On Sun the 15th of April, Ralph & I set forth to Rudyard Lake to attempt to paddle a racing K2 kayak ... we succeeded and our exploits can be seen on You-tube ... click on the pic for our video

However everything didn’t go quite that smoothly and we had quite a bit of swimming practice and caused much amusement to the spectators ...

Whilst there we met 3 folks from Peak Paddlers out for a paddle at Rudyard, the gents, Mark in a lightweight solo canoe and Alan in his sea kayak whilst Debbie (Chair of their club) was keeping up with them in a small play kayak ... wow ... she’s as nuts as we are!

We were kindly invited to the Peak Paddlers Open Day at Errwood Reservoir ... and so, subsequently Fiona, Flossie, John, Martin, Derren, Ryan and Mike set off to the far North (about 20 miles away) to participate.

Needless to say ... Mike got lost and arrived an hour late ... late ... but not last, John takes that honour, but only by a whisker. Rain & hail en-route but the day improved and was really good ... as were the BBQ’d burgers

We’d arrived with 2 canoes (Mike & Nettie’s), one kayak (John’s) and one inflatable kayak (Flossie’s) ... we were going to have to share but who’ll end up in which boat?

Here are the pics from the day ... if you click on a picture it should, hopefully, “Go Large”.

Derren, praying that she’s not going to be in Mike’s boat .... knowing what happened to Colin in Yorkshire...

 Ryan ... “Hmm, can I sink anyone today?

Ryan & Martin in fine style ...

Derren ... “Oh no! ... how did I end up in Mike’s canoe?”

View back to the Sailing Clubhouse

Good Grief, have we gone that far ... but where are Flossie (& Fiona) ... somewhere in front ... and John ... still back at the landing eating a burger.

We meet up with Flossie, Fiona & Alan and we all dig out our cameras

John drifts in, is his kayak low in the water? .... how many burgers?

Hands up .... who hasn’t go a camera in their boat??

Derren ... “I’m still in Mike’s canoe and I’m still not wet ... I might survive this trip after all :-)”

Ryan tries out a canoe pole ...

Here we are missing photos of the Great Down Wind Sailing Competition ... Flossie & Fiona on the inflatable with their pop-up kayak sail vs Derren & Mike with a massive fishing brolly in the canoe. Both worked but the decision went to Flossie’s team in the end ... as the kayak sail survived to work another day ... the brolly didn’t ... at least not without major repairs :-(  Sailing Photos etc. now added to the end of this write up, thanks to Alan Pedlar :-)

John goes solo in Mike’s canoe and tries to work out what to do with half a paddle.

Debbie comes in camera range and is that another dinghy over on it’s side?

Ryan cheerful, as always.

Derren giving thanks that she stayed dry, despite being in Mike’s canoe.

Peak Paddlers have some sleek, slim, fast, tippy experimental training boats on loan from the BCU.

Now who’ve we got with us who’s daft enough to have a go at paddling one?

Yep ... it’s Ryan :-)

... and what’s John doing, still out on the water in Mike’s canoe ... doesn’t he know we’ve got to race off to a pool session?

What is he doing??

So how come he didn’t get wet? .... that’s just not fair.

Many thanks to Debbie, Alan, Mark and all at Peak Paddlers for the invitation, the very warm welcome and all the fun.

May the weather be just as kind to you on all your future paddles ...whatever the forecast says :-)

Note: No cute collie pup was traumatized by John’s antics in Mike’s canoe ... she wasn’t really a witness to the headstand, as she’d been at Rudyard, the previous week for the K2 incidents and that’s put her off ... at least until she’s older :-).

Additional photographs thanks to Alan Pedlar of Peak Paddlers ...

Derren & Mike ... brolly powered

Flossie & Fiona hoisting sail ...

And they’re off ....

Mark, sailing in style, love that paddle :-)

Gatherings on the water ... no really ... no collisions al all.

Doggy Paddling ...