ROCKHAGGIS

DAY ONE:

Well Today finally arrived – the weather forecast,suggests a weekend fare weather. Low base winds but gusting to 20 plus – the main problem is the direction Northerlies and North easterlies – come flying down the sound whipping up white horses .

I found myself at the Port Beag slip in Oban, loaded up and prepared.

Well equipment wise prepared, but what about my metal preparation? Its easy to delude yourself about what you are capable of achieving.

Had I really thought this through. Standing there on my own, looking across the water into an unknown future, was I really going to do this? Physically I'm well over weight, Im running on two and a bit cylinders fortified by regular intakes of powerful heart medications. Im 55 feeling 75. Im on my own! Am I really going to do this?!

I squeeze into the kayak, the leg braces locking me in tightly, claustrophobicly. I check that all is stowed and lashed for one last time, fit the spray deck into position and gently, slightly nervously I push away from the slip.

The sea is reasonably calm, though the wind has already begun to pick up and choppy little waves begin to lap against the side of the kayak.

Oh my fucking god, do not tumble here!!!! right in the middle of Oban bay in front of 100's of early morning shoppers. The Oban Times headline ' By-passers stood helplessly as 55 year old Oban man drowns' passed through my mind – lol. FFS Duncan get a grip............

Coincidently I noticed a gaggle of kayaks appear around the corner, probably from one of the local activity groups. About eight in all – I'll tag along behind them I decided. However by the time I passed under the shadows of Dunolie castle it was becoming clear that the waters outside the protected area of the bay were an angry cauldron of whites horses and by the time we had passed Maiden Island even the experienced instructors leading the group were showing signs of retreat.

I turned and sort shelter in a cutting in the rocky cliffed shoreline. Not wanting to return back to the start point , no more than a mile away, I decided to wait there until the wind died down. As it turned out , it did not that day and I was forced to make camp next to the ruins of this old ww2 observation post.

Its interesting to note the history of this area during WW2 – An area where major trans Atlantic convoys assembled and squdrans of AntiSubmarine Catalina flying boats were based.
So although the day was pleasently sunny the wind and its direction ensured that I was unable to safely continue until the next day.