Trip report .. A few days on the lough

[b0ogaloo]

Hi folks , long time no post . I was a bit ill for a year so didn't get up to much , on the mend now tho

I launched with the ebbing tide @ Whiterock on Saturday afternoon , a strong  tail wind pushed me along nicely past Conly island past Daragh and into Ringhaddy sound where the  tide swept me along at a respectful 5 knots according to the GPS

I had intended to camp on Taggart Island . but I was making such good progress I decided to carry on to Salt Island ,which I did in a record ( for me )  2hrs 20 mins

As I got closer to the bothy the shutters were up, happy days I thought no one here



I let the dog explore while i carried my gear up to the forest and set up camp



This was my second time out on salt island this year, I have to say i'm disappointed in the state of the place , fire rings have been built outside the bothy , using stone from the perimeter wall, fine if you want to have a fire but FFS put the stones back before you leave
The drying room stinks of piss and the site is generally looking a bit run down .





I had brought my new frontier stove along to test . I wanted it more for winter camping but now was as good a time as any to see how it preformed

Weighing in at 10kgs it ain't the lightest piece of kit . I thought I might just be able to squeeze it into the front hatch of my yak but unfortunately its just 1/2" to wide , so it had to be lashed across the stern of the yak in a dry bag which was fine .

Cooking on the stove was great . no soot on the pots and plenty of room



With the door shut and the chimney damper closed it produced a nice heat for cooking sodas



I tried a variety of fuel in it - standing dead wood , damp-ish dead wood on the ground, acorns and dried sheep dung
Burn time wise the best was a mixture of acorns and dried sheep dung . heat wise the standing dead wood was the clear winner

In my opinion it could do with a  front vent to improve airflow . I'm going to have to get a couple of 30 deg bends made for the chimney to allow me to use it in the winter tarp configuration I have planned and this might improve the draw through the stove , but first impressions are generally good

The rest of the day was spent  lying in the hammock reading and listening to the radio . Some canoeist's arrived later and stayed in the bothy but they didnt disturb me , I slept well asnd didint wake up until 09:00. I always seem to sleep far longer when camping than i do at home .

The following morning I had planned to Castle Ward but the wind had swung round and it was blowing a gale so I decide to stay put and have a lazy Sunday in the hammock
I did have to move camp to the other side of the forest and jury rig a poncho for some added wind protection but apart from that it was good to just laze about



cut some firewood



Had a go at carving some spoons






Tried to bake some bread , but for some reason it didn't rise . I suspect the warm water I use d to start the yeast off was too warm and killed it

This photo was from my first attempt a few weeks ago  that  I was rather pleased with



After another great nights sleep I packed up at midday and paddled back to the landrover 

Good to get out again

Andy

[LennyJ1]

Nice write up and pictures. Thanks

[Lynda]

Looks perfect, thanks for sharing!

[RedLeader]

Sounds like a brilliant night. What sort of boat were you using? You must have been able to get plenty of gear in.

[b0ogaloo]

Sounds like a brilliant night. What sort of boat were you using? You must have been able to get plenty of gear in.

Hi

Prowler 15  from ocean kayaks



Andy

[Gerry]

Great, nicely done. 

[whoRya]

Good report, very different to what I usually end up doing.

[RedLeader]

So do you need a wetsuit to use a sit on top canoe? Also, what are they like in the winter when it's cold?

[LandyLiam]

great to hear about the trip, hopefully inspire me to get out on my canoe some day, just have one little criticism, no photo of the landy  something great about seeing a landy with a canoe strapped to the roof 

[b0ogaloo]

So do you need a wetsuit to use a sit on top canoe? Also, what are they like in the winter when it's cold?

When I first started kayaking I used a wet suit ,  but for the past five years I've been using a dry suit

In the winter your legs would be more exposed to the elements than a regular sit in kayak, but as long as your paddling you stay warm  

I've been on Lough Erne in February in extremely windy conditions and was never cold

Andy



 

[b0ogaloo]

great to hear about the trip, hopefully inspire me to get out on my canoe some day, just have one little criticism, no photo of the landy   something great about seeing a landy with a canoe strapped to the roof  

Landrover pron





Andy

[LandyLiam]

mmmmmmm nice, but don't be driving across the foyle bridge on a windy day with that set up 

[Dowser]

Now that's what I call a Mini-Adventure!!!  I'm pretty sure you will have made a few members pretty jealous with that write-up and photos.

Good to hear your feeling better and able to get out-and-about and active again 

I love the stove, and the hammock and tarp set-up too.  Making bread and sodas was the icing on the cake for me dude.  I've tried a bit of fancy cooking in the hills, because I do like a bit of a challenge, but I've never attempted bread.  I can honestly say though, that I definitely don't do the Pot Noodle or Pasta n Sauce thing because I do feel that is a bit of a cop out!!!  I do carry a packet of Super Noodles for emergencies only but it has never seen the light of day.

I'm looking forward to your next mini adventure and write-up.  Top stuff!!!

[b0ogaloo]

Hi

I make up the mixes at home and store them in a ziplok bag , packs up far smaller than a cooked one

Soda's are really easy to make  just add water to the mix in the bag and knead it into a dough , wet your hands and form the dough into an inch thick patty put it in a pot on the ashes of the fire or cook it on a stone beside your fire
Not so easy on a stove like a whisperlite  tho although it can be done

If the weathers anyway decent I'll be out again next week,  I've a new custom hammock on the way from Mat@UKHammocks which I want to test

Andy

[Scribble]

Excellent write up it gets me day dreaming about being outside while stuck in work , really enjoyed that ,

You mentioned Ringhaddy I used to fish for mullet there with my grandad many years ago as they lived in a thatched cottage in one of the bays round the corner . Cheers for refreshing the memories