Summer Newsletter from Marlow Canoe Club.MCC 144

5/22/2018 Summer Newsletter from Marlow Canoe Club.MCC 144

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N e w s l e t t e r 1 4 4 S u m m e r 2 0 1 4

w w w . m a r l o w c c . o r g . u k

MarlowCanoe

Club
http://www.marlowcc.org.uk/


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A little legal stuff....

This newsletter is a free publication for theMarlow Canoe Club.

Whilst every care is taken, the newsletter andthe Marlow Canoe Club do not accept respons-ibility for the opinions expressed or the goodsand services mentioned in this publication.

2014.

INSIDE YOURSUMMER 2014 ISSUE

3 St Pat's and Hennerton tourMichael lures a small group of lunaticsthrough flood-swollen Thames backwatersand somehow they all survive.

4 A place to stop for teaA completely separate bunch of lunaticsfollow Shades out onto the sea. What iswith it paddlers named Michael? Why arethey all so crazy and why do we followthem like sheep? Whatever the reason theentire flock fails to spot any seals.

6 A paddle that still Ouses charmThe thing with navigation is that it is kindauseful to have a map and to be able to

read it. Four paddlers lose their way andone goes swimming. Deidre comes totheir rescue.

8 Wye divorceDivorce boats test relationships to the limitin South Wales.

10 Ainsworth do the splitsIt is cheap, black and yellow, and comesapart in two pieces. And it's not HighWycombe's resident rugby union team.

11 Committee members & RetailersLet's get real, nothing on this page is everaccurate or up to date so what's the pointeven looking.

12 CalendarBut is it Julian or Gregorian?

COVER PHOTOThe cover photograph for this newsletter wassupplied by Ceri Harris from the Wye canoetrip (see page 8) and is entitled "Blue skies".

EDITORIAL

Submit an

article to win a

paddling prizeAny club member can submit articles forthe newsletter. You do not need theliterary talent of Shakespeare or thephotographic skills of Annie Leibovitz.Just send us your raw words and/orphotographs and the editor will apply thenecessary polish.

And there is no maximum or minimumsize to articles. A single page with aphoto would typically be only 350 wordsor so. But our sport is very visual andoften it is good to have lots of photos with

just a few lines of text in support.Equally if you do have plenty of text butno photos then that is OK as photos areoften either not essential or the club can

supply something suitable.

Every member, young and old,experienced and newbie, is encouraged toshare your paddling experience withothers via the newsletter.

And remember that every year adecent prize is awarded at the clubAGM for the best newsletter article.

But you have got to be in it to win it so e-mail your words and/or photos to theeditor at [email protected]

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http://www.marlowcc.org.uk/


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3TOURING

Our Spring navigation ofSt Patrick's Stream and the

Hennerton Backwaterby Michael Day

The Reading to Henley inland tour was the first ofthe year's flat-water trips and because of lots ofrain on the Friday the river was a bit high.However it did not put off Catherine, Kelvin and Ifrom making the trip and we were rewarded withgood weather for the trip itself on Saturday.

Rodney was also intending to join us on thewater but illness meant he was not reliablypaddle-fit. Nonetheless he was able to helpwith the car-shuttle for this one-way paddle,taking both Kelvin and I back to the start fromthe Marsh Lock car park.

We had a good paddle down to St Patrick'sstream and only encountered one tree acrossthe river. It took a bit of work to get past it andin the end we all made it without having to getout. We took a break at the George & Dragonfor a drink and pushed on.

As we approached Hennerton BackwaterCatherine called back to say she did not thinkwe would make it under the bridge at the startof the backwater. I took a closer look and just

slipped under so Catherine and Kelvin followed.

For me this is one of the prettiest backwaterswe have in our bit of the Thames. With theheight and speed of the river that day we weresoon out and on our way down to Marsh lockand the finish.


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A place to stop for

teaby Ceri HarrisThere was a stiff breeze whipping up the waves at Langstone Harbour as our band ofhardy souls huddled against the rain, looking dubiously out at the flow that was stillmotoring through The Run. Our Sea Kayak rep had promised a pleasant bimble aroundHayling Island to go seal-spotting - and we werent about to let a Force 4-5 wind anddriving rain dampen our determination, particularly after the early start and havingdriven all that way

We set off in a clockwise direction which meant we would be heading up the harbour, paddlingagainst the wind and tidal flow. The more gung-ho amongst us wanted to head straight out acrossthe bay, but Mark wisely led us off to tuck in close to the island and get some shelter from thewind. We slowly paddled around, passing beaches full of nesting birds, as Mark stopped every nowand then to fiddle with his footrests and complain about his shoes.

As we rounded the top of the island,we passed under the road-bridgeand decided to stop for a quickbreak. As we sipped gratefully at

our tea, Tom broke out thechocolate brownies and we debatedwhether we would be able to fullycircumnavigate the Island. Therewas some difference of opinion overthe time of the tides, tidal flows andthe sea-state we would be likely tofind once outside the shelter of theharbour. On Spring tides, the racein and out of the harbour reachesfive knots, and the outlying stretchof water is peppered with sandbanks and is well-known for beingrough, particularly when the wind isagainst the tide, as it was this day.

Opinion was split, with Tom keen to crack on, confident in his sea faring abilities being able to copewith a few waves. Undeterred, Toby was also keen to go and have a look, so we all decided tocontinue paddling until we could get a better view out of Chichester Harbour before making adecision and it was something of a relief to leave our busy layby rest spot behind. Wed paddledpast many quiet beaches to get there, but it was pointed out that given the proximity of theadjacent garage, this would have been the perfect spot if anyone had forgotten their lunch,although everyone did seem to have come prepared!

We then paddled on for another 30 minutes before stopping for lunch. Our Secretary produced apair of binoculars in the hope of spotting some local wildlife, but after a quick glance towards theopen sea declared she would definitely be paddling back the way we had come. Tom took a lookthrough the binoculars and said '%&*%$ and $%&* I'm not paddling that'. As we all took a turn

4SEA

Seems our fate was sealed


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to peer out at the enormous breaking waves at the harbour entrance, it was generally agreed thatthis would be a sensible plan.

Meanwhile, the tide was quickly heading out and Penny suggested a hasty retreat lest we foundourselves stranded on the mud flats. As she started to push her kayak out through the mud, Idecided to follow her example and launched off just in time, as Toby wistfully recounted memoriesof a previous trip to the same area, where he had found himself stranded and having to wadethrough stinking mud for an hour or more, dragging his kayak behind him.

Once safely back on the water we watched with interest as the waters continued to recede. Forreasons known only to themselves, the others were playing it cool and seemed determined tofinish their tea before setting off......

30 minutes later we were allback in the open water andheading back beneath thebridge. The sun had comeout, there were blue skies allaround and the wind and flowwere at last helping us along.

It may not have been thebest-timed stop and we didnt

see any seals, but we allagreed it had been a mostenjoyable trip. Besides, itcould have been much worse,with a further 6 hours to waitfor the next high tide

5SEA


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A paddle that stillOuses charm

by Rodney Casbierd

Last year several members of the club enjoyed a club trip to Huntington to paddle theGreat Ouse. John Norris wrote about it in his amiable meandering to nowhere in par-ticular article in newsletter 140 and, encouraged by this, a handful of us decided to re-peat the trip in 2014.

Well sort of a repeat. We paddled theGreat Ouse and some of its branchesbut did not quite follow the samecourse as 2013. This was mainly be-cause our trip leader, Michael Day, hadnot packed a waterproofed map andthose of us that had done were utterlyincompetent at reading ours. ExceptDeidre, who, despairing of the cluelessmen, eventually took charge and ledus safely around the inland watersand away from the Norwegian Fjords

that we might otherwise havereached.

But I digress. Only two boysand two girls on this trip, withCatherine making it a four-some, but great fun nonethe-less and just as enjoyable aslast year I am sure. Theweather was fabulous for thetime of year and the scenery

equally so. As John pointed

out last year the locks here are un-usual, although we never wentthrough any, we portaged around.

Portaging was fun, even at HoughtonMill, where the put in was basically amud slide and we needed a goodpush to ensure that we reached thesafety of water. We took a spot oflunch there, three of us took packedlunches but Catherine had not, much

6TOURING

the prettiest launch site ever...

Fancy a cheap split paddle - see page 10


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to the delight of the National Trustcafs till. Kerrr-ching!!!

Further round one of the side chan-nels we found ourselves cut off fromthe main river by a weir. With noobvious portage points, your corres-

pondent thought he had found a safeplace to get out and beckoned theothers over. After a quick swimmingdemonstration the others elected toget out at an alternative spot foundby Deidre. Putting back in on themain channel was also tricky, al-though we eventually found a spotthat we could all cope with, andthere was no further immersion.

By this time Deidre, still recovering from a prolonged absence from paddling, was starting tostruggle in her short boat against the rest of us in tourers and sea kayaks and so decided to returnto the start point. The rest of us

agreed, we had all had a grandday out and for some of us theprospect of paddling without ourpilot was enough to make usstop! On the return homesomeone managed to take awrong turning on the A1, butluckily my car share partnerCatherine was sworn to silenceon the matter.

A good trip all round, thanks Mi-chael for making the arrange-ments, ensuring good weather,and thanks to Deidre and Googlenavigation for getting me roundthe Great Ouse and home again.

7TOURING

Just some of the fabulous scenery here


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Wye divorce when you cansing the song of the paddle?

By Ceri Harris and Penny NewtonWe arrived a little after 9am to bright sunshine and blue skies at the arranged rendezvous. Theothers had travelled down the night before and camped at the Radnor Arms pub. We found Markstill in his pyjamas lying outside his tent complaining about the quality (quantity?) of the cider hehad been drinking the evening before.

The plan was to leave from Glasbury, overnight at a campsite at Whitney Toll Bridge and thencontinue on to Byecross on day 2.

The trip had been organised through Song of thepaddle and the Marlow contingent were teaming upwith some friends of Mark. All were in Canoes ofvarious shapes and designs except for Sally andMichael who opted for sea kayaks. This would be thefirst time that Penny and I would paddle an opentogether, amidst much speculation from others abouttheir reputation of being divorce boats.

Undeterred, after a shortish delay we had offloaded atthe put in, run the shuttle and were eager to set off.

Penny (aka Raft Guide) strapped on her towline, throwrope, safety knife, etc ready for the rigours of the riverahead, Adrian commented that he hadn't evenbothered to pack his and would just wade to the bankin the event of trouble.

Shortly after the first corner we were confronted byfearsome (grade 1) rapids and for some inexplicablereason one of the tandem canoes (not Marlow members) decided it was all too much and somehowfell into the torrent. Standing up in the river they managed to right their craft and continue the

journey.

As we paddled along, sand martinscould be seen flying in and out of theirnests built into the mud banks of theriver. In fact the bird life was variedincluding a peregrine falcon, spottedwoodpecker, red kite, reed warblerand swallow to name a few. A coupleof otters were also spotted by a fewkeen eyed paddlers, although Michaelwas disappointed not to have been

one of them.

On the flora front, Adrian wasdelighted to have spotted a PinkPurslane, something he hadnt seenbefore!

8OPEN CANOE


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As we approached more rapids Ilooked for the line to take.Unfortunately it was the midge line aswe held our breaths and careered(floated gently) down the river lettingthe swarm pass.

After 11 miles of gentle paddling wearrived at our campsite, hauled theboats up the steps and set up ourtents on an undulating site. Thefacilities only allowed for an outsideand refreshing (very cold) shower forthose brave enough.

Having had a relaxed paddle it was time toslake our thirst and headed off for dinnerat the local pub, a short walk down theroad. 1 mile later we arrived at the BoatInn, located further downstream. Thisboasted a bowling green flat campsite, fullfacilities (incl hot showers) and of coursewas located next to the pub. Mark wasquick to let us know that he hadnt beenresponsible for selecting the campsite...

The menu was extensive (even forvegetarians) and we sat on the patiosoaking up the late afternoon sun.

The second day was just as sunny, but the wind had picked up a bit. The river meandered its waythrough the pretty countryside as the bird-spotting count steadily increased. Fish could be seen inthe clear waters, or turning on the surface as they surfaced to catch insects.

There wasnt as much flow on this stretch of the river and Mark was obviously bored, so inspiredby Michael decided to invent Canoe Greenland style by using his pole to paddle. Adrian askedwhere he had managed to get such a giant toothpick?

After a lunch stop we set off again, all re-energised following a helping of Adrians pancakes.Paddling at pace, the canoe police (Mark) were soon on our tail as we heard a whistle to slowdown and wait for the stragglers.

Eventually after a few more stops, having paddled 12 miles, we arrived at the get out. We hadheard the fearsome Monnington falls (grade 2) were just ahead and those so inclined eagerly setabout unloading our boats for a quick blast down. Adrian and Mal were ready first so went onahead to inspect them. Unfortunately they returned shortly afterwards to report that after running

the falls we wouldnt have been able to portage our boats back to the get out at these levels, sowe shall have to save that for another day.

We all agreed it was a great weekend and all the better for the glorious sunshine. Its a beautifulstretch of river, a relaxing trip with lots of places to stop and take your time as you travel down theWye...oh and we didn't get divorced!

9OPEN CANOE


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Ainsworth do thesplits

By Phil Levacant-Page

Back in March a message was posted on the clubs Yahoo group announcing thatAinsworth were running a special offer for club members. The timing was excellent forme as I was looking for a budget split-paddle to use on club inland trips and as a backupsea paddle. So I swooped and purchased a split paddle from their value range.

The model I went for was the ABS108which is a 225cm sea paddle with a twopart shaft. The plastic blades areshaped for sea rather than touringwhich has the advantage that theyshould not catch the wind too much.The blades may not be the thinnest andmost efficient at slicing through thewater but they are pretty robust andshould put up with a fair amount ofabuse.

The shaft is titanium enriched alloy andthat will not suit everyone, especially those sensitive to cold hands. But for me, wearing gloves allyear round, that is not a problem. And, despite the construction of the blades and shaft, thepaddle does not feel especially heavy, mine weighs in at just 1.25kg.

My main concern was how rigid a joint the twoparts of the paddle would make. The paddle usesa simple button and spring mechanism to clip thetwo parts together. So you slide the right handpaddle tube inside the left hand one and let it clickinto the desired position. And thats it.

The button allows the feather to be adjustedbetween 0, 45 and 90 which is very limited forthose used to the unlimited feather options ofmore expensive split paddles. However for inlandtouring use, 45 is just fine. Do note though thatyou still have to buy right or left-handed, thefeather adjustment does not allow you to switchbetween them with the same paddle.

When clipped together there is inevitably some pivot slack which results in about 4mm of to and

fro relative movement between the opposing blade tips. That is not bad on a 2250mm paddle.You do notice it at first, but far less than you might imagine, and you soon find yourself not reallynoticing at all once you stop focussing on it and just get on with enjoying the paddle.

For 35 my expectations were not especially high, but the Ainsworth has more than exceeded myexpectations. Definitely recommended as a backup sea paddle or for travelling paddlers on abudget.

10REVIEW


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LOCAL RETAILERSWWC, Shepperton01932 247978http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk

Marsport, Reading01189 665912http://www.marsport.co.uk

Paddlesport, Warwick01926 640573http://www.paddlesport.co.uk

11COMMITTEEPresidentTim Ward01494 [email protected]

SecretaryPenny Newton

[email protected]

MembershipRod Edmonds01753 [email protected]

EquipmentTom Bailey

[email protected]

Women's RepresentativeCatherine [email protected]

Social SecretaryMelinda Livett

[email protected]

ChairmanAndy [email protected]

TreasurerKelvin Abbott

01753 [email protected]

1* Course Co-ordinatorSimon Knowles

07786 [email protected]

CoachingAlex [email protected]

Newsletter EditorRodney Casbierd

[email protected]

Youth RepresentativeVacant

WhitewaterChris Weston

[email protected]

Website EditorChris Porteous

[email protected]

SeaMark "Shades" Steel07900 [email protected]

TouringMichael [email protected]

Feel free to contact us to discuss a relevant issue or share your views


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Sunday 27 JulyHamble inland tour10.00 am, Swanwick (SU495093)

12CALENDAR

Saturday 2 AugustPool session

7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Weekend 2-3 AugustIntroduction to Paddlesport9.30 am 4.30 pm

Sunday 24 AugustArun inland tour10.00 am, The Black Rabbit (TQ025085)

Monday 1 SeptemberCommittee meeting7.00 pm 8.00 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

Weekend 6-7 SeptemberIntroduction to Paddlesport9.30 am 4.30 pm

Saturday 6 SeptemberPool session7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Saturday 20 SeptemberRolling Clinic6.00 pm 8.00 pm

Sunday 21 SeptemberKennet & Avon inland tour10.00 am, Newbury Wharf (SU473672)

POOLSESSION

Once per monthSaturday 7.00 - 8.00 pm,

see calendar for dates

Chalfont Leisure Centre, Nicol Road,Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9LR.

5 adults, 3 juniors

MEMBERSHIP RATESAdult 42 Family 65Junior23 Senior 23

Storage19 per boat

CLUBSESSIONS

Every SundayDoors open at 9.30 am.On the water for 10 am.

Every TuesdayDoors open at 6.30 pm.

On the water for 7 pm.

2014 Award Winners

Most improved paddlerJack Wataranan

Most improved Junior paddlerSeb Ison

Newsletter articleKaren Moyse(for Intro to Whitewater course)

Swimmer of the yearTim Ward(for Open Canoeing on Marlow Weir)

Saturday 4 OctoberImprovers Kayaking9.30 am 4.30 pm

Saturday 11 OctoberImprovers Canoeing9.30 am 4.30 pm

Saturday 18 OctoberBCU Two Star Assessment9.30 am 4.30 pm

Summer Newsletter from Marlow Canoe Club.MCC 144

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