lay-by is all of a few miles from my house, and I have yet to paddle up Loch Long to Arrochar...

So with my boat loaded onto the car,  I drove the few miles to the lay-by. I was early of course, but this gave me time to kit up in peace and be ready for Iain and others to arrive.

There were nine paddlers in total in the end: Iain, Leigh, Leigh, Anne, Anne, Donald, Alistair, Simone, and me - Simon ! I like it when everyone has the same name, it does save a lot of confusion!

When everyone was afloat, Iain called us all together and announced there were two options. Option 1 - to paddle up Loch Long to Arrochar as originally published, or Option 2: to paddle into Loch Goil. Anne for West Kilbride has smentioned a few times how she'd like to go to Loch Goil to get some muscles; consequently this was her preference. In fact most of the group wanted to do Loch Goil. I said I was ambivalent as having done Loch Goil a few times now, I know how nice it is to paddle. A vote was taken and Loch Goil was chosen.

We stopped at Carrick Castle for some lunch, before heading up to Lochgoilhead. Anne managed to get a few muscles on the way back down Loch Goil's northern shore - they were going to take some cleaning as they were covered in Barnacles. You could see the bigger muscles lower down the rocks in the sea. The tides could have done with being a bit lower.

A lovely (if long) day out.

Fab!

14.3 nm 7 hours 5 minutes