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Open week-end on the Ile de Patiras. 11/12th October. E-mail for details |
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Trinity Kayaks - Constructed By Hand At Trinity Kayaks we custom build every sea kayak to ensure that your boat is perfect for you. Al Pipe has been an ardent canoeist for thirty years. A former ranked paddler in white-water racing, slalom and marathon, and also a Div 1 Canoe Polo player, Al has paddled events such as the Devizes to Westminster and the Liffey Descent. He now regularly paddles in the tidal reaches of the Gironde River, made famous by the Cockleshell Heroes. Al and his family have lived on a private island in the Gironde for the last six years and have established a holiday business there welcoming families and canoeists to superbly renovated gites. Having trained in Yacht and Boat Design and worked professionally in boat-building, he has recently re-commenced manufacturing sea kayaks to a very high standard in a purpose built workshop on the Ile de Patiras. Al understands how important it is that your kayak meets your exact requirements and therefore each kayak is built to fulfil your needs, from colour and construction to fittings.No production-line, no outsourcing; each kayak is personally specified, built and finished. Maybe you'd like a lighter weight boat, or extra strength in the hull for those rocky landings. Maybe you need large capacity hatches for expeditions, or just a day hatch big enough for a decent picnic and a spare fleece. Maybe you'd prefer your day hatch at the front for easy access to Mars bars whilst on the water? Skeg or rudder? Maybe a pump or compass? Or maybe you're not sure what you'd like. Why not contact us and we can discuss the possibilities. Every Trinity Kayak is hand built to order with a virtually unlimited choice of deck and hull colour. A seat and end toggles are included in the basic boat; the rest of the fittings are up to you. Decks and hulls are Diolen reinforced with internal Kevlar keel strip, and all boats have external seams as standard.
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Come and try one
We think it is essential that you try any sea kayak before you buy, and in the near future we hope to get a couple of demo boats into the UK. Or you may just fancy visiting to explore the largest estuary in Europe. And what better way to end a days paddling than in a stone cottage, in front of an open fire, on a private island?
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The Ile de Patiras is one of the largest in the Gironde estuary, and lies just over a mile from either bank between Pauillac and the Belle Etiole. With its 4 permanent inhabitants, life here can be somewhat peaceful! A kayak provides the opportunity to visit places in the estuary not easily accessible to the general public. |
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The recently renovated wine estate cottages now provide rustic but comfortable accommodation at the heart of the island, and can provide a welcome relief from the stresses of every day life. This, combined with the excellent (cheap) local food and wine, could provide the ideal reason to sample a slice of French life. |
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Prices from £38 per person per night for a weekend (less for group rates, and longer stays; see our main site on www.patiras.com ), which includes boat hire; Airport shuttle (form Bordeaux) can be arranged. Contact us for details.
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