Scotland is famous for experiencing all four seasons in a single day, and this summer has certainly lived up to that reputation. We’ve had everything from heatwaves to floods, and just about every kind of weather in between and yet the Met Office Deep Dive describes this Scottish summer as being typically average for rain & temperature. Your views may vary!.
Stop Press News
The Ballachulish Bonanza is back. The village hall has been booked for Friday 23rd October, 7pm – Monday 26th 10.00am. Full details will be posted in the calendar shortly. Meanwhile, we are looking for a volunteer or two to coordinate the event and leaders for the various trips.
Trips
The first part of the year was especially windy, forcing us to cancel several trips, including our Second Saturday paddles, which usually go ahead somewhere. March was simply too windy, and Storm Dave put an end to all the plans for April. Thankfully, conditions improved in May, followed by a hot June and July. Check out the trip reports here.
Circumnavigation of Gigha – May
All Away to Loch Ard – May
Second Saturday Paddle to Inchmurrin & Inchcaillach – june
Caithness – The Gift That Keeps on Giving – July
The Puffin Paddle – July
All Away to the Lake of Monteith
Many thanks to all authors with apologies for the delays in publishing.
See SmugMug for more pictures of these trip and club the expedition river trip to Slovenia. There is no report for that one – yet?
Training
Training and development has been ongoing with several more club members passing their Sea Kayak Leader & Paddlesport Leader assessments. Congratulations and well done (again) to Ewen, Richard & now Rob, our latest Sea Kayak Leaders and Joanne, Ian and Ewan as Paddlesport Leaders.
Joanne has been very busy and is now a provider of Paddlesport Safety & rescue courses. – well done Joanne.
If you are interested in any of these qualifications or would like to know more about them feel free to contact Celia or Amanda, the club Sea kayak Coordinators, or anyone who qualified recently or their mock students, who would be able to tell you all about their experience of the training and assessment.
More training has been taking place on Tuesday evenings at Loch Lomond; micro-session run roughly fortnightly on a variety of skills. Recent sessions on rescues, edging and forward paddling have been popular and fun, for both the students and the coaches. Many thanks to Celia for all her work in putting these sessions together. We’ve always been too busy or too wet to take pictures so here’s a little graphic to fill the space.
Let us know if there’s anything you’d like to work on, whether you’re looking for a refresher or just getting started. Chat with any coach or leader, or send us your ideas through the Suggestion Box feature on the club website.
Committee Stuff
– Work on moving to a charity is progressing well and the observant amongst you may have noticed the strap-line at the bottom of the web pages.
– All club buoyancy aids have been logged and tested and those that failed the test or are damaged in any way have been destroyed. There is now a rolling programme of replacing any >10 years old. Great work Quartermaster Gary, and Pat for securing funding for the new equipment.
– Celia, Andrew & Amanda are training to become club coaches – look out for sessions and feel free to make suggestion for anything you would like to work on.
– The first-aid kits kept at Miller Street are being refreshed and leaders are reminded to take them and/or their own on all club trips.
More from our Quertermaster
Most manufacturers recommend replacing buoyancy aids every 5–10 years, depending on how frequently they are used, with one manufacturer suggesting a working life of around 300 uses.
Age isn’t the only factor to consider. The overall condition of a buoyancy aid is just as important. Signs that a jacket may need replacing include:
- Fading caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight
- Worn or mouldy fabric
- Frayed straps
- Damage to the outer material
- Buckles, fasteners or zips that no longer work properly
As part of our replacement programme, every club buoyancy aid has undergone both a visual inspection and a buoyancy test. The buoyancy test involves submerging the jacket while attached to a weight and measuring the force required to lift it from the water. Adult PFDs should provide a minimum buoyancy of 50 Newtons (N), although a few of our extra-small jackets are rated at 45N.
The new buoyancy aids will be Palm Universal Jackets, which are adjustable from XS to XXL. This will reduce the number of different sizes the club needs to stock while also providing an improved buoyancy rating of 60N.
Although members are responsible for maintaining their own buoyancy aids, it’s worth remembering that an old, faded or worn BA may be rejected if you arrive on a course or assessment with equipment that is no longer considered fit for purpose.
If you’d like to check your own buoyancy aid, there is a buoyancy testing rig at Pinkston where you can carry out a simple buoyancy test yourself.
Staying safe on the water starts with well-maintained equipment—it’s worth taking a few minutes to check that your buoyancy aid fits securely and is still up to the job.
“Craic’n Classics – Revisiting Some of Our Best Articles”
Carrying kayaks on your car.
It’s great to see so many new members joining the club, from experienced paddlers to those completely new to the sport. Everyone is welcome! We provide all the equipment you need to get on the water from Balloch in summer and Clydebank pool in winter.
Once kayaking gets under your skin, one of the first things you’ll probably want to buy is a means to transport a boat. We car-share on club trips and take as many club boats as possible, but spaces can sometimes be limited. If you have a car, investing in roof bars and a safe kayak carrying system is one of the best first purchases you can make.
The updated article below originally from Craic’n, issue 18, (with thanks to Bev) covers the basics of transporting a kayak safely, including choosing roof bars, securing your boat, and loading it safely.
First, you need a car with a suitable roof and able to take a load of at least 50kg. Forget those convertibles! The weight rating for your car roof can be found on the manufacturer’s website, and is surprising how strong many small cars are! For example, a modern Vauxhall Corsa (non-electric) has a maximum roof carrying capacity of 70kg depending on the age and type carrying rack.
Next, you’ll need a roof rack that fits your make and model of car and is rated to carry the required weight. A typical sea kayak weighs around 25kg, so carrying two kayaks means your roof rack needs to safely support at least 50kg, in addition to the weight of the rack itself.
Make sure the roof rack feet and fittings are compatible with your vehicle. Most manufacturers and retailers provide online guides to help you find the correct system for your car. Remember that the total load on your roof includes the weight of the roof rack, any attachments, and the kayak(s) combined.
Then you’ll need a way to support and secure your kayak on the roof bars. There are a range of roof rack accessories available, including upright posts, J-bars and V-bars, which bolt onto the roof bars and help keep the kayak stable during transport. The best option is largely down to personal preference, although J-bars and V-bars do require you to lift the kayak higher onto the roof. Popular manufacturers include Lomo, Thule Kari-Tek and KCS.
A simpler and more affordable alternative is to pad the roof bars with pipe lagging or closed-cell foam, such as an old Karrimat. For most kayaks, this works perfectly well. Plastic kayaks are best carried upside down, as the rear deck provides a broader, stronger contact area and reduces the risk of the hull deforming when the straps are tightened. Foam cradles are another inexpensive option and can also make it easier to carry a second kayak.
Good-quality cam straps are essential for securing your kayak. Palm straps are a popular choice because they have a rubber-covered cam buckle, which helps protect your car’s paintwork if the buckle is accidentally thrown over the boat. Run each strap around the roof bar, over the kayak, and back around the bar rather than just around the cradle. This ensures the kayak remains secure even if a cradle or fitting fails.
Position the straps just in front of and behind the cockpit, where the kayak is strongest. This helps prevent the boat from moving forwards or backwards during transport while reducing the risk of damaging the hull.
Tighten the straps firmly by hand—a little body weight is all that’s needed. Avoid ratchet straps, as they can easily overtighten and damage the kayak. Once secure, tie a simple knot behind the cam buckle to stop it slipping, and tie off any loose ends to prevent them flapping in the wind.
Some paddlers also use bow and/or stern lines to provide extra security, particularly on longer journeys. While they aren’t always necessary, they can be especially useful in windy conditions, helping to keep the front of the kayak aligned with the direction of travel and reducing the chance of the load shifting.
If your vehicle has a higher roof, a small folding step stool or car door stirrups can also make loading, unloading, and securing your kayak much easier and safer.
Finally, there is never a need to unload / load your kayak by yourself, indeed as a club we discourage people from carrying a boat single-handed; you may have the strength, but the wind could easily blow it out of control. Always feel free to ask another club member to help you and offer to help others when needed – it’s great way to get to know other cub members.
Always remember that as driver of the car, you will be legally responsible for ensuring that any load carried is securely fastened – the potential for disaster should a kayak come loose is all too real!
Happy paddling, and we hope to see you on the water soon!
A plea from your editor
Hi everyone,
As I become more involved in other club activities, you might have noticed the frequency of our newsletters becoming a bit erratic! I have thoroughly enjoyed managing this for the past 3 years or so. It has been a fantastic way to connect with the club and get to know so many of you.
However, I feel it is now time to hand the reins over to someone new—perhaps someone with a fresh perspective who can confidently handle our social media and publicity, which I have been struggling with lately.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to work alongside me, take over the role entirely, or simply want to ask what is involved. Don’t be shy!
Thanks,
Amanda.