Derwent Water – Sept 2020

I had a spare 24 hours and had to get into the outdoors. I thought I’d try the Lake District as there was a rumbling on the Song of the Paddle message board that there were Islands worth exploring on Derwent Water. I wanted to to a little testing out in case the youngsters could be persuaded to come along next time.

I parked at the car park (eventually – parking was a bit of a horror) and got my stuff onto the kayak, using it as a big trolley for everything.

Got everything down to the lake, which, it being one of the last fine Saturdays in September, was pretty busy.

There were some Photographers putting together some stock photo images on the jetty, or maybe taking a class – it wasn’t clear.

I get everything loaded up, which took a while – first time I’d really seen what could be stuffed into this boat – it did OK though and seemed stable enough.

By the time I got on the water, it was pretty much dark – which was OK and pretty much as planned – the breeze was much brisker than I’d hoped though, which explains why there aren’t that many photos of this first leg. I was obliged to go directly into the wind a fair bit to get the right trajectory, which was coming from the North. This probably stopped me from running into the Scarf Stones during the night – so good news maybe.

Here I’m approaching the wrong Island – Rapsholme – though it was good to rule it out as a camping spot – really much too rocky (and spiky!).

The moon is not captured adequately by the photo – it was pretty amazing on the water – I nearly capsized while failing to photograph it for posterity. Turns out so far that natural wonders are my nemesis – I nearly fell in the lake last time because the stars were beautiful. Must concentrate on surviving land / water based threats.

Found a camping spot – there was a friendly canoeist at the carpark that invited me to say hi on landing, but as it was so dark I decided against invading anyone’s camp. Covid has not made me more sociable.

Got a fire going just in time for the temperature to really drop.

The scene of the crime in the morning. Need to invest in some better gear as I was a little cold.

The beaches are pebbly but quite gentle on boats for all that. I wandered around for while but didn’t explore the whole island as I think some people were still asleep.

I managed to squeeze in some nice reading as the sun came up.

The weather was very nice as I set off in the morning. I decided to explore the other island nearby – Lord’s Island.

Lord’s Island has a load of trees sticking out of the top that makes it look like it’s covered in cute Christmas trees, but as it turns out they were very big trees. It was much more mossy but looked more comfortable.

Definitely looks like a comfier place to camp with more shelter and softer surfaces – maybe next time.

The way back started from Lord’s Island – the weather was really great. Here you can see Rapsholme Island in the middle and St Herberts on the right.

Wandered back via the Scarf stones – they were covered in birds and I ruined their day by barging in .

I had an orange and it was only when I tore into it like a crazy wild beast that I realised I was really hungry. Alot of simple carbohydrates were consumed on the way home.

The trip was pretty good. Definitely recommend the area, especially if the trip can be done during dawn or dusk, as it made what is really a busy tourist area a bit quieter.

Turns out my kayak is much more of a pain to pack stuff into and I think the front compartment has a small leak – something to work on.

Lock Ken

I wanted to see how it might work to go on a camping trip with everything I needed on the boat with me – an expedition if you will with food and shelter and all that. I had a bit of time at the end of August 2020 and decided to navigate Loch Ken in Dumfries and Galloway – quite a civilized location, but still covered by Scotland’s wild camping laws. There are two small islands, one of which was a camping destination.

Late on Thursday night I landed on the western shore, sleeping in the van and failed to photographically document the most amazing night sky that nearly made me fall off the edge of the loch (1).

Friday morning I dropped the gear, including boat, near the bridge at the waters of Ken, where there is a useful track and gentle pebble shore to get onto the river. (2).

The car I dropped back on the western shore, at a more convincing parking spot further down, met a nie guy called John who was also there to do some boating, in a lovely old faded green VW camper. (3). I then cycled back the few miles to the boat.

The bike got thrown into the undergrowth for pickup later (it was still there a day later).

I headed undert the bridge, and down the river. It was hot and peaceful, with heron and fish wandering around.

/

I got the sail down just where the river splits before the Loch, and then out onto the main Loch. I stopped to look at the car, saying hello to John, anbd headed South.

The activity centre looks very func, with huge inflatables setup for play and lessons on sailing and canoeing taking place, despite the distance restrictions.

I sailed past the first island, that looked very small and probably not camping appropriate.

As I sailed past the second, bigger, island (known as Green Island I believe) disaster struck – I sailed a bit too close to the shore and my centreboard collided with an underwater rock (or an exceptionally strong and durable fish 🙂 ) and this ruptured the hull where it meets the centreboard casing, and cracked tight through the supporting strut that holds the case solid. Water began to flood in and faced with the glorious isolation of trying to make it to the island vs. the less exciting prospect of making it to the mainland I chose the mainland – in the knowledge that I could get eventually back to the van by wheeling the boat on it’s trolley.

Luckily, once the boat was emptied, dried and inspected, duct tape really can sort almost anything out.

I waited a while to see if the repair was adequate, then set off down the loch again.

I made it as far as the old wrougnt iron bridge (dis-used (4)) and then headed back, stopping for lunch.

The weather was amazing, thought the wind was a little unkind, as it was against me every day, and not the endless beam reach it was supposed to be.

I got back to Green Island and setup camp:

Managed to cook copious quanitities of noodles and curry flavoured tinned fish, and also get alot of good reading done.

It was peaceful and lovely – the stars were out again.

The next morning I discovered I was not alone – something had nibbled through a chocolate pancake. I was happy to be of help.

I had a quick look at the smaller island on the way home – decided that with some hardship and using a hammock instead of a tent it could be camped on if needed, but I’d rather not.

Llyn Padarn

Headed to Wales for a few days intending to get some boating done. We brought a SUP for the boys and my sailing canoe.

Found it was easy to get out on the lake if parking next to the playground – a couple of useful slipways (marked in red) and I always got parking at the green cross.

The weather was largely kind, except for the last day. A good trip out on the boat. Got some good speed up when the wind was clean.

A useful test of taking passengers – which was OK if careful – the passenger can fit in the forward section is careful, though it doesn’t look comfortable. It was useful though for rescuing people wandering downwind on their SUPs.

On the final day there was soem drama – the winds were really too high for me and I went out to rescue a SUP boarding teenager – I managed to get across the lake despite scary gusts and a nearly out of control sail, but when I landed at the far side to help the SUPer quite a large hole was put into the boat on the rocks – mainly my fault – it was driven into the rocks by the wind as I hauled it out – downsides of a lightwieght boat.

The damage was repaired easily enough once home, by cutting out a clean hold and first sticking on a backing section.

The Lug

He is the final line on this field of war –
the wall,
the trench
and the battering ram.

He is scarred like landscapes after coal,
a misshapen mountain mass made pure
by purpose and a passion
made of the raw memories
of wins, losses and draws.

Here he is alive, only here his form finds full purpose
and movements are made true.
Here his lumbering run has no need for the frivolities of elegance or style
only the glorious absolutes of a catch or a miss.

The clock ticks down second by second
Time rendered mercifully slow-stretched like sinews
over the bones of battle.

Here the hurtling ball is read like a much loved book or the shrug of an old friend.
The poetry of its parabola divides the whole of space and time
into where the ball will be
and where it will not be.

It lands in one hand at full stretch
and there it is,
a cracked smile like a falling cliff revealing unweathered rock,
a triumphant glimpse into a savage youth spent between mud and sky.

He runs at them without fear as they rush him in a roaring multitude.
He gains speed and his savage smile widens as the gap narrows.

Sailing Canoe – Viola 14

I wanted a canoe that could do all things – and it’s certainly very fun to sail. See Michael Storer’s site for the design. 🙂 I decided to use an old Topper dinghy rig to save some time and hassle, which has worked pretty well.

https://www.storerboatplans.com/

Sailing Canoe + link to Google Album

Sailing Canoe – Viola 14

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CdiAfxEoEeKyCGTf9