The GPS Blog| Activity | Activity date | Activity description |
|---|---|---|
| The Helford and Frenchman's Creek | 2014-09-08 | From Helford Passage via Frenchman's Creek up into Mawgan Creek towards the top of the Helford Estuary. A little windy on the way back meant plenty of exercise!
Tags:
Helford Estuary
|
| Helford Creeks | 2019-07-13 | An early summer long weekend paddling on the Fal and the Helford.
With the winds being from the north, we chose the Helford for the Saturday.
Back to Frenchman's Creek but with a rising tide we were able to get right to the end of it.
Lunch and some Scooby ball action at Tremayne Quay (and helping an old wooden sailing boat moor alongside) and then in to the strangely named Vallum Tremayne Creek for the first time.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford Paddling | 2021-07-02 | A change to normal by putting the kayak in the water on the south side of the Helford Estuary (at Helford itself).
Explored Frenchman's Creek and then up[ almost as far at Bishop's Quay (but ran out of water at neaps).
Lunch at Tremayne Quay.
Scooby really not keen on enhancing his swimming skills.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford to Gweek - Falmouth | 2010-09-20 | From Helford Passage all the way up to Gweek and back. Not stopping at Daphers French Mans Creek this time.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford to Gweek paddle | 2024-09-13 | Launched the Sea Eagle inflatable kayak at Helford and paddled up past the Seal Sanctuary to Gweek Boatyard. Which was a surprise as I didn't think, at the start, that either of us fancied paddling that much.
Lunch at Tremayne Quay as usual.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford River | 2018-09-06 | A short walk down to one of our favourite canoeing spots on the Helford - without a canoe this time.
This is where Scooby previously learnt to swim just for the fun of it so Liz was keen to take him back for another paddle.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford Passage to Gweek | 2018-07-08 | On yet another stunning 2018 summer's day, we put the canoe in just past the Helford Passage and paddled up to Geewk at the top of the Helford.
Then a dawdle back stopping at an old lime quay.
Highlight of the day for Liz was teaching Scooby to enjoy swimming! We think that his buoyancy aid may have helped.
At Penwarne Farm Campsite - lovely views in a field overlooking the sea between Falmouth and the Helford.
Tags:
Helford Passge
Helford
|
| Helford and St Anthonys | 2022-09-07 | Mostly a "re-do" of a previous walk with some slight changes after reaching Manaccan.
Heavy rain for about 20 minutes.
Annoyingly, I ripped my bike jacket on some thorns. Bloody annoyed - a very good jacket that I'd had for over 20 years. Now held together with even more gaffa tape.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford Passage to Padagarrack Cove | 2017-07-09 | With Winguru and the Met Office differing in forecast speed by about two and a half times, we wanted to avoid the possibility of too much incoming tide against the westerly wind. So we had a short paddle from Helford passage down to Padagarrack Cove and then up past Port Navas.
Tags:
Helford
Helford Passage
|
| Helford Passage | 2021-07-04 | Checking out the options and costs for launching a kayak or canoe at Helford Passage (we used to launch from Bar Beach when we went to Cornwall with the car),
Launch price reasonable at £2 (that's not taking the piss) but the hill back up from the Helford Passage beach will take some effort wheeling a kayak).
Tags:
Helford Passage
|
| Helford and Frenchmans Creek | 2013-09-18 | A walk along the Helford Estuary, back inland and then along Frenchmans Creek back to the village of Helford
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford Kayaking | 2023-09-10 | A lovely paddle on the Helford. Via FranchMan's Creek then up to Tremayne Quay for lunch (and a VHF message relay for a broken down dory). Then back via Port Navas.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Kayak Puncture! | 2023-09-09 | A second puncture (in a about 4 year's use) in our Sea Eagle 465 inflatable kayak put paid to our kayaking plans for the day.
Instead we spent a bit of time on Bar Beach on the Helford avoiding the day's strongest sun. Scooby still doesn't like swimming.
Tags:
Helford
|
| Rosemullion Head and Mawnan | 2015-09-18 | Round Rosemullion Head and back via Mawnan Smith. Lovely walk but the plan was slightly spoilt as the midges on the Head put paid to the idea of reading there for a couple of hours.
Tags:
Helford
|
| More creeks and kingfishers | 2015-09-20 | A paddle round the creeks of the Helford. More kingfishers today - in Frenchman's Creek. Lunch at Merthen Quay and then back via Polwheveral and Porthnavas creeks
Tags:
Helford
|
| Helford Paddling | 2023-05-18 | A quick dip into Frenchman's Creek and then up to near Tremayne Quay for a coffee stop.
The first bit of the track is on land to measure the distance we dragged the kayak back up from Helford Passage to the campervan. Quite hard work but do-able. The kayak launching fee from Helford Passage was £2 which we thought was fair (and the more expensive ice cream was very nice too).
Tags:
Helford Passage
|
| Exeter and back | 2016-11-28 | A windy ride into Exeter and back. Luckily the wind (F5 to F7 on Met Office forecast) was mostly on the side,
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Monday evening sail | 2012-05-21 | A suprisingly breezy Monday evening sail.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Channel Islands - Exe to Brixham | 2012-06-01 | A sail down from Starcross Yacht Club on the Exe to Brixham ready for an 0200 departure from Brixham to Guernsey. Average speed an estimate as GPS time data lost.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Channel Islands - Alderney to Exe | 2012-06-06 | The return sail from Braye Harbour Alderney to the Exe Estuary.
The second half of the sail was very breezy as we sailed across in a gap between two lows.
Unfortuantely only the 2nd half of the track was saved on the GPS.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-06-23 | In to Exeter and back. Stopped at SYC on the way back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Starcross Steamer 2017 | 2017-02-05 | Down to Starcross Yacht Club for the annual Starcross Steamer dinghy pursuit race. One hundred boats on the water.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lympstone and back | 2017-07-23 | Round to Lympstone and back with Liz. Liz's first time back on a bike for about a month.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Down river dinghy cruise | 2012-08-18 | To the beach cafe and back. Sunny weather and F2 to F3.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Scoobys second canoe trip | 2012-09-08 | Sccobys second canoe trip. To the Bull Sand and then down to the Warren. First trip out of his depth.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Meandering on Exe Estuary | 2012-09-09 | Some gusts but mostly lulls on short Wayfarer sail
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Beach cafe sail | 2024-10-02 | Down to the Beach Cafe in the Wayfarer with Malcolm. Quite big tides and quite variable winds. Good sail overall.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| SYC to Pole Sands | 2018-07-14 | A canoe paddle down from SYC to the Pole Sands in company with Ellie T and Marco F (and the hound).
Strong Spring tides both ways but a sea breeze made the paddle out hard work and super easy on the way back.
Scooby enjoyed having four different people to throw the ball for him on the Pole Sands!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-06-20 | Hot. Very hot.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lympstone and back | 2017-01-28 | Round to Lympstone and back with Liz. Got rained on at Countess Wear.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Scooby's last summer holiday walk | 2019-09-23 | Your activity description here
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Swing bridges and back | 2013-03-03 | Along the estuary and canal to the swing bridges on the newly serviced bikes. Stopped for a cup of coffee at the Turf on the way back
Tags:
estuary
|
| March safety boat | 2013-03-24 | Safety boat at SYC. A cold march day - two degrees centrigrade. The windchill factor made it feel like minus four. GPS data anomalies account for the three or four short peaks in speed.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| First dinghy cruise of 2013 | 2013-04-20 | On safety boat duty for the first SYC dinghy cruise event of 2013. Lovely weather and a good wind but not much water on the neap tide. Upriver to the Goat Walk at Topsham.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Up river safety boat | 2024-05-04 | A lovely sunny May day with a F3 wind and little tide. Up to about the Goat Walk.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| June sea breezes | 2017-06-17 | A splendid sail in the Wayfarer on the Exe Estuary. Drifted about for half an hour waiting for the sea breeze to kick in. When it did it was a splendid steady F4 to F4. Combined with neap tides, it made for a splendid sail. Liz helmed and we went to rescue a pair on a Topper that capsized and seemed to be filling with water. Luckily a passing rib helped as after we had a couple of goes we still hadn't found a spot on the Bull Sands where Liz could stand up in the water!
Then went and had a look at the B14 event and got slightly in the way of one of the crews (oops - apologized later!).
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2017-02-06 | Super fast on the way out. A bit slower on the way back. The last five miles were into a fairly strong headwind right on the nose. That and pouring rain and the cold put a slight damper on the last quarter!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| First beach cafe sail of the year | 2013-05-25 | From SYC down to the beach cafe and back. The forecast said next to no wind but a lovely sea breeze kicked in.
Top sail.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Walking the hound to the Turf | 2013-05-26 | A hound walk to to the Turf Pub with Scooby Lizzie and Julian
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Brixham to Exe | 2013-06-02 | A light wind sail from Brixham to SYC on the Exe Estuary. Light winds but that was better than the forecast of next to no winds.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Wayfarer sailing | 2024-04-27 | A free sailing event at SYC. About F3 to F4 but quite cold and overcast.
Turned the Wayfarer over to check its buoyancy and to have a look at the centreboard (which seems to still be in quite good condition).
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-07-25 | Work and back
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lympstone and back | 2016-11-05 | A windy ride round to Lympstone and back.
Back on the Marin after its trip to the LBS for a new rear wheel.
Not a happy bike - gear change was really sloppy, the chain came off and the rear brake rubbed. No wonder it all felt such hard work.
Stopped at the Swing Bridges to watch them open to let yachts up to the canal basin.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Sunny summers evening sail | 2013-07-10 | A lovely summer evenings sail. Just enough wind to go down estuary against the incoming tide.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| A sail, paddle and drift to the safe water mark | 2013-07-13 | More wind in the Estuary than out of it on this sail to the safe water mark at the mouth of the Exe
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Monday afternoon on the Pole Sands | 2013-07-15 | A canoe trip from Cockwood Harbour to the Pole Sands off Exmouth. Scooby loved it.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Beach cafe paddle | 2024-11-01 | Too little wind to go sailing so Malcolm B and I headed down river in the Sea Eagle kayak
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| SYC Dinghy Cruise | 2019-08-03 | SYC dinghy cruise down to the beach cafe.
Slightly stronger winds than forecast - about F4 much of the time - and a big 4.4 metre tide resulted in a top speed of 9.4 knots. Not bad for a 40 year old Wayfarer but we still haven't broken the 10 knots barrier yet!
Unfortunately the battery in the GPS ran out half way back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exe paddling | 2022-08-06 | Ended up being a tour (past) most of the Exe estuary sailing clubs. So past Exe Sailing Club and Lympstone Sailing Club. Stopped at Starcross Yacht Club for lunch and then back past Starcross Fishing and Cruising Club. Would only have had to go past Topsham Sailing Club to get the "full set".
Watched a little of the Solo and Laser Opens at SYC.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Another 100 mile week | 2016-10-28 | Exeter and back - bringing up the 100 miles for the week.
For much of the ride, the smoke from the large fire from the buildings surrounding Cathedral Green was visible. Very sad.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Trelissick on the Fal estuary | 2013-09-16 | A woodland walk round the Trelissick estate on the Fal estuary. The last part of the walk was to the Iron Age fort and Roundwood Quay
Tags:
Fal Estuary
|
| Autumn beach cafe sail | 2013-10-05 | An autumn sail down to the beach cafe. The sun put in an appearance and there was occasionally a bit of wind to use in the big springs tide
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-09-26 | First time back on the bike after two week summer hols - hard work.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2017-05-08 | Cycle ride into Exeter and back with a stop at SYC on the way back.
Not a bad average for me as I was on the Marin hybrid loaded up with a pannier, locks and a book.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2016-12-29 | Into Exeter and back. Moving average a little disappointing given how hard I pedaled!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| To St Davids and back | 2016-10-27 | Slightly longer cycle ride today to make up for doing the last 2.5 miles yesterday by car (due to having broken three spokes on the rear wheel).
So it was on the "spare bike" today which I hadn't ridden in about a decade. That's a Ridgeback Genesis Day 2. I stopped riding it as the estuary path used to be too rough for it. With the new cycle way its an ideal bike.
At maybe a couple of stone lighter than the normal bike (with its panniers etc) and with no breeze at all, it felt like cheating.
Keeping up with Liz was much easier than the last couple of time!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Swing bridge and back again | 2014-03-08 | A lovely cycle ride to the Swing Bridges. Bit of a sod on the way back straight into the southerly force 5 all the way. Aidans first time back on the bike for a couple of months.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| First sail of the year | 2014-03-09 | A lovely breeze and some sun for the first dinghy sail of the year in the Wayfarer. Pottered round the club for a while to see if anything would break after the winter period without any sails. All fine - so headed up river. Bang! The port hand shroud parted company with the boat! A quick tack and then Liz repaired the problem (the circlip had come away from the pin holding the stay to the boat - luckily the pin was still hanging there). Lovely sail then back to the club.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Up river to Topsham Quay and back | 2014-04-19 | Second sail of the season up the Exe as far as Topsham Quay (where the winds got a little too light and fickle to go much further). A high tide sail so straight over "Greenland" on the way up.
Tags:
Exe estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-09-06 | Work cycle ride
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-05-02 | Cycle ride to work and back. Not that windy but the wind was against on the way to work and against on the way home!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exmouth and back | 2016-12-28 | A slightly longer cycle ride than usual. Average speed would probably have been a fair bit better if it wasn't for a strong wind right on the nose for the last 6 miles.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2016-12-03 | A windy ride into Exeter and back, Liz still in post lurgie mode.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Beach cafe sail | 2014-06-16 | A sail down to the beach cafe in our Wayfarer with Bob and Andy in the Wanderer. Big tides and some lovely winds. Top sailing.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Sail on Nigel's Dart | 2014-07-14 | Beach cafe and just a bit beyond on Nigel's Dart 18. A day of lulls and gusts. A max speed of 14.6 knots is just a bit faster than I'm used to with my Wayfarer
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Sail on Nigel's Dart | 2014-08-18 | A decent wind (gusting maybe F5) for a storming sail on Nigel's Dart. Some excellent speeds with a top speed of over 17 knots - probably the fastest I've been under sail. Top stuff
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Down river paddle | 2023-08-09 | Next to no wind and very little tide, so a quick down river paddle against the little incoming tide.
A few photos of the boat that sank at the weekend and was raised yesterday - as well as a few of the posher yachts on the estuary.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lympstone and back | 2017-04-29 | Dinghy cruise was cancelled because the winds were too strong so Liz and I went cycling. Doh! Hard work on the way back from the Swing Bridges as it was straight into the F5 winds.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Xmas day bike ride | 2016-12-25 | A ride with Liz into Exeter and back. Lots of kids on the cycle path with shiny new Xmas present bikes.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| First Wayfarer sail of 2017 | 2017-04-02 | First time out in the Wayfarer this year. A very gentle sail and then a drift back down with the tide as the wind died away as forecast.
Some noisy scroat was scaring up the birds in a hovercraft between the Clyst and the Goat Walk.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Estuary sailing in the Wayfarer | 2015-04-10 | A near enough perfect spring breeze made for an ideal morning's sailing on the Exe Estuary. Maybe 12 to 14 knots of steady south to south easterly wind made for a great morning's sailing in the Wayfarer with Liz's brother Julian. Chose the right day to take off work for once!
The average speed isn't too bad but reduced a little by having to sail back up the estuary against the tides.
Tags:
Exe estuary
|
| Breezy day's sail | 2015-04-13 | A decent wind. Started mostly about F5 ending up more like a F4. One reef in and a great sail. Anne Knight joined us for the second half of the sail. With 3 on board, we took out the reef in the genoa. Quite a good average speed for an old Wayfarer and no tidal assistance.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lizzie bike ride | 2015-04-17 | Liz's first bike ride in ages
Tags:
Estuary
|
| Exe paddling | 2023-07-25 | Up to Topsham Sailing Club and back via Hannaford's Quay.
Out into a weak breeze and then back into a strong breeze!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-09-01 | Into work and back
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Dart to Dawlish Warren | 2022-07-29 | Down to Dawlish Warren with Nigel H on his Dart 18.
Lovely gentle wind.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-08-07 | Got rained on
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Wednesday evening safety boat duty | 2015-09-09 | A Wednesday evening on the Exe Estuary crewing for Bob J on safety boat
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Straight Point Paddling | 2023-06-15 | A near enough perfect day's paddling. Out with the tide against just the start of a sea breeze. Then along the coast to Straight Point. Flat calm and pretty much no wind.
The Marines were firing otherwise I'd have gone on further.
Then back via the beach cafe (the choccie ice cream not as nice as Route 2's) and then pushed back up the estuary by the tide and building sea breeze. Hardly a cloud in the sky. Just about perfect.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Down river safety boat | 2019-08-17 | Safety boat for the Jim Vallis Memorial dinghy cruise.
Down to beach cafe.
Wind between about F1 and F4.
Tags:
Exe estuary
|
| Exe Estuary Meandering | 2021-07-21 | With Nigel H on his Dart 18 avoiding the heatwave. Just enough wind for a cooling breeze.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-07-28 | Very windy (WindGuru said 25mph gusting 40) on the way back and wet. Wind was maybe 30 to 45 degrees off being dead on the nose so slightly easier than it might have been.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Short Wayfarer sail | 2023-05-07 | Not much wind so just a short Wayfarer sail up the estuary a little way.
Docking arms now fitted to new launching trolley.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| First beach cafe sail of 2016 | 2016-04-23 | First SYC sail to the Exmouth beach cafe in 2016.
The forecast was north easterly F4 to F5. However, on the way back from the beach cafe it was really quite gusty and I'd guess that the gusts might just have been F6. Combined with a fairly large tide and the NE wind being against the tide, it made for an interesting sail back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Beach cafe sail | 2016-05-07 | Wind forecast was for a F4 gusting F5 and, after a slow start, that's what we got. Stopped half way down to put in one reef. Top choccie ice cream at the Beach Cafe. With the wind well behind us on the way back, put two reefs in the main and had full headsail on the way back. Still went quite fast on the way back.
The top speed of 9.8 knots - in a Wayfarer - is a clue to the size of the tides.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| St Peter Port to SYC | 2016-06-04 | Up at the hideously early hour of 03:00 to catch the first of the tidal flow up the Little Russel at 04:00. A lovely clear night at 4am with all the navigation lights clearly visible. After Platte Fougere we "turned left a bit" to allow for the strong Spring tides. For much of the time the weather forecast was correct and what little wind there was was on the nose. However, the visibility was good making crossing the shipping lanes a lot easier than on the way out.
The photos of the Channel Light Vessel show an absolutely flat sea. The wind did pick up for a bit after this which made for a lovely sail with flat seas. A while north of the shipping lanes we were joined by about 6 to 8 dolphins for about 20 minutes. An hour or so later a much smaller porpoise made an appearance.
Amelie's engine held up well and we were back on the mooring at SYC by about 19:30.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-08-15 | Work and back
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2017-04-14 | Wanted a nice gentle ride as it was the first time back on the bike in three weeks - a camper van trip and a slow to end lurgie having got in the way.
And a nice gentle ride with Liz it was.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Down river paddling | 2022-08-09 | With Nigel H in the inflatable Sea Eagle. Down against some tide and sea breeze to Bull Hill Bank. Then a lovely drift back with the tide and wind.
Thanks to Derek H for the drone pics!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Another twenty miles | 2016-10-20 | Third day in a row of cycling into Exeter and back.
Every day is getting harder - surely that's not right!
A couple of "reading breaks" on the way back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Bike ride to the Double Locks | 2016-07-17 | A bike ride along the Exe Estuary and canal to meet up with Rose and Midge for the first time in ages.
Wobbled back along the cycle path and stopped at SYC for a quick view of the 2nd day of the Exe Regatta.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Mackerel for tea | 2016-07-18 | A glorious summer sail on a Dart 18 with Nigel H. Caught some mackerel for the first time ever - a few hundred yards off the safe water mark. Blisteringly hot and light winds - ideal for a summer sail / drift
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Summer Sail | 2016-07-30 | Went up river to about the Goat Walk and then back again. Liz did some helming for about the 3rd time in the 10 years we've been sailing on the Exe. Then some on water reefing practice and then back to SYC for the "Commodore's BBQ".
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Up river paddle | 2023-05-11 | Lunch on the beach at Hannaford's Quay
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Round to Exmouth | 2017-08-14 | Round to Maer Rocks at Exmouth. Started raining just as I got to Exmouth. The last seven miles straight into the wind and the rain were hard work.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Second Wayfarer sail of the year | 2017-04-14 | A short sail in the Wayfarer. Sail somewhat shortened as replacing the forestay with a new one took longer than expected - the mousing line was shorter than the mast so we ended up with no stay or mousing line in the mast!
Light winds so we practiced some on water reefing.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lympstone and back | 2016-12-04 | Round the Exe Estuary trail to Lympstone and back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Another twenty miles | 2016-10-19 | Another ride into Exeter and back.
Hard work!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
