Scotland Sea Kayak Trip – June 2021 Day 5 Thursday 01/07/2021 by Ian Bell Lismore east coast and crossing to Camas na Croise (About 24Km) by Ian Bell Having spent the night at the south end of Lismore, we had plans and aspirations of crossing over to Mull for a night before starting to wind our way back to Oban. However the fog had rolled in and following some debate as to how long we could delay departure and still take advantages of slack water to cross passed Lady’s Rock we decided on a cut off time or we would revert to plan B,C,D,E whatever. As the time approached, we saw the fog lift only to descend again. There was some doubt in group as to the whether we should chance it and play Russian roulette with the Cal Mac ferries so we decided we would leave Mull for another time and paddle up the east side of Lismore and spend the rest of the trip exploring up into Loch Linnhe. Of course, as we set off, the fog lifted again and soon we were commenting on the heat of the morning sun. However, we were now committed to paddling north. As we paddled, we commented that this part of island was less inhabited than we expected and identified several other possible camp sites. It was also noted that at some point some of the group would need to find and top up water supplies. This noted I suggested as the ground was dry, we would be best calling in at the ferry terminal as it was the most likely option for a tap. On the way Andy suggested exploring Eilean nan Gamhna and its siter Eilean na Cloiche, so we headed out to them for elevenses or lunch. We […]

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip – June 2021 Day 4 – Eilan nan Caorach (Poo Island) to SW Lismore – Andy Garland We departed our island campsite around 9:30am and left our feathered friends (and appreciable amounts of avian poo) behind. The sea was calm, it was warm, and the scenery was fantastic. What more could you possibly want (apart from Second Breakfast)? We glided across the water to the island of Lismore and followed its west coast southward. Our course took us around the tiny islands off the shore of Port Ramsay, and we took care not to disturb the attendant seals with young pups. The coast continued to pass us by on our left-hand side…all was mellow, all was calm, we were at one with the world, but I needed Second Breakfast! Just before my stomach started digesting my head a superb breakfast-eating bay came into sight, next to the ruins of Castle Coeffin. We relaxed in the sun and took in the serenity of it all. It was wonderfully peaceful. The only sounds that could be heard were me munching a tin of sardines, crisps, a mars bar and one of those cereal bars that are marketed to people who are too lazy to cook a proper breakfast. It would have been a wonderful spot to camp, but a notice from the landowners made it quite clear (in a very polite way) that they would much prefer people to camp on common land further to the north. We continued our trip south until it was time for First Lunch. This was taken at the site of a disused limestone quarry in the bay at An Sailean. We explored the abandoned lime kilns and quarry buildings and imagined what it must have been like working here while it was […]

Day 3 Kerrara to Eilan nan Caorach ( about 31Km) Sheena Davies On Tuesday the 29th of June we left our beautiful campsite on the west coast of Kerrera at 9.30am. Our first stop was ‘Little Ganavan’ , a sandy beach just north of Oban where I immediately struggled out of my dry suit as it was so hot! It really was as hot as it looks in the photo. I was also relieved that we had successfully negotiated the shipping channel between the north of Kerrera and the mainland. We had our second breakfast here, or was it first lunch? Our next stop was Dunstaffnage Marina where we filled all available containers with water from a tap on the pontoon. Unfortunately, a lady (trailing a little dog called Peanut), upset me by informing me that that water was contaminated. Roger sensibly pointed out that it would be more unhygienic to source it from the toilet cisterns as she had suggested! The marina staff, however, were lovely and more than happy for us to use their facilities. We had a ‘lumpy’ but wonderful kayak from Dunstaffnage to the jutting out piece of land beyond Tralee bay then paddled all the way up the Lynn of Lorne to Eilean Nan Caorach where we settled for the evening and overnight. Catriona answering her phone in the channel, Ian was getting closer. We must have had a second lunch stop en route but I was too tired to remember it! Ian Bell kayaked from Port Appin this evening to join us and we had a lovely time amidst masses of squabbling seabirds and goose poop!!

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip June 2021 First day (The extra-long alternative) by Ali Watt Sheena and I had decided to travel down from Skye early on the morning of the first day of the trip.  Like all early morning starts, they sound ok in the planning, but much harder when the time comes and you have to leave your bed at 4am.  On the road for 5am and a clear road south got us to our departure point at Dunstaffnage Marina, outside Oban, just before 9am. After just short of an hour’s packing, we had managed to cram in the kitchen sink and everything else required for a week’s self-supported paddling, and we were out of the gates and off.  Heading south Catriona thoughtfully contacted us by text to let us know that herself, Andy and Roger where on the water about the same time as us, paddling in the same direction as us, but a good 12km ahead. We had a great paddle past Oban bay, where we managed to avoid the fishing boats and Calmac ferries by sticking to the Kerrera shore.  Once into quieter waters we crossed to the mainland to stop for a second breakfast at Kerrera Slip. Managing to curb the desire to eat like a whale and consume more than we’d packed for the day, we continued our journey south, trying to avoid seal pups and angry oyster catchers as we went.  The weather was good, just a slight head wind which I was very glad of as it slowed my companion’s pace to one I could enjoy. The Island of Seil came into view, and we knew that we weren’t too far from the rest of the team, in fact we could almost smell them!  Onwards we went, into the deep south, rounding […]

LCC Canoe Polo Tournament – 17 July 2021 We had three teams playing in this friendly tournament which included 3 people who had never played canoe polo before. The sun was shining, and the crowds were out cheering the teams on. I guess people had nothing to follow as we were between the Euros and the Olympics. Congratulation’s to LCC A who just managed to beat LCC C in the “golden goal” extra time. All the games were amazingly close. Why not come down and give canoe polo a go – all equipment is available from the compound. We play as a mixture of teenagers and older, novice to very experienced. Click to see more Photos…….

The plan had been to canoe the River Dee from Farndon to Chester. So, once the cars were sorted it was time to get going (NOTE – Sandy Lane car park has a max time limit of 4 hours and if you park outside of a bay then you get a ticket. But parking on the grass verge outside the car park is fine). The weather was glorious and hot, very hot, but the trip was going to be very chilled. So with a very important briefing of “Put your sun cream on and drink lots of water”, we headed off. 9 canoes and 2 sea kayaks, or to count another way 14 people and 2 dogs, then began to gently paddle down stream. The dogs had the correct idea as they were sat  under a parasol in the boat.                         To be honest, on this trip I wasn’t expecting swimmers on such flat water. Suddenly I heard a splash and realised that Keith had gone overboard! (Oh no – time to get switched on). Suddenly, another splash and Nikki was in the water. As they climbed back into their respective boats the word was given, and the word was “Self rescue practice every 30 minutes”     That set the tone for a very relaxed, chilled paddle with great company.  The miles passed under the blazing sun, at times almost too hot, until all too soon we reached Sandy Lane and the awaiting ice cream van. Alas, just as we landed, the parking attendant turned up and the van had to leave (Booo) A fab day in opens (and sea kayaks). Thanks all for coming. Mike & Ruth

Covid 19 Guidance from 19th July 2021  LCC Home  Everyone still needs to pre-book the paddle through bookwhen or email to the coordinator to ensure group sizes are within British Canoeing’s guidance. Face coverings are optional. Social distancing should be observed where possible.   2m (one paddle length) is a long way!!!! and if you approach closer you should mitigate against the risks. PLEASE RESPECT OTHER MEMBERS, WHO MAY WISH TO STILL PADDLE WITH THE CLUB BUT ALSO NEED OR WANT TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE. We will continue with a named on-the-water leader for each group. This has greatly developed paddling within the club over the past 18 months. We operate under British Canoeing recommended group sizes and ratios.  These are absolute maximums and if conditions / paddlers and/or leaders experience demand, groups sizes could and should be smaller than this. Maximum for the docks (Sheltered water) is 1:8 (1:12 for tandem / crewed boats).  Maximum for moderate water is 1:6 Maximum for advanced water is 1:4 Two groups can paddle near or next to one another on the water but social distancing should still be observed by all. Every paddler needs to be pre-booked with the coordinator or through our Bookwhen.com booking site. Paddles are notified through the club`s Google Group and also placed on the clubs calendar. All paddling takes place in separate, small groups with a nominated leader. We follow all National and Local guidance and adhere to the British Canoeing guidelines for paddlesports. Latest Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know Please stay away if you have any symptoms or are self-isolating. Always maintain social distancing (2m or a paddle length). Please leave the site asap after the paddle to reduce congestion. Please use hand sanitiser before and after paddling. If more than one group is at the compound, please quickly select your equipment and move it to your group number or away from the […]

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip – June 2021 I normally go kayaking in Scotland during early May or late September/October with the sole intention of avoiding the ‘Midges’.  Therefore, this June trip was to be a new experience for me and one I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. Horror stories from my sons, ‘Midges’ walking across your eyeballs, kind of stuff, hadn’t helped. Now the date had arrived and time to find out for myself just how bad they really are.   Monday 28th June. (NE Luing to Port Phadruig, Kerrera about 26Km) By Roger Colman Our pleasant little campsite was vacated in a well-ordered manner, breakfast taken by those requiring it and kayaks packed so we were on the water for 6:00am as planned.   The early start was a tidal requirement and allowed us to paddle up Seil Sound and under the bridge over the Atlantic. Once through the bridge it was back onto the mainland shore and a stop for second breakfast. (We learnt that Jon was not going to make the trip after all, but Ian was still scheduled to join us on Tuesday evening.)   The early morning mist had burnt off and it was another really lovely day as the five of us paddled up to Port Lathaich and there crossed over to Kerrera.    On reaching the Islands shore we paddled down the east side, around the southern end, where Sheena was able to reminisce about family picnics as we passed Gylen Castle.       Gylen Castle  We continued around the southern end of the island and up the west coast to Port Phadruig and a five-star wild campsite Catriona was aware of, courtesy of her sister. It was a stunning location. We arrived about midday and stayed put. After the early start this suited me fine. Ali and Sheena were equally happy after their additional early start and long day yesterday. However, they […]

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip June 2021 by Roger Colman I normally go kayaking in Scotland during early May or late September/October with the sole intention of avoiding the ‘Midges’.  Therefore, this June trip was to be a new experience for me and one I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. Horror stories from my sons, ‘Midges’ walking across your eyeballs, kind of stuff, hadn’t helped. Now the date had arrived and time to find out for myself just how bad they really are. Sunday 27th June. (Kerrera ferry to NE Luing about 25Km) Catriona, Andy and I started out from the Oban / Kerrera Ferry slipway about 10am Sunday morning. Ally and Sheena were travelling from Skye and intending to join us later that day, while Jon hoped to be with us Monday and Ian Tuesday. That is a lot easier and quicker to write than it was for Catriona to arrange. No doubt numerous plans A, B, C etc. were developed as individual circumstances changed through the week, prior to the trip. We are all very grateful for the time and effort it must have taken Catriona to accommodate everyone’s needs. Our paddle was gentle and uneventful, in smooth seas and warm sunshine, with the added bonus of a sea otter sighting within the first 90 minutes.  Into Barnacarry Bay for elevenses, then on down the coast, a quick peek at the Bridge over the Atlantic (Clachan Bridge) through a number of small isles above Rubha Garbh Airde, to a lunch stop just below it. After lunch we stayed close to the shore line, through the Sound of Insh and on to Easdale Harbour. Here Andy had a successful ‘urban foraging’ trip and gathered together some alcoholic beverages, a table and chairs. Excellent. Andy – ‘Urban Foraging’, Easdale Catriona had been in regular contact with Ali and Sheena monitoring […]

LCC playboat session coached by Lowri Davies – by John Cooke Sunday 4th saw another of the playboat sessions coached by Lowri Davies, six paddlers met at the Dee for a day of fun in small boats. After a quick check over of boats to make sure we were outfitted we were soon on the water. Surfing, flat spins, taillies, pop outs, some ear dips and a great time were enjoyed by all. It is fair to say everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves. If anyone would like to try one of these sessions let me know and we can get something arranged, cost is £40 pp for a full day’s coaching, BARGAIN. The sessions are open to everyone including juniors (parent must be in attendance) and all equipment is available to hire out from the club. A roll is helpful but not compulsory. Check out the videos on LCC Facebook page. John Cooke. Below is Jenna getting the pop out nailed! Check out Neil’s video on the LCC Facebook page.

Ponsonby Arms to Ty Mawr Country Park by John Fay A big thanks to John Cooke for organising this coached whitewater trip. Martha Kelly, Mike Bailey, Pippa Leddra, Shane Jones and myself arrived at the Ponsonby Arms at 9.30am and after coffee the proceedings started. It was a great day with loads of time to practice breaking in and out and ferry gliding etc with some T-rescues practice and a few rolls at the end. If you get the chance I would highly recommend booking onto one of these sessions. They will certainly boost your confidence on the water whatever discipline you’re into. Shane Jones, Jamie was really good and got me using my edges a lot more and was happy to answer any questions we were asking him and let us practice our T rescues and rolling at the end. Mike Bailey, It was a proper introduction and exposed me to enough of the risks and thrills of this type of kayaking. There was enough about techniques like eddying and ferrying to give me an idea without overwhelming me with information. I felt really comfortable with Jamie. He is obviously very experienced and his coaching technique worked well for me.

We were caught on camera at Camping Les Ecrins last year! Click to view video

Thanks to Sue Bradley, Mas Mohammadifar, John Vogler and Tony Robinson for providing kayak support for the Ian Percival 26th Anniversary Swim organised by Liverpool Open Water Swimming Club on Saturday 26th June. Several charities will benefit from this event including the Teenage Cancer Trust and a young triathlete who has recently suffered life-changing injuries. There were 91 swimmers who took part in this iconic swim through the Salthouse, Dukes and Kings Docks on distances varying from one to four miles. Water temperature was 19.4C and air temperature ranged from 16-21C with perfect conditions and a great atmosphere amongst the swimmers, supporters and officials. A special thanks to Sue who stepped up to provide kayak safety support for the first time and led the two miles swim with such panache. Also to The Friends of Allonby Canoe Club who provided four kayakers and to the free-lance kayakers, stand-up paddle-boarder and jet-ski! Thanks also to the Canals and Rivers Trust who supported this event. Once again thanks for your support. Jim 

Last weekend saw the first white water camping trip of the year, we stayed at the Tyn Cornell site which gives direct access to the lower section of the River Tryweryn. Meeting up on Friday evening was a chance for new members to meet others and for friends to reunite. Saturday morning saw everyone on the lower section, 4 groups doing their own shuttles and getting on as individual groups. Back to the campsite for a lunch break and then some went off onto the upper section while another run of the lower was completed by others. Back at camp, showered and fed the fire pit was lit and a night of socializing ensued. Sunday saw much of the same, upper and lower runs. More people joined us for the day. There were a few spills and plenty of wet ears over the weekend but in general it’s fair to say it was a great weekend, we need another one ! Cheers everyone.

Last weekend also hosted another of the coached river sessions, these are going great and people that have attended have left positive feedback, It was a great day and I remembered more than I thought I knew thank you for organising, I had a fantastic day and very proud of myself for running Bala mill falls. What a fantastic time I had. Dave was as fab as you promised and I learnt loads. Can’t wait to get out on some more white water soon. Just back from the course, what a fantastic day! Thank you so much for organising this, it was a brilliant introduction to moving water and Dave was a great coach. I have forwarded the comments on as I know coaches appreciate good feedback. There will be more trips available so look out for the emails if your interested in attending one. If anyone wants some specific coached training then let me know and we can maybe arrange something. Cheers John Cooke

Conwy Estuary 12th of June This trip was a transition sea paddle down the Conwy Estuary to introduce some of us to the tides, currents, winds and waves that come with sea kayaking. It was my first time on such a trip and the more experienced paddlers that took us were just wonderful. Roger met Beccy and I at the compound to grab boats and then we drove down to the Conwy marina. We started on the beach and the weather was warm but a little cloudy. We headed up the estuary inland towards the castle and there were a few tricky currents to navigate. I honestly thought I would end up upside down at various points, but all was well, and I was just being a wimp. We paddled under the castle, which was a magnificent view in the sunshine. In the woods just past the castle there were so many Heron and Egrets in the trees above us. We continued inland where the views were spectacular. I practiced my edging at varying rates of success and with the patient help of Ian, and just about the time I thought my arms might fall off we stopped for lunch. We pulled up on the bank of the river and where we could see the mountains ahead of us and ate lunch in she cloudy sunshine. We watched the water and got back in at about 2:10pm as the tide turned, which was coordinated by Roger who had done the same trip the day before and had made note of the time – the whole way there I thought the time of 2:10 was so wonderfully specific there must be a very clever way of working it out, so this seemed like cheating when I found out he had been […]