Newsletter 129 Autumn 2010 03

8/9/2019 Newsletter 129 Autumn 2010 03

1/20

Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter COVER Autumn 2010/03

The SEA KAYAKING INTRO weekend went down well. Following a touraround Poole Harbour on the Saturday, Mel surveys a very sunny LulworthCove in preparation for a sea trip proper. Unfortunately, the idyllic sceneseen here deteriorated into conditions less balmy forcing a change of plan.How did our paddlers fare? All is told inside, but I can reveal that all wenthome happy.


2/20

Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter - 2 - Autumn 2010/03

EDITORS PIECE

Its early evening and I need to switch on thelight to finish this. A sure sign that summer is

drawing to a close. Up here on theStokenchurch Plateau its been mainly dry,the Chiltern escarpment and Oxford Plaintaking the brunt of the weather and the rainthat went with it. Ive noticed in recent weekshow clear the river is. I can see the river bed3m down, and for this to happen the flowmust be very low so as not to support anysediment. No doubt things will change soonand that will cheer up the WhiteWater crewand those with ambitions to join them who

have been learning the skills with DGs WWconfidence builder sessions. But for now itsall about the sea and a bit of social news.After quite a few years trying I think I cansafely say that sea kayaking is a popularaddition to the MCC calendar. Earlier thissummer we ran a very well attended

Introduction to sea kayaking weekend based on two sites and that kicks this issue off.Just time to recover from this before the Elements crew bought down a trailer full of opensand provided us with a very entertaining and educational evenings fun on the water.Read all about and click on the link for more about Elements.

Melinda finally got her breakfast paddle together and promptly followed it with a Barbie,both on Hurley Island. Find about Chris Ps boat calendar in the next feature this looksto be a worthwhile addition to the new website, which I heard say hes working on now(between other stuff). Give him a pat on the back and thank him next time you see him.And then its back to the salty stuff. Shades put on a good weekend toward the end of Julywhich a no. of us enjoyed. The weekend kept Shades all tuned up for an assault on his 4*sea assessment. How did he get onyoull have to read inside to find out!The Duty Officer issue, or rather the lack of one, raised its ugly head again. Make sureyou read the features on pages 13 & 14, and do something to help prevent this happeningagain.The clubs boats are there to be used and as long as they are not required for a course

you are welcome to take them away from the club (under certain conditions) so long as theequipment officer knows. Thats just what Sarah belcher did. 3 fools in a canoe is a bitharsh for the title, but its her choice of words.Our last feature tells how Charles Pain got his UKCC 3* sea with Sea Kayaking SouthWest. 1 coach, 1 candidate & 3 nice Devon days. Who could ask for more?Finally, Ive put in a STOP PRESS to just pick up on a few snippets that came in a bit late.Next issue will be out just before Christmas and copy is now being taken.

NEW WEBSITE NOW AVAILABLE (ALPHA?)

CONTENTS

SEA KAYAK INTRO 3

ELEMENTS SESSION 6BREAKFAST PADDLE 7

THE BARBEQUE 9

CONGRATULATIONS 9

THE BOAT CALENDAR 10

SHADES S KAYAK W/END 10

DUTY OFFICERS 133 FOOLS IN A CANOE 15

UKCC 3* SEA AWARD 17

STOP PRESS 18


3/20


SEA KAYAK INTRO WEEKEND

Its taken a little while but Id like to think that sea kayaking has returned to Marlow CC. Afew of us have pottering around the briny for a while now, some more seriously thanothers. But a breakthrough was needed, and to be able to introduce sea paddling to the

newer members would be the way to do it. A date was set (5th/6th June) and planning wasunderway.We needed somewhere that offered safe paddling but also some interest. A twin venueweekend was arranged with Poole harbour providing the safe part and the nearbyJurassic Coast offering the interest part. Some of us chose to hostel at Lulworth Coveusing the clubs new group membership card, whilst others chose to camp nearerSwanage. Initially, 15 of us were up for this, but on the day of reckoning just 11 wereavailable. Im hoping the others will be able to join us for further planned adventures laterin the year.DAY 1 At a point where Poole Harbour becomes Wareham Channel there is a free carpark with toilet facilities and an ideal start to a tour of the harbour. A thin veil of high cloudhad taken the sting out of the hot weather of the day before. A quick pep talk on safetyand we were off. I was hoping to offer a tour of the harbour, bag an islandcircumnavigation, an open crossing, and to extend peoples perception of what they mightbe capable of. All in the worlds 2nd largest natural harbour, much of which you can standup in.

A quick paddle over to the Arne Peninsula and some were already much further away fromthe river bank than they had ever been before, but high spirits and friendly banter ensurednone were daunted by the prospect of a 1.5 mile open crossing. A slight change of plan

allowed for a trip around most of Brownsea and after a quick stop we paddled the Northshore. The ride got progressively bumpier as we neared the island ferry terminus but this


4/20


was mostly due to the incoming tide and the traffic in the main channel. Some wereunderstandably nervous, there were some big waves on a short period, but all camethrough unscathed. Lunch was taken on the south shore. We set off for Furzey Island(but in the direction of Goathorn Plantation thanks to a navigational error on my part) butfortunately we had been joined by a PHCC member who had missed the bus, tagged

along with us, and put me right. This is the Piccadilly Circus of the marine world and oneneeds to be careful as we were able to cross the busy channels on several occasions.There were points where you could not get a full paddle in the water. You rarely saw thembut it was possible to disturb some big fish here. The pier off Long Island was known to bethe haunt of a shy seal, and some were lucky to see him / her. Our PHCC companionthought we were very fortunate to see the seal on a first trip. An afternoon break wastaken at Shipstal Point. We were 8.4 miles in by now and some were feeling very tired. Agood break prepared people for a final push. We arrived back at the start after 10.1 milesand 6 hrs. Jennifer, closely buddied by Jane, was on her last legs but despite beingoffered a tow stuck it out to the end. The Briggs had paddled it in their RPMs proving thatthis doesnt necessarily need a sea kayak. Most of the aims for the day had been

achieved we skipped rough water rescue as people were tired at the end. The driveback to the hostel was very quite indeed, the incessant chattering promised by Mel andJen, to whom I gave a lift, failed to materialise.

DAY 2 - We were aware, through various sources that the weather was deteriorating.The original plan to paddle from Ringstead to Lulworth was in doubt. A recce afterbreakfast produced a revised plan to paddle out of the cove to Durdle Door and back. TimT and Charles joined us whilst Shades and Jane went with the original plan. The weatherwas sunny but with an onshore wind blowing up a bit and set to increase, gusting to25+mph. Breaking out of the cove was easily accomplished but turning into the wind andtide less so and before we reached Stair Hole it was obvious that this was beyond thecapabilities of some. A first taste of F4 conditions for some with whitecaps breaking of 1mwaves with a bit of a chop thrown in as well. Gary made the call (and we all agreed) toreturn to the relative safety of the cove. Edging practise did not go down particularly wellso we moved on to trying to surf. A revelation. This perked people up no end and asconfidence returned we managed to coax the new starters out further. The tide albeit aneap, was at its best and with a following wind provided some good waves into the cove.A long lunch, soaking up some rays, was taken on the beach during which Shades andJane appeared, fresh in from Ringstead.It had always been Shades and Janes plan to paddle back to Ringstead later that d ay.We looked out to sea and the conditions had appeared too have improved a little. A

decision was reached to paddle out of the cove and head to Durdle Door along withShades and Jane and to turn back again should conditions defeat us. With the tide nowbeginning to recede and the wind against it waves were inevitable, but the group had moreconfidence now and as we moved along the coast conditions improved a little. A dumpingsurf landing at Durdle Door was made by all, with varying degrees of success. I camecloser to executing perfection but as I didnt get out of the boat quick enough I just got aswet as everyone else. After a short break we were back on the water, Gary offeringstability to the nervous as he pushed them through the surf at the right moment, the rest ofus accomplishing the same but mostly with a faceful of incoming surf. Moving to the insideof the Door the offer to paddle through was made to the group. Initially there were notakers so I tentatively made the first move. Once in front of the door it could be seen that

the waves were coming in at an angle and that as long as you paddled straight into themyoud be O.K. I estimated the waves to be up to a metre and a half and they certainly


5/20


looked worse from the outside. I just waited for the moment and paddled through, mostfollowing me when they felt it right for them. A shuttle for Shades and Jane was arrangedand they came back to Lulworth with us. This provided us with a little more safety covershould it have proved necessary. Despite the following wind and not seeing the oncomingwaves about to hit them from a rear angle all made it back safely. An option to go in

Stair Hole was not taken up as getting out might have been a problem, tiredness being themain factor here.

A safe landing in the cove was a relief to me at least. Almost all we had set out to coverover the weekend had been accomplished with the exception of rough water rescue whichwe will save for a warmer water day or a swimming pool session. We had introducedsome new to the sea paddlers to some serious mileage, and to surfing. We had offeredadvice to those of less experience than ourselves and I think boosted their confidenceconsiderably. We just need to get a few more trips in to build upon new found skills and afew ideas have been suggested to me already. Seven Sisters anyone, or possibly more ofthe same, with Lulworth to Kimmeridge being a real possibility.My thanks to everyone, to those that offered lifts, to those that coached, to those thatcajoled when some found it tough, and to all for a memorable weekend.

John Norris June 2010

ELEMENTS OPEN CANOE SESSION

It seems so long ago when we received an offer from Elements to provide us with a freeopen canoe session. I put the word around the club and sufficient interest was shown tomake this worthwhile for club and Elements.Elements are a new company aiming to bring you the highest possible standard ofcoaching, guiding and adventure. We are passionate about delivering experiences that are

fun, safe & progressive, in the best locations available. The people behind Elements areRob Yates and Mark Dewhurst, and Ive got to know both quite well over the years with the


6/20


occasional lunchtime foray to the RIVERSIDE CENTRE, where both worked previously.Ive also benefitted from their coaching when I did my L2K. Coaching at the Centre(funded by Oxfordshire C.C.) is quite different from coaching at Marlow. Riverside is opento all (as indeed is Marlow C.C.) and coaching is available for many who might nototherwise have considered paddlesports open to them. Ive been lucky enough to observe

some very good coaches pulling of the remarkable and at times its moved me.Considering their background I was expecting something a little different, and I was not tobe disappointed.

I dont normally take adverts, but I feel we owe the boys a little. If you fancy a bit of

coaching, or just a paddling holiday, click on the logo and see what they have to offer.

Elements bought down a no. of Venture canoes and the uptake on the night was such thatwe had to get a few of our own opens out. A wide range of paddlers from young to old,inexperienced to very experienced meant Rob had to engineer a session that wouldencompass a wide range of paddlers yet still maintain interest.

Our first exercise was to propel the boats forward then turn them around WITHOUT usingthe paddles. This takes a little thought, too much thought for me, so I was up for Robssecond idea, that of stealing somebody elses idea. Once you have the boat running truewith a bit of speed you just have to clamber to the front, which raises the aft, allowing theboat to turn effortlessly. In the right hands 360 is possible, but the wind made 180 aworthwhile achievement. Its harder with two in the boat but even with the clubs old oldtown we got a slight but noticeable turn. Many did much better. We are learning here thatplacement in the boat affects displacement in the water and that you can use this to youradvantage. Youre unlikely to use this on a trip but its a dramatic introduction to what canbe done by shifting weight around in the boat.The second exercise was to propel the boat forward without paddles. This is done bybouncing the boat on the water, made possible by bending ones knees then standing


7/20


upright and repeating often! We all know that every force has an equal and oppositeforce and by standing upright we bounce the boat along the water. Again, the best effectis obtained with one in the boat as far back as is possible. I think its harder with two in theboat but we got the Old Town Tank to move a little whilst those with younger kneesmanaged a decent lick of speed.

Time is rushing by so Rob springs his final surprise on us. Break into small groups, dopretty much anything we want but bear in mind that the evenings finale was to be aballetic display by the groups possibly with some connection to Swan Lake. We tried afew manoeuvres but settled for seal launch of two other boats. Cant think where thathappened in Swan Lake. But the other teams had put some thought into this. Chris,Karen, Rob and Alex did a three storey boat job with the top two performing a quick doubleseal launch (in opposite directions), leaving the supporting boat lifeless in the middle. Adying swan, you might think, spoilt only by the crew taking a bow for the assembledaudience. Another team performed an opposing circle routine whilst the chair and hisguest demonstrated synchronised bow rudders to great effect. That bought the session toa close and I was left thinking this was a bit like a science lesson without the write ups.

Magic.The club offered the Elements boys a pie and a pint in the two brewers and a no. of us joined them in the barn. A few tales were told and I was first to get the location on theElements postcard (Loch Nevis) which few others managed. All good things must come toan end and we departed around 10:30, thanking the Elements boys profusely. Theevening was enjoyed by all, whatever their standard, and the style of coaching has led meto consider some options to my own delivery.

John Norris June 2010

THE BREAKFAST PADDLE

Its on, its off, and finally its on again July 4th was the date finally chosen for MelsBreakfast paddle. I was meant to be somewhere else but communication problems meantI was able to attend this. Arriving at the club for the 07:45 requested start I found just 7 ofus prepared to get up early enough for this. Some members had mentioned they might

have difficulty getting up in themorning and so it proved.The recent heat had died downbut a bit of a wind had got up,

warm rather than fresh, andthat had cleared all mugginessaway. The river view was theclearest (if not the clearest) Ihad seen for a long time. Wewere away by 08:10 headingup toward Hurley Island for abreakfast of whatever we hadchosen to bring. This time ofmorning seems to be thefavoured time for a different

kind of rower. Many weremore intense, but also it was


8/20


observed generally more polite. Whilst Mel and Jen were busy cackling away a serious 4cut close (but Ive seen a lot closer) and gave Jen a scare. Perhaps shell look behind alittle more often now!

I dont know when we arrived at Hurley but it wasnt fast. Rob had taken the Old Town out

and it was a pig to paddle into a difficult and swirling wind. Maybe adopting some ofELEMENTS teachings from the previous Tuesday, Rob moved the kit and himself a wayforward to improve things and it seemed to work.

How they all laughed when Rob and I pulled out a big box of kit (we had bought a sparecooker for Alex Millard who subsequently failed to show and a few other spares) butpreparation had paid off. The trusty little Coleman single burner I use was soon pumped

up and ready to go. Pan on, 4x rashers in and sizzling in minutes, followed by another 4for me. Eggs in and broken just before they came out all served on delicious home madebread with a wood smoke sauce. A slice of fried bread to finish (merely to help clean thepan youll understand) and washed down with a cup of Redbush tea. Mel was cooking ona single GAZ burner and rustled up egg, beans, turkey rashers and a muffin (shes a bit ofa veggie but Turkey dont count) and then I looked around at the others. CROISSANTS -2 of our no. had only gone all continental on us! Meanwhile Jen was busy tucking intoFRUIT SALAD! Cant remember what Michael had but he had bought a cooker along so itwas probably O.K.We set off around 10:20 for a slow paddle back, bumping into the normal starters comingupstream. Paul and Richard were looking after a couple of new starters, one of whom hadforgotten last weeks teachings on how to get into a boat and was able to tell us how warmthe water was. We already knew it was warm because Rob and Dan had gone for a swimup at Hurley.Arriving back at the club for 11:30 we soon realised there were some major attractions tostarting a paddle early. Home by 12:00, time for a beer and watch MotoGP live, a shortrest and then the Wimbledon final. Another little break and then the Tour De France. Nextweek anyone, 08:00 and back for Silverstone?

John Norris July 2010


9/20


THE BARBIE

Just a week after the breakfast paddle, and due to a late change of date we had thealmost annual bbq. The date change had an effect on numbers (or it may have been theSilverstone GP, or possibly the Boulters freestyle Rodeo), so around 8 of us paddled up to

Hurley. The day was fine, bright and warm but the overpowering heat from the previousweekend had dissipated.A variety of instant bbqs were in attendance, some of which failed to live up to the name.Mine was a 3.00 offering from Sainsburys andall though it didnt look like it was doingmuch, it was up to heat and cooking whilst others were resorting to lighting gels.Not one to faff about when it comes to food, the burgers were well cooked and in buns withbrown sauce in no time at all, a bit of grilled green pepper provided most of my 5 a dayand a little grilled courgette fresh from Michaels allotment went down well too. Havingforgotten my own beer, a can from Michael was most welcome.Meanwhile, on the other table things were beginning to smoke! Good for kippers not sogood for burgers but eventually the gel did its stuff and the heat came through. All over inan hour and we returned to the boats, avoiding the tea shop on the way.Just time for a swim in the pool below the weir, (only to be done when the weir is down toa trickle or less). I didnt see Wayne swimming and Jen did little more than splash, butconsidering the effort we had to put in to get her to do that we should consider it asuccess.We paddled back (lazily) into a stiff breeze and left the club around 2.30, in time to hearWebber winning at Silverstone (good), Hamilton second (good) and the whole worldstitching up Alonso again (very good). I needed a rest to prepare the body for the WorldCup Final but shouldnt have bothered.The two events, breakfast and BBQ on back to back weekends gave me a chance to

draw a comparison. I have to say I favoured the breakfast. Its a change to the normaltiming and a little different. Therell be various bbqs over the summer village fetes,schools, scouts and guides etc. but not many breakfasts. I hope more can attend bothevents next year but especially the breakfast.


CONGRATULATIONS

Several of the more established membership have passed further star awards recently.

Gary Fletcher gained his 4* sea with I.O.W. sea kayaking; Debs Hardy and John Parkinboth got their 3* open at LONGRIDGE, Charles Pain got his 3* sea with South West seakayaking. Not to be forgotten and worthy of a mention, Shades got his 3* sea a while backwith Liquid Logistics.And lets not forget all those new members who have done a 1* course with us this year.Thanks to all those who have assisted with coaching but special mentions for SimonKnowles (for taking the bookings) and to Tim Twitchen (the clubs coaching Officer, forarranging these and other training course throughout the year).Newer members should feel free to ask any of the clubs more experienced members (notnecessarily coaches) for advice whenever they feel they need it.



10/20


THE BOAT CALENDAR

Our Equipment Officer, Chris Porteous, has set up a boat booking calendar. At themoment its at a separate address (ctrl + click to follow link) and youd be wise to bookmark it. Anybody can use it see who has requested what for a particular day / week. Only

Chris can make entries / modify it.If youd like to borrow a club boat (subject to the clubs rules governing boat loan awayfrom the club), just look up the calendar to make sure your choice of boat has not beenpreviously booked. E-mail Chris detailing your request and he will put it on the calendar.

Recently, this has been of most benefit to those wishing to use a sea kayak, but will alsoprove beneficial to the touring side with the Fusions and opens available to members. Andwith DGs WW confidence builder series of events we may see more GP boats beingbooked come the Winter.

Please note that no boats should be booked on days when courses are being run.

SHADES SEA KAYAKING WEEKEND

I had the boats and gear loaded early, Rod was going to leave his car at my place for theweekend and once his gear was in we were away. A34 via Oxford, no always blockedon a Friday, so M4 and Reading. An hour later we reached Reading thanks to all therubber neckers studiously eyeballing someone elses misfortune on the oppositecarriageway. After that the journey was pretty straightforward and we arrived at theWoodyhyde campsite (rapidly becoming a club favourite) just around 8.00pm. Tents were

soon up, inc. my new Coleman thanks to Janes insistence on taking things steady whydidnt I think of that? We were all there Rod, Jane and Shades + me and two nonpaddlers, Mel & Jen, who was getting an introduction to tentin1.

The plan for Day 1 was to make our way to Kimmeridge via. a hearty breakfast at Clavellswhere we met Don Moore, just down for the day, in the village. Not so much hearty, butsufficient, and very nice I thought. Chapmans Pool was the target along what was to be anew section of the Jurassic Coast for me. A little over 4 miles across the Kimmeridgeledges, so we paddled a little way out in a slight swell to avoid the surf. It was shallowover the ledges and not a good place to come out as the rocks looked to be designed tocut the unwary to shreds. Chapmans Pool looks nice on the map but the reality is that its

a marine tip. All along the foreshore is plastic loads of the stuff all spread along the tideline. Big bottles, little bottles and nurdles2

During lunch I had a chance to try Janes new boat a Point 65 sea cruiserand its fast.Responds to a little edge and turns well. Shes pleased, and Id consider one if I wereunhappy with my Capella. Shades has bought himself a new Valley Avocet. A tad shorterand a lot rounder with more rocker gives this boat a manoeuvrability not found in many seaboats and ideal for rock hopping. I had to have a go. Its nice - fairly fast with little initialstability but a big handful of secondary stability. It tips easily and then catches you safely.A shame I could not get comfortable in it and could see no way of getting comfortable in itdue to the positioning of the thigh braces. Its a slightly smaller cockpit and this forced myknees closer together than I wanted them. Good fun for 5 minutes though.

Lunch over we headed for the race at St. Albans head. This would be the first race of anynote Id been in. Taking it steadily down the West Coast of the head we knew we were in
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=cmExdmtrbXBoN3FoNGQ1c29iczA1anNjaGNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQhttp://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=cmExdmtrbXBoN3FoNGQ1c29iczA1anNjaGNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQhttp://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=cmExdmtrbXBoN3FoNGQ1c29iczA1anNjaGNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQhttp://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=cmExdmtrbXBoN3FoNGQ1c29iczA1anNjaGNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ


11/20


the race when the boat didnt want to go where you wanted it to. A bit lumpy, but not asbad as I thought we had caught it on a good day at a good time. A little further and wecould see something altogether more gnarlier. St Albans ledge stretches out some 2 milesS.W. into the sea producing breaking surf visible from a long way off, such that Donconfused it with a wave coming toward us. Jane put him right with a suitable explanation.

Time to call it a day and head back via. Chapmans Pool.We spent an enjoyable evening with various self cooked delights and a couple of bottles ofwine watching the steam trains passing by on the adjacent railway mostly talking aboutnothing while Shades and Rod cast occasional looks at tide tables for PORTLAND ISLE.

Day 2 was meant to be a circumnavigation of Portland Island. This is one to tick off on thesea kayakers to do list. We hummed and harred and eventually put in a call to thecoastguard. Force 3-4 with winds gusting a little more from the S.W. and veering N.W.

didnt sound good and when he said visibility was too low to give a visual we opted for planB. Plan B should have been discussed the previous evening but the wine had had theupper hand. Plan B eventually materialised as Kimmeridge to Lulworth Cove. LeavingKimmeridge and heading west was easy and I set my usual pace, a little faster than therest of the group and something I must do something about for I was, at times, a long wayfrom the group and subsequent rescue should it have proved necessary. The ebbing tideleft me skimming over rocks and eventually having to turn back before going out intodeeper waters. In the little bay just before Worbarrow Tout3 is a cave, but it looked a lotsmaller than when I first visited it a few years back and the option to explore it was nottaken up. Another small race around the tout and we were into Worbarrow Bay. Weplanned a stop and decided on the end of the adjoining Mupe Bay offering the chance to

see the fossil forest if a path to it was available. With the tide low and almost slack thiswas a quick and safe run.


12/20


Following lunch we did indeed locate a path to the fossil forest and it seemed a shame notto visit it as we were there. The fossil forest is an undercliff below Bindon Hill where thefossilised remains of ancient trees are to be found, or to be more precise, the fossilisedremains of rotted stumps now known to be of late Jurassic / early Cretaceous coniferoustrees probably of Cypress or Juniper, preserved in a dirt bed. It was 30 years or more

since I was last here so I went down for a closer look. The rest were content with the viewfrom the over cliff.

Upon my return we decided to go for Lulworth Cove. Its not a long paddle but there is no

stopping on this section. Its not often youll find this stretch calm but its usuallymanageable if you paddle a little way out to avoid the clapotis from the cliff face. I wascounting off the lobster pot markers I had viewed from above when a dark form appearedin the water in front and to my right. I slowed, but not quickly enough to avoid disturbing aSunfish. Sunfish float on their side on the surface and no-one quite knows why. Varioussuggestions include getting heat from the sun to help digest their food, or to let birds pickat the many parasites these creatures carry. They are riddled with parasites, internallyand externally, and this does not make them good eating for other marine life hence theirability to just float in the sun without a care in the world. Until I came along. Somewhatsurprisingly these ungainly fish do not make a bolt for safety but waste time turning fromthe horizontal to a vertical plane before diving at no great speed. Id estimate this

specimen to be around 60-75cm across the tips of its fins and not quite as long, a darkgrey in colour. I was able to watch it swim to the depths and probable safety. The covewas reached not long after, but summer holiday traffic was in abundance and we did notstay long.With the wind and the tide behind us I estimated about 2hrs. for the return trip. Those thatknow the cove will be aware that the incoming tide can crash spectacularly over the rocksthat guard the entrance. Especially on the west side which is where Shades went, whoarrived at the same time as a rather large incoming set of waves. Hitting them square onhis boat rose a long way out of the water and it was not until the wave passed under thecentre of the boat that his descent began. I thought he was looking for the action shot butShades was brave enough to admit later that it was more than he expected. The tide wasat its fastest now and the trip along the base of the cliffs was a little bumpy but all theboats handled it well, even the Easky, though Rod had to put in a few support strokes now

LULWORTH - 10km OF JURASSIC COAST - KIMMERIDGE


13/20


and again. A short break was taken in Worbarrow Bay and after this I managed to providea little light entertainment for the crowd by falling out of my boat during a launch intominimal surf. The fun over it was down to the serious stuff. A nice little race haddeveloped around Warbarrow Tout now that the tide was running but we pushed throughand made for home, arriving at Kimmeridge in 1hr. 45mins. including the break.

Stopping for coffee and cake at Clavells on the way out we bade each other goodbye andwished Shades all the best for his immediately forthcoming 4* sea assessment. Theweather had not been bad all weekend and we later learned that we might have donePortland. Still, better safe than sorry, and I dont think its going anywhere fast maybenext time.

1 tentin To live in a temporary home, often of a fabric construction in an open space orfield. Very similar to the activity of campin.

2 Nurdles Small plastic pellet typically less than 5mm dia. As supplied raw for the

moulding industry. Also coming to mean small plastic fragments often found on theshoreline.

3 Tout - A lookout on a headland or coastal promontory.


DUTY OFFICERS

Well, it had to happen someday. Nobody at the club to fulfil the Duty Officer role. Assome of the club had been away sea kayaking at the weekend and a sizeable contingentof regular Tuesday paddlers had gone to the Nene WW centre it was perhaps fortunatethat only a few members were inconvenienced. But it should not have happened, not evenfor 1 member.So how did this come about? At the committee meetings the committee tries to fill thedates for all the Sunday and Tuesday sessions prior to the next committee meeting with aDuty Officer. These places are usually filled by the committee and a handful of volunteersbut its rare that we can fill all the slots. July 27th was just such a date, and it was madeworse by coinciding with the aforementioned events. Naturally the inconveniencedmembers were a little disgruntled and were right to bring the matter to the attention of all

those who subscribe to the YAHOO group.To some of us it might seem that the role of Duty Officer is beyond them, some might beconcerned at taking on the responsibility and possibly some cannot be bothered. I canunderstand all 3 viewpoints; there have been times when Ive subscribed to each of them.So what can we do about it? Its my opinion that only a small percentage of the membersthat could fill this role are currently prepared to fulfil this role. Its not a particularly oneroustask and a short course put together by Andy Maxted could be arranged for prospectiveD.O.s. All is explained in a feature entitled WHAT DOES THE D.O. DO! that I put in thenewsletter every couple of years, the last time being issue 127 (Spring 2010). I alsoplaced it in my reply to the original YAHOO posting and it has generated some interest. Ano. of people have come forward but Id like to see more, many more, perhaps enough to

allow those who give freely of their time for other club functions to take a back seat.


14/20


I sincerely hope this situation never arises again, but we can only be sure that it will not ifwe have as large a pool of volunteers to draw from as is possible. A no. of people havecome forward with an offer to do this role subject to the necessary training and to thosepeople Id like to express the committees thanks. I hope to arrange a date with AndyMaxted to provide an introduction to the D.O. role that all those who have expressed an

interest will be able to attend. But Im hoping the no. will rise significantly by then.


SO JUST WHAT DOES THE D.O. DO?

Marlow Canoe Club, just like most other clubs, relies on a small army of willingvolunteers who try to ensure that the club house, equipment and coaches are justwhere theyre needed for club sessions.

Central to any Tuesday evening or Sunday morning session is the Duty Officer, orDO for short, but just what does the DO do? Its a question sometimes asked bynew members but perhaps not a role understood by many established ones. Soheres a quick guide

Perhaps the first thing to bear in mind is that the D.O. is not necessarily a coach.While many of those who volunteer to do D.O. may be coaches, you dont have to bea coach to be DO. So when you come to a club session please dont expect the DOto take you on the water!

The DO is essentially a safety officer. Their primary responsibility is to ensure thatthe club house is open at the beginning of a session, that club equipment isserviceable, that those wanting (or needing) instruction are allocated to a suitableinstructor and that all are off the water and the club house is secured at the end of asession. Not much to it really!

Being a DO is quite straightforward for most summer sessions. Tricky moments dohowever come after heavy rain when the river is high (generally whenever thetraffic lights at the rowing club opposite are on Amber or Red). In thesecircumstances the D.O.s responsibility is to advise members that they shouldnt goon the water unless accompanied by a minimum Level 3 Coach or above. Of course,

it is then up to members to heed that advice, or not! This is not usually a problemfor adult members, but juniors cannot by law be expected to make a judgement asto whether conditions are suitable for them. In these circumstances the DO has nochoice other than to stipulate that juniors go afloat only with a parent or guardian ora Level 3 or higher coach.

Most of our summer water sessions are run by Level 2 and Level 1 coaches and alljunior members not being looked after by their parent or guardian should be underthe supervision of a coach. The clubs coaches will provide leadership andinstruction to any members seeking this, but good practice says they should onlybe looking after a manageable group of perhaps six or eight paddlers. Level 1coaches are generally qualified to work between Higginson Park and the head of thelock (while keeping well away from the weir) while Level 2s are qualified to lead


15/20


short journeys, typically from the club house up to Temple Lock or down via thelock cut to Longridge. The clubs operating procedures specify that a Level 3 (orhigher) must be present when shooting or playing on the Thames weirs.

What about the DO? Well if they are qualified as a coach they can look after a group

on the water within their coaching remit. If not they can paddle as a responsibleadult, either with a coach, or with other responsible adult members.

The club is always looking for more DOs. As you can see, you dont need to be acoach indeed you dont even need to go on the water but if you are aresponsible adult and prepared to help out on a couple of sessions a year do let amember of the committee now. Youll be given a safety briefing and a club housekey and know youll be doing your bit to keep the club running smoothly.

Andy Maxted AUG 2010

THREE FOOLS IN A CANOE

(A tale of friendship, pimms and not a great deal of paddling)

Saturday:

Wallingford was the starting point for our epic journey down the Thames; after packing theboat with food, tents and sleeping bags Daddy Belcher bid us farewell.... We were off to arather slow start with Sian spiralling out of control going any which way but the right way in

the Pyranha (apparently, an ideal boat for touring). After enabling the rudder and giving aquick idiots guide to paddling we were off on our way again. Paddling proved tiresomeand by the time we reached Marsh lock we cracked open the Pimms and began dicing upthe fruit. This multi-tasking proved too much for Sian and with a paddle in one hand and acup of Pimms in the other she managed to wedge herself between the concrete wall andthe wooden mooring posts, muchto the amusement of passersby atthe lock.Henley was probably the mosteventful leg of our tour as we hadfoolishly planned our trip on the

weekend of Henley Festival. Theriver had been divided into threelanes with all boats going up anddown the left lane and the rowersusing all three lanes and crashinginto us on several occasions Wemade our way through relativelyunscathed and breathed a sigh ofrelief when we saw Hambledenlock. The next part of our journeywas a long 4 mile slog down to

Hurley but thankfully of the waydown we saw an ICE CREAM BOAT! Many times I had seen it parked near Hurley weir


16/20


but never actually seen it open. After much fumbling around and a near capsize we alltucked into the yummiest ice-cream wed ever had, and would definitely recommendlooking out for it when up at Hurley next!Night was setting in by the time we hit Temple and our ETA was no longer looking like5pm but closer to 9pm. The last two locks were unmanned so Simon stepped into the

frame. We finally arrived at Longridge, pitched the tent and headed straight to Zizis andthen The Ship for a much needed drink!

Sunday:

After struggling with the Pyranha wequickly nipped to the clubhouse for aboat swap and exchanged the Piranhaand a sea kayak for a Canadian. Ourplan was to paddle down toMaidenhead and camp near Bray lockhowever this didnt quite go to plan........There were yet more obstacles as weapproached Bourne End and we foundourselves in the middle of a sailing race.No sooner had we dodged the sail

boats we had a close encounter in Bourne End when a wedge of swans took flight right infront of us; Get down! Get down! I shouted as Sian and myself hit the deck as the swanscame flying right over the boat clipping us both gently on the head. Simon found this allvery amusing and sat in his kayak laughing at us with two old boys from the sailing club.A little shook up we carried on to our first stop, The Bounty. We refuelled on cheesy chips

and more Pimms and ended up staying until the late afternoon by which point Maidenheadseemed a long way off. We cancelled the campsite and booked ourselves into Cookhamlock, thankfully just another 2 miles downstream. We arrived just in time to set up campand head into Cookham village to grab some food and watch the World Cup final.

Monday:

We got up bright and early to a drizzly bleak morning and our enthusiasm soon faded.Simon and Sian had fully got the hang of paddling by this point and we arrived at TheBounty just in time for a cup of tea and some sarnies. After leaving the Bounty webumped into George Cooper who ridiculed my J stroke and give me a quick tutorial, a mile

or so later and I had almost mastered it, wellnearly...... As our longing for home and a hotshower grew so did our stroke rate to nearsuperhuman speed. Within no time we arrivedback at the canoe club and fell into the warmembrace of mummy Belcher.So our trip hadnt gone to plan and we onlymanaged a mere 20 miles, we did however havea very enjoyable three days and would definitelydo it again!

Sarah Belcher July 2010


17/20


UKCC 3* SEA KAYAK COURSE

One of my objectives this year was to get my 3* sea kayak award. Having been on thesea quite a lot last year I thought it might be worth a try, even if only to see where I neededto improve.

THE ROLL Most people know that to achieve a 3* award you need to be able to roll, somy first objective was to finally learn to roll. Non rollers can see it as a very high mountainto climb so unless you are naturally gifted then it does take a few hours of dedicated effort.As the coach said its an unnatural act that you naturally resist so its not easy. Havingdabbled and not got very far over the past 18 months I decided to get one coach to giveme commitment. After a few sessions at the Gurnell Pool, I followed this up with a fewtrips of my own, with the Easky, to develop a reliable roll. For me, it was a big hill and itdid take commitment to get there.

PLANNING Next, who to go with. Weymouth Outdoor Centre, Liquid Logistics, I.O.W.sea kayaking? All have been amongst those used by club members before, buteventually, driven by dates I went back to Rob McIntyre of Sea Kayaking South West nearIlfracombe. Rob also has Easkys so I wouldnt be changing boats.So I booked my B&B for Robs early June course and set off on a Tuesday afternoon downa flooded M4 & M5 for North Devon. The weather in Woolacoombe was marvellous.Sitting on the balcony of the Tides Inn bar and restaurant overlooking the sun kissed bayand Lundy I thought this beats a regular Tuesday hands down.

THE COURSE Wednesday, I discovered I was the only one on the course (a mixedblessing), so lets get down to the sea. No, first was the theory general kayaking stuff,

equipment, sea specific issues (sea sickness) and a fair chunk of tides, navigation, mapreading and trip planning etc. I found my earlier BCU Coastal Planning and Navigation(Riverside) very helpful when it came to cardinal buoys, tide flows, rule of 1/12 ths etc. Wethen set off for Ilfracombe harbour going through every which way to direction in a seakayak known to man. I know Ive forgotten a few already. Over the next two days we didsurfing (forwards and backwards), wet stuff, rolls and rescues etc. without missing a beat;trip planning and trips. I think Swansea Coastguard got fed up with us calling about theweather.It was a spring tide and around here that can equate to a rise and fall of 8m in 6hrs. Wedid go out some 2kms into the Bristol Channel at low water but there is only a short periodof slack water here before the channel starts to fill again. There are two features to take

note of here. Each bay makes for a big back eddy and you get overfalls as the water triesto fill the bays. So we spent some time on overfalls, not dissimilar to surfing. It looked likea standing wave but we just sat there as it slowly moved toward us.We tried to wrap up the final day with some rock hopping but the sea had become a littlelivelier so that was curtailed, then we found ourselves under attack from Oyster catchers,wave hopping birds flying straight towards us with 100mm orange painted bills in front. Ihad visions of being impaled in front but they missed us by a few feet. Heading back Robwas complaining that I had a bargain 3 days 1-2-1 tuition.On the last day I took out a different boat, an Eddyline fathom fibreglass with a V shapedhull. The fibreglass hull made a big difference to speed and the V shaped hull was farbetter at coping with the bouncy bits.

Robs a great coach thats his job. Unless the weather is bad he is unlikely to cancel acourse as one fee is better than no fees. His fleet comprises approx. 6 Easkys, a


18/20


Capella and the Eddyline. And as I needed a larger wetsuit than he had available he evenhired one for me for the wet day.

But how did I do I passed. And drove home a very happy man.

Charles Pain June 2010

STOP PRESS

Shades got his UKCC 4* sea award. This is classed as a leader award and confirms thatin the eyes of the assessor the successful candidate has got what it takes to lead a smallgroup (4) on a sea trip of 6-8 miles on moderate tidal waters in conditions not exceedingF4 / sea state 4. This is the same award as Gary F gained a few weeks earlier andmentioned previously in this edition.

It looks like we will be able to put on a short (1hr. 90mins.) DUTY OFFICER COURSE.This will be run by Andy Maxted and assisted by me and is likely to take place on eitherthe 12th or 19th of September starting at 10:30. Look out for confirmation e-mails shortly. Ihope this will be well attended and go some way to avoiding the unfortunate situationalluded to earlier. Please read the DUTY OFFICERS item (P13) and the SO JUST WHATDOES THE D.O. DO item (P14) and support this event. YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU!

Gary Fletcher (with partner) attempted and succeeded in completing the Eddystonechallenge. Leaving Plymouth this is a 40km race out and around the Eddystonelighthouse and return. Favourable outbound conditions saw a good no. getting around the

lighthouse this year (there is a cut off time) but those same conditions made for a difficultreturn causing some competitors to terminate their attempt. Gary said A good challengethat was overall most enjoyable and like most worthy challenges, physically and mentallyhard. Gary (and partner Clare) paddling for the RAF canoe association clocked acreditable 6:30:39.

I can confirm that at the time of writing (17:05 20/08) U46 has not sunk. More on this inour next issue, due out 01/12/2010. Copy now being taken for my penultimate issue.

Chris P & Dave G have worked tirelessly to produce a new website take a peek!

WANTED - NEWSLETTER EDITOR

As has been mentioned previously, I am standing down from the newslettereditor role at the next Annual General Meeting, however I am prepared to help /assist the next editor in keeping the newsletter running for a few issues whilst

they get their hand in.

If you feel you can fulfil this role for the club please make your name known to

the committee


19/20


WHAT'S ON, WHEN AND WHERE

The complete and authoritive guide to all that the club hopes to do in the forthcomingmonths. Please note that at the time of going to press dates cannot be guaranteed and

that the programme can be subject to changes.

ALLSUNDAYS

CLUB SESSIONS; ON THE WATER FOR 10:00am. SEE D.O.FOR FINISH. CHECK NOTICEBOARDS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

D.O

ALLTUESDAYS

TUESDAY SESSIONS FROM 6:30 pm, ON THE WATER FOR7.00pm. SEE D.O. FOR FINISH, CHECK NOTICEBOARDS FOR

EVENTS etc. (PUB PADDLE or ALTERNATIVE)D.O

SEPT. 02 3* WHITEWATER SKILLS TRAINING LOCAL WIER TBA SKILLS D.G.

SEPT. 04 LIFFEY DESCENT, DUBLIN TOUR

SEPT. 06 COMMITTEE MEETING. MARLOW DONKEY 7.30pm COMMITTEE A.M.SEPT. 11/12 3* WHITEWATER TRAINING NORTH WALES SKILLS D.G.

SEPT. 19 IMPROVERS 2* ASSESSMENT 2 TRAINING T.T.

SEPT. 26 FOUNDATION SAFETY AND RESCUE LONGRIDGE TRAINING

OCT. 03 COACH UPDATE (VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED) ALL COACHES

NOV. 01 COMMITTEE MEETING. MARLOW DONKEY 7.30pm COMMITTEE A.M.

NOV. 13/14 4* WHITEWATER LEADER TRAINING TRAINING A.M.

DEC. 26 BOXING DAY PADDLE (CHRISTEN THAT NEW KIT!) CLUB D.O.

JAN. 03 COMMITTEE MEETING? MARLOW DONKEY 7.30pm COMMITTEE A.M.

OUR OWN POOL SESSIONS HAVE NOW BEEN BOOKED FOR 1STSATURDAY 7.15 8.15pm SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER AT CHALFONT

LEISURE CENTRE JUST 5.00 FOR A WARM POOL!

KEEP A LOOKOUT ON NOTICEBOARDS AND THE YAHOO GROUP -SOME TRIPS JUST SUDDENLY 'APPEAR' IF CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT.

EVERYTHURSDAYEVENING

9.00 - 10.30

SWIMMING POOL SESSIONS AT GURNELL POOL, WEST LONDONGET TUITION IN ROLLING, PRACTISE 3* SKILLS OR ANYTHINGYOU'VE GOT A BIT RUSTY ON. SEE WEBSITE FOR MAP AND

DETAILS.

ORGANISER / MCC CONTACT FOR ABOVE EVENTS

AC ADRIAN COOPER 01844 344580 [email protected]

AM ANDY MAXTED 07730 852760 [email protected]

LN LEE NIVEN [email protected]

JN JOHN NORRIS 01494 483833 [email protected]

CP CHRIS PORTEOUS 01628 485049 [email protected]

PC PAUL CRICHTON 08708 806962 [email protected]

TB TERRY BELCHER 01628 851001 [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]://../Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/[email protected]://../Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/[email protected]://../Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/[email protected]://../Application%20Data/Microsoft/Word/[email protected]:[email protected]


20/20

THE COMMITTEE & OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS

A list of those members who serve on the club's committee, their role, a contact no. and ane-mail address should you need to get in touch.

POSITION NAME TELEPHONE E-MAIL (all hyperlinked)

PRESIDENT TIM WARD 01494 482959 [email protected]

CHAIRMAN ADRIAN COOPER 01844 344580 [email protected]

SECRETARY ANDY MAXTED 07730 852760 [email protected]

TREASURER KELVIN ABBOTT

MEMBERSHIP ROD EDMONDS 01753 671389 [email protected]

COACHING TIM TWITCHEN 07833 995289 [email protected]

EQUIPMENT CHRIS PORTEOUS 01628 485049 [email protected]

NEWSLETTER JOHN NORRIS 01494 483833 [email protected]

WOMENS REP.

YOUTH REP. ALEX SHEILL [email protected]

SOCIAL SEC MELINDA LIVETT [email protected]

MARATHON THIS EVENT WILL IN FUTURE BE HOSTED BY LONGRIDGE C.C.

WHITEWATER CHRIS PORTEOUS 01628 485049 [email protected]

TOURING LEE NIVEN 01494 [email protected]

SEA JOHN NORRIS 01494 483833 [email protected]

OUR NEAREST RETAILERS / SUPPLIERS

RIVERSIDE OXFORD 01865 248673 http://www.riversideoxford.co.uk

MARSPORT READING 01189 665912 http://www.marsport.co.uk

BERKSHIRECANOES

READING 01189 425640 http://www.berkshire-canoes.co.uk

WWC SHEPPERTON 01932 247978 http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk

BROOKBANK WARWICK 01926 640573 http://www.paddlesport.co.uk

BROOKBANK LONDON 01992 711611 http://www.brookbanklondon.co.uk/

Please advise the editor if any contact details are incorrect or if you wish to add an alternative no. / e-mail address to the list.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.riversideoxford.co.uk/http://www.marsport.co.uk/http://www.berkshire-canoes.co.uk/http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk/http://www.paddlesport.co.uk/http://www.paddlesport.co.uk/http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk/http://www.berkshire-canoes.co.uk/http://www.marsport.co.uk/http://www.riversideoxford.co.uk/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]

Newsletter 129 Autumn 2010 03

Documents

Transcript of Newsletter 129 Autumn 2010 03