<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Zap Cat Rides in Pembrokeshire - Outdoor Activity Holidays in Wales, UK

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Zapcats off Tiger Bay Wales UK

For more information call 01437 766888 or email fran@activitywales.com

I stood looking over the quay side at what was, to all intense and purposes, two rubber tubes held together by a wide plank with a big outboard motor strapped to the back. The only concession to comfort was a little bit of padding on the floor. Although I had never seen one before I knew it was a Zapcat. I was here to join actor Charles Dale for an afternoon trying out the latest idea in watersports to hit the UK.

Owner of Tiger Bay Training Alan Elsworthy and Paul, one of the instructors, soon had us kitted out in the appropriate gear for getting wet and Charles jumped onto the Zapcat with great enthusiasm. It is only a two man craft, if you really want to play, so I joined Paul in the safety boat and we all set off for the open sea.

One of the great things about Tiger Bay Training being based in Penarth is that the Cardiff Bay barrage allows them to teach people in the calm safe waters inside the barrage before setting off for greater adventures on the open sea. However as it is possible to get through the barrage via the lock gates at any state of tide and the sea was flat calm, we went straight out through the huge lock gates, this in itself is something of an adventure as being in such tiny craft in a huge lock is quite daunting. Depending on the state of the tide you can drop as much as fourteen meters and the lock gates loom over you as do the strange cantilevered bridges that rise to let yachts through. There is a strange feeling of being very small and insignificant by the time the outer lock gate opens and sets you free. However all this takes no time at all and we were out on the Bristol Channel within a few minutes. Alan, driving the Zapcat, set off very slowly at first as we were still in the speed restricted area of the docks.

Zapcats were originally invented as a surf rescue boat in South Africa, people soon started taking them down rivers and along rugged coastlines just for fun. They quickly spread to New Zealand and Australia and now they have come to Wales. The blurb claims that with a 50 horse power outboard engine on the back they have a better power to weight ratio than a Ferrari. This is easy to believe as Ferraris have pointless little luxuries, like seats and brakes, oh yes and as Charles very quickly pointed out to me, steering wheels. No such luxuries on this craft.

Clear of the docks and the Zapcat shot off into the distance, Paul driving the safety boat, took a few moments to realise and we set off in pursuit. This boat, a rigid inflatable, is itself no mean performer, designed for speed and rough seas it too is very fast. We were soon alongside them and as we slowed down and stopped Alan asked Paul to put out some marker buoys to make a triangular course for them to practice racing around. So we set off leaving Alan to instruct Charles on safety procedures and how to drive the strange craft.

I watched as Charles set off around the course at breakneck speed, however the first corner appeared to throw him a little, actually I think he was so enthusiastic about going fast that he forgot to try and turn at all. He went way past the turn marker with only a cursory attempt at changing direction. He slowed the boat, turned around and hurtled off again towards the next buoy. Much better this time, he took the turn in an even shaped left arc. A couple of circuits and he was really getting the hang of it.

Charles slowed the Zapcat and pulled along side us, “great fun”, he said through a beaming face. “It’s much harder than driving a jet ski, but the more practice you have the better it seems to get, the trouble is ”I’m knackered now”.

So I swapped places with Charles and, crouching on the floor of the Zapcat, was given instructions by Alan on how to crew this strange craft, “it’s on the left side looking forward with your left leg tucked under your right”, he said “and hold that rope attached to the bow, as we come into a left hand turn you should lean to your left”. For those who know it’s the same principle as riding passenger in a motorcycle side car.

We set off in what was by now heavy drizzle. It felt really fast and all was fine until we turned around the buoy into the wind and at something like 45 mph I could see absolutely nothing. An orange blur come into view and I leaned to my left as we slid around the corner, the bow of the boat rose into the air and we sped on again across the calm sea. “Okay”, Alan said after a few minutes, “your go”, so we swapped places and I took a turn at the engine.

I’ve driven inflatable dinghies with similar sized engines to this, but the acceleration on a Zapcat is quite amazing. I soon found out why Charles had had a bit of a problem turning around the first buoy, I did much the same as he had done. I’m sure having Alan alongside me helped to keep us upright, he races Zapcats so he knew when to lean forward as I accelerated and shift his weight to the left when we came to the corners.

Charles was keen to take the controls again after his break so we agreed to do some photography of him as we set off back to the Marina. “Don’t forget to smile”, I shouted as we sped across the water at about 40mph. We were back inside the barrage within a few minutes and, as I hadn’t done the tour, we took a trip around the sites of Cardiff Bay before heading back to get changed.

“So what do you think of Zapcats now?” I asked Charles, “Very enjoyable, it’s been a great afternoon, but I still think I prefer something to hold on to, like a steering wheel or handlebars”. This of course can also be provided by Tiger Bay Training as they also run courses in powerboating, dinghy sailing and yachting.

There are two things guaranteed when driving Zapcats Alan had told us before we set off for the day, “You will get wet and you will enjoy yourself”. I can assure you he was right about both.

For our selection of exciting holidays and breaks that include these activities call 01437 766888