After over 4 years at Weymouth, sadly, Canoestore is finally closing.

Last day of proper trading will be Sunday 25th October. (Stock in transit 25-31st)

Remaining stock will be transferred to Exeter Canoestore.

STOCK LISTED ON MY WEBSITE CAN BE BROUGHT TO WEYMOUTH BY ARRANGEMENT.

I am reluctant to make this decision but, as some of you will know, I have had two hospitalisations this summer for abdominal surgery and it is clear that to fully recover, I cant be lugging kayaks around for quite a while. To employ someone else would mean that my prices rise to above typical second hand market values. A gamble that seems futile. I will still be trading from Exeter, where I have (unpaid!) family help when needed!

It is the case that 80% of my trade has been from Google search, Facebook and other online platforms. As I will still be back and forth between Exeter and Weymouth, where I have my yacht, I can bring gear up to Weymouth on request.

I would like to end this blog entry with a big THANK YOU TO ALL MY CUSTOMERS TO DATE.

AND also note my gratitude to Ben Harris of BH Marine* whose unit on the Granby Estate I have shared since 2022. Ben, you are a legend. Thank you for entrusting the space to me.

*RYA sea school, yacht surveyor, maritime filming.

Canoestore has returned to the Granby commercial estate 1.9 mls outside Weymouth centre.

After a year at Westham Road in town and despite a great footfall past the shop – it just wasn’t economically viable. Add parking issues and the lack of space for customers to jump in and out of kayaks. And a lot of wives dropping off their husbands to reminisce about their old kayaks and the old kayaking days whilst the wife did the shopping! It was at times a man-cave creche!

So I am back sharing Unit 6 with Ben Harris (Sailing school, marine & event filming and yacht surveys).
At last count 40 kayaks in store and a lot of accessories – all second-hand – whether 40 years old or current models that have never seen the water!

Plus I continue STITCHWORKS. Making backrests, spraydeck braces, towlines etc.

Run as usual on an open-on-request basis. So that I can go kayaking and sailing myself.

Splish-splash.

River Wye. Ross-on-Wye, Hope & Anchor pub to Kerne Bridge with Sam.

Sunny day with a breeze. A nice day out and I also wanted to see the Wye for myself after clocki8ng all the media coverage on the ‘Save-The-Wye’ pollution campaign.

We didn’t see anything of note and interestingly no litter. But no signs of fish!

Although it was a very low water level. So quite a few shallows and mini-rapids to negotiate which many years ago were just not there. I led kayaking trips on this river for 3 years some 40+ years ago and have paddled it many times since, the last being about 5 years ago. Never seen it that low. Islands now a part of the bank and bum scrapping occasionally. Not one fish. But two chaps fishing.

A magical half day out on the water and paddling with Sam – precious memories being made. Poor lad got a paddling childhood – but has forgotten little. Like a duck to water!

That said, we passed a swan with its head down and bum fully up, dragging up weed – I passed only 2 metres from it. That is one swan very used to boats and humans! Not very natural. .

At last I got out for 3 days. Weymouth to Poole Yacht Club Marina for 3 days.
Motorsailed most of trip out but 80% of the return under sail, close hauled, full sail and 5.8 – 6.5kts most of the way on the sea breeze. And a LOT of sunshine! Even beat a 40’er into Weymouth. I can o0nly guess due to the new mainsail and the feathering prop that I stuck on the boat a couple of years ago. I think that alone adds a full knot to the speed under sail. So, a recommendation – get your new prop from Darglow of Wareham. They really know their stuff and make it all to order at their works.

Baltimore and Cork harbour

If you ever go to Baltimore, do pop into the tiny castle and be awed by the museum/history on display. I didn’t paddle Baltimore as it is just sooo BIG. It would be almost an entire week to do it justice. Another time. Freya has this on her bucketlist so I may return to paddle it with her, plus or minus friends. Sadly, off to Rosslare via a look at the East end of Cork Harbour.

Then I had to sort out the importation of Freya’s kayak. Customs clocked me inbound with 3 kayaks and made me declare them!!! “It’s because of BREXIT” is all that I kept being told. Deaf to my pointing out that I had taken kayaks to Spain, Italy, France, Switzerland and Belgium as recently as last year without ever being asked to import them!

Day 2. Glengarriff (West of Bantry).

A lovely paddle around all the islands off Glengarriff in much calmer conditions than the previous day! At various stages win the company of a lone seal! Plus swans, a dolphin and many heron-looking birds. Stunning. At times overcast and moody and at times sunny. Had a katabatic wind hit in one strait but got to the shelter of an island and waited a few minutes for it to pass.

Reluctantly packed up and drove to the Baltimore area to the East. Specifically to Loch Hyne. 160metre deep. it is an inland saltwater loch! I avoided the entrance with its famous rapids to the sea, running at a reported 16kmh, as it was HW+3hrs but did explore the island in the middle. Very odd winds, W, S, N and SE. Ireland’s first marine nature reserve due to its unique eco-system, with 72 species of fish alone. Then off to Baltimore for a really good guesthouse for the night. The Stone House. Amazing host and breakfast. Highly recommended.

June 1-4. Fishguard to Rosslare ferry then a drive beyond West Cork.

Delivering a sea kayak that I had found for old friend Freya. A 16′ Scott Seabird in grp/Diolen/carbon mix. (I think).

Monday Adrigole Bay. Beautiful but too exposed with an inbound 42mph weather front arriving within 2 hrs. So we retreated to Glengarriff which doesn’t get much more sheltered on this coastline. A rather condensed intro lesson to take Freya from Open Canoe paddler to Sea Kayak paddler. Including large scale ferry-glides as the wind and wave increased when we got out to an outlying island. Then a quick comparative paddle for Freya in a Charleston 15.
All rewarded by a lovely light meal at the Dzogchen Beara Meditation Retreat (Buddhist monastery) cafe with seaward views – of about 1 mile, as the storm rolled in and battered the coast. Not called the Wild Atlantic Way for nothing then!

Postponed from 2 years ago, this year I really got lucky with the timing. T-shirt and suncream weather in early March! Stayed at Kas. 2 buses and 5 hours from Antalya Airport but well worth getting that far away to the West of a concrete coastline. Kas (pronounced Kash) is a little but well known Gem. Like a Mediterranean Salcombe. Rented a Tempest 170 from Amber Travel in Kas. Kas peninsula, harbour, bay and various little waterside ‘settlements’. A led day with Aklan of Amber to the Kekova area and paddled excellent Rainbow sea kayaks over the sunken city ruins. Massive history lesson and great company. One of the most relaxing paddling days I have ever had. Maybe I should practice slow paddling as a meditation? Visited nearby Greek Island that I was forbidden to paddle to. The only way allowed being by ferry. Various local walks in the Kas area. Harbourside meals. Street dancing and musicians interspersed with the Iman calling the faith to prayer over huge tannoys echoing throughout the town at regular intervals throughout the day. Yet, Turkey a secular country. Very relaxed, great food, lovely people. Will definitely visit again!

I am paddling on the Turkish coast from Kas and Kekova 3rd – 11th March. Hiring a Wilderness Systems Tempest 170 with Amber Travel. Report to follow! Meanwhile Jack (from Drydock) is going to cover Canoestore when he is available. Jack is a diehard Sit-on kayaker and instructor so a good balance to me and my appalling attitude to Sit-ons!

Full size towline PLUS

No secrets here. Tried to make a model and the bag etc took some time. Then I saw a bumbag at a supermarket with two zipped compartments for under £5. The waistband wasn’t continuous through the bag, so I stitched 25mm webbing to join the two ends inside the bag, then added 3M of 25mm yellow webbing. Then added an upcycled (decommissioned) climbing snapgate karabiner. Marginally did not float so I stitched in some closed cell foam (yoga-mat).

Result: One topnotch belted bag with throwline in one zipped pocket and a spare zipped pocket for nik-naks. Floats. And upcycled karabiner that would have been junked.

Lets see how this goes! Short production runs of what now looks like a ‘range’ !

Started off with refining a basic backrest having awaited a delivery from China that never arrived!
Backrest now fully trialed on my Scottish Odysseys in 2023 and 24. Then spraydeck braces and more….

Then Jack posed the question of how to more easily carry his sit-on to the beach.

Then I sold my last towline – and seeing that they are easy to get – realised that maybe a minimalist lite version had a use. Small enough to stick in your BA/PFD front pocket and still room for the Snickers bar.

Caledonian Canal – Conclusions and ‘Next’

Well worth doing. In the summer I would have happily taken four or five days with the longer light hours and not having to squeek it in between weather fronts!

On Loch Ness I would still advise the North shore half then switch if necessary to South shore route on Loch Ness if you are solo paddling. South shore if you are in company and weather dictates.

Definitely start at the West coast sealock and end on the East coast sealock. Otherwise you will miss some really lovely stretches. Note: at the Jacobite cruise-boat terminal just West of Inverness, don’t leave your car in the carpark past their closing time – they lock the very sturdy gates! So you wouldn’t be able to retrieve your car until the next morning! With permission, I parked behind their buildings by the canal.

I paddled Ness with a 5mph wind forecast for the region. It peaked about 12, maybe 15, in the middle when I was crossing over. It was zero at my start from Fort Augustus at about 0900. That’s lakes, lochs and valleys for you. Be mindful!

Would I do it again? Yes.

NEXT: In the spring, in my last of ‘places I wished I had paddled when I was last there’ series. The Dingle Peninsula and SW Eire coast.

After that, maybe linking up the West coast track from my Trossachs-crossing voyage start and the Caledonian Canal crossing start just completed. Following the route of the famous ‘The Canoe Boys’ in their frame and canvas pre-war kayaks.

Day 4 (3.2)

Had it not been winter short daylight hours – I could have continued up to the sea lock on the east coast on Day 3. Either with a longer lunch stop and/or a tea-stop at the Jacobite Cruise boat terminal.

But Day 4 it is. And what a stunning day. So different from the previous grey day. I had thought that the last section of the canal which turns north so missing Inverness (which the river does flow through) would be very residential or industrialised. Nothing of the sort. It was lovely.

Stashed the boat at the Caley marina boatyard and took a taxi back to get the car. Only a 12 minute ride. Collected Grey Seal and drove over to Fort William for the last night before setting off for the South.

The last picture is of the other side of the sea-lock. So, technically the sea – well salt water leading to the estuary and the sea!

The end!

Loch Ness second half on South shore. Reloaded with Ibuprofen for the wrist. Was much easier although oddly I now had waves on my port side, building as I expected as I tried to edge to centre-loch at the North end. I managed to edge it enough when the waves sporadically lessened so that I was close to the light beacon indicating the canal channel on the NW edge of the Loch. 1600 and getting quite dim. Narrow bit of loch then leads to the canal just after the long diagonal weir dropping into the river to Inverness. One sign and my gut feeling that it felt like a drop – no buoys or barrier. Bit dodgy in the half-light. Civilisation signs increasing but quite a drag up the canal which was longer than I remembered it from years back when I was on a cruise boat on the same route. And tired and almost dark.

Out at the Jacobite Cruise terminal pontoons. I am soaked and it’s now raining. Stripped off and into dry clothes in the dark. Stashed kayak by carpark. Only a 20 minute wait for a (rare) bus. Thought it wasn’t going to stop even though I was waving frantically! It pulled up after the bus layby. Fort Augustus to collect car. Drove back to collect kayak. Drove back to Fort Augustus. Stashed car at BnB. Very bland Chinese meal in the old English pub run by Thais. But grateful for hot food and odd Scottish beer. Phew!

Loch Ness. 22 x 1.6 miles 744ft (227 metres) max depth. 16.4 million gallons. 14.000 acres. Never freezes due to vertical circulating currents from warmer depths. And like all lochs and large lakes – it has its own weather system. Today increasing to 12 mph+ and building nasty short 2′ waves well before I got opposite Foyers. Hmmm. ok I get it….re previous North shore advice. Shortly after Alltsigh I stopped, turned and surveyed the scene. With a rapid non-calculation (gut feeling), I paddled due East AT SPEED across the loch with the bow just edging into the waves and veering off when I could to lessen the track slightly back up the loch! A rather fast and very wide ferryglide for about a mile. Please to veer off towards Foyers 400 metres from the South shore. Wrist really sore. Stopped at Foyers to empty boat (!), water, lunch – Tunnock Caramel wafer bar (my essential fuel when kayaking!) and a jog around the desolate boatyard to get my legs working. Set straight back off aware that I was not half way yet. Now 1300. 3.5 hrs of ‘daylight’ remaining.

Soon after setting back off I saw this little yacht in the trees. It has the front half of its hull missing! Hmmm. I wouldn’t like to be out here when it is really windy! Yikes!

Loch Ness. Hmmm. Grey day. Forecast 5mph SW winds in the region. Long in’it? And clear that I needed to add the extra canal bit at the north end up to the Jacobite Cruise Boat terminal/centre wharf. I also had a good think about the advice I had been given, twice, that the south shore should be used as the waves build on the north shore. The first half of the south shore (to Foyers) has no road access and steep mountainous (steep hill) sides. If I took a bath and dragged myself to that shore, I would be in deep trouble getting any kind of help. The thoughts of a senior solo paddler! I decided to set off on the North shore and cross over to Foyers half way down if necessary or press on past Urqart Castle and stay on the North side.

The first thing that impresses you when starting at one end of Loch Ness – is that it is straight – and longer than your horizon from 2′ off water level. So…you cant see the end. It is a horizon of continuous water. Never impressed on me when at sea. Never seen it before on inland water. Umm – long huh? And very very deep. There is more water in Loch Ness than all the inland water bodies in the UK added together. Yes, really.

Plan was a good breakfast and crack on. I had left Grey Seal on the loch-side pontoon ready to go from the night before.

Lovely paddle. Loch Lochie was flat. Which I was rather grateful for. Glad to get to Fort Augustus. Fine tray of chips a good reward! Right wrist painful from the start. Probably overdid it the day before but not boding well for the big one – seems I have planned to do Loch Ness in one day. Booked into a great BnB for two nights. The White House. Got a (rare) bus back to Laggan to collect the car.

Phew. 60 metres rise. 7 gates. Now feel I am in the canal-proper! Now off to Laggan Locks. Bit of a stretch but the canal doesn’t follow the main road this end.

Ok – weather GREAT! In fact totally a mad summer climate! IT IS NOVEMBER 3RD.

Route logistics – The canal actually starts north of Fort William at Corpach. It even has a rail station! But I decided to walk it from my car left at the top of Neptune’s Steps at Banovie. You can see why in the pic. Corpach wharf is stunning and tranquil. Just a tiny marina, offices and a cafe.

How hard can it be? After my having already crossed Scotland West to East coast through the Trossachs? It’s a ‘CANAL’! With a main road running its length between two cities. – Saw this notice at Neptune’s steps.

Here I go again! Some time ago (back in the Blog) you will have seen that I had planned to tick this off my bucket list a couple of years ago but weather and seasonal accommodation prices had me retreat to paddling Loch Lomond instead. Based on my finding the October/November weather window to cross the Trossachs. I finally guessed it (fine analysis and skilled interpretation of isobaric charts) – so Fort William to Inverness, returning to collect the car after each days paddle. 3-5 days in my old trusty Grey Seal (Mariner 17 sea kayak bought on eBay for £63 a couple of years ago). Lurvv this GRP yak. Made by Northshore probably in the 1980’s. The Mariner has an upgraded deck on the ubiquitous Atlantic hull. So, off to Scotland I go!

NOTE – START WAS NOVEMBER 3RD – NOT POSTED DATE ON THIS SITE! (CURRENTLY STORM BERT 50-60MPH WINDS ON MY YACHT!)

Lac Annecy. Three days chilling, paddling and even swimming! Quite hot. Lovely campsite right by the lake.

A return to Interlaken in Switzerland. I had my first kayaking experience here when I was about 10 years old on a family camping holiday. This time the weather was very mountain-style extremely variable. One moment a light breeze and glorious sunshine, the next horizontal storm force sleet and half darkness at midday. Within 15 minutes!
Got a paddle in just after a storm had ripped through and before the next one fell off the mountains. I guess that is what to expect if you are paddling under the Junfrau. Extraordinarily atmospheric. Won’t forget it. (Yes, pics are of the same lake!)

West of Dijon. The ‘park’ is massive. Stayed at Lac du Settons both car/tent and a cabin for the last 3 days. Annie and I tried out the new paddleboard. I circumnavigated the whole lake and up the feeder river by kayak.

A kinda bucketlist tour with the van (Seat Alhambra MPV) + awning/s, tent, kayak (Dagger Animus) and even a new paddleboard! France, Belgium, France, Switzerland, France, Italy, France, Spain, France. Paddling highlights were discovering the tranquil delight of Morvan national park in France West of Dijon at Lac du Settons, paddling on Lac Anercy near the Swiss border and especially the West lake at Interlaken where I had my first ever experience in a kayak aged about ten (?) on a family camping holiday. I guess I could say that was where it all started. I always wanted to go back one day.

Paddling the very hot (38 degrees) Med coast from Roses in Spain was good and a huge contrast to the stormy and chill weather of Interlaken with snow on the mountains. A few days with old friends Seagull and Concha in Huesca, Aragon but decided against paddling some incredible lakes as the water levels were so low that I would have needed a climbing rope to safely get down to the water and back up! Vultures circling overhead were awesome though.

Now the plan is for sailing all through September. Then try to get up to tick off the Caledonian canal in October being between midgey season and winter. All very weather dependant and finding the right ‘windows’ !!

I have been keeping track of Rob’s work at Odyssey Innovation for a while now. He stood on a beach looking at a pile of binbags full of plastic waste collected by himself and fiends on kayaks, (just like I do), and mused how sad that it will all go to landfill. He pondered whether it could be made back into kayaks which could then be tasked to collect more…..plastic. And that is exactly what he has done. Recognise the names Islander, Fatyak, Fiesta? Now all on the market from Rob’s plastics and more products. See the article on the link below. Jump onto his website to see how his business has broadened to tackle fishing net waste and working within industry. Catch up with his Paddle For Plastic project.

Canoestore working with Odyssey

Unless it gets too popular (?!), I am offering to accept polyethylene kayaks that need to be scrapped. I will strip and cut them into the required size pieces for processing. Then take them to Odyssey for recycling.

Ring me to arrange to drop off your kayak at:

1. Canoestore DT4 in Weymouth. 2) EX4 in central Exeter. 3. BS4 in Bristol.

Here is Rob’s story: https://paddlingmag.com/stories/columns/profile/rob-thompson-is-making-the-worlds-first-marine-plastic-recycled-kayaks/

Also see: Odysseyinnovation.com

Yes it is possible. Is it desirable? Unsure. But it wins in getting me to see stuff I now cherish and so much richer than sitting in an armchair watching i-player. I reminder to ‘do’ more and ‘watch’ less – whilst I can!

The ‘expedition’ had different style and challenge characteristics.

Sea to Arrachar. (Tidal, flat and a gunboat.)
Arrachar to Venachar Dam (Gradient acheived. Top of the World. The end of the Lochs.)
Venachar Dam to Doune (Change of kayak. Impossible in sea kayak. Pesky and dodgy at times. Exhausting.)
Doune to Stirling. (Fun. Except for the rubbish in and beside the river.)
Stirling to Alloa. (Back to sea kayak. Pleasant. Such a contrast. Lots of Recce required. Hard to access.)
Alloa to Charlestown. (Timing and tides. Mud. Get it wrong and you are stuffed. Very exposed at times)

In conclusion. I don’t think I can do this multi-role solo passaging for much longer. Just unwise, probably. Glad I have done it. Know why it is a very rare route.

Would I recommend it? I used everything I had. Knowledge and experience as a Level 3 Sea kayak coach and Level 4 Inland kayak coach with alpine whitewater experience years back. A famously good sea kayak design. An almost bombproof white water creek kayak. Background in sailing exposed waters and tidal effects. The caution and stamina of age – which sadly comes with weakening back muscles. Critical moment lessons – carry 2 pairs of sunglasses. Recce everything possible in tidal areas for Plan B AND C. Keep the camera charged – and yes, maybe a head-cam.
Finally – you can never have enough Tunnocks Caramel wafer bars.

If you have done this or know anyone who has – get in touch.

Those Vikings were awesome – such respect for their physicality and tenacity.

That’s all (for now) folks!

Notable places and sights report. In no geographical order.
Culross – all of it. Including the Culross Palace (NT).
Doune Castle and riverside walk
Approaching the 3 bridges at Stirling appearing interlaced each behind the next.
The roadsign – “cyclist friendly” – so all the other roads are ? Probably not!
The valley above Callander and riverside walk, site of old Roman fort earthworks
The little chapel just upstream of Callander by the river.

Charlestown Harbour and limekilns. So tranquil but in a decaying way. Sad and profound. A study in how times change; how nature can and will absorb industrialisation given time. The photos speak for themselves. I could put up a photographic exhibition of the many photos I took or could have taken in different light.

Rubbish!

Well, much of this leg #2 was through unpopulated areas so I guess I could have expected less dross in the water? But sadly it just turned out that it was different and bigger dross. First item collected was from just below Venachar Dam – an agricultural/builders ‘hippo’ bag. Then I passed another I could not free from the waterside trees. I rescued a midi version and some plastic fencing from just above Callander. See feature photo – yes that is my kayak underneath!

That all got taken to Callander Recycle Centre. A mile south of Doune, I gave an entire plastic roof a miss! Maybe belonged to a carport or shed. I passed another hippo bag that I was just too busy to get to. Sadly I turned down the offer of collecting another bag and a dead and rotting lamb both hanging on a branch over the water. Oh, and my first abandoned bike. Then it was ok until the approach to Stirling where I collected a lilo and a light football. Stirling? Bikes! What is it with the Stirling folk throwing pedal bikes and supermarket trolleys into the river? Is it a proud local sport? The run from Stirling to Alloa just offered crisp packets and fizzy drink bottles but relatively few. All of it sooo sad. One walker kindly offered to take stuff off me and a trip to Alloa Recycling Centre sorted most of the rest.

Day 7 – The end

Obviously no photos as conditions deteriorated. Only realised when close to the Crombie piers that I could go under them near-ish the outward ends. Couldn’t see Charlestown harbour until another mile on. But I knew it was there! So glad when it came into view in the drizzle and failing light. Only 1900! I had wasted time on my detour at Newmills, making this a 2hr run. 100 metres from the entrance I could see the little sandy beach at the eastern end of the harbour where dinghies still launched and there was….water!!! A little stream running into the harbour had allowed gravel to be exposed so I hopped out onto …gravel!!! Phew! Done. Changed of clothes. Walked up to pub for a celebratory drink and, as planned, got a taxi back to collect the car. Bus services don’t exist back towards Culross/Stirling from here and often stop at 1600 anyway. By the time I got back to collect the kayak – no water in the harbour at all and I am not sure there is a deep channel to the entrance anymore anyway!

Day 7. The last day.

From my various recce’s by car and the rather exposed view towards Grangemouth with the estuary mud-line issue – it had become clear to me that a proper place to end my X-Scotland expedition would be at Charlestown Harbour near Limekilns on the north bank of the estuary. It has a sense of history to it and I imagined that it originally had a channel to it albeit probably quite silted up these days as the harbour has sadly been ‘closed’ for some years. A previous recce had indicated that water gets to the bouldered outer wall edge as late as half tide. Culross to Charlestown Harbour is 6 miles in a straight-ish line outside of the industrial piers at Crombie. Having seen how fast the water recedes from the sides – I reckoned that my window was to launch asap near the high tide at Culross and paddle ‘seriously’ straight there. 90 minutes tops = harbour by HT + 1.5 – 2 at the harbour. Meant to be 8kts wind albeit from SE which is not an ideal direction, drumming up a wave across the estuary against my shoreline. Turned out it was a 15+ Kt wind for most of the run. So, as I paddled out behind the protection of the retaining wall to the salt pans I was already dreaming up plan B. Which was to turn back and run back along the land edge whilst it still had some water! Then I realised that I could use a trick that I had enjoyed on the lochs in wind against shore. To run in the choppy bounce-back zone 15′ off the high bouldered walls. As I emerged from the eastern ‘end’, plan C seemed the sensible thing. Head for Newmills in the next bay. But I hadn’t recce’d it previously. Just driven past it. Note for future. As I got closer and in diminishing light due to the black evening clouds and rain…. and two deviations in my course I found a stream running into the bay – but – the water had already started to recede and at 200 metres off I had 5″ under me. Ie: already in the silt by the time I had taken 2 minutes to ‘have a think’. Error. Pulled myself together when I realised that I had seconds to back out. Which, thankfully I managed. I knew it was too late to get back to Culross so I set off at speed into the rain, wind and waves. Many of which poured back over my foredeck. So glad I have a great design sea kayak under me. The Mariner 17 has the famous Atlantic hull with a different deck. I headed out for the piers at Crombie.

Day 6

Culross to South Alloa and North Alloa. Yes, up river again for the same reasons as the last leg. In the morning I left the car at Alloa and got a bus back to Culross. I rigged the Grey Seal with lines from the bow and foredeck eye and also from the cockpit seat side for the impending egress at Alloa up the steel ladder. Watched the rising pm tide carefully at Culross as it flooded the muds to something solid. That said, I had to move the kayak twice between setting it down near the waters edge and the time it took to finish packing – 4 minutes?! Kincardine Bridge (The old Forth Road Bridge) & Clackmannanshire Bridge with 2+ knot flood tide. Water started to narrow. No longer estuary. Into the sweeping bends in the sunshine! No pics as camera ran out of juice so bridges pic taken later. Arrived at South Alloa where I had set off to Stirling the day before. Wind increasing and quite a wave. Crossed over to Alloa on the industrial north bank in a rather fast broad ferry glide against the waves and tide. So glad I had rigged the lines on the kayak. Bit bouncy against the wharf but got up the ladder in a ‘mindful’ way and hauled the kayak up after me and over the safety barrier. Raining heavily. Soaked. Stripped off in car into dry clothes. So glad I had put car there in the morning ready for my return! Still no hotel rooms available though! So back to Culross estuaryside carpark.

Day 5. So, change of topography, water and back to the Old Grey Seal. The Forth is tidal to Stirling and runs at about 2 knots at times. But the sides are very shallow. Which means that in the time it takes you to paddle 10 miles, albeit with the ebb tide flow, the water has receded so far at your destination – that you are up to 300 metres from the sides and cant get out! As it is VERY silty. So, on a mid to late pm tide – you would be stuck out there for the night!!! So, I had to be a bit less purist. If I had a support tender to take me into Grangemouth – maybe – but I haven’t. So, I decided to paddle the route in reverse. South Alloa (on the southern bank) to Stirling on the rising tide. Impossible to launch at Alloa or anywhere on the heavily industrialised north bank. One 15′ steel ladder, 10 metres from the water/silt margin! Launched from a ladies bungalow garden and got to Stirling following its very meandering path. Twice+ the distance A-B on the map. So good to be back in the sea kayak! Got back to Stirling Rowing Club just as it started lashing down. Took a taxi from the bus station to collect the car. A night in the car. I forgot to notice that it was a bank holiday weekend and all the hotels I tried were full! A good day.

Day 4

Doune to Stirling

I drove to Stirling to check out the egress points – none found – except Stirling Rowing Club. Luckily for me, the night before I had read a blog about a guy who paddled Doune to Stirling and Dave of Stirling Rowing Club very graciously gave me permission. Thanks Dave. I had noticed that the topography of the area was a lot flatter, the river running through a broadening valley. I made the distance to the first road bridge outside Stirling in 90 minutes including stops for photo-taking and …..more plastics removal from the river. Much easier to paddle but quite a current for the first half. The broken weir and railway bridge supports half way down was simple but I was glad that I had read to go left bank as it wasn’t that obvious from the water on approach. Left the Animus above the club steps and walked to the bus station, only 10 minutes away to retrieve the car. Just missed the rain. Last night at the Lion & Unicorn. So pleased that I hadn’t quit after the Day 2 ‘challenges’.

Day 3

I realised that I just didn’t have it in me to paddle today. maybe its an age thing. Maybe being rusty. But parts of yesterday kinda freaked me out and I knew that I was lucky not to have pulled my soaked self across fields after misadventure. It’s a very different thing paddling solo on technical and much of the time isolated water. There is a vulnerability to it and the constant mindfulness balanced with confidence necessary to ‘flow’ successfully is mentally ruddy exhausting. I drove back to Doune Bridge and made a note of the water level which was a tad lower than the day before! The weather forecast was for rain today so that might help for maybe tomorrow? I walked the path downstream to visit Doune Castle which is a real gem. The famous Monty Python scene with the French leaning over the battlements shouting at Arthur and his knights was shot here as was the film Outlander. Walked down the riverside a bit to look at shallow rapids and islets.

Day 2 Eve.

Found the Lion & Unicorn Inn by recommendation and – just right! At Thornhill, near Doune. Delightful single room plus en-suite bath! Really comfy bed – good food, ale and staff. Stayed for 3 nights whilst I continued the mission to get to the Forth Road bridge. So grateful for their affordable hospitality.

Day 2 Callander to Doune or further?

Well, there seemed to be more water…. and I was musing on whether to take the Old Grey Seal when my attempt to unlock it failed – the key was stuck in the padlock! A local garage bolt-cropped the thing off and as luck would have it – the guy was a paddler – no way was I going to use the sea kayak! So, I set off from the pretty village quay so full of optimism. I will save you the blow by blow account (and I do mean blow). The low water resulted in a 101% non-stop concentration of river reading with bursts of not deep enough power strokes, bum hopping and hip wriggling when the ‘route (Ha) went elsewhere. High and dry on top of flat rocks at times and one 50M portage just walking from rock to rock. Ended up just heading for anything that looked like the deepest part regardless of technicality. Never hit so many rocks in a day in my life. By the times I got to the big long diagonal weir downstream of the Doune estate I was in no mood to get out. I traversed the shallow top edge (river drops about 8 metres) and opted for the salmon ladder…getting high and dry stuck on the 3rd to last ridge then diagonally stuck between ridges on each drop to the end. Not pretty. If I was still using the old ABS paddle from last year it would have shattered long ago. Today I was using an Ainsworth Pro RIM blades on carbon shaft, thank goodness. Exited left bank above Doune road bridge and very up into handy carpark. Further? NO way! Absolutely exhausted. Bus to retrieve car.

X-Scotland – part 2. (Down hill) Callander to Forth Road Bridge

After waiting through March and April due to storms, May had a window before the midgies season took hold.

So, here I go again. This time with the Old Grey Seal (Mariner 17′ sea kayak) and my trusty old creek boat, a Dagger Animus. Which to my knowledge is the only one in the country as they were never imported to the the UK.

Day – 1 Venacher Dam to Callander. R. Eas Gobain. And would you credit it? Where’s the water?!! Even so, I managed to scrape over the first two centre channel ledges, but had to portage the third in the three pools beside the dam. Then a bit of a walk down the middle to the first weir. Made the mistake of caution and portaged the weir and line down the kayak, when it turned sideways and half filled with water under the drop! Urghh! Not a glorious start!

Finished!

Now to add the new closed cell buoyancy foam and then the bridges for backrest straps. Luckily I already have templates for the Europa 390 foam block.

Next – seams the ‘dirt and dross’ had got under an in all fittings so – out they come! More cleaning. Hull now cleared of the evil brown stuff – a second pressure wash really worked. So, this is looking all possible!

Day 3 and 4 and 5

With kitchen cleaner cream, Cif, and regular changing of cotton rag the stain was lifted off as a pasty brown mush.
So far, about 6 hours work! I am hoping to finish off with a second pressure wash. Then flatten out the scratches a bit with a hot air gun.

I am keeping a record of the cost of resources so that I can do an audit at the end as to what the true cost of rescue is. Clearly a crazy marathon.

I picked up an Ace Europa 390 polyethylene kayak from a chap in Devon last week. Seriously stained and with no buoyancy (disintegrated open cell nasty stuff). He had attempted to remove the stain’but it was too attached!

So. my mission is to get this back into service. rather than it go to landfill or into our oceans and eaten by the fish as it disintegrates. Or the equivalent as landfill.

No personal profit to be made. In fact my plan is to give it to a deserving person on a very low budget.

Day 1

Powerful pressure washer…failed.

Day 2

Tried the following – what is this stuff?!!!
White spirit. Petrol. WD40 Turps. Methylated Spirit. Acetone Y10 Organics gunk Cif.
Methylated spirit rubbed very hard had a small effect. Amazed to find that kitchen cleaner cream, Cif worked with a LOT of medium pressure rubbing.

Back ache but press on in glorious sunshine after a brief rest on the north shore, yes, jumping up and down munching a choccy wafer. Paddled down to the Venachar dam at the East end and out on a little ‘beach’ in the southeast corner. Given a lift by some coldwater swimmers to the ‘main’ road. Three cars later a van stopped. Then another 3 cars later, a car from DORSET! – gave me a lift back to my car. Collected Seal. Loosing the light, drove through Callander and headed for the motorways.

That’s it for this year. My back agrees! And the weather is set to deteriorate. (5 days later it was reported as minus 11 degrees and snow!) Venachar dam was an obvious place to stop as it marks the last of the lochs. River from Calander to the Forth Road Bridge. The first bit fio which is twisty with falls, so that I might do my using my creek boat next year (or portage Seal around), but will need to complete the lowland river in Seal due to the distances and lack of out-points and road connections. Hopefully there will be some bus services!

That’s it for 2023.

Twisty and little rapids. Decided to go for it. Hadn’t reckoned on so many fallen trees. Some I went under and some over! Many reverse ferry-glides! Half way down I lost my sunglasses to a low hanging branch as I had erroneously nudged them up on top of my head. Wont do that again. Couldn’t see a thing on following rapids on bends and under branches, a real eye strainer. So glad when the river slowed down. Then bendy and out to Loch Venacher. Phew!

Sunny morning! Stunning. Breakfast in the very nice bistro, packed up and drove down to Loch Achray car park at the west end. Unlocked Seal from info sign, launched from very boggy ‘slip’-way! Glorious paddle down the Loch. It’s very short!

Cloudy and moody morning. Selected the best hours for the task 11-2 and launched Seal at Trossachs Pier. Paddled to the wharf that I visited the night before so that I could say that I did paddle Seal from Stronachlar to Trossachs Pier, albeit in two legs. And of course, annoyingly that I had to paddle there and back as no ferries and no path on the shorter side. The longer side path was over 15 miles long! So it was that I paddled up AND down. Back ache. Hard to overcome. Not sure about continuing. On return, I trollied Seal down to Loch Achray having been warned about the very rocky steep rapids on the river connecting the lochs. Then strolled back up to Trossachs Pier. Tired. Very snug second night in the log cabin. No photos on the water this day. Too rainy.

Got out of ‘Inn’ at 0700. Rain. Lots of it. Spent the day on a driving recce of the area, checking bus-routes and access to remaining paddle. Booked a log cabin at Trossachs Pier on the East end of Loch Katrine. In the late afternoon, I dropped off Seal where last finished the night before and trollied it down to Stronachlar at the West end of Loch Katrine. Cafe open but no ferries call in the winter. Launched Seal in the diminishing light and paddled down to a quayside a mile or so and back. Wind and wave picking up. Very glad to get back to Trossachs Pier and the very snug cabin and an evening of tv!

Stunning scenery

Phew!

Having researched the route a week earlier and finding that the ferries on Loch Lomond were not running now for winter, so no ferry to and from Inversnaid on the east bank, I had brought with me an old MI380 kayak. I towed the bugger over to Inversnaid, arriving in a very nasty fast wind driven ‘chop’. Stashed the 380, wheels on Seal and hauled it up (VERY UP) the mountain (hill really but it felt like a mountain) – how the hell did the Vikings get up that with a sea boat?!! 150metres. Finally arrived at Loch Arklet dam and stashed Seal. Walked back to Inversnaid and paddled the 380 back to Tarbet to collect the car. Arrived back at 1500.

Trossachs – Viking route Day1 – evening

Hauled (pulled on trolley) Seal from Arrochar, Long Loch to Loch Lomond at Tarbet, ready for the next day. Then walked back to the Village Inn, Arrochar for the night. Pic – outside the Tarbet village ‘shop’ !

Arrochar pontoon – just started raining again! Litter haul. Night at Village Inn. Highly recommended.

Part 1 of 2. West coast to Calander through the Trossachs.

When I paddled Loch Lomond a few weeks earlier, I read at Tarbet that the Vikings came up the sea lochs and hauled their boats across the Trossachs, loch by loch. Why!? I have yet to find out! So, a plan was hatched to follow their route with my sea kayak which I have named the Old Grey Seal; a Mariner 17 by Northshore. This time with a chunky trolley! Starting at Cove near Helensburgh on the West Coast, first day was a route up Loch Long to Arrochar. The weather gave me it all except snow. Rain, sun, 3 rainbows, seals, cormorants, herons, divers, 2 navy patrol launches and….the worst litter that I have ever seen in one day. I collected 2 bagsful and had to leave three times that and 3 plastic crates and 2 traffic cones. What a shame. Otherwise, glorious.

With a threatening sky, rain and 10kt wind, I erred on the side of setting off, but might retreat when ‘out there’. South Lomond is very wide (8km) and the winds were not SW/W at all, they were S in my face. First third was increasingly lumpy into wind and wave so i took to sneaking up behind islands rather than follow the West coast which was at times surprisingly shallow and offered no protection at all. Just breaking waves! My assumption at the time was that the last third would be increasingly protected by Balloch and a wider, lower surrounding geography proved correct. So the last 3 miles were grey but quite agreeable. It rained the whole trip and again, visibility very poor. So much so that It was hard to identify the islands from headlands and for 10 minutes or so, I navigated by wave-set as I couldn’t see anything. So, very few photos in those conditions! Must get a compass fitted! I get it now! Even if it is only a lake! Hitched a lift back to Luss. Weather really deteriorating. On the return drive south on the M74/M6 I was forced to drive 40-50mph for hours. Awful conditions (later reported as 75mph winds). By 2200 I gave up and immersed myself in a hotel bath. (Hey, I am feeling my age!)

Weather changing and not in a good way. Forecasted winds SW/W 30 kts with a nasty weather front spiralling across the Irish Sea overnight. Which I spent in very nice pub accommodation at Balloch, south end of the loch. By next morning the front looked to be moving just south of Lomond, by a smidgen, so I decided to paddle the North end of Lomond first which, albeit could have a long wave generated on it from the south (behind me), was much narrower so maybe more protected and a slightly shorter distance. So I waited for a break in the rain at Tarbet, then off to Ardlui at the northernmost end. Visibility was awful most of the time, but winds? 0-5kts, flat calm surface. Rescued a traffic cone and a half-submerged pink inflatable kayak/lilo on the way. Urghhhh, PLASTICS litter in our precious waters! Hitched a lift from Sean and Ingrid to get the car. Thanks guys! Got wetter waiting for a lift than the entire paddle. Bucketing down and winds rising. Then back to Luss to contemplate doing the South end of Lomond which is much more exposed.

With (again) forecasted 50-60 Kt winds on the South Coast in Mid September, I rescheduled my ‘attempt’ on the Caledonian Canal in the Seal (my trusty grey Northshore Mariner 17 sea kayak) and set off to do half of it before I had to be back in Exeter for more dentistry! Fort William forecast was for sunny spells and drizzle with 5-8 kt winds. By the time I arrived, 24hrs later, it was perpetual rain and a 10-15 kt chilly wind. After a recce of the Clyde end, the 6- locks staircase and the day ! and 2 accommodation options (none), the next morning I postponed my plans until better weather and set off back to Loch Lomond which had caught my eye on the way up. 24 miles long, the UK’s biggest lake by area and a 10-20 kt SW wind with light rainy spells forecast. Paddled the middle first from Tarbet to Luss (very pretty) but on the way, over-relaxed, got hit by a katabatic which almost blew my paddle out of my hands and the following waves eased my rather too loose a fit spraydeck up behind me! Wrong spraydeck for the Seal! (pun). In true lake/loch style, conditions were – winds – SW.W.E,N,SE, F1-3, waves flat to moderate, Vis 100yds to 3 miles. Not boring then!

After really unreliable and uninspiring weather this summer, in August I just motor-sailed off to the Solent for five days. Yarmouth, Mercury(Hamble), East Cowes (2 nights) and Yarmouth. In the entire time only just sailed for 90 minutes on day one approaching Hurst Point. The return journey was not the SW promised, so into wave and wind and whilst Anvil and St Albans were well behaved, middle of Weymouth Bay was ‘orrible. A few weeks later Tina and Paul joined me for a trip out to Lulworth and Mupe Bay, overnight at Portland and back to Wetmouth in a F…..1? stifling humid heat and yet again the 2023 sea haze and fog. Still waiting for the Indian Summer!

Planned for September. Encouraged by my Lake District ‘Challenge’, it seems only right that I continue to paddle the places that I wish I had when I first saw them. So, next on bucket-list – The Caledonian Canal. Here we have the newly acquired trolley being tried out on my old grey seal. After the relatively short portages in Cumbria, and a check on a website about paddling the Caledonian, and seeing that there are two 600 metre portages and others….. with camping gear? – Definitely wheels! Maybe even a donkey to pull for me? Paddling West to East with a target of 5 days to include the silly bits each end, just to be purist about it. Coast to coast.

First week of August I am paddling all the permissible Lakes, Tarns and waters in the Lake District. Biggest lakes first with my trusty Grey Seal sea kayak (a very old Northshore Mariner with a modified cockpit rim). 11 waters to start and 50 miles. Photos to follow. Better than hiding in a sail boat to avoid the rubbish weather. At least I expect rain in Cumbria. Its normal!

Weds 3
Left Weymouth today with 46mph winds, rain and thunderstorms forecast.

Day 1 Coniston + Wastwater
Day 2 Ennerdale
Day 3 Derwent Water + Loweswater
Day 4 Crummock Water + connecting river + Buttermere + Grassmere + up feed river at Ullswater
Day 5 Ullswater + Bassenthwaite Lake
Day 6 Windermere + start of River Leven
(Thirlemere not possible as access roads shut by United Utilities who manage the lake)

Wow. Just back from sailing down to Fowey in Cornwall on trusty Joanna (my Moody 36). Rollercoaster ride with Easterlies especially Torquay to Plymouth. Better day (thank goodness) with Annie to Fowey on Friday. Friday-Sunday attended the Moody Owners Association Fowey Rally. Thanks to Susan et al. A smashing time (ate too much!). So good, we stayed another day on the Monday and Tuesday was set to be ‘kinder’ against still the Easterlies! (Been set that way for over 2 weeks now and quite a horrible wave set). Dropped Annie off at Plymouth and set off 0500 next day in theory bound for Brixham. After the bow submerged for the third time, I turned for Salcombe and left the boat there for 4 days! Saturday was forecast to be a change in the weather and wind to the South. Hmmm. Plymouth to Torquay. Easterlies! Then today, Torquay to Weymouth with a slight sea and despite promises and warnings of a heatwave- ruddy chilly, motored all the way with some sails up and nothing else in any forecast was correct! Fog. Got back into Weymouth for the 1800 bridge lift. Fowey was very nice though.

Unit 6, Granby Court,
Surrey Close, Granby Estate
Weymouth, DT4 9XB

Just in the process of fitting out the unit. Sharing the unit by kind invitation of Ben Harris of BH Marine. He has provided me with a large space on the ground floor. Goodness knows where this will lead. It may just be my personal workshop or it may be some sales or even training but I am hoping that my TOOLKIT can help fix things for people, mainly small boat projects, starting with used kayak renovations & sales. Which kinda reinvents the used kayak sales thing Annie and I had going from our front garden at Woodbury, before a nice councilman strongly suggested we voluntarily shut down and going back much further, of course it may look similar to my old Canoe store business at Emsworth. But this will not be a dealership of any kind! More a workshop with sales by appointment. Otherwise I will be on my boat or in Exeter!

The store will be open every weekend from the 12th November.
RING FIRST TO ARRANGE A VISIT AS I MAY BE AT THE MARINA ON OR THE WATER.

A bit like the water companies – an untreated discharge at times of flood and any other time we fancy.

Stop dumping raw sewage into our seas and waterways. For more information and to sign the petition click here »