Welcome to my Sea Kayaking (b)log
The first evening paddle of 2026 with Helensburgh Canoe Club from the Royal Northern Clyde Yacht Club. Earlier in the day it was rather windy, with Gare Loch showing many white horses, but by the time we met at 7pm things had calmed down a bit. Consequently, we set off from the RNCYC and...
End of day 1's 16 hour Outdoor First aid training. A quick blast to Bute was in order from Toward Seasports Club. Toward Seasports Club graciously allowed me to park my camper van on their car park for a couple of nights, whilst attending the course near Dunoon. It is a lovely spot. Annoyingly,...
With temperatures set to soar well into the mid-30s in the East Midlands, we decided to head for the coast—somewhere cooler, with a nice sea breeze. Five and a half hours later, we finally arrived at the end of the Llŷn Peninsula in Aberdaron. There had been a bad accident on the M6, and...
With the first anniversary of my wife’s mother’s passing approaching, my wife felt it was time to scatter her mum’s ashes, along with those of her stepdad, "Six-Foot-Ten Ken." They had both loved Whitby, so we decided to hold the scattering at sea, just outside the harbour. The plan was for my wife to...
Friday, 15th September was a wet, wet day. Having been to Campbeltown in the morning to buy some whisky, I decided to go for a quick paddle out into Carradale Bay to see if I could catch some Mackerel for tea. Earlier that morning, before setting off to Campbeltown, I had been walking the...
For todays paddle in Lamlash bay, having made sure I was well outside the "No Take" zone, I had a little fish for some mackerel. My rig is very simple, a weight, with four lures on a hand spool of about 40 meters of mono filament line. On my first cast, I let the...
The Sugar Boat, or correctly named MV Captayannis was anchored off Greenock at the Tail of the Bank waiting to unload a cargo of raw sugar from East Africa for processing at the Tate and Lyle refinery when, on the night of 27th January 1974, a fierce gale caused her to drag her anchor....
We were only supposed to go to Middle Mouse, but conditions were so fab we ended up doing the Skerries! Brill day and a great end to a long weekend!...
Paddling in a sauna! Fab day! ...
The weather forecast for Wednesday was not at all good. Si and I went and took a look at Trearddur Bay and we were not impressed. Very windy, Rain showers, big seas and flat broken waves. Fine if you fancy being bongo'd sideways constantly, but neither of us did. So we chatted to the...
Another blazing hot sunny day in Devon. This time at South Milton. What a cracking day and best of all I get to have a paddle to the Hopes and to explore the Bolt Tail. It was a busy day at the beach with lots of people on Stand Up paddle boards on the...
On holiday with Mrs T in the South West and I get to go for a paddle! The first time since January, no thanks to Covid. Bigbury was flat calm, despite all the surf boards being carried to the beach. I opted to take my Valley Sirona. It was a blazing hot sunny day....
Simon and I had arranged to set off from Anglesey Outdoors at 8:00am, for some breakfast, before heading up to Cemaes Bay. Cutting a long story short, someone (ahem me!) forgot to pick up their kit from the drying room at Anglesey Outdoors. I guess a combination of still being a bit sore about...
I've just come across a little booklet written by the UK Sepsis Trust. I wish I had been told about this following my little sepsis episode a year ago. Or at least been given some of the info by the hospital when they discharged me. But then again, if I was told, I would...
During a rash moment over Christmas I booked onto an Advanced Sea Kayak assessment. I thought, "March, It'll be warming up by then". Wrong! It was only the week of the "Beast from the East". Even so, I travelled up to Anglesey after work on the Tuesday night, arriving at Anglesey Outdoors close to...
With the weather forecast for SW F5 gusting to F7 there was much debate among the various groups at Anglesey Outdoors as to where would be best for a paddle. Having had a little drive down the coast to Trearddur Bay and seen the various conditions, it was an easy decision, head for the Menai...
After a better nights camping, Wednesday came with Open Water Navigation in the morning, personal skills in Penrhyn Mawr in the afternoon, followed by an excellent moonlit night nav exercise in the evening....... a very long but productive day. Monday seemed like a long long time ago! The night navigation was great fun. Hand-railing...
After a very wet and windy night that saw me getting up at 4am to dismantle my tarp, that was trying to leave camp, we I met with James Stevenson of Adventure Elements and the other trainees in the paddlers at 9am. The other paddlers were Helen, Yorkshire Dave and Gordon. Having made our introductions James...
Penrhyn Mawr again with Brian, Andy Sloan and Dave Blake's group. We all got there far too early. We (Brian and moi) told them it was far too early after the night before, but they insisted on a 9:30 on the water. Hey ho. Another hour in bed would have been nice. When we...
Day 1 As pre course homework Roger asked us to plan a suitable journey as a four star leader - I used Phil Clegg's Journey planner (see downloads) and planned from Porth Darfarch to Trearddur Bay and back, which was well within remit. In the end we paddled from Rhoscolyn out to the tidal...
