Taran's 'Rescue Rangers'

It's been on my mind that I really need to start doing some rescues, so earlier in the week I volunteered my services as guinea pig to Taran so that he could practice some rescues/tows for his impending 5* assessment. Glam boaters were having a sesh down the bay on Saturday so count me in Taran.

I should have known though ice on the boat in the morning and a bitterly cold January day, hints at a bit of madness for any form of rescue practice, so in the end I didn't get to do any. Instead I gate crashed Taran's school for paddlers.

It was a chance to meet up with Peter, Carol and Laura, who are very friendly and welcoming people indeed. I had a laugh with Peter when his first words to me were "Hi Noel, do you know your famous", "What do you mean" I said, "well you've been out with Taran twice now, most people take up walking after their first time". That did make me smile and set the tone for an enjoyable paddle.

It was good to brush up on some skills and practice new ones (cross bow rudder) couple this with a bit of messing about trying to cause Taran's boat to spin off course really encapsulated an enjoyable few hours on the water.

An obvious lack of photo's today, yep, I forgot my camera and didn't remember to pick it up when I returned home after forgetting my spraydeck as well. Cold water shock had started before even I had.

Update: Taran has kindly forwarded me some of the photo's he took of todays paddle.

Todays Forecast

Time is my biggest enemy, I just don't have enough of it. As recent events have been conspiring to keep me out of my boat I have become a bit desperate to get back on the water, I was adamant that I would snatch at least an hour or so today but with a forecast of Force 5 to 7 and rough seas scheduled for the Bristol Channel my options were limited. So with decision made I headed off yet again to Cardiff Bay.

Absolutely flat calm and to be honest a tadge disappointing, I was hoping to do some practice in slightly bumpier conditions, building on from a previous adventure Lost Property  but beggar's can't be choosers.

Approaching the bridge I stop and have a mess about with my camera. I then make my way in the direction of Penarth Yacht Club straight across from the metal pole you can see in the distance.

As soon as I pass the flats, the wind hits me, the water was relatively calm but the wind was strong trying to snatch my paddle from my hands. I stopped my boat to take this picture and realised I was being pushed along by the wind ( a little wake from my bow is evident in the picture above). A bit of practice turning in the wind and I head over to the yacht club.

A bit of respite from the wind as I pass the yacht club and make my way to across the River Ely. I use the Ely embankment as a handrail and then turn to make my way towards the other side of the bay.  Back into the wind only this time it is coming side on and accompanied with slightly bigger waves, I practice trying to make progress without the skeg but its sooo much easier using the skeg so I give up on that one, the two yellow speed boats pass and their wake only adds to the fun coupled with a bit of clapotis sprinkled on top at the maintenance depot certainly spices this side of the bay up. 

The wind drops in the lee of the St Davids Hotel so it's out with the camera again. The Port of Cardiff was one of the first to have a Norwegian Sailor’s Church established to provide spiritual and social care to thousands of Norwegian sailors that were employed in the Norwegian merchant fleet. The Church was founded by Herman Lunde of Oslo and built in 1868 between the East and West Docks on land that was donated by the Marquis of Bute. Over the years a number of building alterations were made, the most significant took place when a gallery and a bell tower were added in 1985.

During his childhood Roald Dahl and his family also worshipped here, in fact both Dahl & his sisters were christened at the Church.

Looking at some relics of the past and enjoying the smell of freshly brewed coffee which is so evident at Mermaids Quay especially very early in the morning.



After one circuit I head back to the launch point, paddling again in calm water, its amazing the difference between one side and the other.

Before I get out I have a mess about with my camera exploring different shooting angles, I quite like this one although a bit of refinement is needed and maybe a spirit level. Glad to be back in my boat and also achieve what I wanted, can't ask more than that. One happy boater.

Lost Property

As it's been a while since I posted anything so I thought I'd bring things up to date. I haven't been lazy, I've been getting out for a few paddles but just no further than the bay.

The one time I was invited on a paddle outside of the bay sods law intervened and I couldn't make it because of work, but Scott and Taran did http://scottkayak.blogspot.com/2011/10/cold-knap-to-aberthaw-back-161011.html.

On a few of my sessions down the bay I started to notice that my roll was getting weak, so I thought I'd go practice until I got it sorted.
                                       

                                        

Everything started of ok ish, but I wasn't entirely happy. Then things started to take a downward spiral, I should have stopped then and there, but no I had to continue. I began relying on a reverse brace to get me upright in a stable position, then the next one failed but I got up on a second attempt, then it happened I couldn't get over at all, after three attempts and with lungs bursting for air, I swam. I did a lot of swimming that day and nothing has improved since. I've lost my rolling mojo.  I must say that this has knocked me me back a bit, I don't fancy paddling solo without a reliable roll.

With this in mind I did managed to get out with the Monday club the other night. It was blowing a gale and I honestly thought our little paddle would be cancelled. It was very windy, bumpy and to top it off, dark. All this made for a very interesting circuit, at least I hadn't lost my bracing mojo, which came in handy on more than a few occasions.

By far this was the roughest water I had paddled in, no way would I have been out there on my own in the daylight. It was scary but I just about held my own, brace paddle forward, brace etc etc I made painfully slow progress.  I couldn't make much out through the beam of my head torch other than the immediate waves around me and they looked big, concentrating on the lights of Mermaid Quay helped keep things level for me in my head and I was able to plod on.

A couple of points I noted for myself

a)  I need to stay relaxed and let the boat move under me.
b) Try and cut down the use of the brace stroke, it acted like a brake and virtually stopped me dead in the water every time,
c) My forward stroke was totally ineffectual against the wind, I was flat out and making very little headway.
d) I don't like rear quartering seas (probably because I don't know how to deal with them )   

I was in good company though with Stuart, Mike and Taran. I gave the clapotis a miss at the dock gates though, sorry Taran.

When I got back to calm waters of the River Ely I had time to think as I paddled back to Up and Under. That paddle had pushed me and I'd survived, I just knew I'd taken a step forward with my paddling.

Now where did I put that rolling mojo ?  

The Bay Again

As I am working this weekend and will not be able to take advantage of the stunning, I thought I'd have a change. Instead of a skills circuit I thought I'd just have a bimble around the bay, relax and maybe catch the sunset.  As I was about to launch a skipper of one of the charter boats in the bay starts talking to me about my boat and the wildlife in the bay, I think I'm going to have to keep my eyes open a little more.

I quickly sprint down to the bridge and realise that I've missed the sunset.

Before I set off I give way to a trimiran that is coming in to berth.

And then make my way over to Penarth yacht club, but by then the sun had truly set.

I then follow a yacht travelling up the river Ely and over take it as it berths near the CIWW centre, further along I notice some fellow seakaykers by the Penarth Bridge. I paddle over to say hello, it was Elen from Up and Under, Chrisie and Chrisie's partner (I'm sorry my friend I didn't quite catch your name). They are about to do a circuit of the bay over to Mermaid Quay and then back, I'm invited to join them and I accept.

After a few minutes it's dark, what an experience, very surreal, looking onto the city at night from this location. I didn't want to slow the pace to take photo's so I'll add some later from a future trip because I will definitely be paddling in the dark again. 

Thanks guy's I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Warning Speed Humps

Today I decided to go to the gym, that really big expensive one, the one between Cardiff and Penarth known locally as Cardiff Bay. I had only a few hours to spare so I get going early hopefully before the city rises

Not everyone is asleep though!

I launch from the slip on Jim Driscoll Way in Grangetown and paddle up the Taff. This is a really good access point for using the bay but unfortunately like most things, you have to pay. Currently you can either pay £5.00 for the day or get a yearly season ticket that is calculated against the length of your boat. Both are available from the harbour office located upstairs in the leisure centre, there are other access points for the bay where you do not have to pay but they involve either a little carry or an interesting get in.
 

The scenery isn't amazing along this stretch of water but it gives me an opportunity to concentrate on technique, on today's menu is vertical paddle strokes and edging. Both of which I certainly haven't sorted, sometimes when I edge, the boat turns nicely and I can navigate the bends of the Taff without using sweep strokes, other times I head towards the bank like someone has switched on a boat magnet. However it didn't take long and slowly as I paddled further upstream I gained more control of the boat.

After a short while once you pass under the Castle Street Bridge the river banks become more appealing...

but this doesn't last long, as the river gets shallower I'm forced to turn around.

Whilst paddling up the river I was overtaken by a number of rowers or is it scullers, as I paddle back there are even more coming up towards me including a woman in a dingy with outboard engine, shouting coaching instructions to the rowers, suddenly the river doesn't seem to be that wide for someone with edging issues. I decide not to pop the deck and take the camera out as my boat tends to turn 90 degrees to the bank while I'm faffing about, I didn't fancy finding out what it was like to be a speed hump.

I carry on past the get in, out into the bay concentrating on my edging. I stop and look around, the sun is shinning on the roof of the millennium centre and reflects a lovely bronze colour.

Unfortunately by the time I got the camera out the moment was gone. I head over in the direction of the Norwegian Church, is that the Black Pearl.

Maybe Captain Sparrow was kicking it back in Cardiff last night.

I decide to try and head back without getting run over,there are boats everywhere and I'm at  the bottom of the food chain. After a few heart stopping moments as I encounter the wake of a few boats (tip:-watch out for the yellow speed boats) I make it safely back to the get in where I see another paddler gearing up. I walk over and say hello, it was Peter from something called 'Glam Boaters" (I find out it is a Cardiff based kayak club) he tells me tales about a very inspiring trip he went on from Barry the other week and about his recent trip to West Wales which also sounds equally exciting, he also talks about somebody called Taran who is apparently a local sea kayak celebrity? 

Cardiff bay is not big it doesn't take long to do a circumnavigation, but its a good place to go to blow the cobwebs out, practice a few skill or just paddle without having to worry about tides etc. I know I'll be back time and time again.