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Just back from two days paddling on the Llyn peninsula North Wales in my Cetus LV, Ally had her Bahiya, Bob M and Deb Cook were in old style PE Capellas. We had a superb trip along this fascinating coast line. Sticking out in to the Irish sea it gets its fair share of wind and storms but we caught it pretty nice.

We put in at Morfa Nefyn and paddled along the coast West playing in the chop and having a look at the fascinating coast line that makes North Wales so special. We were loaded pretty heavy as it was my birthday trip so we were carrying quite a bit of liquids, the boats all handled the wind blow chop really well and so life was easy! The usual crowd of your pup seals followed us for ages watched by careful mothers.

After a bit of a swim in the sea we set about making our overnight camp on a lovely sheltered spot called Porth Widin. Bob M collected firewood, Deb started to cook a wicked curry and me and Ally dropped a few lines and brought up some nice Pollack for dinner too!

Dinner around the fire was followed by much drinking and the opening of a bottle of rather nice Champaign!

We slept well and the morning was brought to courtesy of some blustery winds and pretty big swells running up the peninsular so there was no way we were going to continue around to Hells Mouth! It was going to be a bouncy ride back as it was.

The swell was running at an award angle to us so we had to play about with the skeg’s a bit but they really made a difference especial as the boats were loaded up and we had a few interesting surf’s on the way back to keep us on our toes as the bigger sets rolled in.

We finish a fantastic trip off back in Morfa. W were all beaming at the fun we had just had. This is what its all about for me, adventures, friends and having some fun out on the water. Cheers to Ally, Bob M, Deb for making this one so special. P&H for the boats that make it all possible! To see more photos check out our Campbell Coaching site at www.campbellcoaching.eu

Bob Campbell

Well, after nearly a year of no paddling, except for a short trip in December, I have today been out in the Cetus MV. My forced absence from paddling has been due to two operations for collapsed discs, L4 L5 and a nerve in the same area being damaged during the second operation. I am now awaiting the results of the latest MRI scan, hoping to escape a third surgery….
I really enjoyed my quick paddle in the MV, I have previously used an Cetus LV & Quest LV for coaching. The MV suprised me a little by being quite like the Quest LV in its straight-line stability in a force 3 – 4 side-wind. What didn’t surprise me was how much more easy it was to maneuver the Cetus MV than the Quest LV, easily held edging produces quick turns and the boat is lightning fast to respond to a bow-rudder or even more so, a cross-bow-rudder. A chance meeting with two large, very fast RIBs (with the Danish equivalent of the SBS aboard) was great fun, they obliged my wishes by producing some good confused waves for five minutes or so…
The MV was really solid and stable whilst being easy to turn and get up-to speed again.
All in all a great return to paddling, I am now hoping to get the chance to try a Delphin over the next few weeks

Mike

Week 10 update – GB Sea Kayak Circumnavigation

Since the first main expedition update 5 weeks ago, steady progress has been made up the west coast and along the north coast of Scotland, and the expedition is now heading south down the east coast toward the border with England.  There has been a major change in that since mid-june I have been paddling solo again, and will continue to do so for the duration of the expedition.

Week 6

For a few days at the end of May the winds restricted progress around the Mull of Galloway and the Mull of Kintyre.  These headlands are notoriously exposed to the winds and strong currents, meaning it was all the more important to approach them when conditions were not too rough.  Once up into the Sound of Jura, progress quickened with the shelter from the Inner and Outer Hebrides, coupled with a long period of high pressure; we were also joined by veteran trans-Atlantic rower Nat Spring who paddled with us for a few days before heading off to lead an expedition in South America.  Needless to say the passage through the sounds, with the amazing west-coast wildlife and scenery, was breath-taking.

Weeks 7 and 8

After the first week of June, the scheduled support driver was forced to withdraw, meaning that the expedition continued without the support van for two weeks.  Joe’s departure from the expedition at roughly the same time meant I was then paddling solo and without any dedicated land support, which increased the importance of making sure the coastguard always knew of my location and ETA.  Strong winds struck whilst on the Isle of Skye.  In total I was wind-bound for 5 days, though the support from the local community was tremendous – especially from those people who were themselves sea kayakers.  The reason for going around the west coast of Skye rather than straight up the east coast, despite the extra miles and the weather being typically rougher, was in order to complete a full circumnavigation – not just of the British mainland, but of all places to which it is posisble to drive.  Having previously cycled the length and breadth of Britain, from John O-Groats to Land’s End, and from east coast to west coast, my intention had always been to include Skye in the sea  kayak circumnavigation of Britain, becuase of the road bridge at the Kyle of Lochalsh.

After crossing back to the mainland from the northern tip of Skye, progress up the northwest coast was steady, if a little slow.  Mileage per day was still reasonable, though paddling solo and without the support van I took a much more cautious approach in order to avoid paddling late into the evenings, especially given the rather erratic weather conditions at the time.

Weeks 9 and 10

The support van returned whilst I was wind-bound in Kinlochbervie, which is the last town before Cape Wrath.  Once the winds eased off, there was only one day remaining before neap tides, and I’d wanted to pass through the Pentland Firth on neaps.  I then decided to paddle almost continuously for two days, with just 3 hours sleep at Armadale, and covered 92 miles from Kinlochbervie to John O’Groats, with the last few miles through Pentland Firth in thick fog.  After rounding Duncansby Head the following day, the long journey south began.

After a single day off in Wick to recover from the long hours over the previous 3 days, I headed south to Helmsdale before crossing the Moray Firth in a single hit.  General advice a few months ago whilst planning the trip had been to consider crossing the Moray Firth in two stages via Tarbat Ness, but conditions on the day were reasonable and having been stuck for a few days in bad weather in north-west Scotland I was behind schedule.  True, I was round Duncansby Head and heading down the east coast, but there were still 1500 miles to go, and the end of June was fast approaching, so I opted for the 8 hour crossing direct to Lossiemouth from Helmsdale.  Steady progress eastwards followed, around Rattray Head and then south past Peterhead and Aberdeen, before bad weather again hit at Montrose.

Words and Images Jame Bonell

Took a vacation up to my homeland of Massachusetts last week and got a chance to paddle the Cetus MV a good amount. What an amazing boat it is. My friends at Osprey Sea Kayaks at the head of the Westport River in Westport, MA were kind enough to provide me with a demo MV to paddle for a couple days. A big thanks to Sam and Carl Ladd for the use of the boat and for being and awesome group of people. I urge anyone to check them out if you are in the area.

First day I took the boat out of Padanaram Harbor and paddled with fellow P&H enthusiast Brandon “Mango” Gunderson over to New Bedford Harbor. Conditions were pretty flat with about a 10 knt wind blowing. Coming from the LV the MV felt more maneuverable and faster. It was also very clear of an increase in height for my knees to sit in the braces. For my size ( 5′9” about 175 lbs) this boat fit PERFECT! Unbelievably comfortable and paddled like a dream. We took the boat just under 4 miles to New Bedford and was able to compare it to the Scorpio that Brandon was paddling and found it to be MUCH faster. We swapped boats for the way back and as great as the Scorpio is I couldn’t wait to paddle the MV again.

The second day I took it out I paddled alone around Sakonnet Point in Rhode Island and played in and around the rocks. There was a gentle 3′ swell but would pick up around some of the submerged rocks just enough to surf the boat. Surfing was the way it should be, a couple strokes to get going and a slight edge to correct. Fast down the wave and buoyant enough not to purl on the steeper ones.

Having the boat sit slightly higher in the water allowed me to spin it around on a dime with a good edge and really have a blast in the rocks. Had it been my boat and had a keel strip I would have been more aggressive with it but I had my fun! Planning on paddling from Sakonnet to Newport I changed my mind and stayed around the rocks for 4 hours having a blast. Never have I paddled a boat so much fun yet so refined. The MV will certainly be my next boat and I will be looking forward to tripping in it. Paddle one if you can!

I had the chance to paddle the new P&H Delphin for the first time a couple weeks ago. There is a lot of excitement out there about the Delphin and I know that people are eager to hear how the boat paddles. Here are some initial impressions to hold people over until they have a chance to paddle the Dephin themselves… Read the rest of this entry »

I set off from Portrane beach on the 11th of June with fantastic weather and the company of a good friend David Lonergan.

David and I began paddling together about 10 years ago and it was great to have him there for my first day of the journey. We headed south and I set up camp for the night on Dalkey Island. I awoke the next morning to two fishermen offering me tea and muffins!! A few muffins and an hour of chat later I packed up and began paddling towards Bray and down along the coast to Wicklow town. Waiting here were two friends Fionn and Ciara. Hot shower, lovely dinner and most importantly a comfy bed were all well appreciated! On Friday after a week of heading South my compass started pointing west and I rounded Carnsore Point that afternoon. Next stop was Kilfarrasy beach in Waterford. I pulled up on the beach exhausted after a long day and was still sitting there in my Kayak when a couple came over to chat. As it turned out they were kayaking enthusiasts themselves. They offered to cook me dinner and drop it down to me on the beach, half an hour later they came back with their daughter and invited me back to their house for the night, another well appreciated bed!

After a good night sleep I headed back to the beach and met up with a friend, Bernie, who joined me for the day paddling. We paddled on to Ardmore where we were put up by Ronan O’Connor of Ardmore Adventures.

The next day Ronan surprised me with a spa day, a nice massage and a day of relaxation was just what was called for. Next day I had plenty of company for my day of paddling with Ronan, Bernie and Will joining me as we headed across Whitting bay and towards Cork. So far it’s been a fantastic trip and I’ve met some amazing people.

Baz Coscoran

Last year I decided I wanted to challenge myself and I could remember seeing a programme about The Yukon River Quest. I knew that this certainly was a challenge and I decide almost immediately that I really wanted to have a go!

I also decided that while I was doing it I may as well try to raise some money for a charity. I thought about how to approach this and as I wanted to raise money I thought it may be worthwhile trying to raise some form of sponsorship. I approached various companies to help and P&H very kindly offered me a very generous discount on one of their Kayaks. Obviously I didn’t turn them down!I went to Kayaks North West in Runcorn and met Jim Pearce who discussed the various P&H models with me. After a few test drives, I went with the Quest LV.

I picked the P&H Quest up in January and enjoyed my maiden voyage on the Dee Estuary in a 20 knot wind on a very choppy sea. The boat performed well and the hardest part of the trip was trying to navigate across the snow and ice on the shoreline. I had to brace myself every time the wind blew to stop myself sliding back 10m, very Bambi on ice really and amusing to anyone who had braved the elements for a stroll.

I joined Chester canoe club as this gave me somewhere to store the Kayak and allowed easy access for training however due to the fact that I work abroad I don’t get to make as much use of the facilities as I would like. It’s a good club but due to my work routine I haven’t met many of the members, I’ve waved hello as we’ve passed each other on the river but will be making more of an effort to introduce myself.

My experience with canoes was limited to the youth centre as a boy and Clepper canoes while in the military, therefore the Quest LV was a whole new beast to me, quicker and with a narrow beam it was very evident that I needed to gain confidence in the boat. After a month of going out on the river I knew that it made perfect sense to employ the experience of a professional. I looked around and luckily I found Roger Chandler who runs Coastal Spirit in Anglesey.

I booked in for 4 days of 1 to 1 tuition and I found it extremely useful, Roger taught me that is wasn’t all down to brute force and ignorance, (the military left this bit out! J). My confidence grew around the coast of Anglesey under Roger’s guidance. He put me through my paces and I can’t wait to get home from work in August so I can get back into my Kayak for more training confident that I can self rescue in a good swell with the aid of a paddle float and the P&H bilge pump. A few trips to Anglesey are definitely on the cards and I will post again in Sept with more photos.

I can’t thank enough the team at P&H for their support and fantastic Kayak, Jim Pearce for his advice, Peak UK as well as Ainsworth paddles for their generous discounts on kit and last but by no means least Roger Chandler for 4 days of cracking training.

 

On Saturday, June 19, Big D’s Kayaking/Sweetwater Kayaks/P&H provided kayaks and supervision to 30 kids from the Bradenton ,FL Boys & Girls Club.  They were invited by the Bradenton Yacht Club who provided power boat rides and lunch.  Here are some photos.

Photos are courtesy of The Bradenton Herald.

Team P&H have been on the road again making the long haul from Runcorn to Southampton. This inaugural event was hosted by the Woodmill Canoe Shop at the adjacent Woodmill Outdoor Activities Centre. The venue is situated on the banks of the River Itchen where it meets tidal waters in the Southampton suburb of Swaythling. The weekend workshops included: first aid, navigation, VHF radio, rough water handling and guided trips. The ‘paddle to the pub’ was by far the most popular of the guided trips on offer.

Saturday evening brought an opportunity to borrow a short boat from the canoe shop and try a few moves in the play spot of the Itchen Weir. The traditional slide show preceded an excellent barbecue. Generous portions of meat and bread were used to stem the flow of alcohol to our senses. Later, desert was cooked over a huge bonfire. Seered marshmallows and spiced rum… Yum!

The highlight of the paddling was the trip around The Needles at the western end of the Isle of Wight. Dodging the ships in The Solent, rounding the mighty chalk stacks and riding the tide races in brilliant sunshine. This may seem like a simple recipe, but these ingredients work every time!

The event was really well organised by the staff from the shop and outdoor centre who are a really friendly and helpful bunch. It is worth keeping an eye on next years calender as the organisers hope to make this an annual event.