Girls just want to have fun!

In August I was honoured to be asked to coach at the WSKF on Bute.

Busy Bute

Getting to grips with balance

Round the Burnt Islands

 

 I had 4 lovely ladies needing an introduction to seakayaking. What a thoroughly enjoyable weekend I had, all the more so as one of the ladies was battling cancer at the time and her determination was awe inspiring. I must have done OK as I have been asked to the Devon one this year.

Back home, we now have no shower and very little kitchen. The garage still doesn't want to come down. Time to head off again!

This time 5 of us, Andy, Ansgar, Alice, Ken and myself,  headed off to Lewis and Harris.

Shiants sunset

 Our first night was a flat calm trip out to the Shiants, that saw Andy sleeping fully clothed with one eye open most of the night due to the fact there wasn't much beach and the tide was fairly high! With a bit of a strong breeze forecast, we didn't want to hang around too long so after playing in and out the rocks at Galtachan, we cut straight back to the lighthouse at Rubha Uisinis  and up to Leumrabhagh.

 We then decided to camp outside the hostel at Reinigeadal as the weather was forecast to get really breezy. We managed a lovely trip out round Scalpay, a very fast, one way trip/surf the full length of Loch Seaforth and a walk over the hills to Tarbert for a swim, just to find the pool was closed due to lifeguard shortage!

Garenin Blach House

 We spent the next few days over at Garenin where we stayed in a Black House hostel, I would highly recommend it if you are in the area. From there we had trips out from Miaghaig, passing the "Cuma", no-one was home. and round the inside of  Great Bernera, another trip out from Carlabhagh round by a  stormy Craigearn and back in through a massive jacuzzi.

Sheltering from the "breeze"

 Unfortunately due to the drafty conditions, we were kept well away from all the outer beaches. The last of our time up in the Hebrides was spent storm watching!

Still a wee gap on the floor for our kit!

Even less kitchen now, but beginning to get new windows. Garage is eventually down to the foundations!

Warmer waters

Colourful waters!

Time for some warm water! A wee trip to Gran Canaria was in order.

Kitchen units are now in, still no shower. Garage is beginning to be rebuilt!

Spot the paddling kit on the line!

Time to get away again! 

Arddaroch

Ice cream stop

Off to Torridon for a weekend with LSKC this time. We had great trips out on Loch Sheildaig, managing an icecream at the hotel there. Next day, we had a mass paddle out from Arddaroch, passing Kishorn island, round to the coral beach then in to Plockton for icecream. As good a weekend for socialising as it is for paddling!

More paddling kit drying!

As for the house, garage is getting there, heating is in and the decorating is just beginning (my job!) Guess I'll need to stay at home a bit now!

Lots of women and a handful of blokes!

Way back in August, I headed over to Bute for the Women's Sea Kayak Paddling Festival. Lots of women, lots of kayaks, lots of paddling and a handful of blokes (the Man Creche!)

Sweetie Time

Saturday morning saw lots of kayaks being put on lots of cars by the handful of blokes before heading off for our trips for the day. Our trip was for "A Challenging Day Paddle".  Marion, Alice, Anna, Julie and I set off from  Kilchatten Bay with Justine leading us over to Little Cumbrae , stopping on the way for our compulsory sweetie stop!

Millport

According to the map, the icecream shop should be here!

The whole point of paddling!

So far the trip isn't proving to be too challenging, that is until we reached Millport on Great Cumbrae, where we had to choose our flavour of ice cream, any flavour with the exception of Irn Bru was loverly. After lunch, we were planning on heading up the side of Great Cumbrae, however the wind had picked up considerably, so Justine decided to head back a bit sooner. There were times Kilchatten Bay never seemed to be getting closer. Just as it was, 2 porpoises appeared swimming between the boats. The trip did eventually turn into "A Challenging Day Paddle" after all.

Stuck in the wrong direction

Afterwards a lovely meal supplied by Ettrick Bay Tea room was quickly scoffed before heading round to the big tent to be given a talk by Justine on her recent trip (she only returned the previous Tuesday)along the Aleutian Islands.

Ettrick Bay

Esther limbering up!

 

Next day our choice was "Loving The Wet Stuff". Boats were unloaded, reloaded, humphed across beaches by the handful of blokes. Off everyone went in their various directions to their various choice of activities. Loving the wet stuff was being run by Lesley . We started off by getting in, out and round about our boats, getting used to balancing. We were working up to having a try at Greenland rolls. Lesley then gave us a wonderful demo of what we could aspire to with lots of work and yoga to keep flexible.

Lesley making it look very elegant

Bathtime!

Kit rinsing

Whilst all our paddling was going on, the handful of blokes were allowed time off to do their own bit of paddling - just not with us!

Blokes challenging day paddle

Next day the wind had really picked up. Everyone was going to have challenging paddling whether they liked it or not! We headed over to Port Bannatyne to have a session on turning in the wind - well, we certainly had the wind!

Wind? What wind?

 It was a great weekend, learnt lots and made lots of new friends.

Bute

Sunny Bute

 We recently signed up for an SCA trip round Bute. We were all packed up, boats on the roof ready to leave at the crack of dawn the next morning when word came through that the trip was cancelled. The forecast was for wind, rain and more wind! That was a pity as the Forth was looking particularly stunning, sparkling in the sun, I was really looking forward to a trip like that.

Niall came round early on the Saturday morning and the 3 of us headed over to Wemyss Bay to catch the ferry across to Rothesay. We set off from Ardbeg point to cross the bay in lovely sheltered water, only to get a feel of what was to come as we came out of the bay. We paddled into the wind, before having a breather in Kerrycroy Bay.

Breather at a very uniform Kerrycroy

 Niall had decided before we set off that the distance we were travelling, we would be round the bottom point in a couple of hours - HA! he forgot we were in boats and not the car!  We cut across a very breezy Kilchatten Bay. Whilst we were having yet another breather, we noticed another paddler paddling hard. We hung around to see who it was. Ramsay was another SCA trip paddler who had decided still to have a paddle. He was about to turn back at this point ( he had already paddled across from Wemyss Bay) but joined us to carry on round the island.

Last photo til after the bumpy water!

 The sea was beginning to pick up even more by the time we were passing the lighthouse at Glencallum Bay. We were heading towards Stravanan Bay for lunch - a late one! However as we were passing Barr Point, I was obliterated by a massive wave - no exaggeration! Of course it hit me from the "wrong" side meaning I set up on the wrong side and having had a couple of attempts at a roll and possibly taking in enough water to warrant declaring low tide, my deck had come off and I was out. I knew Hubby dear was right beside me for a rescue, but I just couldn't keep the boat "on" me anymore. It was literally pulled off me. Thanks to Niall for supporting me as I bailed out an oceans worth of water! Later on, Hubby dear was trying to "help" me analyse what had happened. I was somewhat happy with the fact it was such an impressive wave that got me and not a dinky ripple. However, thinking of it, I realised that I had coped with the wave in my mind reasonably well ( ! ). I had a very long, very fast side surf and had I been paying attention to the wave and not the wall of rocks that I was zoomed towards at alarming speed, I would have realised I had survived the wave and fallen off the back of it. It still wasn't into a dinky ripple, the water was a bit mashed up there with clapotis. Oh well, I was needing a stretch of the legs and it was good rescue practise for Hubby dear! We eventually got our much needed lunch/tea/almost supper.

Don't believe this pic, the seas were heaving!!!

Arran in the background

 We then carried on up to Ettrick Bay where we camped for the night.
That night the wind still blew, the rain sill chucked it down however at about 6 in the morning all went quiet. The morning was a bit grey and misty, but thankfully no wind, no rain. Roddy McDowell from Kayak Bute came over to walk his dog, have a chat and offer us coffee when we passed his house on the other side.

Looking down the Kyles of Bute

Passing Loch Ruel

 By the time we were out of the bay, the mist lifted and it was like a different day. What a gentle, peaceful paddle we had up the Kyles of Bute, just a gentle breeze which gave Ramsay a chance to use his sail. We stopped for a sunny lunch on Burnt Islands.

Lunch on Burnt Islands

 Ramsay was going to get the ferry back, but decided just to paddle. We watched his sail get smaller until it was just a dot.
We decided against taking Roddy up on his kind offer. I think if we had stopped, we might still be sitting there! When we got back to the car, the elderly man from the house across the road came out to check we were OK. It seems he gets concerned about paddlers going out and not coming back. It's good to know folks still care. He also recommended a good ice cream shop without us even asking. I must have had that "I'm desperate for an ice cream" look about me.

Back round to Loch Striven