SEA KAYAKING ALONG THE SCOTTISH COAST

Cetus mv

2012-02-21T21:14:00.000Z

went out on Sunday for a few hours.

Weather was good if not a little cold.

I am getting out as often as I can in the Cetus but to tell you the truth this is a very stable boat that loves heavy sea's

just about to get my face wet!!!!!

Sea kayaking with SeaKayakPhoto.com: Don't look a vet's gift horse in the mouth.

2012-02-20T14:40:00.000Z

Sea kayaking with SeaKayakPhoto.com: Don't look a vet's gift horse in the mouth.

Cetus MV

2012-02-05T22:57:00.000Z

P&H Kayaks delivered this beautiful Cetus MV. I took Friday off and went for a wee paddle to get the feel of her. Wow what a boat first impression is she is very fast and smooth through the water. The wind was blowing a fair bit and the swell had picked up so sorry no pictures on the water. She handled beautifully. I instantly felt comfortably in her.

Cetus MV

2012-02-02T22:41:00.001Z

P&H have delivered a brand new kayak to me. they have kindly agreed to loan me the kayak for my solo trip round scotland. I have the day off tomorrow friday so I will be out trying it out:.)

P&H Sea Kayaks - Kayaks

www.phseakayaks.com

See The Latest Kayaks From P&H Sea Kayaks

support solo kayak round Scotland

2012-01-31T17:48:00.001Z

Have a look at this web page. Many thanks to Andy and friends for thier offer of support for my trip.

http://www.west-scotland-marine.com/

http://ukwildadventures.com/index.php/trips/detail/paddle_n_pints_hiking_kayaking_day/205

sea monster

2012-01-22T21:33:00.000Z

passing Dunnon something loomed out of the water!

Turns out to be a painted rock that the locals call

Jim Crow!!!!!

winter sun on loch long

2012-01-22T16:55:00.000Z

Had a few hours to spare and could not resist such a beautiful afternoon.

Looking south down Loch Long to Greenock.

north up Loch Long.

setting sun behind Blairmore pier.

The winter afternoon sun is beautiful on the calm water.

You never get fed up with sunsets. They always make me smile.

At Strone point there is a cross in the water just off the shore.

Can anyone tell me anything about it.

Looking back up Loch Long.

Sorry could not resist one last picture of this.

Perfect end to a day.

Charity Giving - alan wilson's Fundraising Page

2012-01-14T16:09:00.000Z

Charity Giving - alan wilson's Fundraising Page

training

2012-01-11T19:23:00.000Z

Been training hard now getting ready for April. Work has now agreed to let me have time off to do this trip. I have had to alter the route due to time and miss out the outer hebrides. The date set for the start of my trip is now 08/04/2012.

thanks to everyone that has given me support.

I will keep you all up to date about preperations.

thanks

2011-09-20T16:39:00.000+01:00

Many thanks for all your kind words. Life is getting back to normal now. I am getting stuck into training now for march. Getting as many miles under my keel as possable.

My Father

2011-08-22T18:34:00.000+01:00

I have not been keeping this blogg up to date for a while due to my father passing away after a short illness.

This hit our family very hard and has taken me some time to get back on track with life. We will miss him dearly.

kari-tek donation

2011-05-19T13:44:00.001+01:00

A big thank you to the fine people from Kari-tek

For the donation of a kayak trolley.

http://www.karitek.co.uk/Trolley.html

This will be a great help getting my kayak from the shore up to camp when fully loaded.

Kari-tek is run by Ann and Geoff who spent a while with me back when I was starting to kit myself out. Giving me loads of advice as to which kayak would suit me. They have a wide selection of kayaks for hire at very good rates.

I would advise anyone looking for good honest solid advice to go talk to Ann and Geoff.

Thanks guys

go outdoors donation

2011-02-27T20:48:00.001Z

A big thank you to Go Outdoors

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/

for donating a Berghaus Ullswater Goretex Paclite Jacket thttp://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/ullswater-paclite-jacket-p177960

Ayr harbour 2008

2011-02-21T22:49:00.001Z

This is the sunken fishing boat just out of Ayr harbour. I had finished work and rushed home to catch the last few hours of daylight. And what a night it turned out. I was rewarded with this beautiful sunset.

I paddled out to the marker buoy and lay back and drifted as the sun set.

sponsorship request

2011-02-18T23:17:00.002Z

Kayaking around Scotland 2012

Alan Wilson

Mobile : 07928632173

I am requesting your support of my trip around Scotland starting in March 2012 which will last around 3 months. This is in aid of charity to raise funds for 3 good causes

The Erbs Palsy Group http://www.erbspalsygroup.co.uk/

The Brachial Plexus Injury Service http://www.brachialplexus.scot.nhs.uk/

The Children’s Hand Surgery Unit Leeds http://www.plastic-surg.co.uk/

I plan to kayak from the Solway Firth around the coast of Scotland taking in as many islands as I can and the Outer Hebrides finishing in Eyemouth 3 months later. This is a major undertaking which I will not be able to achieve without your support. If you can find anyway no mater how small in supporting my trip I would be forever grateful.

Ways you can support the trip.

You could make donate money

You could donate equipment

You could donate food

You could donate time

The reason that I am doing this trip is to say thank you to all the great people that have helped our son who was born with an Erbs Palsy injury to his left arm.

All the money raised from this trip will be divided equally between the three charities.

ERBS PALSY

Erbs Palsy is a condition caused by an injury to the nerves from your neck (Brachial Plexus) to your arms. When these nerves are injured they can cause paralysis to the effected limb. When my son Cameron was born he was born with this condition which meant his left arm was paralysed. We were devastated and did not know what to do. We were put in touch with the Erbs Palsy Group this is a family support group helping families affected by this condition. The group were fantastic giving us so much advice and information on our son’s injury. They also put us in touch with Professor Simon Kay a plastic surgeon who specialises in this area of surgery. Professor Kay has preformed several operations on our son’s arm which has included nerve transfers from Cameron’s legs to his neck and muscle release of his shoulder. These operations have increased Cameron’s function of his arm.

To say thank you to all the great people that have helped us through this very difficult time I wanted to do something for them. This is why I am doing this trip on their behalf.

Winter Sun

2010-12-01T23:11:00.000Z

It was a cold start to the day. we had a heavy snow shower the night before.

It was a beautiful cold start to the day.

Very little wind, clear skys we were set for a perfect day.

Tony and Douglas with Arran in the background.

Douglas enjoying the sun.

Looking down the west side of Great Cumbrae to Little Cumbrae. You can just make out the light house on little Cumbrae

We stopped for a bite to eat at the light house. We were rewarded with some fantastic views over to Arran and of the Clyde

This is a beautiful lighthouse that has been left to decay. It is very upsetting to see something this magestic left to fall apart like this.

The light was excellent

Tony crossing the Tan to Little Cumbrae

Douglas

Sun setting over Little Cumbrae. We had a fantastic day on the water and to finish off with a sunset like this was an added bonus.

Dumbarton Castle to Clydebank

2010-11-04T21:02:00.001Z

Sunday started of with a heavy fog.

The water was still.

I went over to the channel marker at the entrance to the river Leven. This is not far from the shore but being in heavy fog it was very spooky.

Heading up the clyde I came to the Bowling Basin. The sun was trying its best to shine through the fog.

Something started to rise out of the fog.

The Erskine bridge started to appear out of the mist.

Rising above me it took my breath away.

Being in the fog all morning it was fantastic to start seeing colours coming through.

Looking back the way I came as the mist began to rise.

The light was fantastic.

The Titan crane at Clydebank.

The clyde is an amazing place.

As I rounded the corner at the new Clydebank college a massive red wall was baring down on me. Back paddling as fast as i could I got well out the way.

I think he has right of way.

Heading back home after a fantastic day it just got better and the sun started to set.

The sky turned crimson.

Rhu to Loch Long

2010-10-26T19:01:00.001+01:00

Last Monday I had a few hours to spare so what can you do?

I rushed down to Rhu. It was a beautiful afternoon

Not a cloud in the sky.

Just a slight breeze coming down Loch Long

Time for a bite to eat

Some locals coming over to say hello.

Heading back to Rhu the tide had started to turn.

Sun setting behind me.

Sun setting as I paddle back into Gare loch

Sitting on the shore enjoying the sunset.

Moments like this is why I love kayaking

Perfect end to a perfect day.

sea quest

2010-10-06T19:11:00.000+01:00

My Kayak has been out the water for a while now as i repair some small holes. I removed the seat to find that my butt had been slowly rubbing away the hull. After a crash course in fiberglass and gellcoat repair I am now ready to test my repair's and get back on the water this weekend.

This picture was taken by Phil on a trip out to Ailsa Craig early this year.

Breakfast with a view

2010-08-05T19:35:00.000+01:00

When we camped at the south end of Inchmarnoch this was the view from my tent of Arran. Beautiful.

Inchmarnock

2010-08-05T19:23:00.001+01:00

Last weekend my son Blair and I paddled from Fairlie just south of Largs to the west side of Bute.

Blair at the channel marker

This is on the Friday afternoon. we were blessed with a beautiful day.

Blair with Arran in the background

We paddled up the west side of Bute to the island of Inchmarnock

We landed on the south end of Inchmarnockhttp

//www.redwebforum.com/isles/inchmarnock/Home.htm

Perfect camp

The Beach was made up of flat pebbles

Sunset from our camp

Beautiful sunset

On Saturday we headed back south along the coast of Bute. The weather had changed and was giving us some swell to play with. Blair was having a great time, he did not stop grining the whole trip.

The wind had picked up to a force 4

Our camp Saturday night was at Port Dornach at the south west end of Bute.

When we were making our way back to Millport one of the many tankers passed us. We had to quicken our pace to get well out his way.

Some seals on one of the islands in Millport bay

We went over to have a closer look at these amazing cranes.

Blair under one of the cranes.

the river clyde

2010-06-18T18:53:00.004+01:00

The face of Dumbarton Castle. This is a rock climbers playground.

Out in the Clyde looking back west to the Castle.

This picture was taken from the Dumbuck channel marker east of the Castle.

Looking east from the Dumbuck channel marker towards the Erskine bridge.

This is the monument near Bowling erected in 1838 to Henry Bell who designed the paddle steamer The Comet

Dumbarton Castle from the river Leven

some old timers in the river Leven

The marker bouy marking the entrance to the river Leven

Dumbarton castle

Ailsa Craig

2010-05-11T19:51:00.000+01:00

On sunday myself tony and phil took a trip out to Ailsa Craig this is an amazing island sitting 14 miles of the coast of Girvan.

Phil enjoying to calm waters. we were blessed with a mirror sea the whole day. perfect.

This is the cliffs on the west side of the island. we all enjoyed the arial display of the different birds nesting on the island. this was the first time i had ever seen a puffin and they are beautiful. Its looking like the puffin numbers are on the rise thanks to the eradication of the rats on the island.

Tony and I took a walk up to the Castle and enjoyed the views across the clyde. its not until you see it from here that you can take in the size of the clyde.

We had company when we were having lunch.

This was the conditions on the way back.

paddle around scottland

2010-05-06T19:15:00.000+01:00

Well thats the request in for time off in 2012 for my trip around scotland. i am booking 3 months off to complete the trip. i Hope to finish sooner than 3 months but am planning non paddling days into the trip for a rest and to enjoy the places i visit. I want to take everything in on the trip this is not going to be a head down and paddle like crazy approach.

sugar boat

2010-05-06T19:08:00.001+01:00

I recently paddled aroung the sugar boat which lies just off helensburgh on the clyde. I have seen this wreck for many years and never knew anything about it. I pulled the following statement off the local clydesite magazine this is an online magazine on the clyde.

Locally referred to as "the sugar boat" she lies on a sandbank at the Tail o' the Bank (the upper firth anchorage) near to the promontory of Ardmore Point and was the Greek cargo ship CAPTAYANNIS.

On the evening of 27th January 1974 the area suffered from a terrific storm which blew the vessel from its anchor (it was waiting to deliver sugar to the James Watt Dock) and caused it to collide with the BP tanker BRITISH LIGHT. The tanker suffered no damage but the anchor chains of the tanker holed the sugar boat allowing water to pour into her.

Her captain decided to try and make for the sheltered waters of the Gareloch but realised the waters were flowing in so fast she was in imminent danger of sinking, the best thing to do was beach her in the shallow waters over the sandbank and he steered her to the desired spot where she stuck fast and started to heel over.

Why has she never been removed? Much confusion surrounds the identity of her owners, and no-one is willing to be responsible for her removal. There were once plans to have her blown up, but Ardmore Point is a sensitive bird sanctuary and there were fears such a drastic course of action would have negative repercussions - so it seems she will remain there until every piece of metal has rusted away.

The trip out to the sugar boat was fun with a following sea which picked me up and pushed me along at a fast pace. I dropped into the lee side of the boat and enjoyed the protection from the wind.

Even though she has ben here for 36 years she is still a solid structure.

On the way back to shore I passed this deep water marker. The wind was now blasting down the channel from Gareloch which made forward progress hard work but very enjoyable with beautiful views back up the Gare loch.