The_Sunday_Times_Travel__21_July_2019

10 July 21, 2019The Sunday Times

Travel 40 Best British Beaches

You have to

fold each end

of the boat,

rather like a fan

H

ow many women

does it take to

tow a boat?

Three, according

to Jerome K

Jerome in his novel Three Men

in a Boat: “Two hold the rope,

and the other one runs round

and round, and giggles.”

Well, 130 years on, I’m one

woman towing an origami

boat, or foldable canoe.

I’ve never even been in a

canoe before, let alone built

one, so I might find myself

running round and round

and giggling, too.

The Onak folds up to

become a two-wheeled trolley

with the addition of top and

bottom lids, and can be

pulled around like a wheelie

suitcase, though it weighs

48lb, so towing it more

than a mile or so would

be a struggle. That said,

it will fit into a 4ft-wide

car boot and can be

attached to a bicycle as

a trailer. It can also be

checked in on a flight

along with your luggage.

Have Onak, will travel.

I’m trying it out on my

nearest body of water, the

Regent’s Canal, in east

London, but the Onak,

made from a polypropylene

composite, is sturdy enough

to cope with saltwater and

sharp rocks (and even the

claws of overexcited dogs),

which is handy if you’re

near the seaside. It’s also

designed to withstand

being unfolded and repacked

at least 20,000 times.

The manufacturer says it

should take 15 minutes to

16 BEADNELL BAY, NORTHUMBERLAND

A wintry northeasterly blew me off

Bamburgh beach, but five miles south,

beside Benthall harbour, I found

summer. To the left, by the hive-like

lime kilns, is a concrete-walled

anchorage smaller than some hotel

swimming pools. To the right, and

protected by the harbour wall, is a hook

of sheltered south-facing sand lapped

by toddler-friendly wavelets. A local

surfer told me that Carrs Reef, at the lower

end of the bay, sometimes sees monster

12ft swells, but all was calm when I was

there. The Craster Arms and the Salt

Water Cafe are a good mile from the

beach, so take a picnic or take a hike.

17 SEA PALLING, NORFOLK

The approach to Sea Palling runs past a

chippy, an amusement arcade, a cafe and

a beach bar that manage to be shabby

without being chic, but don’t be put off.

The ramp over the dunes leads to a

spotlessly clean beach of golden sand

protected by nine offshore artificial reefs.

Built in 1996 to safeguard the village

against flooding, they create, in effect,

nine gorgeously sheltered bays. If you’ve

brought the dog, turn right. With kids,

turn left, and if you head past the second

sandspit, you’ll find the Eco Burrito food

truck (burritos £7.50) — a hint, perhaps,

of gentrification to come.

18 CARNE,

CORNWALL

Once found, never

forgotten, Carne and

her little sister, Pendower,

are beaches for life. Together they stretch

for three-quarters of a mile along Gerrans

bay, bookended by Nare Head in the east

and Pibyah Rock in the west, where the

silver thread of the Melinsey stream

emerges from an enchanting valley. The

eccentrically traditional Nare Head Hotel

will put you up just steps from Carne sands

(doubles from £299, B&B; narehotel.co.uk).

Or rent a cottage in Veryan (classic.co.uk).

At the Pendower end, note the pink house.

It’s the former Pendower Beach House

Hotel — now closed, but seeking planning

permission for a boutique restoration.

THE

Our easy

five-step

guide to

building the

origami

Onak

Graphic:

Clare Collins

AKIRA SUEMORI

of the boat, rather like a fan,

and 10 adjustable straps hold

everything in place.

What you should end up

with is a 15ft-long canoe that

can carry nearly 40 stone and

fits two adults, as well as a

child or a pet — should you

have your own Montmorency

in tow.

When I tentatively lift the

Onak onto the glassy water

and step in, it barely rocks.

I manage an hour’s canoeing

without capsizing or colliding

with a wall — not bad for a

first-timer. As it’s nearly dusk,

I lift the boat out of the water

and fold it into a box shape,

slotting the oars and poles

inside with room to spare.

Now that I’m confident on

the canal, I’m keen to try it

out at the beach this summer.

Plastic unicorns, look out.

The Onak 2.0 canoe costs £1,672,

including two adjustable

paddles (onakcanoes.com).

To use a canoe on a canal

or a river, you must obtain

a waterways licence,

which costs £45 a year,

including British Canoeing

membership, and covers

2,800 miles of waterways

(britishcanoeing.org.uk)

→ Continued from page 7

four-mile circular walk along Hooken

Cliffs, the highlight of which is the

Undercliff: the splendidly overgrown

tepui-like remains of an enormous

18th-century landslip. Have fish and

chips for tea at the Smugglers Kitchen

(£13.50; thesmugglerskitchen.co.uk).

CRAFTY

CANOE

unpack, build and launch,

but I work at it for nearly

half an hour using the fiendish

14-page instruction manual.

First, I have to unfold the

plastic main body and attach

a pole to each side of the

canoe. Next comes the origami

bit, which proves to be more

a test of my arm strength

than of my crafting abilities.

You have to fold each end

An origami-style vessel that folds away into a trolley is this

summer’s coolest accessory. Fun or a faff, asks Kate Palmer

Continued on page 12 →

IN THE FOLD

Kate with

the Onak

Free

£

£2.