Storm Gathering

October 22, 2007 on 12:14 pm | In Sea Kayaking |

What a weekend. The Canoe Club have just held the second UK Storm Gathering. The opportunity for like minded sea kayakers to get together and paddle and socialise in the Outer Hebrides. Over 70 paddlers from all over the country and a few from further afield.

It was fantastic to see all the cars around Stornoway with boats on the roofs.

During the day there were trips and coaching sessions and the Hebridean weather did its best to deliver the storms. Yesterday (Sunday 21 Oct) when we came off the water at the top of Loch Seaforth my anemometer was reading 35 knots of wind, not a wonder we had been blow up the Loch.

In the evenings there were illustrated talks by some of the best sea kayakers in the business at the moments. We were treated to a preview of the video of Patrick Wintertons’ latest trip, paddling, taking in some of the Stevenson Lighthouses on the West coast starting at Barra Head. Exciting and a little bit mad?

It was great, as we used An Lanntair, the arts centre in Stornoway as a base and this allowed the use of the gallery space for art inspired by sea kayaking and some images by Hamish Gow who was the first person with his wife Ann to paddle to St Kilda. Apparently there have only been 13 people who have paddled there unsupported !

Another advantage of An Lanntair was the bar and auditorium for the talks but pull back the bleacher seating and a large area for the dance with Face the West.

So a very successful weekend and lots of people leaving saying they will be back to paddle in the Outer Hebrides.

note: I have just discovered Douglas Wilcox has posted pictures to his blog of the Storm Gathering http://seakayakphoto.blogspot.com/

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
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