With next to no wind and a mirror-flat Gare Loch, I decided to do a nice little training paddle out to Kilcreggan (for coffee and cake, of course) before heading back home.
Before setting off, I tried to call the King’s Harbour Master (KHM Tel: 01436 674321 Ext 3555), but the phone just rang and rang, so I gave up and set off. This was the first time I’d been unable to get through. It did occur to me that something might be up...
For once, with Gare Loch being so flat, I headed out across the loch towards Clynder before making my way through the narrows at Rhu. No sooner had I passed through the narrows than I heard a “Securitas” announcement on my VHF radio from KHM, closing the port to all traffic!
Doh! So, what do I do now? Do I carry on and hope the port closure is over in time for my return, or do I simply head back home? But if I headed back home now, I’d be entering the restricted area after it had been closed. Hmmm... looks like I am stuck.
I called KHM on the phone again, this time getting an answer. I asked how long the closure was likely to last, and KHM thankfully told me they should be finished by 11:30. Carrying on to Kilcreggan was going to be my best, if only option. I should then be able to time my return to coincide with the port reopening.
For once, the tides were working in my favour. Progress out of Gare Loch had been excellent, being on the last of the ebb tide. By the time I’d had my coffee and cake at Kilcreggan, the flood tide was pushing me back home.
At Kilcreggan, I was joined by the Rosneath Castle Bay Coastal Rowing Club’s skiff, Latimer Ledja. Don't think they stopped for coffee and cake though.
Not long after setting off from Kilcreggan, I could see a flotilla of boats appearing from behind Rosneath Point. It was the Royal Navy’s latest Astute-class submarine, HMS Agamemnon, heading out on her sea trials, flanked by two tugs and surrounded by lots of security boats.
With the submarine heading out, the port would soon be open again. And so it was! As I approached Rosneath Point, the port closure lights went out, and I was able to continue into Gare Loch.
KHM had asked me earlier to let them know when I was about to transit Rhu Narrows, so I called them on my VHF radio to let them know. No sooner had I done this than I spotted a sit-on-top kayaker coming through the narrows, along with two stand-up paddle boarders. I bet they hadn’t contacted KHM! Seeing as they were short on life jackets, I suspect they didn't have VHF radios, usable mobile phones, flares, PLB etc...
From the narrows back to the slipway, I was flying along, with a constant six knots-plus showing on my GPS. You really can’t beat paddling with the tide and next to no wind.
Fab!
11.6 nm 3 hours 2 minutes
GPS track
