Gavin Millar Since he was a child staying with his grandparents in a cottage near the ancient Northumbrian capital of Bamburgh, Gavin has been inspired and awed by the beauty of the coastline of the island of Great Britain. Subsequent holidays and trips to Arran, Dorset, the
Hebrides and elsewhere stoked this fascination. He set off in 2012 and over the first three months sailed from his home near the Solent to Inverness in the North of Scotland. His route is 1800 nautical miles (the circumnavigation of Great Britain is usually 2200 nautical miles but in an open canoe it’s sensible to cut the very top of Scotland out and head through the Caledonian canal, avoiding the dangers of the Pentland Firth and Cape Wrath (it’s in the name). Gavin’s trip is ongoing and you can follow it all on his brilliant and inspiring blog.
This trip provoked debate among the participants about the conditions we encountered and the merits of the decision to undertake it.
Here are my thoughts:
Obviously there is a debate as to whether I should have embarked on the trip in the first place given the conditions. I should have provided a wave deflector to the front of my canoe. That would have made a massive difference. Although I knew that I shouldn’t rely on battery operated pumps, effectively I did for a large part of the trip. My manual bailing tools were a 10 litre bucket and a 2 litre bailing scoop. The bucket couldn’t be used with one hand. The scoop could not beat the amount of water coming into the canoe. I was reluctant to let go of the controls and just concentrate on bailing.
When I swamped in the Solent I had run out of ideas about how to clear my canoe and start sailing again.
My bucket was tied in but my bailer was not and neither was I: could I have caught up with my canoe if we capsized? What would I have done without a bailer?
I think I may need a more seaworthy canoe...
Copyright, Adam Pope, 2015 Originally published on Stoll's Blog
Graham Cooke, grew up near the Thames at Wargrave and has always been interested in boats. He started rowing, but short stature, and a liking for long trips, gradually brought him to canoeing and kayaking where is now a keen sea-kayaker and a k1 kayak
racer. He started canoe sailing 4 years ago after wanting an "adventure boat" abe to sail on the sea and be stable enough make brew (tea)on board while watching the world go by. Gerris (then named Puddles) was purchased from a fellow OCSG member who'd built her beautifully light from 4mm ply . Graham then added more weight an strength in additional glass and epoxy as well as a bigger rig - currently probably optimal at 5sqm. She is named Gerris as, with the outriggers fitted, she reminded
him of a pond skater, Gerris Lacustris. The boat has large bow and stern sealed storage. There's side buoyancy tanks, so that even when swamped (as she was on the Isle of Wight trip) she still sits high enough to be bailed dry.
Graham's home waters are around Anglesey and the North Wales coast where the ability to car top, launch single handed and solid stability, makes the sailing canoe a near perfect coastal boat for accessing the isolated coves and longer trips, both solo and in company. Graham is always amazed by the performance of sailing canoes in rough water but concedes that parts of the Isle of Wight trip were on the edge of both his, and the boat's, ability. But he would willingly do it again!
Keith Morris got into canoe sailing in the late 1980s and was involved with the OCSG from the outset, in 1990. He considers it an ideal conjunction of 2 activities he was already passionate about. He continues to indulge his passion due to the relative simplicity, versatility and portability that a sailing canoe offers. Future adventure plans include further exploration of the more interesting sections of the UK coastline, with a particular liking for going round islands and maybe the odd longer open crossing if the right conditions present themselves
Adam Pope. His canoe is a Sol way Dory Curlew. He evolved into sailing from kayaking via a idea to canoe the length of the
Thames in a 17ft Grumman canoe in 2005. Not fancying the idea of paddling the entire way he home built the sail rig rudder and Leeboard. The trip never happened but I've been canoe sailing ever since.
The Sailors
17.