I missed last year's Sea Quest event, so it was very pleasant to be able to turn up with Jim and his double sea kayak. The sea kayak entry was rather low this year and we were able to win rather comfortably with a time that must be about half an hour slower than the course record.
The event was started by one of the local dignitaries (who waited patiently when the tide was a little later than expected):
We started in nice, sunny conditions:
Jim planned the start thoroughly:
We had time for some photos at the halfway point, showing the plastic goose that was the real winner of the event:
Looking back from the finish we could see that the weather was on the turn:
The wind started to get up after we finished, giving the open boaters an interesting time. We went back out to take some photos. Phil, one of the organisers of the Ravenglass Seaquest event, had a good result:
The best thing about being faster than the pack was that we had time to nip back to Knott End for ice-cream before attending the prize giving. The event was well organised throughout and the food that was laid on at the prize giving was a good finishing touch. A second surprise bonus was to find that the event sponsorship by Brookbank Canoes included some vouchers for the prize winners.
The event raised a good sum for its chosen cancer charity. My thanks go to Peter Roscoe and the Outdoor Adventure Group for a great day out.
The canal is pretty quiet at 7:30am, giving a pleasant view from the cockpit:
There was a light breeze but the reflections were impressive when the wind died down:
I was paddling at a gentle pace, taking nearly two hours to complete the distance. As a result of the pace and the early start, there was a fair bit of wildlife to be seen. This included a kingfisher; these birds seem to be getting relatively common along this canal.
