Tees Hook Up

Isn't the internet a wonderful thing! - Up in Yorkshire for a week, with a boat, but no paddling buddies. Thanks to the Durham Uni CC web forum I was able to find a few lads to go boating with. (Rory, above, and Paul)

A Mild day, adequate water and the Upper Tees proved a fun paddle and very Photogenic.
Salmon Leap (or 'Dog Leg') rapid

And Low Force falls




Loads more photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/rollalot/sets/72157622716949060/show/

July Trading

Strong winds - but summer rain. Trading down from a Sea boat to a River boat and the rare privilege of paddling our rivers in a warm green English July

Rain is Liquid Sunshine (Los Burritos)

Exploring Gokova

On the flight home, Frances turned to me and asked "can we do this again next May?" - this was the result I was looking for, I have found a formula for sharing paddlesport with my better half - sun, gentle paddling, deserted beaches and chilled days in foreign waters.

There were a few moments during the week when I thought the plan might not work. The time when she called out to me "there's a bloke up there with a gun calling us" (we had wandered into a military zone) and the afternoon when a force 5 had picked up a 2 metre swell (but we were camped on a sheltered island)

But, exploring the Gulf of Gokova, in South West Turkey, with a couple of rented sea kayaks proved an excellent week

More Photos here http://www.flickr.com/photos/rollalot/sets/72157619051956918/show/

Long Boat on Long Island

Strange as it seems, there is a long boat beached at Long Island, Poole Harbour.

Long Island, owned by the Rempstone Estate, was put on the market back in 2007 and big forbidding ‘PRIVATE KEEP OFF’ signs have since adorned its shores. Before this we had often landed to enjoy a picnic and short stretch here when paddling in the harbour. The occupant of the barge didn’t want to be drawn into a conversation (it was still early in the morning) but it would seem that the long boat is being used to accommodate security guards charged with preventing anyone landing on the island.

As I understand it, someone has submitted a ‘rights-of-way’ application and over 100 people have given evidence that the island has been visited and used as a public right of way for 30 to 50 years. I believe the sale of the island has been put on hold until the outcome of this application is known.

Security guards on an island in Poole harbour! I guess if I owned, and was trying to sell, an island in Poole Harbour I wouldn't be keen on folk wandering all over it either

Still, it didn’t seem to phase the Round Island seal we spied swimming close to its shores and we still enjoyed our short ‘Breakfast on Brownsea’ paddle.

Help Save some Bears!

Read all about the Ursa Freedom Project here

Yoofanasia

We had waited many months for the conditions to be suitable for introducing a few very keen 'yoofs' to the joys of the Upper Dart. We wanted it just below the ledge with mild air temperatures. 15th February was perfect. A grand day out.

Above, Ben (16) exiting Euthanasia

Below Jacob (15) negotiating Boulder Rapid

And Jake (13) on Euthanasia

Never too young

A Sequence on the Lyn

1st February and the temperature never crawled above freezing. Levels on the East Lyn were low and the river chossy. This sequence follows Chas through some of the gnarl at the beginning of the gorge section.

To complete the sequence another paddler goes deep below the drop that Chas is pictured entering above

My numb fingers were struggling with the camera controls but we were off the river before the first flurries of snow arrived that heralded the approaching storm. We restored our circulation over the obligatory Devonshire Cream Teas that always round off a good day out on the Lyn.