Paddles with an Anas acuta...... unashamedly biased toward the sea kayak of that name (actually the voyages of two boats, one 'traffic over gold', one 'quill')

Saturday 29 August 2009

CKmer meeting in Brittany


We were in Brittany for the CKmer international gathering and after a few days on our own, made our way to Landeda near Aber Wrac'h. Here are just a fraction of the 120 boats.
Taking advantage of local knowledge, small sub groups made a great variety of interesting trips.

Ascending the Abers from the open sea to fresh water, here the head waters of the Aber Wrac'h.

By contrast an open sea crossing to Ile Molene, paddling 7 miles due west from Aber Ildut, the tide carried us 4 miles south to the island. The return was 3 miles following the islands and skerries towards the south-east, like crossing a series of fast flowing rivers. Followed by 4 miles paddling due east across the Chenal du Four, in which time the tide had carried us 5.5 miles north back to Aber Ildut. The week flashed past as fast as the 110 coefficient tide.

The ship graveyard in the river Aulne.

It was nice for me, as there were many greenland style paddlers and we could go along in a group maintaining our rapid but effortless cadence. A blind paddler in a double recognised us individually by our stroke pattern, but we felt as if we were in time. Along with the greenland paddles were a good collection of Anas acutas, almost every colour Valley supplies. Here I am, admiring a rarer boat, paddled to good effect by a 12 year old with a scaled down greenland paddle, it is an Anas chick.

2 comments:

  1. hello Peter

    is Eric Of Brittany
    have you received my post ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. and very nice blog !
    bravo

    another pictures of Landéda :

    http://www.neree.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=1

    ReplyDelete