The best boat in the world

[The Gurnard]

Hey..I managed to get my first adventure of the year in guys.

It was tropical at Arisaig .. for three days ..temperatures hitting 17 degrees C .. no wind .. wall to wall blue sky and turquoise water .. unheard of in mid March for Scotland ..so I had to make the most of things.

Met up with some kayak mates also keen to make the most of the glorious weather ... so I only took my wee Seago Slat floor SIB. I like to match my SIBs to my needs..no need for the heavy weather 4.3m quicksilver this week



For the geeks amongst us.. it used 5 litres of fuel and covered 25 miles ..cruising on 1/3 throttle and around 3 knots.



My wind assisted padding pals managed to beat that ..they used a zero carbon footprint to cover the same distance.



It took us two days to cover the 25miles.. simply because at every sandbar / beach.. we stopped to refull our aging bodies. ...



with Jura Superstition lubrication .. it took almost two bottles to cover the first leg of our journey



Which had the hallucinogenic effect of making us believe we were in one of the most beautiful places on the planet



It got a bit rough on the open crossing of the Sound of Arisaig .. but it was the lubrication that was upsetting my horizons ..and not my flat slat floor slamming chop



So we stopped off for some beer in the Glen Uig Inn ... where we swapped stories late into the evening.

We all agreed..that the best boat in the world ..is the one you have most fun in... sharing the experience with great friends ... and giving pleasant memories long after .. in colder days of winter



We stayed overnight in the Inn and returned to the launch point next day .. as dry as bones.

Yup... The memories of my first outing this year..will last me a long time

[jeffstevens763@g]

Excellent gurnard great weather the small SIB spot on for this trip with the kayaks hope there's many more to come this year.

Cheers

[jambo]

Absolutely superb one of my favourite places on the West
Also washed down by my very fav malt could not be better for me

[The Gurnard]

Thanks Jeff..and I hope we all have a great season this year

Thanks Jambo..I did think of you when my mate brought out the bottle..I know its a fav tipple of your too..a great boating season to you too

[Poly]

Don't worry about your carbon footprint - I bet the Paddlers consumed more fuel to power themselves !

[Mollers]

Great trip!
That's it, my QS2.3 is set for some adventures this summer!!.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Poly

Don't worry about your carbon footprint - I bet the Paddlers consumed more fuel to power themselves !

I bet not poly just noticed they had sails a great way to kayak

[The Gurnard]

Thanks Poly.. yup..my carbon footprint wasnt the biggest..the breakfast chef burn the toast and caused a real fog ..he was on the grave as well

Thanks Mollers.. if the weather continues..you should come soon.. not a midge in sight as its too early for them. Jura is a great midge bite soother ..even when they are around

Jeff.. the traditional kayaks of old had sails.. they are find their way back onto many kayaks now. ..easier to sail than Polys old Wayfarer

Kayak with sail..in the middle of the Sound of arisaig open crossing.

[kaman]

Cracking stuff as ever Gurnard.
Those pics certainly whet my appetite for getting the Sib on the water.
Unfortunately I'm nursing an injury at present.
Was passenger in a work van on the motorway when a tyre went boom!
After snaking around we ploughed into the crash barrier.
No one else involved or seriously hurt but got a hell of a fright.
Hoping things ease up soon so I can get back to normal.
Relishing the thought of getting back in the Sib even more after this post.

[The Gurnard]

Wow..sorry to hear that Kaman.. get back on the water soon. at least the Seago slat floor is light in weight for carrying etc

[whisper]

Just awesome

[kaman]

Cheers Gurnard.
Heading off on Hols shortly to visit relatives in Oman.
Hopefully the heat and sun will soothe my aches and pains - fit for Sibbing upon return.
Could sling the Seago Eco in the suitcase

[Poly]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

I bet not poly just noticed they had sails a great way to kayak

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Poly

Has the wind been taken out your sail Poly ?

I guess the Greenland style carbon fibre paddles the guys use ...when their sails are stashed .. must be a hefty footprint too.. even though they are as lite as a feather in the hands?

Notice that even kayaker's carry aux paddles on their rear decking..just in case the main paddle breaks down

They huff and puff at times too.. especially when they disagree..just like most old sea salts




Thanks for looking in Whisper .. it was a great way to start the year off.

Enjoy your hols Kaman..we will get snow again before summer..nothings surer

[Maximus]

Another Gurnard Classic!....or should that be,Class act! Magic.
Gets the Juices flowing....had a couple Jura's last night

A few of us are basing ourself a at Arisaig this year for two weeks (rough camped nr there last year) so hope to break some new ground and Hopfully get out to St Kilda.
Looking forward to meeting our Scotish friends again too.

Keep the stories coming Mr G!

[The Gurnard]

Hi Maximus..yup..Arisaig area is the jewel in the crown of Scotlands boating areas.

Its so varied around that area..and gives easy access to small isles .. Eigg ... Rum.. and the huge sea lochs of Loch Nevis..Loch Hourn.. Loch Moidart to name a few.

The wild life is in abundance too. ..and as proved by me often..is accessible by even the smallest SIB..as long as you know what you are doing..and choose your days. I do stress though... experience counts when using this type of small craft in open waters.

Some more photos from the start of this week..


Tides can have a fair pull through the skerries of Arisaig. I enjoy nothing better than going with the flow..looking for flows and back eddies to pull my shallow draft boat through gaps between the rocks.. in the direction I choose .. with my engine turned off. Its like drifting in a dream ...



There are silver sand beaches hidden in every cove..with not a human footprint to be seen



The still snow covered Cuillin add an interesting backdrop to the oyster catchers roosting on their rock.



And in the deep .. more exposed waters ..of the Sound .. cormorants dry their wings .. with Rum as a backdrop. The ever swirling swells remind me not to go too close to rock..or Im in a burst boat and trying to dry myself beside the birds.



Yup..it takes some beating ..does our Arisaig .. especial in a beautiful mid March heat wave..its out this world

[Fenlander]

Great pics Gurnard. They often say the best pictures are taken by the camera you have with you... as the best trips are those in the craft of the time... whatever size.

30yrs ago this summer we enjoyed a brilliant holiday in the Arisaig area based on Loch Ailort. It was our first small craft boating Holiday in Scotland with the hired GRP dinghy as seen in the images. A 4/5hp motor & oars but no lifejackets/flares/radio/mobiles etc!!

Images only so so as that was a mid price 35mm compact camera. I've just laid the 6x4s on the table and captured them with the digicam to give a hint of our time there.

[The Gurnard]

Hi Fenlander.. although we have different view points at times.. we have walked some of the same paths..and possibly around the same time ?

My father used to take us there in his wayfarer..but often used a wee seagull outboard if there was no wind. Not unlike your dinghy in the photos. He showed me all the places I now know so well. The area has not changed in all those years..that is part the reason I love it.

Although not taken this week... this photo is looking through the window in the ruined croft in your first photo



Someone must have scoffed one of the eggs..but I suspect they must be rotten now.



The beach on the island has not changed a bit either..only the boats and the people have changed



I don’t have the same view as your one on the road..possibly because I went a bit higher up Rois Bheinn ..the hill at the loch..but here is my view of it all.



Thanks for adding to the post..and bringing back memories for me too.

[Fenlander]

Funny how different feet from different lands trod those same paths decades ago and now come together to share in this virtual space!

The roadway perhaps wasn't familiar as it belonged to the fairly new place we were staying and was a fresh scar back then... the white house in the hills (top right image) distant beyond the same small island that appears in your window shot from a fractionally different angle.

Top left image shows the raiding party except myself behind the lens.

Bottom right a rare Cambridgeshire wolf seen at the summit of Goat Island (as we called it).

Bottom left one of many sunset returns to base from a glorious trip out on near glassy calm.

Wonderful times.

[The Gurnard]

Yup.. we have both walked on the same stones ..... you call it goat island..I call it Eilean nan gobhar.. which is the same thing..just in a different tongue.



Pre historic people also walked those stones and built the fort wall that your dog is standing on.. and I often have my lunch on ...



It is one of only a couple of vitrified forts in Scotland. The early people built huge fires around there stone defense walls. The heat melted the rocks and fused them together..which is why the remains look like melted lava. There must have been big settlements in the area..many years ago..to go to the trouble of defending the sea access with a large fortress. Looking at and learning all these things .. is what SIBing is for me..its a vessel for discovery...not for speed



My landing party of Tuesday ..was me on my own ..my kayak buddies went to Loch Morar on that day ..I cant use a petrol engine on that fresh water loch.. so I was happy to wander Loch Ailort again.. shows how good the weather was too..it touched 17 degrees C on Tuesday.. almost hot enough to melt the fort walls again..and its only mid March!!! Its cooling down fast now though..back to 6 degrees C..Im going back to walk the hills again to keep warm.