Rataganadingdan

Low tide

Half way there!

Back at the beginning of September, a group from FSKC met up at Ratagan youth hostel. 

It was great to meet some new faces and also to get out with folks I've paddled before with. A first time back in a youth hostel since I was a youth (quite some time ago now!), Hubby dear's first time altogether. 

 

Coral beach lunch spot

On Saturday we had a lovely paddle, putting in at Plockton, and then coming under the Skye bridge before a long paddle back to Dornie via Eilean Donan. We stopped on our way to pick a large bag of the biggest mussels I've seen, which meant we then had to stop off and buy wine to cook them in, which then meant we had to drink what  wine we didn't use for cooking. They were the best, biggest, juiciest mussels I've ever had, delicious!

Our afternoon paddle

Tea and cake!

Heading for a pot of gold

Eilean Donan castle

Sunday saw various groups go their merry ways. David and Lorna went to clamber up some Forking (?) ridge, Fran and Jonathon had a leisurely (!!!) pedal up the hill behind the hostel, over the ferry at Glenelg before cycling via the Skye bridge back to the hostel

 

. More went down to Sandaig, either walking or paddling.

Hubby dear thinks he can stop the flow!

 

 

 

Hubby dear, David M, Jeff and I went for a play down at Kylerhea.

 We started off ferrygliding back and forth with quite a blustery wind, then down round the corner for elevenses where we saw evidence of a very recent otter visit. Back on the water, we spotted the tail end of the otter just as it dived down. By the time we crossed back over to the other side, it was lunchtime.

This is the moment I spotted an ENORMOUS red Lions Main jellyfish swooshing through the flow

A selfie taken on the wave!

We stopped for a while as the tide had changed direction and we were waiting for it to pick up to its 6 knot flow. This gave us a chance to practice edging and cutting in and out of the flow. We then popped over to the other side to try it over there, otherwise, we’d only be good on one side resulting in us paddling forever more in continuous circles! Then back again to watch the wave develop.

 

 

After playing for ages on the wave, exhausted, we decided to call it a day. All great fun.

A truly wonderful weekend.

Grabbing a coffee in what must be the smallest coffee shop around!

June jaunts

 

Setting off from Seacliff

The problem with spending so much time out paddling (could there really be such a problem?) is that this page goes a bit to pot! That's where my problem comes into it, I use this page a bit like a log book to remind myself where I've been, what I've been doing and who with! So with all that in mind I'm doing a mass June paddle excluding 2 club nights per week.

It was that big!

A few Gannets

Passing the Pulpit

After coming home from Islay, our next wee outing was to Seacliff with LSKC for a short paddle out and round the Bass. On the way out, some of us had the opportunity to have a play with North Berwick lifeboat, allowing them the chance to practise rescuing paddlers from their boats. We finished off the day with a wee surf playtime before heading onto the beach for a BBQ.

Mike looking smug at the mayhem he caused Hubby dear (in the background!)

Happy to have survived

Wheeeeee!

The next week it was time for a wee trip up to St Andrews as the surf report was looking great. We arrived to find 2" "waves". The swell kind of picked up for a short spell, well long enough for me to catch the wave of the day, which was a reasonable size - big enough to trash one of the fins on my boat!

More Wheeeeee!

Next day was another trip with LSKC. This time we were taking our OCs over to Loch Lomond.

Leaving Balmaha

The wee blue sweetie bags makes another appearance

Ice cream stop at Luss

Looking up the loch

Nick looking a bit worried, that thing really zoomed!

Getting some wind assistance

  As it was, we were the only two with OC's, the rest being in seakayaks. Why is it any time I have an OC out on Loch Lomond it seems to be blowing a hooley? This day was no exception! The good thing about tying the boats back on the car that day was that we were ready for our trip the next day.

 

Checking out the Linn of Tummel

This day was with FCAG and their family fun day held up at Loch Faskally. The sun managed to disappear most of the day, but a good time was still had by all who attended with trips down the loch, others running the Tummel and another group playing on the Garry dodging the bungee jumpers overhead!

Boingggg!!

Hard work all this paddling

The final weekend in June saw me leading a group along the coast to Lower Largo with FSKC. The weather going out to Elie was beautiful, but started picking up on our return which was fine as it helped to blow us back home.

Cave keeking

Checking out the chain walk

Passing East Vows

Looking out to a far away Bass Rock from the other side