tiny paddles

Tried paddling with two of the wains a couple of weeks ago, them using a split kayak paddle so they could pretend to be doing something useful. 

The seven year old was actually able to paddle the 16' canoe with the four of us in it - all I had to do was sit in the back and steer.   I thought "I'm onto something here" - it's time to get proper kids paddles.

Have you ever tried to buy a kids canoe paddle?  they're about £30!  nearly as much as  proper full size ones!

I found a couple on ebay.  They were Collect in Person from England, but I stuck in a fiver anyway to see what they went for. 

I won. 

Oops, Now I had to find a way of getting them picked up.

Eventually DHL agreed to do it for £13, and they arrived a few days later. 

total cost - £18 for two hand made paddles.  They weren't exactly Grey Owl, but they look great and the kids love them. 

There's obviously demand - everybody we met was asking where they came from.

Saturday morning we portaged down to the lower side of the lock, and set off.  Evan and I got in early and played briefly in the moving water below the traps before heading off down river.  We rested in the boats going through the lock at movanagher, and stopped a few times at some of the many canoe steps along the river.  Coming up to Agivey Bridge, the weather was miserable, and it's a dreary paddle at that stage anyway, so we stopped for 20 minutes for a break.  that was miserable too.  I tried boiling the Kelly Kettle and making couscous curry, but didn't cook it for long enough.  ugh.  Chocolate saved the day though.
back in the boats we paddled to Drumaheglis.  At £16.50 per tent, per night, (and remember most of our lads were in 1 or 2-man tents), it was a huge expense, but the hot showers and other facilities were most welcome. 

I left the group after they had set up camp for the night.  Next day they paddled to Coleraine Marina for the get-out, including rafting up and running the rapids into Coleraine.

The BB trip down the Bann was a great success. 
It was windy, so instead of starting in Antrim and paddling across the North Shore of Lough Neagh the decision was made to start in Toome.  In one way I was disappointed because I've never paddled the whole way before, but it would have been a bit of a hairy ride.  There's places along that north shore where even in a canoe it's too shallow to paddle less than a mile out.  That means you're exposed, and it means the waves are big and close together.  Fun, but not with 20 inexperienced paddlers in tow.

So, with two paddlers much less experienced than the others, Evan and I split up and took one each just before we entered Lough Beg.  I had Ian, who is a rugby player.  That means he's ... larger than me.  and with the wind coming from the west across the lough, we were weathervaning the whole way. 

As Ian gained confidence and his technique improved, we were able to keep up with the rest of the group, and with both of us paddling on the windward side of the boat to counter the wind, we were able to work our way to the front.  As we paddled through the group I was pointing out the techniques of the other paddlers to Ian, so when we got to Newferry he was ready to try steering.

I didn't say too much, just kept a steady pace and encouraged him to feel what body, boat and paddle were doing.  He'd absorbed the earlier instruction, and before long was steering the boat with confidence.

first night we camped at Portna lock where there is a sheltered grassy area, toilets and a tap.