Just Ullswater again............

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rancid badger

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Out for my 2nd trip with the new boat last Friday;

We paddled and plodged our way up Goldrill Beck from the lake to Patterdale and then just pottered back down again...
[video=youtube;HZE8fYhRYBk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZE8fYhRYBk[/video]

Not a great video and a lot of it can be fast forwarded if I'm honest but hopefully you get the peacefulness of the location, that's what it's about, not artistic or technical perfection:)

Back onto the lake and headed east towards Side Farm campsite where we pulled out and had a coffee


We spotted a couple of other open canoes as well as a few sit on tops as we sat chewing the fat,

then we set of again and this time headed up the eastern shore..






We arrived once more at Silver bay and again hauled out to enjoy the sunshine and peace. We were soon joined by a pair of the rusty red sailed boats you see on Ullswater, which had to use engine and paddles to make any headway.

We had been sitting chatting for a few minutes when we heard voices and eventually spotted movement on the lake shore about 400 yds away. Then we realised that the movement wasn't on the shore but on the water;


After a further 10 -15 mins, the two paddlers eventually also made landfall at Silver bay


I find these craft to be something of a puzzle if I'm honest.:confused:
They seem to be about as practical to paddle as a unicycle is to pedal but saying that, I also remember when I said that "I just don't see the point of an inflatable if you have room for a proper canoe" or words to that effect, so maybe I should try one sometime.

Anyway, My mate Brian decided to have a potter about in my boat;


He's a good bit bigger and heavier than me and he probably could have done with switching ends and adjusting the trim a bit but he reported that the boat felt like a normal canoe


The air in the tubes cools down once on the water and contracts, hence the saggy looking picture above-the boat not Brian-

Then we set off again and just followed our noses in the flat calm, perfect conditions;


You can set quite a pace using the kayak paddle;














Another cracking day out and one during which we discussed the possibilities of various nooks and crannies along the shore for potential campsites, though more from a "you could do this or that in a similar location elsewhere" viewpoint than actually considering camping anywhere on Ullswater itself.


The boat, as expected was superb and the more I paddle it, the more I realise I should have abandoned "proper" canoes a long time ago and gone for the inflatable option. The performance is almost exactly the same, if not better than the hard shell canoes of a similar size I've owned. Obviously, you need to be aware of sharp edges and pointy bits and pieces, and as in the video, occasionally I'll avoid a route that may hide something nasty like broken glass, scrap metal or fencing wire etc but overall; so far the pro's far outweigh the cons and I look forward to many hours of hassle free paddling.


I'm toying with a trip to either Coniston or Derwentwater on Friday or Saturday this week but then again, I might just buxxer off up to Loch's Ken or Doon for a look instead.

Thanks for looking and hope this inspires one or two to get out there too.

Steve
 

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