Sunday, December 30, 2007

Home port Carrickfergus - Belfast lough last paddle of the year 30.12.07.

Me at Whiteabbey shore and Carrickfergus in the far top right . Roy and I are getting some distance training in , as we are going to be paddling for charity very soon and need to keep up the mileage ! The Sea Kayak's we use are made to carry a few day's kit in three water tight bulkhead's ie : food, tent, spare clothes sleeping bag , fishing rod , and any other equipment you need to stay safe on long trip's, and the shape is to help track and glide through sea's you encounter in your journeys . As alway's click all photo's to enlarge . ps happy new year to everyone and keep visiting my blog thankyou. Carrickfergus harbour. 15:20 air temp dropping like a stone.
Belfast lough is a narrow inlet a u shape maybe 4 mile's wide and 20 - 30 mile's from headland to headland and is sea ! very cold Irish sea , trust me I've been in it a lot ! (zoom in on it use the map at the bottom of my blog. )Titanic built in Belfast once steamed out of here many year's ago. Roy and Belfast dock's in the background. Me again.
Me at the seaplanes mooring point used by RAF and U.S. during w.w.2 1939-1945 , they hunted U boat's and supply vessel's belonging to German Navy, the North Atlantic and our coast's were patrolled daily . No bad pic's this time mate !!

Leaving Carrickfergus marina with a winter's sky looming before us .
Marina.
A Grey Heron I startled . Grub ! and coffee stop ! 5 min's later I heard my ar-- is freezing ! I sat on my boat , been there read the book and ate the stew !
Marina again.
Some nice boat's, but no patch on our sea kayak's .
Paddling up the pontoon's
Roy near his Orkney ( blue hull - white top) .

My ugly mug , note my Isle of Man hat is dry ! no roll's today, I am trying out a new sailing long john wetsuit from (Rooster Sailing) under my cag ( paddling jacket ) seem's the bee's knee's so far ! nice and comfy - next time out I will bail out and go for a swim and see how it hold's out or the other way around ! video will be rolling so don't laugh !


More Belfast lough photo's 30.12.07.


Sunday morning saw two brave soul's out in temp's around +5c reason ! to get our battery's recharged after a great christmas . My paddling mate Roy and I left Carrickfergus harbour at 11:30 am first port of call was the marina next to harbour to check Roy's boat and to take a few photo's.

Belfast lough and two of the largest cranes in the world named Samson and Goliath in the distance , they belong to Harland and Wolf shipyard and are used (the odd time) to lift whole sections of ships and rig's for the welder's and rigger's to work on . A lot of Famous ship's including - the Canberra a Cruise ship were built here , in the 80's she was involved in the Falkland's war nicknamed the (white whale ) it was turned into a hospital ship and transport vessel for the British force's in the south Atlantic task force . Nearing break-time and a right turn on the way!
The shore at Greenisland and the first pit stop . Belfast is in the distance , also the same direction we are heading , note the sun's setting already in the winter sky ! time 13:40


While I'm on a war theme I was told this was a mooring point for boat plane's during the second world war. The Sunderland made in Short Brother's Belfast and the Catalina flying boats used it.
Evening at Carrickfergus Harbour nearly home after 10 + nautical mile's of good paddling
A Royal Navy Launch , over visiting the Sea Cadet's I think !
The old Castle at the harbour and Roy glad to be near the slip as his foot peg's had slipped during the last few mile's home !
Roy racing a red cargo boat !

At Whiteabbey and Carrickfergus the little white line in the distance 8 land mile's away .