July jollies

Following on with my montage of paddling, I’m now on July.

This should have been a fairly quiet start to the month paddling wise for me as I had been abandoned. Hubby dear was off for a wee jaunt round St Kilda – without me!!!

So what does an abandoned paddler do? Why go paddling of course! Tuesday evening was a loch session, Wednesday evening a sea session, Thursday was a beginners trip for LSKC out under the bridges, round and back again.

Dried my kit on Friday!

At the put in, Pitlochry

Saturday I had a lovely OC trip down the Lower Tummel from Pitlochry down to Ballinluig with Kirkcaldy Kayaker.  It was great getting 1 to 1 coaching, lots of ferry / reverse ferry gliding, setting and surfing and all in roasting sunshine, finished off with a large ice cream – yum!

Stand up paddle surfing

A St Kilda puffin

Hubby dear came home that evening complete with a puffin for me!

 

CWW waiting for high tide?

Simon going off the wall

Sploosh

CWW's turn

Next morning, we were off to Stanley for a wee play in the river boats. It’s a while since I’ve been out in the river boats, still it was good being out even if I was a bit wary as to whether the old roll was going to act up or not. A wee try at the beginning of the day worked well, whereas a wee try at the bottom of Thistlebrig worked, but not with such “flair!”

Taily time

Bow stalling

  Stanley one day, Bass rock the next!

Later in the month we had a lovely evening trip out past Inchcolm, on to Oxcars, then across to Inchmickery, where we sat drifting and watching the Puffins for a while – I can never get enough of Puffins!

The month was finished off with a lovely evening trip out from Kinghorn - we really have had some cracking weather this summer!

Extreme dressing, Young Trevor looking for a dunking or just being a boil in the bag?

Lots of sea urchins and starfish

Heading back to Kinghorn

 

Big boats on the Tay

Nice, new and still dry

This trip was to launch my new acquisition, my new Pyranha Burn, which I was lucky enough to win. I had been in and out the boat umpteen times, getting it fitted for me, all in the comfort of the bedroom (the spare one!)
Off we set for Stanley, where there were a few groups of paddlers, all interested in why I should be taking photos of the boat on the bank. Once they knew it was the prize boat, a few did say they had put in for the competition too. They seemed happy enough to have seen the boat, but probably much happier had they won it.

Launched at last

I jumped in and launched it, no beer this time. I thought I needed to keep my wits about me, it's a while since I'd been in a kayak.

Getting a feel for it

Down at the weir

The burn is really comfy, like a big armchair. A lot bigger than my other river kayaks, but still good fun to paddle. The river was quite high and there were a lot of fishermen around, so we didn't bother going up to the Linn. We had a bit of a play up at the wall, then down on the wave on river left, before heading down to the weir.

Having a wee shot

I even allowed Hubby dear a wee shot! I'd like to get a bit longer to play in the Burn to get a proper feel for it, we were just up for a short stint.

On the wave in the new boat

Same wave next day

Early next morning we were heading back up to Stanley with the sea kayaks for the 4th of the AWE sea sessions. We started off playing in the wee side river, ferry gliding back and forward, before doing the same using the full width of the river.

Grabbing an eddy

 After that, it was up to the wall for a bit more crossing the flow and eddy hopping before making our way further over to have a look at the Linn. We didn't stay long, it was really messy up there that day with no real eddies to sit in, just big swirly boils appearing from no where!

With the Linn behind

Aline, still upright in calm water!

Iain grabbing the wave

The only time Young Trevor got the edge right

 We headed back to the car for a bite of lunch before our afternoon session. Sandy was going to have a shot at leading down the weir. Hubby dear and Iain sat below the weir whilst we were above getting our instructions from Sandy. Whilst there, we were swooshed swiftly across to river right - too far! I was to take the first run down, the rest would follow. I followed Iain's directions to come further to the left. The full width of the weir was flowing making it quite hard to see where the chute was, so when Iain finished waving frantically, thinking I was there and with the full force of the flow pulling me to the edge, I went for it! Hubby dear and Iain just looked on in dread as I disappeared down into a hole - all 17' of boat and me! However, I popped back up and landed plonk bang in an eddy, nice and safe! I looked round to see where the others were, realised I had come down a slightly different route than I had planned, so went to indicate to them to move further over, by which time Aline had decided to capsize in the flat water, leaving her boat to come down far right! This was quickly followed by Phil, sideways, before he decided to bail, swiftly followed by Sandy - ditto! This left young Trevor still above the weir on his own. Not to be out done, despite me yelling at him to come further to the left, he also came over. Now Trevor is fairly invincible, using the wrong edge wherever possible and getting away with it - not this time. He became swimmer no 4.
Once all bodies, boats and blades were collected and returned to the rightful owners, we had a bit of an incident discussion as to what happened, why and how to avoid the same thing happening anywhere else. A real good learning curve with no injuries.

Heading towards Hellhole

 Off we set down past Hellhole corner with another wee swim. Phil decided to take the bouncy route, was perched on top of a rather large wave, with only thin air all around to put his support strokes into.
Back in the boat and sorted again, we found another eddy for a breather when Aline decided to have another swim. It seems Aline only swims in flat water and paddles the bouncy stuff well!
Next we were down through Thistlebrig with no swims - hurrah! Then it was a gentle paddle back to our get out at Luncarty.

Calm water at last

 A slightly damp day, lots learnt, but still a great days paddling in very different conditions for the sea boats.

Phil obviously hadn't swam enough and fell in getting out!

Canoeing, my alternative therapy.

My interest in open canoeing has been increasing of late. Originally, I would avoid the canoe like the proverbial plague! They were big, heavy, hard to handle and if there was more than the merest breath of wind, I had absolutely no control at all!

Coming down from Aberfeldy

 During my journey to my L2, I "had to" learn to paddle with a single blade, so therefore I was out in those enormous boats more often. The more I was out and learning, the more I was beginning to enjoy canoeing. In the end, the best part of my L2, apart from passing, was being forced out in the canoe more often, although I still had a lot to learn.
 I then noticed a 3* was coming up on Loch Lomond for which I duly signed up for - then wondered why I do these things, beginning to doubt my ability to pass.
I took the canoes out as often as I could up on the loch. I was kindly given a loan of a lovely little Argosy from Madmoogs while she was off peddling instead of paddling. I took it down from Aberfeldy to the top of Grandtully. It was the first time I'd been in faster moving water since being a mock student up at Knockando. The Argosy was fantastic, so light and comfy. It was decided not to run Grandtully as there were more rocks than water here, I've never seen this spot so low before (not that I intended paddling it anyway!, but Hubby dear and KP had run it a couple of weeks previously) I'd had a great time, I could feel myself really getting into this open boating malarkey.

Concentrating

A bit sunk, that's before icecream!

The following week was the 3* on a rather sunny, but very breezy(!) Loch Lomond. The sailing was interesting with one pair using a 2 man group shelter, one pair using a 4 man group shelter, we used an 8 man group shelter. It was enormous, the wind caught it and we zoomed, great stuff. I reckon we could have entered the tall ships race with that one! Another great time in the open boats - and a pass!
Hubby dear and KP are doing their 4* open boat leader awards which means they are spending more time practising and leading (me!).

Calm Loch Faskally

What goes up



Comes back down

 


Our next journey was up on Loch Faskally before heading up the bottom of the Garry for a little bit practising poling. I have to say, the Argosy isn't the easiest boat to pole!
Next was a trip up to Stanley. Madmoogs was back and unfortunately was looking for her Argosy back so I was in a club boat. I had forgotten how heavy they were. I was concerned again about managing to handle a heavy boat again, especially in faster water. No problems, we headed upstream to practise ferry gliding up by the island before having a go at lining. After lunch we made our way down to the weir. After a successful run through here, KP and Hubby dear had a bit of playtime in the waves. Had I been in a wee kayak, I would have joined them. I decided I'd be safer sitting at the side taking photies. Next it was down through Hellhole, before a long slog into the wind past the mill. KP had a wee play in the standing wave here, managing to flood the boat - Ooops!

Ferry gliding

Madmoogs back in her Argosy

Attempting lining

Coming through the Stanley weir

Hubby dear surfing the Stanley weir

Now was the bit I was a bit hesitant about, Thistlebrig. I've been down it countless times in a wee kayak at various water heights! first time in a canoe. I started off kneeling, perched nicely on the seat, through all the bumpy bits. By the time I had reached the bottom, I was kneeling in the bottom and beginning to realise how wide this boat is, feeling like I'm almost doing the splits! It was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. Now for the gentle paddle down to Luncarty to the get out.
Yet another great trip in the open canoe. Maybe one of the best parts was, I have a well goosed back which takes a lot of stretching and exercise to keep it from seizing up. Normally I'm fairly decrepit by the time I'm getting out of my kayak (I'm fine while I'm paddling), but after a day in the open boat my back felt great. The different paddling position makes a huge difference.
My thought is, as I feel my work has contributed to my back problems, then I should be able to buy a company canoe and charge it to my work as an alternative therapy treatment. As I'm self employed I'm not quite sure what my accountant would say to that!