Inspiration
This year I have been working for a client with an office at Speirs Wharf in Glasgow and have thought about going for a paddle from the office. After hearing about the https://www.canoescotland.org/glasgow-to-edinburgh-challenge-2023 I saw a video of a sea kayak taking part in a previous year.
The advertised 40km for the first day and 50km for the second seemed daunting.
Preparation
Late summer paddling at Lochore became a focus of how far and how fast could I go before dark. I switched to paddling my river boat to give more of a workout and be more sociable with more sedate sea paddlers. After a few longer trips on the Union canal I realised that I could probably manage the first day and taking part on the second day would be a big bonus. 6km/h was easy. 7km/h plus was manageable.
I calculated the first day as being around 6 hours at 7km/h plus 3 * 20 minute breaks, total 7 hours and worse case 8 hours
Craft taking part
Entries were low this year compared with previous years with a mix of canoes, kayaks and SUPs, with 1 or 2 people. Looking at club participation it looked like I had the only sea boat vs the fast racing kayaks.
Some were taking part as relay teams.
Start times were chosen to fit in with a finishing window.
On the day
Part 1 – keeping in front
I was first to set off, with a SUP and some slower racers setting off not long after me. I was pleasantly surprised to still be in front when I took my first break at 13km. I had decided that if I was stopping to eat, I would use that time to get out of the boat and stretch a little. The first SUP and the pair of racing kayaks went passed when I was stopped.
Part 2 – getting back in front
Setting off again I was more relaxed, and I could see from my watch I was going faster with less effort than before. Eventually I overtook the 3 craft in front of me – they had also taken short breaks. The time passed really quickly and seeing other boats on the water made it an event. They passed me again after my second break at 25km. I needed shorter breaks than I planned for, and felt quite comfortable, even though I was beginning to tire.
Part 3 – getting tougher with portages
On the third phase I began to close in on the other 3, but other faster boats were now passing too. I did not manage to catch them up before I reached the first of 4 locks that had to be portaged. I was at a distinct disadvantage at these. No assistance is allowed at portages. Everybody else could easily carry their craft. I had to drag my heavy boat out the water, unpack my trolley and then wheel it along until re-entry. Each entry/exit took 4-5 minutes. The middle locks were close together and could be done as a single long portage
I was getting tired and the aches were building up
Part 4 – push to the finish
Despite feeling tired, I continued to make good progress without much loss in speed. Starting the next day on the Union canal from Falkirk was looking like a possibility. With a few miles to go that idea changed when wrist tendonitis became a problem. Could I hang on to the end? Yes – the finish flag was at 37.5km next to the Falkirk Wheel – 2.5km earlier than I was anticipating.
Result
I crossed the line in just under 6 hours – much quicker than expected, largely due to tail wind. 23 minutes for breaks and around 30 minutes for getting boat on and off trolley at portages. The two slower racing kayaks finished around 5:30 – happy with that. Lots of craft finished very close together and the organisers could pack away 15 minutes later. There was a great atmosphere with all the competitors and their support being together for the first time.
https://www.canoescotland.org/results-glasgow-to-edinburgh-2023
The end of the first day was the end of the event for me. The second day was always going to be a bonus, and if it wasn’t for my wrist I would have had a go at reaching Winchburgh, the nearest point to my house, even if Edinburgh was beyond my dreams.
The second sea kayak
A second sea kayak finished, paddled by a relay team from Forth CC. And looking at the results, I had been a few minutes quicker on the first day. I wonder if LSKC could put together a relay team next year to give them proper competition for the full event.
Next time
I would love to take part again. Perhaps I could train more and improve my technique to be able to take part on the second day. Or part of a relay time that could rival Forth CC
Support
The event organisers and other participants were very pleasant and supportive. Unfortunately the rules of the event mean that no assistance can be provided getting in/out at the portages. The lighter boats and relay teams have an advantage here.
Participants are required to have a support crew. For those in lighter craft, that meant supplies of food along the way etc. With a sea kayak, I was more prepared for an expedition, carrying my own supplies and a change of clothes for the finish. I had left my car near the start, and my support crew was taking part in a hill race near Peebles.