I'd paddled a couple of times this year on the Tyne at Hexham but after chatting with my mate Brian, we decided it was time to get back across to the lakes and, all things considered, Ullswater once again came up top of our "Aye that'll do" list.
We set off about 8.15 and arrived about 9.45 to find the top end of the lake covered with a thin layer of ice to about 100ft out!
Undaunted
We carried on down the road, passing Watermillock and the Outward Bound centre, dropping back down to the lake again to find it ice free and more or less flat
We pulled in to one of the laybys and got the boats onto the beach, loaded up and;
away!
There was a Police boat beating about for some reason;
Fairly unusual in my experience, only ever seeing this sort of thing once, a few years ago, after a drowning
We hadn't heard anything about a tragedy so assumed they were probably training, they were backwards and forwards for most of the day, sometimes at what appeared to be full speed, other times just making headway.
Anyway, we cut across the lake into a bit of chop caused by the wind that by now had picked up to a light breeze, just enough to blow you off course if you stopped paddling but with a promise of stronger stuff to come. We planned to paddle down the lake, in the lee of the far shore but found on arrival that we were paddling into the wind again so after 30 mins of struggling down the lake, we cut across the wind to Aira point, where we pulled out for a brew stop.
It was pretty cold, so once the Kelly had done its stuff,I lit a small fire with the contents of the fire bowl.
It's surprising to some folk but you don't need a raging bonfire to warm you up, as long as you can find a bit of shelter from the wind. A storm blown tree made a really good wind break in this case, as well as providing some of the fuel too.
After about 40 mins or so, we set off once more, the camera was stowed in its drybag as there were occasional snow and sleet showers blowing off the hills and up the lake and the wind was tossing the odd splashy breaker against the boats too.
We again cut across the wind diagonally, there is probably a proper "term" for this but I've no idea what it might be other than "tacking"?, whatever, we set the noses of the boats at Silver Bay and cut across in fairly short order.
Finding it a bit blowy and exposed in Silver Bay, we paddled around Silver point where the wind had a bit of a chew at us again,
I cant remember whether this one was going down or coming back up (I think it was coming back, looking at the trim of Brians boat) but it gives an idea of conditions
We headed past Lingy Holme and eventually pulled in to the shelter of Purse Point, where we again got the kettle on and lit another small fire, to keep off the chill while we had our lunch.
We had been parked up for about 20 mins,when a couple of lads came around the corner from the north, paddling what looked like small sea kayaks. They came ashore next to us, passed the time of day and then set about getting their lunch.
After about an hour or so, we cleared up, packed our kit once more and carried the boats a few yards across the point and back into the water.
We headed across to Glenridding and deciding it was time to head back, I rigged the sail and with Brian asking if I wanted him to video it
and the camera once again back in the drybag, I set sail
It was a bit odd at first and I think we both expected me to end up in the water but after a few minutes and after Brian catching up, I decided to give a bit of video a go
A little bit scratchy at first but then I figured out "what was what" and I was hooked!
[video=youtube;KocE1BZS-Wc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocE1BZS-Wc&list=UURddL3mkjOvJ3tAtVHpW-XQ[/video]
We continued for a couple of miles, me sailing, Brian paddling, then pulled out to drop the sail. Off once more, we paddled for half an hour and I decided to put the sail back up, so Brian carried on up the side of the lake, while I quickly set it up again. It only takes a couple of minutes but in spite of the short time I was off the water, I still couldn't close the gap between us, arriving back at the car about the same amount of time it had taken to re-rig the sail, later than Brian.
The big difference however, was that I had hardly touched the water with the paddle
All in all a really good day out, with a good mate.
We're looking for another sail now, in order to fit Brians SP3 out with a sailing rig, so if you have one spare, please feel free to drop me a pm
thanks for looking
Steve
We set off about 8.15 and arrived about 9.45 to find the top end of the lake covered with a thin layer of ice to about 100ft out!
Undaunted
We carried on down the road, passing Watermillock and the Outward Bound centre, dropping back down to the lake again to find it ice free and more or less flat
We pulled in to one of the laybys and got the boats onto the beach, loaded up and;
away!
There was a Police boat beating about for some reason;
Fairly unusual in my experience, only ever seeing this sort of thing once, a few years ago, after a drowning
We hadn't heard anything about a tragedy so assumed they were probably training, they were backwards and forwards for most of the day, sometimes at what appeared to be full speed, other times just making headway.
Anyway, we cut across the lake into a bit of chop caused by the wind that by now had picked up to a light breeze, just enough to blow you off course if you stopped paddling but with a promise of stronger stuff to come. We planned to paddle down the lake, in the lee of the far shore but found on arrival that we were paddling into the wind again so after 30 mins of struggling down the lake, we cut across the wind to Aira point, where we pulled out for a brew stop.
It was pretty cold, so once the Kelly had done its stuff,I lit a small fire with the contents of the fire bowl.
It's surprising to some folk but you don't need a raging bonfire to warm you up, as long as you can find a bit of shelter from the wind. A storm blown tree made a really good wind break in this case, as well as providing some of the fuel too.
After about 40 mins or so, we set off once more, the camera was stowed in its drybag as there were occasional snow and sleet showers blowing off the hills and up the lake and the wind was tossing the odd splashy breaker against the boats too.
We again cut across the wind diagonally, there is probably a proper "term" for this but I've no idea what it might be other than "tacking"?, whatever, we set the noses of the boats at Silver Bay and cut across in fairly short order.
Finding it a bit blowy and exposed in Silver Bay, we paddled around Silver point where the wind had a bit of a chew at us again,
I cant remember whether this one was going down or coming back up (I think it was coming back, looking at the trim of Brians boat) but it gives an idea of conditions
We headed past Lingy Holme and eventually pulled in to the shelter of Purse Point, where we again got the kettle on and lit another small fire, to keep off the chill while we had our lunch.
We had been parked up for about 20 mins,when a couple of lads came around the corner from the north, paddling what looked like small sea kayaks. They came ashore next to us, passed the time of day and then set about getting their lunch.
After about an hour or so, we cleared up, packed our kit once more and carried the boats a few yards across the point and back into the water.
We headed across to Glenridding and deciding it was time to head back, I rigged the sail and with Brian asking if I wanted him to video it
It was a bit odd at first and I think we both expected me to end up in the water but after a few minutes and after Brian catching up, I decided to give a bit of video a go
A little bit scratchy at first but then I figured out "what was what" and I was hooked!
[video=youtube;KocE1BZS-Wc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KocE1BZS-Wc&list=UURddL3mkjOvJ3tAtVHpW-XQ[/video]
We continued for a couple of miles, me sailing, Brian paddling, then pulled out to drop the sail. Off once more, we paddled for half an hour and I decided to put the sail back up, so Brian carried on up the side of the lake, while I quickly set it up again. It only takes a couple of minutes but in spite of the short time I was off the water, I still couldn't close the gap between us, arriving back at the car about the same amount of time it had taken to re-rig the sail, later than Brian.
The big difference however, was that I had hardly touched the water with the paddle
All in all a really good day out, with a good mate.
We're looking for another sail now, in order to fit Brians SP3 out with a sailing rig, so if you have one spare, please feel free to drop me a pm
thanks for looking
Steve
