Canoe Sailing

Key Facts
Availability
Details
Typical Session
Activity Days
Why do it?
Watch Canoe Sailing

Key Facts

Locations: Coniston, Windermere
Progress to: Length of Coniston and Length of Windermere
Duration: ½ or full day activity
Minimum Age: 12
Per person prices: prices

Canoe Sailing involves rafting the Canoes together and hoisting a sail. Allowing a relaxing way to travel, everyone can get involved and learn basic sailing-type skills, such as taking into account wind direction to steer the boat in the right direction, are learnt, creating an exciting new way of understanding the sport of Canoeing.

Canoe Sailing Availability

For dates showing where sessions are already running and have spaces available to join others please see the canoeing page. We will also run any session on a date to suit you - please send us an enquiry or call us to check availability of your preferred date(s).

Canoe Sailing Details

Canoe Sailing involves rafting the Canoes together and hoisting a sail. We do rely on favourable weather to ensure the wind is high enough to make it a relaxing way to travel. Everyone can get involved with this session where basic sailing-type skills, such as taking into account wind direction to steer the boat in the right direction, are learnt, creating an exciting new way of understanding the sport of Canoeing.

What do we do in a typical Canoe Sailing session

In general, all our outdoor activity sessions aim to include elements of fun, learning new skills and going on a journey. However, each session will generally have one of these elements as its main focus either because the activity naturally suggests it, (eg. Walking a journey), or to tailor the session to the groups aims. Be sure to let our office/your instructor know if there is something you would like to do or learn (or not learn as the case may be!). We will always remember that you are doing the activity as part of your time off and so your enjoyment will always be our priority.

Canoe Sailing is great to introduce on journeys, such as Canoeing the length of Coniston Water, or even more challenging, the length of Windermere within the day. However, Canoe Sailing can also be enjoyed within a half day session. We generally go out on Coniston Water in our extra wide and very stable boats. We explore the lake taking a journey, visiting a beach/island on the way for a break and a hot drink and sometimes play a game or two, when appropriate for the group. From the island, you can raft the boats together and use the sail to travel back to the starting point.

Premium Days

Canoe River Trips

Canoe River Trips are fast moving, exciting and great for learning and testing new skills. The rivers in the lakes require a certain level of skill and so we rarely do these as the first session with people. There are some beautiful Lake District journeys that we run that finish in one of the lakes!

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Canoe Skills Preimum Day

Our Canoeing Skills Days give you the opportunity to complete your BCU Canoe 1 Star Test, or BCU Kayak and Canoe 2 Star Test. The Syllabus to complete this can be found by following this link to the BCU website www.bcu.org.uk. You can check the availability for Canoeing Skills Day on the Canoeing availability pages.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Paddling the Length of Coniston

Paddling the length of Coniston is a great adventure that allows you to discover parts of the lake that can only be appreciated fully from a boat. This journey includes opportunities to locate and admire the beautiful Allan tarn at the south end of the lake and have a roam around Peel Island (Wildcat Island from Swallows and Amazons). Coniston is the third largest lake in the Lake District and measures five miles (8 km) long, half a mile (800 m) wide and has a maximum depth of 184 feet (56 m). It drains to the sea via the River Crake which can provide a great River Trip to the sea for experienced paddlers. The beauty of Canoe Sailing is that it allows more distance to be covered generally requiring less effort (depending on the wind!) as well as giving you the opportunity to admire the views of and from the Lake.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Paddling the Length of Windermere

Paddling the length of Windermere is an exciting and challenging day that requires motivation, but provides a great journey and huge sense of achievement. Lake Windermere is the largest natural lake in England and measures 10.5 miles (16.9 km) long and width-wise varies from a quarter of a mile (400m) to one mile (1.6 km). It reaches a depth of about 220 feet (67 m) and is drained from its southernmost point by the River Leven. The rivers Brathay, Rothay, Trout Beck and Cunsey Beck run from Lake Windermere and provide great venues for our River Trips for experienced paddlers. The beauty of Canoe Sailing is that it allows more distance to be covered, generally requiring less effort (depending on the wind!) as well as giving you the opportunity to admire the views of and from the Lake.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Adventure Days

Swallows and Amazons Canoeing

Canoeing is a dry option (unless it rains!). On Coniston Water, we can run our Swallows and Amazons adventure day in our extra wide and very stable boats. We explore the lake taking a journey from the beach which is situated next to a beautiful field that is featured in the Swallows and Amazons film. We also visit Peel Island, which is Wildcat Island in the books, on the way for a break and a hot drink and sometimes play a game or two. From Peel Island, we can raft the boats together and, if the weather is favourable, hoist a sail – a very relaxing way to travel, but still one that everyone can be involved in. Come along and discover some of the views and excitement of Swallows and Amazons on our fun trip on Coniston Water.

This activity day involves some or all of the following activities:

Why go Canoe Sailing in the Lake District?

Canoe Sailing is a relaxing way to enjoy journeying the lake whilst learning lots at the same time. And ultimately gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views that the Lake District is famously known for.