Portmuck fun May 08"

Above : are my Chariot & my Valley Avocet , also Muck island nature reserve just visible near my cockpit. Below - the view of Portmuck from half way up the hill , on a clear day Scotland is easly seen , but the heat haze today obscured it .

My children love the sea , and at every chance , they board my sea kayak for a little go ! This week the weather has been very good and the sun tan oil has well slapped on !

I am trying out the video on my blog , sorry about the quality .

Portrush Lifeboat on the North Antrim coast - N.Ireland

The crew at Portrush R.N.L.I. station warmly gave my family and I a little guided tour and taught us more about boats and the history of the volunteers who risk there lives to save others.
This is a Severn class all weather boat , cost -two million pounds ! the boat is part of the Royal National Lifeboat Institutions' reserve fleet , the reason - the original boat was severely damaged during a stormy rescue of the coast of Rathlin island recently and the damage may result in the (Katie Hannan 17-23) being retired for training only. A big thank you to all at the station and cheers for the little gifts the kids got , we all had a great time .

My first sun-burn of 2008 ! Island-Magee coast Co.Antrim.

The Scottish coast under a cloak of thunder storms , about 15 miles away over the other side of the Irish sea. Whitehead and the oil jetty at Cloghan point .

My friends summer home near the shore. ( Lucky devil ).
Tea-time ! and every few minutes you could hear the calls of Pheasants echoing from the countryside , spring is underway! The gobbins cliff's in the distance .
Rounding the headland.
Razorbills and Cormorants nesting on the cliff face.

Blackhead lighthouse.
The squad rounding Blackhead !
Ernie , Peter and Kevin and me about to have a lunch break. Peter's new Capella and my red Avocet.
In the distance if you enlarge the photo you can just make out the Copeland Islands Co Down .

This is a photo of a little hand cleared slipway at IslandMagee which I used many times in the 90's when my friend had a small boat tied up here .

Steven and I used to set the odd lobster pot and fishing net just off the shore here which was very successful .

Short sleeves today as the weather was fantastic ,as I write with beetroot arms !

The Lagan descent kayak race - Northern Ireland. 20.4.08.

Michelle and I
The race about to start .
Half way mark and thumbs up from the boss !

Michelle and I both entered the race just for the sheer fun , and to meet up with some old friends we missed from the pool sessions and other paddles we did last year .

The race is 10 miles long and snakes its way through Belfast's valleys and parks and has in times of flood has some very interesting rapids and weirs which I've run a few times with my heart in my mouth ! but as always it was great fun .

This was my other half's first time on a river " hangover and all " and she was over the moon when she shot her first weir at Edenderry like a pro ! but the next one - lets just say backwards and wrong side of weir and no more !

For a great day and some nice scenery have a go , you don't know what your missing .

A big thank you to all at Belfast Canoe Club and thank you Mark for the race T shirt that Michelle has adopted as a second skin , can't wait till November for another go !

Roll on summer ! 15.4.08.

Lauren and Lee fossil hunting at the shore line at Carrickfergus , which I did with my dad 30 years ago ! boy time flies.....

My local harbour tonight at 8pm , I had the kids out for a walk burning off some of their energy and I caught the sun lighting up our 800 year old castle , further on down the jetty I saw two paddlers hugging the coast and their blades glinting in the sun every few seconds , so I'm itching to get on the water, fingers crossed for this weekend !

Killyleagh to Castleward 25th March 08 " Click here for Video of the trip - courtesy of Desi B.K.C "

Ernie in his pride and joy - a new Valley Aquanaut
With the wind on our tails it was a quick trip down to Castleward , south of Killyleagh.

The large and impressive grounds around Castleward stately home looking a little gloomy at this time of year but in a few weeks spring will change that ! The house can be seen on the hill looking out towards Strangford lough , I was inside the house years ago and it was like a time warp to Queen Victoria's time !
Some of the group .
Peter enjoying the new found freedom of sea kayaking .
Desi and Ernie with Portaferry in the distance , with the ever present common Seal not far away.

Our put in spot at Killyleagh.
Calm waters
The fleet - my red Valley Avocet , A lovely old Valley nordkapp belonging to Desi , Deirdre's P&H Capella , Kevin's home built sea kayak , and two Valley Aquanaut's glass and rm owned by Ernie. The tide came in at a ferocious rate , minutes later our boats were almost afloat! The walled back garden owned by the National Trust (Castleward)
Desi using the original paddle for sea kayaking , it's a hand made wooden Greenland paddle lovingly crafted by him ! and they are a dream to use as I have borrowed it for rolling practise in the pool on a few occasions

You learn something new every day !

The Strangford ferry - gliding over to Portaferry, the speed of the tide here is amazingly very fast , a narrow opening to a vast body of water running in and out of the lough which is many miles in length has claimed many victims over years and is littered with shipwrecks spanning 100's of year's , at low tide you can see some of them even today!
But to the hardy kayaker this is heaven , not me - but I do know those who dance it's whirlpools and eddys no names .
This is Alabama an 8 month old grey seal who was rescued and brought to the aquarium/sanctuary here in Portaferry Northern Ireland after being caught up in a fishing net, which left a wound on the seal's neck , but its well on the way to recovery and will be released back to the wild at the start of April, a happy ending this time !

This is a replica of the Megladon's kisser and trust me if he was still about today, I think kayaking would not ! be on my list of hobbies!

Lauren pointing out her greatest love Sharks ! A Great White's nashers which I hope never to get to close to.

This set was from South Africa and was caught in the nets protecting a beach ! Remove the nets and take your chances I say ! Swim here if your mad would be the signs I would put up .

Lee taking it all in . This Thorn-back ray is smiling for the camera !

Michelle and the kids and I at Portaferry aquarium Co.Down ,

If your ever here check it out !

The weather was poor for paddling today, and was a good excuse to go to one of our favorite places instead!

Take a look at this video ! ( click here )

Whiterock Part deux !

My little girl Lauren , and I enjoying the sand dunes !

Also my 2 year old Lee hitching a ride .

Guess what ! " the old " paddle in wrong side - wrong time trick then washed up a beach eating sand maneuver !
My son Lee giving me some good advice , why are you all wet Daddy !
This is how to do it !
Lesson over back to the car park for tea .
Mush Mush !!

Surf was big today and was "dumping hard" ( my new term I heard today)
Surfing a bit .
Waiting for a wave .
Matt from CCKC doing it in style . He was very good to watch and we all talked after in the car park and we all arranged to meet up for a paddle sometime . Belter of a day again ! cant wait untill next time .