The 6 mile trip to Kilcreggan from Shandon is always a nice trip, with the added bonus of having a coffee and cake at the cafe. With clear blue skies and next to no wind it was certainly a lovely day.
Before setting off I telephoned the Kings Harbour Master (KHM Clyde 01436 674321 ext. 3555, also on VHF channel 73) at Faslane, to let them know my paddle plans. However, I didn't let on about the coffee and cake, being the kind person I am. This is only the second time since moving here I've called KHM. But having done so, I have learnt it's a good idea to call them, as they can let you know of any shipping movements and port closures. They can also let other vessels know, especially the police boat, there is a mad kayaker out there. As I was chatting to the KHM person, he to was telling me there used to be a windsurfer living in Shandon who was frequently out on Gare Loch. I laughed as I told him "yes I know, we bought his house"! Another useful piece of info he provided me with was they would be closing Rhu Narrows to all traffic from between 13:00 and 14:30. This meant I needed to be back through the narrows and into Gare Loch before 13:00. This meant I had around 4 hours paddling time, plenty of time for coffee and cake, and maybe a little bit more exploration.
GPS track
The tide was ebbing until around about 11:30, so paddling out was fairly quick. As I approached the narrows, I thought I heard a call from KHM on my VHF. So I stopped and listened, and a few moments later I heard KHM again on the radio calling me. On responding, KHM told me there was a warship HMS Severn, about to pass through the narrows, on route to Faslane. Could I please stop and maintain my position to let the warship pass. As the warship was much bigger than me, and also had, I've no doubt some big guns, it was no contest - not that I would have carried on anyway. No sooner had I responded back to KHM I was maintaining my position, I could see the mast of the warship approaching the narrows, looking over the top of Rhu spit. Regardless of getting the call on the radio, I'd have given way anyway. Interestingly, the Police boat passed through first and immediately took up a broadside position close to me, as if to block me from getting any closer. This made me laugh, so I gave them a nice big friendly wave. HMS Severn then appeared through the narrows, closely followed by a large tug. With HMS Severn and the tug having passed by, the police boat shot off, and I was able to travel onwards through the narrows and cross to the Rosneath peninsular. However, there was the not so small matter of paddling through the wash from the Tug accompanying HMS Severn. The resulting wash from the tug was quite a large surfable wave, but unfortunately for me it was in the wrong direction. I just had to bash my way through it.
There were lots of seals on the exposed Perch Rock as I approached. I kept my distance at over 300m plus, not wanting to disturb them. But at the same time as I was approaching, a small dive support vessel, perhaps another 300m further out to sea, was also passing Perch rock. I think this spooked the seals, as all of a sudden the seals suddenly took to the water. I can only assume they didn't like the "pincer" movement, with me on one side of the rock and the vessel on the other.
The tide was still helping me along quite nicely, and very soon I had arrived at Kilcreggan.
Suitably "Coffee'd and Caked'd", I set off from Kilcreggan and decided to head over to the Sugar Boat (MV Captayannis). I could just make out its capsized hull, in the shimmering sunlight. About a mile or so from the Sugar boat, I suddenly saw a porpoise surface about 100m away. This was closely followed by two more. But no sooner had they appeared, they were gone.
I did a quick lap around the Sugarboat wreck. As it was close to low water, the wreck of the hull was far more exposed, more than I've ever seen before. It was now 11:35 and yet there was a fair current coming over the bow of the Sugarboat - the incoming flood tide. Paddling across to Helensburgh with the tide now behind me, I was averaging in high fives and sometime six knots. At Helensburgh, with it being not long after low water, the tide was still a long way out and I had to stay a fair way offshore. The waterfront at Helensburgh is quite shallow for several hundred meters out to sea. There are large glacial erratic rocks in these shallows, hiding just beneath the surface, waiting to scratch the gel coat (or worse) of the unwary.
Back at Rhu narrows, and after a quick lookout to see if there were any vessels approaching, I passed into Gare Loch. I was surprised to see the tide was still ebbing from Gare loch. But I guess this makes sense, with Gare Loch being such a large body of water, restricted by the narrows, it takes time to empty. Rather than head back on the Rhu/Shandon side of Gare Loch, I decided to stick to the Rosneath peninsular side, and make my crossing back to Shandon, directly across from my launching point. Besides, it was now 12:30 and as I was now in Gare Loch, there was no possibility of being caught out by the port closure lights at the narrows at 13:00. I even had time to do a circumnavigation of Carraig an Roin, a smallish rock, usually submerged, just offshore of Clynder.
Back at the slipway, KHM announced on VHF, Rhu Narrows was now closed to all traffic. It was precisely 13:00. Perfect timing. All I had to do now was let KHM I was now off the water, load my Taran onto my trolley and walk the 75m back to my house.
Fab paddle in the sunny sun.
14.2 nm 3 hour 52 minutes
Photos
