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 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 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 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 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
|
| 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 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
|
| 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
|
| 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 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
|
| 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
|
| Paddle down to Starcross | 2024-06-17 | First time out this year in the Sea Eagle 486 inflatable kayak.
Wind was a bit stronger than we'd hoped (low end of a F4) so we changed out plans and paddled out against the wind and tide. Which meant an easy trip back when we ran out of puff.
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
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-07-25 | Work and back
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
|
| Exe estuary drift | 2012-06-17 | Downstream against the incoming tide. Over on the Lympstone side for a change as there was some water. Got about as far as the Duck Pond before the tide started to change.
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
|
| 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
|
| Safety boat at SYC | 2017-06-24 | Safety boat for SYC dinghy cruise. Nearly an out to sea cruise but it was a little lumpy just out towards the fairway buoy.
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
|
| 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
|
| Down river dinghy cruise | 2012-09-15 | Down to the beach cafe and back. Very light winds most of the time but the sun was shining.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-06-23 | In to Exeter and back. Stopped at SYC on the way back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Lympstone and back | 2017-02-19 | Round to Lympstone and back with Liz
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Down river dinghy cruise | 2022-08-13 | Safety boat duty on a down river dinghy cruise. Twenty one boats, a big spring tide and a few minor dramas.
And my first double scoop of ice cream in about 3 months. Lush.
Tags:
Exe 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
|
| Car buying bike ride - part 1 | 2013-04-21 | Bike ride into town to look for a new old car given that our Citroen has just dies with only 77k on the clock.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Beach cafe sail | 2023-09-29 | Down to the Exmouth Beach Cafe with Malcolm B in his RS Vision. Gusts not as strong as forecasted but the wind was very shifty.
Gorgeous chocolate ice cream at the Beach Cafe (sorry Scooby).
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
|
| 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
|
| Another 26 miles | 2016-11-06 | Round to Lympstone and back again. Another windy ride.
Stopped at SYC for the AGM.
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
|
| Liz and Jill go large | 2013-06-14 | Too much talking too much wind and too much carrot cake to make for a respectable average speed but not bad on the distance front. Next week the girls will be cycling to Exmouth and back apparently.
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
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| Post work paddle | 2013-07-17 | A paddle down the Exe Estuary and along the Pole Sands with Nigel after work. A lovely sunny evening in the middle of the heat wave. Photos by Liz from a distance!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| New Years Eve bike ride | 2016-12-31 | Exeter and back
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
|
| 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
|
| Paddle round Pole Sands | 2013-10-06 | A paddle from Cockwood, out of the estuary and round the Pole Sands. There were even some little waves at times.
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
|
| Scooby's last summer holiday walk | 2019-09-23 | Your activity description here
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-05-12 | Into and Exeter and back to work.
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
|
| Exeter and back | 2016-12-03 | A windy ride into Exeter and back, Liz still in post lurgie mode.
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
|
| First beach cafe sail of the year. | 2014-05-03 | A lovely F3 south easterly for a sail down to the Exmouth Beach Cafe and back again
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
|
| Work cycle ride | 2017-09-28 | Windy and slow on the way back
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
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| Up river - twice | 2014-08-31 | A lovely sunny day. Wayfarer sail up river and then up river again. Winds got a bit light going up the Exe towards Topsham and the Clyst so just sailed round and round.
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
|
| 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
|
| Morning dog walk | 2021-08-10 | Checking out new battery in Montana 600 GPS. Old one was about 7-8 years old and had probably done 500-600 recharges so can't complain too much.
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
|
| 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
|
| First beach cafe sail of 2015 | 2015-04-19 | A down river sail from SYC to the Exmouth beach cafe.
Strange winds - a bit of everything. Off Cockwood the NE wind met a sea breeze and shifted 180 degrees! It did this on both the way down and the way back. Coming back to the Club the wind got a bit lively for the last 5 minutes of the sail.
Tags:
Exe 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 | 2017-09-06 | Work cycle ride
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Commodore's Cruise | 2017-07-29 | The weather forecast was rubbish - no winds and heavy rain. Turned out to be a nice wind and only occasional rain.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Sunny Corner Quay and the Tresillian River | 2015-09-23 | From the small Sunny Corner Quay on the edge of Truro round to the Tresillian River on the Fal Estuary.
Not too far today as there was a keen wind to be paddled against on the way back down the Tresillian.
Tags:
Fal 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
|
| Return to the Exe | 2020-05-15 | First time back on the Exe Estuary after many, many months.
First trip out on our new inflatable kayak - a Sea Eagle 465 FastTrack.
Overall - very pleased with it.
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
|
| 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
|
| And another twenty miles | 2016-10-21 | To the Mill On The Exe and back again.
This one was very slightly easier than yesterday but that's probably because it was such a still day.
Average of 12mph!!! I don't think I've ever averaged that before.
Cheating slightly by stopping to read a chapter of a book at the Exe Quay (safe water mark) and at the Turf Locks - as it was such a nice day.
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
|
| SYC to Topsham SC | 2016-06-11 | A paddle up the Exe from SYC to Topsham Sailing Club and back. First paddle of the year - a poor do indeed!
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Up to buoy 45 | 2017-08-19 | Quite a "feisty" sail as the weather did pretty much what was forecast - which was F4 gusting F5. They were fairly big gusts on the way out. Ran aground near the Turf Locks - whoops - and mutinous crew made the captain get out and push us off.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2017-04-16 | Into Exeter and back. A fair old head wind on the way out but speedy on the way back. Not a bad average for me given that I'm still not fully over the lurgie I've had for the last couple of weeks.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Exeter and back | 2016-12-05 | To the Mill On The Exe and back
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
|
| 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
|
| Jim Vallis Cruise | 2016-08-06 | The first Jim Vallis Memorial Cruise. A dinghy cruise in memory of our friend Jim Vallis who started up the organised dinghy cruises at SYC. A lovely sunny day with the wind varying between nothing and about force 5 - but with no big gusts so very sailable. Joined at SYC by many from Jim's family and Sandra joined us on our Wayfarer for a sail.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
| Up river paddle | 2023-05-11 | Lunch on the beach at Hannaford's Quay
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
|
| Lympstone and back | 2016-12-04 | Round the Exe Estuary trail to Lympstone and back.
Tags:
Exe Estuary
|
