Report: The plan had been for a weekend trip to the Garvellachs but the wind was forecast as 5 with potentially gale force squalls. Instead it was decided to do a training run (part of the sea kayak training course) departing from the RCYNC at Rhu. There was a very pleasant run up the loch with the wind to Garelochhead for lunch.
Lunch
The journey back into the wind was significantly less pleasant but successfully achieved by all. A good, if short, day.
Weather: Calm. Overcast with summy intervals and periods of heavy rain in evening.
Report: Departed from Aldlochlay close to noon Saturday and paddled to Inchonnachan for lunch and some exploration of the old summer house..
Departure
From Inchconnachan we headed over to our camp site on Inchtavannach and pitched. After some debate we then proceeded on a late afternoon paddle around Inchmoan before dinner. During the paddle there was heavy rain which continued on and of throughout the evening. Most of the youngsters decided on a swim before drying out in front of an excellent fire. A pleasant, if occassionally wet evening was had by all.
Sunday was calm and sunny. We left the camp site about 10.30 and paddled over to Inchgalbraith and its ruined castle.
At the castle window
A slow leisurely paddle back to Aldlochlay followed, arriving just before noon. A very successful conclusion to a successful course.
Weather: Lovely but windy on Saturday getting less windy but more cloud as weekend progressed, with heavy showers day and night.
Route:
Report: Slightly late we left Helensburgh at 7.30 aiming for the 10.20 from Lochaline to Mull and made it easily. A rather slow drive across Mull got us to Ulva Ferry around 11.30 and on the water at 12noon.
Departure ;Ulva Ferry
There was a brisk northerly F4 blowing but a decision was nevertheless made to go on the north side of Ulva, with the option of cutting through the channel between Ulva and Gometra if there was doubt about the crossing to the Treshnish. So it proved and we stopped at the wee bridge joining the two islands for a break and because the channel was still dry.
Bridge joining Gometra and Ulva
By the end of lunch the channel had still not filled sufficiently so we waded through. Almost immediately after resuming the paddle a Sea Eagle appeared soaring above us.
Sea Eagle above Ulva
The original plan had been to creep up the end of Gometra before crossing but it rapidly became clear that we would need to wait for the wind to go down. We stopped at a potential camp site with a view north with a poor landing on wet, seaweed covered extremely slippy rocks and waited in the sun
A snooze in the sun
By 6pm it became clear that progress was not going to be possible and this was to be the camp site. Here is where the Strops come in. Hugh had designed a pair of lifting strops that proved a godsend in getting the loaded boats up (and down) over the terrible beach. These proved invaluable.
Strops in Action
If there are four of you and you have strops, the camp site is strongly recommended with large relatively flat area, good pegging and a supply of driftwood. The latter provided the fuel for a good camp fire with turn in sometime after 11pm with an agreed rise at 7.oo for a departure at 8.30. Otters also frequent the area.
The Campsite (with Staffa in background)
Overnight there was heavy rain which damped both tents and wind. However it stopped at 7 and stayed away most of the morning. We headed directly for Carn na Burgh into the increasing wind. Although both islands have fortification and history both have terrible landings with Beag almost impossible. The views however were fantastic.
view form Carn na Burgh Beg south to More with Lunga in distance
Some History: The two islands have a long history as part of the boundary between the Norse and Gaelic cultures. Easily fortified they were used in a number of clan battles including the battle between the Maclean’s and Argyll in 1680 that ended with the supremacy of Argyll. Its last use was during the 1715 rebellion when it was occupied for the Jacobite cause by the MacLeans whose chief had been imprisoned by Argyll.
The paddle was then south to Lunga past Fladda and a host of islets and skerries. The wind had been picking up all morning and winds caused a few flutters as the kayaks surged forward. The landing on Lunga was again on rocks although they were somewhat smaller. There we joined yachtsmen and tourists off the multiple boats that operate from Fionphort, Bunessan and Ulva Ferry. The attraction was the magical puffin colony where hundreds of Puffins in their Sunday best parade for the camera.
Aiming for the Photo Competition
Puffins and Wildflowers
Puffins and Kayaks
The numerous tourist boats were eventually joined by a Cruise Liner!
Cruise Liner Calls
From Lunga we headed directly to one of the most incredible places in Scotland. Staffa is formed of nearly perfect hexagonal vertical columns of basalt sandwiched between sandstone and at its most magnificent has three large sea caves.
Mackinnon’s Cave
Mackinnon’s Cave is the largest with a wonderful vaulted entrance. The Boat Cave is the deepest and houses a pair of nesting guillemots. In their distress at being disturbed they accurately dive bombed Ken with rather smelly faeces. Ken alone was not amused at this sign of good luck.
One amazing phenomenon at this point is the tilting ocean. The columns are vertical on the sandstone but the sandstone layer is slightly tilted. It seems impossible for the brain to cope.
Sloping Seas
The third cave, Fingal’s, is the masterpiece with vaulting throughout its length.
The public are able to access the cave by a path at the base of the basalt. The tourists during our visit not only had the magnificence of the cave but 5 beautiful sea kayaks to admire.
The path to Fingal’s Cave
We had a quick break at the only “beach” at Clamshell Bay, another rough rocky landing. After much discussion we headed back to Gometra in degenerating weather, reaching there about 6pm. It had been a fantastic sea kayaking day with two amazing natural phenomena and around 20 miles of excellent kayaking in fantastic surroundings.
Monday promised a relatively short paddle along the south side of Ulva to get us home for early evening. The cliff scenery was excellent the whole way and the wind , now from the South, had little impact. We stopped at a private bothy at Cragaig used by at least one kayak club. Perhaps a winter trip?
The Ulva BothyBoats at the Bothy
We arrived back at Ulva Ferry at about 1pm and decided to take lunch in the Boat House cafe on the island. This was excellent (if slightly expensive) and the Heritage Centre (Free) was well worth the 2 minute walk from the cafe. In stark terms it described the clearance of Ulva/Gometra from a populationof 850 at the start of the nineteenth century to 15 in 1981.
1. Apologies: David Norton, Mark Cleminson, Kenneth White, M.M.
2. Finance: Course fee from Hugh’s Navigation course still to be collected from students. Hugh has approval to buy kayak lifting straps but is still looking for something appropriate. Grant got two canoe trolleys for the club at £30each and will claim the money from the club alongside the money for the clubs SCA affiliation which he paid. Our affiliation fee has increased this year from £75 to £115.
3. Training: a) Young Persons course due to run 29th April- 24th June With use of the Pool on Tuesday nights and an outside session on Thursday nights. A consolidation weekend camp at the end of the course on the 28/29th June
b) Parent and Kids Course, Recently within the club there have been some enquires into courses for younger children (as a club we only really cater from about 12 up) from this we have decided to run an Introduction to Family Paddling. The aim of this is to educate people within the community on the safe and appropriate practice of paddlesport. The proposed structure of the course is to run over 2 Saturdays or 1 weekend within the summer holidays. The committee are going to have a planning meeting for this to decide details and syllabus in May.
c) 2* Assessment the club is running the 26th/27th April.
4. Pool/Polo: The Committee decided to cancel the pool sessions over the school summer holidays and to run Tuesday evening polo sessions at craigendoran instead.
5. River Trips: This month’s river trip has been cancelled due to Grant’s availability. The rest of the monthly trips are to be reposted on facebook and Mark has taken over as inland coordinator. Grant is to look into a trip to Pinkston for some of the more experienced inland paddlers.
6. Sea Trips inc Assessment: Open water safety test for members that have attended Hugh’s course in the pool on the Sunday 4th May. Trips, May 24th/25th/26th Staffa/Treshnish. June 7th /8th Grey Dog/ Garvellachs. July 5th for a week around Jura.
7. RCNYC: Have been paid our named members are Hugh and Geoff. The padlock at the container is to be kept dry by locking it upside down.
8. AOCB: Hugh proposed a meeting for club officials and members ,who are delivering material to others, to go over current good practice. Geoff suggested a good forum for that might be in the form of a FSRT for club to be run in early July.
Paddlers: Euan, Geoff, Adele, Bill, Ross M., Adam, Izzie
Weather: Windy and Wavy
Report: After some debate it was decided to stay at Craigendoran and experience breaking waves and a strong breeze. It was an adventurous decision which turned out to be exactly right. Although we only got as far as East Bay and back round Craigendoran pier, it was an exciting and testing trip. Izzie demonstrated exiting the kayak in the event of a capsize, and took her dunking incredibly well. Well done to all the Beginners.
Report: This was meant to be a Beginners trip for those on the Adult Basic. Unfortunately due to lateness and communication problems none of the Beginners made it! Set off about 10.20 from Aldlochlay heading south then east into the breeze on the outside of Inchtavannach and Inchmoan and then Inchruin. Break at jetty where we were joined by 3 kayakers from Balmaha. Fairly cold in breeze, particularly if hands got wet. From jetty rounded Inchruin then back between the islands.
Crossed to mainland to investigate Camstradden House and then back to Aldlochlay around 1.20. A pleasant,uneventful paddle with good average speed.
2) Treasurers Report: Hugh (for Ken) presented the report. The meeting discussed the change in the “Training and Pool” from substantial surplus to deficit. Geoff explained that last year’s figures were probably inflated by late membership payments but numbers on courses were significantly down. It was too early to tell if this was a one off. One idea for increasing training numbers and deal with the light use of the pool in the summer period was to be discussed.The meeting agreed with Ken’s general conclusion that there was no reason to worry yet.
3) Chairman’s Report: Geoff gave a short illustrated review of year’s activities which clearly demonstrated the number and range of activities. He concluded we were doing well.
4) Coaching Report: Grant explained the BCU/UKCC Award Scheme and the 2 Star assessment scheduled for April. He also discussed the monthly river trips, 3 Star assessments and a level 1 Coach course he was running next week. An FSRT course was also to be scheduled very shortly.
The Pinkston Development is now due to open officially May 7th. Grant was hoping to arrange for the club to get in for a “trial” run before then
A Parent/Child Training , operating over the summer holidays, had been suggested. The idea was to offer a chance for children 8-12 with a parent to start paddling. Mark C. had offered to take responsibility. Emphasis would be on safety and paddling together in canoes (and kayaks?). An application would go to Sports Scotland for a grant for necessary equipment. Some doubts were expressed on whether we had the resources available. It was agreed that more discussion was required and firm plans identified.
5) Election of Officers and Committee
a) Chair: Geoff Riddington
b) Secretary: Eleanor Phillips
c) Treasurer: Ken White
d) Chief Coach: Grant Dolier
e) Quartermaster: Euan Forrest
f) Convenor: Sea: Hugh Murray
g) Convenor: Inland: Mark Cleminson
h) Child Protection: Mark Cleminson
i) Other Committee Members: Dave Norton, M.M
Grant would continue to lead river trips with Mark co-ordinating people and equipment in Helensburgh.
6) Plans: Most members seemed happy with the present mix of day, weekend and week length trips. Grant re-iterated that there was a river trip next week.
7) Affiliation to RNYC: The meeting agreed to take up the offer from the RNCYC for affiliate status (and container hire). This would give us in addition the tight to use changing facilities and social club membership for four named Members. Suggested names were Mark C., Euan with Geoff and Hugh if no other member of the club wanted to take up the offer.
8) AOB: The photo competition was judged and Hugh won both categories.
Weather: Mostly glorious sunshine but it did cloud over, have a slight breeze and get cold for half an hour at about 4pm
The wonderful weather was just too tempting and a hastily arranged afternoon paddle resulted. We left at 1.45 with a break at Newark Castle for a cup of tea at just after 3. Unfortunately the castle was closed and covered in scaffolding so no cup of tea. We pushed on up to the small Greenock dock and the yacht pontoon. Note that you can get through the Grand Harbour on the inside (we did not go that route because we were not sure if there was a way). Again, unfortunately the yacht pontoon gate was locked so we simply headed back arriving back at Craigendoran just about sunset at 6pm.
Jamie and Geoff on the beach by Newark CastleHarry and Sunset
As Hugh said Sea States are used in the Open Sea not inshore, where we tend to go. A lot of the video was shot around St Kilda, which is just about as “Open Ocean” as we will normally get. Here you get sea states 3 and 4 without the howling gales (” strong breezes”) that are necessary inshore to generate big waves. I am sure it does not help much to know that last Saturday the sea state was “slight”!
