17-20 April: Farne Islands

We are proposing to offer a long weekend of paddling to the Farne Islands and surrounding area in mid April 2026. 

The Farne Islands
These are a collection of islands separated into Inner Farne (close to the Northumberland coast) and Outer Farne. The Farne Islands are an important bird sanctuary and landing/access is strictly controlled by the National Trust. That means we will have limited landing places and have to pay an entrance fee once we land. Inner Farne has a large colony of puffins, shags, razorbills and guillemots and a tourist boat brings day trippers to the island.

Who is this trip for?
This trip is for club members who are at or have Paddle UK Sea Kayak Award and are comfortable in ‘Moderate Water’ conditions. That means ability to control your boat in choppy seas – facing the waves, broadside and with a following sea; able to edge and use bracing strokes; ability to paddle 12-18 nm, including open crossings up to 2nm, while dealing with possibly strong winds (upto F4) and tides (upto 2 knots). You should be able to help others in difficulty, perform deep water assisted and self rescues in 0.5m waves; tow and be towed. Swimming the boat away from obstacles, keeping a clear head and directing others from the water. Launch and landing in surf or on wave swept beaches and jetties. Demonstrate good CLAP awareness (Communication, Line of Sight, Avoidance, Positioning); Listen and follow instructions from your leader.

This trip is categorised as grade C, Guidance on Gradings – Trip and Session Guidelines « Chelsea Kayak Club)

The details are as follows:

Dates: Friday 17 April to Monday 20 April 2026  Outward travel would be on the Friday 17 April and it is likely to take the whole day to get there. Return travel on Monday 20 April.   You could of course chose to extend the trip and stay on longer if you wish (and logistics allow).

Kayaking: The trip is graded as a C Grade trip. See here: Trip Guidelines « Chelsea Kayak Club

You need to have the following paddling abilities to join this trip:
Skill Level
All the skills from Grade A and B in the link above.
plus:
– Ability to listen and act on instructions from your leader.
– Ability to control your boat in choppy seas – facing the waves, broadside and with a following sea; able to edge and use bracing strokes.
– Ability to paddle 12-18 nm, including open crossings up to 2nm, while dealing with possibly strong winds and tides.
– You should be able to help others in difficulty, perform deep water assisted and self-rescues in 0.5m waves; tow and be towed. Swimming the boat away from obstacles, keeping a clear head and directing others from the water.
– Ability to roll desirable.
– Launch and landing in surf (up to 0.5m) or on wave swept beaches and jetties.
– Demonstrate good CLAP awareness (Communication, Line of Sight, Avoidance, Positioning).

Expedition skills
– Understanding what to take in your boat and how to pack it most effectively for the conditions and trip.

Theory
– Ability to use maps, charts, tidal and weather data to undertake coastal navigation. You should be aware of buoyage and local regulations and how to interact with other vessels.
– Knowledge of tides, tidal streams, weather forecasts for coastal navigation and tidal planning.
– Knowledge of basic first aid, including CPR ideally.

Conditions
– Exposed water, possibly longer crossings and being more than 800m offshore.
– Wind: F0-F4 (i.e. moderate breeze up to 18 mph).
– Stronger tidal streams (up to 2 knots).
– Landing and launching through surf up to 0.5m.

Weather: The air temperature can vary, depending on wind and cloud cover.  It’s usually around 12 degrees at this time of year.

Travel: We plan to take club and personal kayaks by car along with kayaking kit. We will need sufficient drivers with roof racks to be able to take the kayaks. Drivers will be prioritised for this reason.

Accommodation: We plan to stay at a basic AirBnB accommodation nearby. Although there are individual bedrooms some may need to share.

Costs: We will share transport and accommodation costs. The exact costs will depend on the number of people on the trip, but initial estimates are:

• Transport of kayaks and kit is estimated to be ~£60 per person.
• Accommodation (based on 8 sharing) ~£94 for 3 nights.
• Meals are not included, the accomodation has a kitchen so there is the possibility of a shared meal for one evening (~£15), or a pub meal (~£25). There are no shops on Inner Farne so pack lunches will be required.
• Access to Inner Farne £13 to National Trust.
• Additional costs such as parking, ~£10 per person

A deposit of £94 will be requested for the first week in Feb. All other costs will be due as part of the trip or shortly afterwards.

Cancellation policy: if you pay the deposit this is non-refundable unless someone else is able to take your place.

If you are interested in joining this trip, please register your interest below.  Please note your place is not confirmed until you are advised by the trip organiser. There are a maximum of eight places. and there will be a waitlist if this is over-subscribed.

Please contact David or info@chelseakayakclub.co.uk if you have questions.

Waiting list: If you are interested in being placed on the waiting list for this trip: