Sandy Robson has set off on the first leg of a sea kayaking voyage from Germany to Australia. She will need to return to Australia and work between each stage but hopes to complete the trip in five years.
She hopes to retrace the amazing voyage by Oskar Speck from 1932 to 1939. He set off in the Depression looking for work. By the time he arrived in Australia WW2 had broken out and he was
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Sailing into the lee of Holy Island by sea kayak.
From Kingscross Point we crosssed the southern entrance of Lamlash Bay to the south end of Holy Island.
The brisk crossing was rewarded with a wonderful view from the Holy Island inner light into Lamlash Bay and the Arran mountains beyond. Since 2008 the north part of Lamlash Bay has been a protected marine reserve with a complete ban on commercial and recreational fishing. The great news is
The brisk crossing was rewarded with a wonderful view from the Holy Island inner light into Lamlash Bay and the Arran mountains beyond. Since 2008 the north part of Lamlash Bay has been a protected marine reserve with a complete ban on commercial and recreational fishing. The great news is
By paddle, sail and oar across Whiting Bay.
We now entered Whiting Bay and caught our first sign of the eponymous village, below the heights of Goatfell.
A large sea wall protects the attractive villas and just before we arrived it had been put to good use. The wake of the Troon to Larne had been crashing into it.
We continued to speed on our way under sail and..
...landed near Kingscross Point at the north end of Whiting Bay for...
..
A large sea wall protects the attractive villas and just before we arrived it had been put to good use. The wake of the Troon to Larne had been crashing into it.
We continued to speed on our way under sail and..
...landed near Kingscross Point at the north end of Whiting Bay for...
..
Running before the wind, below the sill.
Leaving Kildonan on the fourth day of our trip round Arran we hoisted our sails then paddled along a wild coastline. The scenery was dominated by an extensive tertiary sill, which extended...
...all the way to Dippen Head where we were...
...dwarfed by the scale of the cliffs.
Once round Dippen Head, we caught our first sight of Holy Island since the first day of our trip. We continued to sail
...all the way to Dippen Head where we were...
...dwarfed by the scale of the cliffs.
Once round Dippen Head, we caught our first sight of Holy Island since the first day of our trip. We continued to sail
A big cave and big appetites at Kildonan, Arran
From the sadly deserted beach at Cleit Shore we sped past huge boulder beaches until a dramatic change in the landscape announced our arrival at Bennan Head, which marks the southern tip of Arran.
Just offshore lies Pladda which is the second biggest of Arran's three satellite isles: Holy Island, then Pladda, then tiny Hamilton Isle.
We were sailing and paddling at 9-10km per hour and David
Just offshore lies Pladda which is the second biggest of Arran's three satellite isles: Holy Island, then Pladda, then tiny Hamilton Isle.
We were sailing and paddling at 9-10km per hour and David
A distinct lack of nudists at Cleits Shore.
The SW shore of Arran is superficially less dramatic than its neighbours. A boulder beach is backed by a raised beach which in turn is backed by a line of now dry wave cut cliffs. However, a series of basalt dykes run out to sea for distances of up to a kilometre from the shore.
They are particularly prominent in the region of the Cleits Shore, where they extend for a considerable distance,
They are particularly prominent in the region of the Cleits Shore, where they extend for a considerable distance,
False impressions at Blackwaterfoot.
Back on the water, we set off on the third day of our circumnavigation of Arran. We caught our first glimpse of Ailsa Craig as we rounded Drumadoon Point. Mist was curling off the Craig's summit, giving the impression that it was still an active volcano.
The point was also a turning point as far as our sailing was concerned. We set off for Blackwaterfoot on a beam reach and were to continue
The point was also a turning point as far as our sailing was concerned. We set off for Blackwaterfoot on a beam reach and were to continue
A tale of three harbours and some ferrous sheep on Arran
In Mid April David and I caught the midday ferry to Arran. As we approached Brodick the mountains were cloaked in low mist.
We trollied the kayaks off the ferry and were prepared to launch almost as soon as the MV Caledonian Isles had cleared her jetty.
We planned an anticlockwise circumnavigation of Arran, a distance of about 90km. A southerly breeze began to clear the mist from the mountains
We trollied the kayaks off the ferry and were prepared to launch almost as soon as the MV Caledonian Isles had cleared her jetty.
We planned an anticlockwise circumnavigation of Arran, a distance of about 90km. A southerly breeze began to clear the mist from the mountains
The Mull of Logan
In the middle of a sunny spell in April, the day dawned grey and drizzly at Portpatrick in SW Scotland. Tony and I met Jim (fresh from Skye) and Mark and Heather Rainsley who were visiting the area. Mark was keen to get some photos of Scottish coastal fortifications and Dunskey Castle fitted the bill!
We were headed south with the flood tide for the Mull of Logan, some 16km to the south. There
We were headed south with the flood tide for the Mull of Logan, some 16km to the south. There
John Willacy surfed my wake!
It was now time to leave Ailsa Craig and right on cue a nice F3-4 breeze got up from the NW to help us home. I used the sail to get in front of the others...
...and get some photos of the Arran mountains with Phil in the foreground.
Tony flashed by in his very sparkly Cetus.
Gradually the NW wind cleared the sky behind us.
John's Rockpool Taran surfed the waves very easily...
...as we slid
...and get some photos of the Arran mountains with Phil in the foreground.
Tony flashed by in his very sparkly Cetus.
Gradually the NW wind cleared the sky behind us.
John's Rockpool Taran surfed the waves very easily...
...as we slid
Imminent Barassie Monkeys.
When we left Lady Isle, the wind swung round to the SE and increased with a dramatic fall in temperature. Nearly 4 hours before, the Clyde Coastguard weather MSI broadcast had warned of gale force winds from the SE, expected imminent.
Yikes! Time to get home. By the time we approached the harbour wall at Troon Point our hands were freezing in the biting wind.
I could resist the temptation of a
Yikes! Time to get home. By the time we approached the harbour wall at Troon Point our hands were freezing in the biting wind.
I could resist the temptation of a
A close encounter of the Bres kind en route to Lady Isle.
I set off from Culzean Bay at a very acceptable rare of knots. Sadly Tony's progress was only half of a very acceptable rate of knots. (BTW don't you just love that special "Vaseline on the lens" effect you get with waterproof cameras like the Pentax Optio?)
The only decent thing to do was to stow the sail and let Tony catch up!
Although the town of Ayr was on the horizon, the coastline south
The only decent thing to do was to stow the sail and let Tony catch up!
Although the town of Ayr was on the horizon, the coastline south
Ready for some windy fun on the Clyde.
Saturday's XC weather, forecast for Troon.
Saturday's MagicSeaweed, surf forecast for Machrihanish.
Saturday's forecast for Troon, in the Firth of Clyde, showed that the predicted gales were not expected to arrive until well into Saturday evening. The surf at Machrihanish was predicted to be 9.5 feet in advance of the arrival of the approaching Atlantic low pressure system. Tony and I decided to
Saturday's MagicSeaweed, surf forecast for Machrihanish.
Saturday's forecast for Troon, in the Firth of Clyde, showed that the predicted gales were not expected to arrive until well into Saturday evening. The surf at Machrihanish was predicted to be 9.5 feet in advance of the arrival of the approaching Atlantic low pressure system. Tony and I decided to
Sea kayak sailing for non sailors!
Photo Ginni Callaghan Travels with Paddles.
I was delighted to read in his "Travels with Paddles" blog that the highly respected coach, Axel Schoevers from the Netherlands, has discovered Flat Earth Kayak Sails! In his enthusiastic write up of the sail he writes "The sail was reviewed in issue 22 of Ocean Paddler Magazine and that article didn't mention or even hint towards the, for me, most
I was delighted to read in his "Travels with Paddles" blog that the highly respected coach, Axel Schoevers from the Netherlands, has discovered Flat Earth Kayak Sails! In his enthusiastic write up of the sail he writes "The sail was reviewed in issue 22 of Ocean Paddler Magazine and that article didn't mention or even hint towards the, for me, most
Umbrellas in a sunny Loch Sunart.
After lunch we continued westwards, deep into Loch Sunart. As we passed Rubha Aird Earnaich we were passed...
...by the Ronja Pioneer, a live fish carrier, which was making her way up the Loch to a fish farm. Once she had loaded with fish she would make for the fish processing plant in Loch Creran.
A nice westerly breeze got up and I soon hoisted my Flat Earth sail.
Not to be outdone, David
...by the Ronja Pioneer, a live fish carrier, which was making her way up the Loch to a fish farm. Once she had loaded with fish she would make for the fish processing plant in Loch Creran.
A nice westerly breeze got up and I soon hoisted my Flat Earth sail.
Not to be outdone, David
Seakayakers, gypsies and bothy dwellers on Morvern.
This was a memorable trip that took place early in the month of June. Our aim was to circumnavigate the Morvern peninsula in western Scotland. It is very nearly an island being nearly surrounded by Loch Sunart to the north, the Sound of Mull to the Sw and Loch Linnhe to the SE. Only 11km of land lie between the head of Loch Sunart and Inversanda Bay on Loch Linnhe. We left a shuttle at the public
Keeping in line on the Solway.
Back in October, Billy, Jim, Phil, Tony and I convened at Carrick shore in Scotland's deep south, the Solway.
We planned to take the flood tide east to Little Ross Island and Kirkcudbright Bay.
A nice NW breeze soon had the Flat Earth sail filled and I was flying away towards Barlocco Isle.
It is just as well that the wind dropped or we would not have been able to practice five abreast
We planned to take the flood tide east to Little Ross Island and Kirkcudbright Bay.
A nice NW breeze soon had the Flat Earth sail filled and I was flying away towards Barlocco Isle.
It is just as well that the wind dropped or we would not have been able to practice five abreast
A fog horn and a siren on Ailsa Craig.
All too soon we had come right round Ailsa Craig to the silent south foghorn. It last bellowed into the mists of the Firth of Clyde in 1966.
Photo Phil Toman.
It was now time to say farewell to this remarkable island and its teeming birds.
Photo Phil Toman.
As we left the island in our wakes, we could not help but be grateful that such a natural wonder is so close to home. The west coast of
Photo Phil Toman.
It was now time to say farewell to this remarkable island and its teeming birds.
Photo Phil Toman.
As we left the island in our wakes, we could not help but be grateful that such a natural wonder is so close to home. The west coast of
A little rockhopping in the Firth of Clyde.
Phil and I convened at Carleton Bay to the south of Lendalfoot on the South Ayrshire coast. The light breeze was onshore so to check the sail, I had to head back into the shore......before starting the 15km crossing to the great granite monolith of Ailsa Craig.Ailsa Craig sits right in the middle of the mouth of the Firth of Clyde and it takes a long time to grow in size.As we approached the rock
Fellow travellers on Loch Fyne.
We pulled the kayaks up onto the grass above the shingle beach at otter ferry. We parked beside this hovercraft. Apparently "It's the most environmentally friendly motorised water sport available!" We did not meet the owner and in a way were glad we had not met on the water. Hovercraft produce an enormous number of decibels and it was such a lovely still evening.I much preferred the look of this
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