An hour's yakking this evening...26/05/07

Well, it's been a week of yak excitement for me. First I went out yakking up the river with the missis and she finally realised frenzies weren't up to it and the P15 was the dogs nuts. Then I got the sail, then I did some pimping and added some bits to the yak, then I went out and had the lifeboat launch to check I was okay. Followed this by managing to get a second P15 (hurrah!) at long last, with a new C-Tug and paddle. Then I pimped that slightly (test ride tomorrow upriver dependant on weather) and then I launched at last with some bait for a brief session.

Lessons learned, like a good boy tonight, after getting the kids in bed and story read, I phoned up the coastguard and gave my paddle plan, estimated time back and position etc. Then grabbed the yak and trundled down to the beach. Had checked magic seaweed for wind direction, swell height and spacing, checked the tide times and weather forecast (only because I can, not because it mattered, I knew it wasn't rough tonight. Not as rough as the women here anyway and it's a safer way to spend a saturday night in Lowestoft fishing from a yak than cuddling up to them!).

So, 3 minutes walk from the house and I was at the waters edge at 21:20. Yak off the C-Tug, wheels off and into the front hatch. Rods strapped down, PFD on, mobile wrapped up in a plastic bag and into the sea I jolly well wandered. Surf was only a couple of feet and quite regular and well spaced. Held it for a minute to watch it, then hopped in and paddled out, finder on, until I was in about 4 metres or so, around 300-400 yards out. Swell was a bit bigger here, between 3-4 feet, but regular and not breaking etc. Wind was not too bad and water temperature was 13 degrees. Not that that matters but I do like to waffle a bit after all. A few beeps on the finder, but not as many as the other night. Chucked out a 2/0 with some mackerel strips on it, a single hook rig with a 4oz breakaway, after dropping anchor.
So, I lit up a f*g and sat and watched the rod tip, rod in hand. Second rod wasn't put out as I didn't feel it would be worth while and I didn't want to get a tangle (not used to this sea fishing lark yet).

Beep! A pretty little fish icon on the finder!

Beep! another one!

Beep! Two!

Brilliant - better than what was on telly tonight. And that was all the excitement I had fish-wise anyhow so worth a mention.

Blanked.

Turned around, paddled in pretty easily, following wind and current, and for the first time ever I was catching the surf just right and riding the waves for a short distance each time, so much so I surfed right up to the beach - without any tippiness or water in my lap either.

Put everything in order, trundled off home and called the coastguard to say I was back, had a natter and came up to post this boring and not-worth-posting fishing report.

Good fun though, a very pleasant hour out on the sea. Better luck next time eh?

Lifeboat Out...23/05/07

This evening I went for a paddle a few hundred yards out from the south beach on my sea kayak for a short while to do a spot of fishing and to wind down for the day, during which time I tried out the sail I have just fitted. I was close to the harbour mouth when I saw the Lowestoft Lifeboat come through and assumed that they were carrying out a training exercise – but it was nothing of the sort. A well-meaning and conscientious member of the public had been concerned that I was in distress (presumably through the sail being mistaken for a distress flag) and had placed a call to them to report what could have been an incident.

I would like to publicly thank the RNLI for their sterling efforts in ensuring that no harm had in fact come to me and the speed of their response which, in a distress situation could have been vital to my well-being. I would also like to publicly thank the concerned member of the public who reported what they thought might have been someone in difficulties as they could have saved my life had they been correct. It is incredibly comforting for someone who uses the water frequently to know that people care enough and that others are ready to place other people’s welfare before their own home life. I would also like to apologise for wasting their time!

They were very friendly and courteous, as was the castguard chap who popped down to get my particulars when I came ashore - even if they did probably think I was a twatt for going fishing in a yak. Made sure I had a PFD but surprisingly didn't ask about other safety stuff. Decided I will get a VHF and the course now - if anything it'll save them some fuel maybe if soeone thinks I'm in trouble and I'm not.

Just a pity they had to waste their time for nothing

The Jack yak Goes Sot Yot

Well, I'm pretty much set up for the summer now. I've got a house 300 metres from the beach, I've got a C-Tug trolley to take my prowler 15 there, College finishes on thursday and the photography business is ticking over while leaving me plenty of time to get myself wet. The prawns are here, the crabs are here, the lobsters are here and the bass should arrive soon. I'm sorted.

And the Jack yak is all tarted up and pimped to the gills. Until recently the only modifications from standard were the rear toggle moved to the rudder attachment point, fitting of scupper stoppers (for flat-calm and rivers) and a few bits of shock cord tied on as leashes. Not now. Oh no. Not now.

First up was the Humminbird 215 portable. The lead to the transducer is currently coming out of the hatch as I ahve yet to get around to drilling a hole for it. It's a big hole. Thoughts so far? A good bit of kit, easy to use and obvious to read. More bulky than a non portable unit obviously but not too bulky to annoy me. in fact, aesthetics aside it's no bother at all. except it doesn't find enough fish.

Then came the Fladen rod holders. Choice of three mounts included. Solid, well made and well thought out. That's the bait rods catered for - trolling will still be from the rear flushmounts.

Next was the Lidl sale. Everything was carabinered or bow shackled. Seat attachments were replaced with stainless carabiners, a simple anchor trolley was made up and a double bowline/grab rope/tow line/mooring line was also added. Had to use them up you see.

And then, today, la creme de menthe. A Pacific Action 1.5 sail. Now, I am no DIY'er. The destructions scared the hell out of me. the bits confused me. etc etc. Besides, it wasn't designed for a Prowler 15 - but what the hell, where there's a will there's a way.

First off, I didn't want to attach it to the carry toggle - I wanted that free and that's also were my long bit of string is attached. A quick trip to the Chandlers and I had a stainless thing to attach it to, with a small bow shackle added to allow the clip to be the right way around:



Then, with the shockords at the front attached, I placed some climaflex pipe lagging around the bottoms of the sliding mount (the indentations and ridges on the P15 left little in the way of contact points) and then measured and drilled the holes for the side loops, attached the straps and bingo:



Then, I brought down the lines at the rear, saw where they came too, drilled and screwed in some more of the chandlers stainless things and popped some carabiners on (although i'll probably put the supplied clips on to use the locking cam cleats). These fit under the rod holders so aren't an additional encumbrence and are in easy reach.



I tried it out a few times in the garden and was happy that it functioned. Spent an hour on the beach with the kids, noted an inshore wind and flattish sea and so this evening I decided to go and have a brief play and make sure everything worked okay and handled all right:











It worked fantastically well. Nothing was in the way, nothing was an annoyance, the paddle arc wasn't affected, the sail popped up with ease, moved into position with ease and broke down again with ease. The only problem was that the wind had dropped to nothing and so I don't know what it's like to be under sail yet! Maybe tomorrow I'll have an update on that score for you.

regarding the sail: for the ease of fitment, 9/10. For the quality of build, 9/10. For the ease of opening and breaking, 10/10. I'm confident to try it in a reasonable blow now.

Just leaves the thigh straps and rudder now.....