Fish Chips and Mushy Peasoup

In search of adventure, I met with Dave and Jules at the Yorkshire seaside town of Filey to paddle along the coast to Scarborough. I had never ventured along this stretch of coastline before and having now made a successful return journey, I feel very much none the wiser.

Shortly after leaving the beach in pleasant morning sunshine we ventured around the Filey Brigg, which is the headland and reef the forms the northern end of Filey bay. Within minutes we found ourselves in choppy conditions with dense fog locally known as 'sea fret' descending dramatically allowing us to see less than 50 metres at times. The sea conditions soon relented but it was difficult to see the shore. Pinpointing our position was tricky making map and compass essential and GPS quite reassuring.

Our 16km trip was plagued by the fret for all but the last 2 km of the approach to Scarborough where we were landed in brilliant sunshine amongst crowds of holidaymakers indulging in the great British seaside tradition of sandcastles, deckchairs and knotted hanky head wear. We opted for another great British seaside institution - Fish and Chips! It was hoped that adding mushy peas to the equation we might please the gods in the hope that they would leave our return journey clear.

It is now clear that we got that one quite wrong! Within minutes of leaving Scarborough we were paddling in fog thicker than before, making route finding amongst the reefs beneath Grissthorpe Cliff quite tricky.

Eventually we found Filey Brigg and the only challenge between us and a safe return. The north going tidal stream combined with some gentle swell to give us a roller coaster ride into Filey Bay where the mist promptly cleared allowing us to find our cars and, more importantly a tea shop.

Chorlton Beer Feshtival

I live in a suburb of south Manchester called Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The name is sometimes subject to ridicule but I rather like, and am proud of it as I have lived most of my life here.

I also like beer, especially real ale so I pleased to report that the 4th annual Chorlton Beer Festival has ended in proud fashion with all barrels empty before church bells could ring 'closing time'.

Sea Kayaking in The Guardian Travel Section

This week the Guardian Travel section features an article that I wrote about 10 top sea kayaking destinations in the UK and Europe.



The Article can be read by clicking here.

The windy way round the island of Walney

I had originally planned for an overnight trip to camp at Peil Island and paddle round Walney. These plans were all but abandoned due to the onset of some pretty foul weather. Nevertheless Mark insisted on not staying at home and completing another circumnavigation just the same. We were joined by Bill & Royanne who met us at the village of Biggar on the island of Walney.

We started from the west shore at 'Cross Dike Scar' and paddled round the south east point amongst plenty of chop and swell generated by the strengthening force 4 southeasterly wind and opposing tidal currents.

We landed briefly on Peil Island to make sort out misplaced footrests, jammed skegs and other associated maintenance . Mark and I found time for a swift half at the Ship Inn too!

The flooding tide and freshening force 5 (gusts of 6/7) wind rushed us up the Walney Channel. It seemed that all we had to do is steer and surf all the way to the shelter of North End Haws where we took a short sandwich and chocolate break.

Progress along the west shore was fine at first in the lee shelter and with some assistance from the ebb tide. As time went on, and as the coastline turned more southeasterly our progress slowed. The last 2km took nearly half an hour!

In the interests of keeping with tradition the post circumnavigation briefing was adjourned to the nearest pub. The Queens Arms at Biggar was perfect!

Strong winds and a change of plan

I took the whit week off work with a plan to paddle north along the east coast from Yorkshire to the Scottish border. With the winds forecast to be east or northeast force 4-6 for most of the week, the chances of making it from Flamborough Head to the Scottish border in one piece weren't good. Tide tables were consulted and following some head scratching we made a last minute decision to start the week with some paddling on the southwest Lake District coast.

I was joined by my friends Glen and Andy. We started at Arnside following the shallows of the Kent Channel into Morecambe Bay where we met the rising waters of the incoming tide. Once we had waited out the initial rush we turned west and made an 18km crossing from Kent Bank to Piel Island.

We made camp for a couple of days to weather out the strongest of the strong easterlies.

Ravenglass on the west Cumbrian coast was our next destination and having endured all of the fresh air one could wish for on Piel, the serenity and shelter of Ravenglass was well appreciated. High tides were in the evening and early morning so we took the opportunity of paddling up one of the estuaries to find a quiet spot to camp for the night.

As the winds dropped we took a paddle from Whitehaven to look at the cliffs at St Bees Head before heading over to the east coast via Ullswater.

Our first paddle on the east coast was a trip down the tidal section of the River Tyne following the ebbing tide through the city of Newcastle beneath the historic bridges old and new.

As the swell on the North Sea was dying away we decided to brave the Northumbria Coast with our final day of paddling. We paddled from the beach just behind the post office at Beadnell to Warkworth Beach just over a mile to the north of Amble. A strong northerly wind kept our hands firmly on the loom for most of the journey and especially through an exciting surf landing at the end of the day.

Its a shame we couldn't finish the objective, but that's difficult if the weather conditions won't even let you begin.

There are more photos of the trip to be seen here.

Hurrah!

I'm waking up like I did almost exactly 9 years ago with a warm feeling attempting to cross swords with the beginnings of a vengeful, blistering hangover . The breakfast TV headlines seem to make re-living last nights victory in Europe fantastic, but life goes on and I now have to prepare for a day at work. In the meantime the complex planning for a sea kayaking trip goes on in the face of a forecast of typically British bank holiday bad weather.

A View From Above

The tiredness that followed the previous weekend's crossing to the Isle of Man continued into last weekend. Fortunately the gentle northerly breeze cleared up the visibility on the east coast so I headed off for Eddsfield Airfield near Bridlington where I have made some friends. Bill and I took off early in the morning heading for Holy Island off the Northumberland Coast.

This is such a fantastic way to view the coastline (or any other landscape for that matter).

We followed the northumberland coast along through Cleveland and North Yorkshire. When we rouded the headland at Scarborough we called ahead to Eddsfield to let them know that we would be arriving shortly and also to request a couple of bacon butties.

Cheers to Bill and all of the rest of the helpful & friendly folk at Eddsfield Airfield.

There are more photos from this flight to be viewed here.

Double Kayak to the Isle of Man

Following a changeable Bank Holiday weekend the weather started to show signs of settling down a little. With this in mind Sean and I began finalising some long term plans for a crossing from St Bees in west Cumbria to Ramsey on the Isle of Man.
The Distance is 53 km, 33 Statute Miles or 28 Nautical Miles. I sent a fax to Liverpool Coastguard advising them of the details and booked the campsite next to the beach at St Bees, and some basic bunkhouse accommodation at The Venture Centre on the Isle of Man.

Kirstine generously volunteered to drive us to St Bees, act as a shore contact and wait around for the weekend in case we decided to return by the same means on the following day.

The tides dictated that we had to leave St Bees in the pre-dawn darkness at 3.30am. We expected the crossing to take 6-8 hours. I reported our position and average speed to the coastguard periodically so that we could be advised of any collision risk and as dawn broke we realised that visibility was only a mile or two at best.

From an almost flat calm at St Bees the wind rose to a northwest force 4 giving quite choppy conditions making the boat a little tricky to handle.

Shortly after reporting in to the coastguard for the second time we saw a ferry pass about a mile in front of us then disappear back into the gloom. Our only other encounter with boats was with a sailing boat appropriately called ‘Night Cat’ around 5 miles from the Manx coast. The helpful skipper called across to us offering a bacon butty then pointing a finger west by southwest into the mist declaring that to be the way to Ramsey.

It wasn’t until we were within less than two miles of Maughold Head that we got our first real sight of land and after 6 hours and 15 minutes we landed on the seaweed infested rocky foreshore of Maughold Brooghs. After a short break we continued to our final destination, Port E Vullen where we unpacked the kayak and made our way for s well-earned rest at the near by Venture Centre.

The forecast for the following day gave easterly force 3-4 so rather than a slog into a headwind we decided on a more leisurely paddle along the coast to Douglas and catch the 3 o’clock fast ferry to Liverpool. Following a log like sleep we enjoyed a hearty breakfast of cheese toasties, grapefruit and muffins before setting off for the beach. Ahead of us lay a 26km paddle along some of the best lcoastline that the Isle of Man has to offer.Photo: Sean Jesson

The paddling was uneventful and by Lunchtime we had landed close to the ferry terminal in readiness for an easier crossing. The ever helpful Kirstine met us on our arrival at Liverpool and we were all home in time for Tea.

Bank Holiday Paddling

On Saturday Kirstine and I set off early to expolre the Kent Estuary at Arnsinde on the Lancashire coast. We just missed the Bore, saw plenty of wading birds, Swans and Shelduck, and managed to confirm that the chippy at Arnside provides excellent apres paddle.

Me, Sean, Clive, Lesley and Andy completed the Lancaster Round on a dull and wet Sunday. The Route starts at Glasson Dock where we took the last of the flood tide up the Lune Estuary into Lancaster. Following a couple of awkward portages we paddled along the Lancaster Canal through Lancaster where we stopped for a generous pub lunch.The re-fuelling proved sufficient for the return to Glasson via Galgate, including providing some help to an Ambulance crew needing to carry an elderly lady with an injured leg, over a kilometre to the nearest road access.

Finally, on Monday Kirstine Chris and I completed a sunny 20 mile circumnavigation of Walney Island. Before returning to the mainland we visited Piel Island to congratulate the newly enthroned King who is keen for visitors to come on beer drinking raids.

A week on the Northumberland Coast

I spent last week staying at Beadnell on the Northumberland coast. Most of this coastline is designated as an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty' and is littered with nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Among the areas I visited was 'The Farne Islands' where the summer bird nesting season is just starting.

I also visited the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and managed to see some of the hundreds of seals that haul out along the extensive sandy beaches. Lindisfarne is an important historical site with its ancient priory and defensive castle.

Just along the coast close to the scottish border lies the town of Berwick upon Tweed. I met up with Ollie Jay who runs his own canoe and kayak guiding and coaching business called Active4seasons nearby. Paddling with the flood tide up the River Tweed I learned a great deal about the local history, battles past and present, won and lost. There are plenty of small museums in the town and even one that is dedicated to local fishing history on the scottish side of the river at Paxton House.

I shared my accommodation with Richard and Ron who are two other sea kayakers with excellent local knowledge. We stayed in a good quality basic en-suite room at Farne Diving Sevices 200 metres from the sea in Beadnell Village.

The Northumbrian coast has so much to offer I'll have to return to take more of it in, and not just the coastline. Food and drink here is excellent! Kippers from Craster, Mead from Lindisfarne, and Alnwick Rum along with 'fish and chips and fine local ales all played their part in a week of adventure along the Northumbrian Coast.

There more photos to view here

Head for the Hills # 2

A few weeks ago Sean and I paddled and Portaged our kayaks from Stretford to Littleborough along the Bridgwater and Rochdale Canals. We will leave the 'Summit' section for another day. In the meantime Kirstine and I embarked upon the following section of the Rochdale Canal between Todmorden and Sowerby Bridge, to continue along the Calder and Hebble Navigation towards Wakefield.

We began our first afternoon's paddling a mile or so to the east of Todmorden with just a 4 mile section to go before meeting our friends Lisa and Frank with whom we would stay for the night at Hebden Bridge.

There were 6 locks to portage which was thirtsy work, thank goodness for canalside pubs!

The weather on the first day was pleasant enough but Sunday morning brought us sleet and drizzle and the prospect of 12 miles and 11 locks. The early start was painful but sadly essential.

The weather improved gradually throughout the day and by the time we arrived at Brighouse the sun came out an we celebrated our arrival with some good old Yorkshire fish and chips.

The previous day's rain had brought the river levels up beyond safe limits on the River Calder sections below the Brighouse Basin locks so we decided that this would be the end for this particular paddling trip. Instead I collected the car from Todmorden and we used our remaining day with some walking along the Yorkshire coast at Robin Hood's Bay and Flamborough Head.

The Leven Estuary - Brrrrrrrrr!

When it comes to paddling in nice scenery you cannot beat an estuary that hosts thousands of ducks, geese and wading birds; has a mysterious island and a backdrop of snow dusted peaks.

The Leven estuary is on the south Lakeland coast close to Ulverston. This may not be one of the classic sea kayaking destinations but has provided a wonderfully varied day out on the water.

I was shared my journey with:

Bill..........


....... and Royanne.

We waited for the notoriously fast tides to rise then beat a fast passage into the middle of the flow so that we could take a closer look at Chapel Island.

We saw one lonely Redshank.............


........... dozens of Shelduck..................


......and hundreds of Oystercatchers.


Leaving the island behind us we encountered more lively conditions caused by the northerly wind blowing against the rising tide as we approached the railway viaduct. In the higher reaches the Ulverston Inshore Rescue crew came to say hello before heading back for their base.

We stopped briefly at Greenodd where the River Crake meets the estuary for a well earned butty break. In the past I have paddled to this point from Lake Coniston, down the grade 2-3 rapids of the River Crake.

We started back shortly before the tide turned in order to minimalise the possibility of becoming grounded on sandbanks. Some scattered snow showers soon took the warmth of the spring sunshine away and brought cold squalls amongst which I was pleasantly surprised to see half a dozen House Martins dodging the flakes.

'Six swallows doth not a winter break.'

Our return was perfectly timed just as the first of the mudbanks at Bardsea were becoming exposed. After carrying our boats a short way up the shingle beach there was time to have a cup of scalding hot tea before starting the journey home.

There are some more photos of the day here.

Head for the hills - The Rochdale Canal

As a keen hillwalker I often head for higher ground in search of arduous challenges and breathtaking views. This trip would provide a different challenge. The aim was to get from my house to the Yorkshire border by kayak.

Sean and I wheeled our sea kayaks through the streets to the Bridgewater canal where it passes close to my house at Stretford in south Manchester. We Started paddling shortly before 8-30am.

Paddling through Stretford we passed the backs of terraced housing, industrial estates and container storage areas before making our way beneath the towering framework of Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium.

The architecture on the approach to the city centre is a stark contrast of old and new. Scrap metal yards with dilapidated mills remarkably remain beside the latest designer tower blocks with their balconies of pressure treated timber, stainless steel and shiny self cleaning glass. I can only imagine that the old buildings have been left as somewhere for the pigeons and rats to live.

Castlefield basin is where the Bridgewater Canal meets the Rochdale Canal. Residents of the desirable canal side housing are well served at the nearby trendy bars and restaurants. One such establishment takes its name from the lowest (final) lock on the Rochdale Canal. Dukes lock is the 92nd and marks the first step in our arduous uphill battle. Before long we began to see how the others live. The many tunnels and arches beneath Manchester city centre are used for overnight shelter by the homeless and the putrid stench of stale urine urged us to move swiftly on.

Our elation at escaping the city's claustrophobic confines was short lived. Within the city we portaged a series of locks known as 'The Rochdale Nine' only to find that this canal has an average of 3 locks per mile all the way to the summit! We were happy to use trolleys to portage flights of two or more locks whilst we carried our kayaks round single ones. The most irritating is a combination of locks with short stretches of less than 300 metres. Hardly worth paddling, difficult to portage.

On the north side of the city lies the suburbs of Miles Platting and Newton Heath. This stretch of the canal has recently been re-opened here. Boarded up council houses have yet to make way for designer apartments here. Feeding generous chunks of thick, square, white bread to the ducks and geese is as popular as ever but on our arrival amongst the Asian communities of Oldham the square white loaf of 'Mother's Pride' fame is replaced by last night's left over chapati and naan.

Soon after we passed beneath the M60 motorway we found more rural surroundings north of Chadderton and a gruelling flight of locks at Slattocks. (photo - Sean Jesson)

Further still towards Rochdale, low bridges gave us some limbo entertainment. (photo Sean Jesson)

Finally, at 4-00pm, having travelled 35km and portaged 42 locks we decided we'd had enough. We finished at Littleborough, 4km and 3 locks short of the canal summit and the Yorkshire border.

This week my friends Justine Curgenven and Barry Shaw have completed an amazing circumnavigation of New Zealand's South Island - I'd like to extend my congratulations to them!