Back in April, we were just coming out of the long winter lockdown. In the two weeks since restrictions had been eased to allow more than local trips, I had reacquainted myself with waterways not too far from home but not really 'on the doorstep'. Overnight stays away from home were now allowed, and I had a few days free mid-week, so it was with considerable excitement that I readied my kit for an overnight trip on Derwentwater. Its another familiar trip for me, but one I always enjoy. It was also the first time I would have a camping load in the northwind solo, so I was looking forward to testing it out. Arriving at the lakeside carpark late in the morning, I was lucky enough to find a parking space. Plenty of cars parked up, but not very many people on the water. The weather was holding true to the forecast, sunny with light winds, ideal for paddling.The view southwards up Borrowdale was enticing as ever, but I decided that this time I was going to vary my usual routine and make a Continue Reading
Bargate Broad, August 2015
In August 2015, we spent the family summer holiday in a riverside cottage at Brundall, on the River Yare. This was an ideal area for the canoes, with nearby backwaters off the main river waiting to be explored. One afternoon, after a paddle upstream from Brundall in showery weather, I decided to cut through Bargate Broad to avoid a long loop in the river. It may have been shorter, but it wasn't quicker, as I found plenty of small details to point my camera at. This maple leaf was an early sign of the changing seasons, already showing some autumnal colour as it hit the water near my boat. I drifted alongside, waiting for a water drop to hit the water from the trees above. The resulting ripples spread perfectly, giving a little texture and play of light on the water's surface. All through the afternoon, brief showers of rain would blow through. I tucked into the edge of a reed bed by the upstream entrance to Bargate to avoid this one, and was struck by the intense colours of the Continue Reading
A winter’s tale on the Peak Forest Canal
After what seemed to be weeks of wild weather through a wet, windy and unpleasant January, February started with a bright spell. The forecast was promising, and on the day a cold, clear blue sky promised my favourite sort of winter day. I had plans to make a longer trip in my outlander, and so was soon on the road over the Pennines to Buxworth Basin, where one arm of the Peak Forest canal starts. This is an interesting place, once one of the largest ports on the canal network, an interchange between a tramway from quarries at Dove Holes and barges that would carry limestone and lime to the industrial centres of the North-West. It has been extensively renovated, and the remains of the tramway, wharfs and lime kilns can be explored on foot and on the water. I put in to the canal basin by mid-morning, the sheltered waters still iced over after a sub-zero night. A group of school children were making slow progress in rafted canoes, enjoying breaking the ice with their paddles. Continue Reading
The Mega’s maiden voyage – Chesterfield Canal
Having spent a few days getting my new (to me) Mega Outlander 16 kitted out to my satisfaction, I then had a frustrating wait for some decent weather to coincide with some free time. At last, towards the end of January, I had a few hours spare on a day when it wasn't actually raining, and decided to take the canoe for its first trip. I chose a pleasant stretch of the Chesterfield Canal, from Kiveton Park to Thorpe Triple locks and back - just a gentle stretch of easy water, but one of my favourite short local trips. This boat is so much lighter than my others, so I didn't bother taking the trolley for the portage, and was soon setting up on the towpath. There was frost in the shadows still, but a winter sun was trying its best to give some warmth to the afternoon. Past Albert's Dock, a narrow boat was shut up for the winter. Sheltered from a moderate wind, I enjoyed the reflections as I passed by. The wind was mostly behind me on my journey out, but in places the canal Continue Reading
Fettling my Outlander
Reading my copy of ‘Canoe Camping’ by Tim Gent, I came across the phrase ‘fettling a canoe’. This might not mean much to non-paddlers, but every canoe needs a degree of fitting out to suit its owner, and ‘fettling’ exactly catches the feel of the process for me – a mix of purpose and tinkering… I recently was lucky enough to find a secondhand Mega Outlander 16″ canoe going at a good price at my end of the country. These boats aren’t well known, and don’t come up for sale very often, but those in the know speak very highly of them. They have a reputation of being light, fast and responsive on the water, but not unstable or too prone to the effects of a crosswind – an ideal tripping boat either solo or tandem. So I made a round trip to the North Pennines, returning with my new acquisition. A little bit of boat juggling found it space in the garage. Then came the slow bit, thinking about how the boat will be used, and hence how I needed to outfit it. It is a composite hull, with Continue Reading