Newsletter 111 Spring 2006 01

Newsletter 111

Spring 2006 / 01 Web: www.marlowcanoeclub.org.uk Email: [email protected]

WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE Editor’s Piece

1

Mr. Kingsley's diaries

2

Top Tips

6

L3 training with Ray Goodwin.

7

AGM REVISITED.

11

Events / Contacts etc.

12

EDITOR’S PIECE. It's been a bit of a slow take-up on the request to deliver the newsletter by email. That's a bit disappointing as I had thought many of the members would have given this a go. Now I know it would be remiss of me to assume that everybody has a PC these days, but for those that don't might I recommend a trip to the local library. Thanks to an initiative by Tony (pause for breath) Blair most if not all libraries now have PC's and a broadband connection. You don't even need an e-mail address, just ask for assistance if necessary and look up the club website. Not only will you find the newsletter, but a raft of

information and pictures featuring the club as it is today. Anyway, on to this issue. Mr. Kingsley's diaries are just that. A potted history of his (mostly) sea kayaking adventures. I might delve into the past and re-print some old features in future issues. We are not talking that long ago, yet you had to be dab hand with the compass and as for mobiles - forget it. I'm sure they were around but they were probably bigger than the VHF radio so necessary for these trips. Read and enjoy. There are a couple of top tips and an interesting website to visit. This site will tell you more about the Thames than you new existed. A couple of members are moving up through the coaching ranks, or will be if all goes to plan. Read JP's item on training with Ray Goodwin. I remember Ray talking to Rob about his open boat. Basically, his advice was to choose what he liked best, but he made sure Rob understood the differences between certain hull designs etc. Rob didn't buy one of his (sponsors) boats in the end but Ray was satisfied that he had made the right choice. A good bloke!

Everyone must believe in something, I believe I'll go canoeing. Who said that? Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

Answer next issue. Page 1

Winter 2005 / 04

MR. KINGSLEY'S DIARIES With regard to your note in the winter NL 110, I should like to take this opportunity to comment on my enthusiasm for sea touring. From the very beginning of my association with M.C.C. I have kept a logbook & every NL. I have the results of our first sprint regatta held on the 25/06/77, and Richard Collet-Fenson’s first NL dated September 1977. I would recommend everyone to keep a logbook of your canoe/kayaking activities. Should you then wish to climb the coaching ladder you are able to present a valid document of your past experience. Should you in future go for training or assessment and produce a logbook that has been written up on the previous evening then it will be treated as a work of fiction. To give all detail will take far too long. At the time I only had one kayak, a second/third hand blue general-purpose g.r.p. ‘Isis’, in which I had done my Inland Proficiency (4 star), & also been over many weirs & down the Exe & Dart, & in those days we used to shoot the right hand main gate on Marlow weir, before Health and Safety arrived! My first sea trip on the 21st April 1979 was from Southsea to Cowes & return. The general-purpose kayak is designed to be highly manoeuvrable & has a lot of rocker (The underwater section from bow to stern is saucer shaped), therefore when doing a good sweep stroke you spin on the spot. The racing and touring K1’s & sea kayaks are designed to travel in a straight line & have no rocker. To overcome the spinning action I had to construct a detachable skeg. This was made to the pattern shown in ‘The Canoeing Handbook’ & worked very well. At sea a skeg or rudder is most helpful. What you wear is entirely up to you; as long Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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as it is not cotton, which when wet has no insulating properties at all. Some choose to wear a wet suit summer and winter. I have only worn a wet suit when I know that I am going to get wet. (i.e. leading a one star course and showing the way by being the first to capsize, or doing training and assessment) On all sea touring trips at any time of the year I have only worn thermal clothing under sailing salopettes & cagoul with thermal socks and lightweight yachting wellies on my feet. When you stop for your lunch break, your sweat condenses & you immediately feel cold & uncomfortable. The first thing to do when getting ashore is to take your cagoul off and turn it inside out to dry then change your thermal vest for a dry one that you will have in your spare clothing ‘dry sac’. It is worth the trouble to feel dry and warm. 3/05/81 Sea trip from Lymington. Destination ‘ The Needles’ & Scratchels Bay. 9.00 am wind S/W Force 3 to 4. Noon gale force 6/7, turned back. 07/83. Poole to ‘Old Harry’ a very hot day. A large group of us in all sorts of craft. On our return many were very sunburnt. 08/83. Surfing at Bude. Friday/Saturday excellent. Sunday broken surf. 08/07/84. Poole-Swanage & return with John Futrell. (A lot of detail in my logbook) 24/05/85. Putney-Woolwich (Thames Barrier) and return. 34 miles. (A lot of detail in my logbook, & a full report in NL.19. This is not a trip to be undertaken lightly, & although inland, it is in many ways more dangerous than crossing from Lepe to Cowes. You are tired & paddling back upstream with the prevailing south-westerly against you. Should this be blowing with any force, the upstream face of some bridges produce a very strong down draft – an Winter 2005 / 04

invisible curtain of wind, which you have to paddle through. The blade that is out of the water is suddenly hit by the unseen wind & can capsize the unwary. Quote from newsletter No.19 “Shortly after our safe arrival at Putney at 16.45 we saw a ladies coxed four fold in half by the severity of the weather” 21/07/85. Poole-Old Harry-Poole. Paddling KW9 (stable 5m white water racer) Report in newsletter 20. 08/85. Purchased 2nd hand ‘Ice floe’ sea kayak. 11/10/85 (Friday) Tim Chappel & I were on the way to the National Coaching Conference to be held at Plas Menai, so we broke our journey & played for three hours on the Treweryn slalom course. There was no one else on the water. A hot October afternoon, absolute magic. Tiredness drove us from the water. Report in NL 21. 12-3/10/85. Coaching conference devoted to sea kayaking. The only time I have seen 60 sea kayaks together. Self rescues, flares, rescue by helicopter, etc.. Report in NL 22. 19-20/04/86. Sea Proficiency (Sea 4 star) weekend at Southwold. The test held on the Sunday was at the absolute limit. S/E force 6. Forced to land in dumping surf on a shingle beach with savage undertow, one of the parties lost his translucent ‘Mirage’ in the surf. It was hard to find, & being swept/rolled along the beach at an alarming speed. The rescuer with lifeline attached, went into the surf with another line to attach to the kayak. Report NL 25. 27-9/06/86. Around I.O.W. See NL 26. 12/86. Asked by Bucks.C.C. to organise a course during the summer of ’87 for Bucks Youth Service Workers. To go from novice to 4 star. This was difficult because some were not interested in canoeing but probably though it politic Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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to do the course. A sea trip was part of the course. Gerry and I with an unenthusiastic group paddled from Ringstead to Lulworth Cove & return. The following day we went from Poole to Old Harry & return. 15-7/05/87. Porthpean just south of St Austell Cornwall. Senior Instructor (level 3 coach) Sea Assessment. As I did not know the area at all I travelled very early on Friday morning, and was able to spend a long time with my O/S map doing a recce. of the area we would be paddling in. This was time well spent. Report in NL 30. Numerous trips during the remainder of '87/88. During which time I joined Portsmouth C.C. this enabled me to meet & paddle with experienced kayakers, pick brains & get new ideas. One of the most hairy trips across the Solent was in April 89. We got mixed up in a race of big yachts, racing at high speed. The helmsman is unaware of, & not expecting low-lying sea kayaks. We clustered as a group, the yachts rounded their racing buoy & because we were drifting westwards quite quickly came straight back towards us, and were gone. We were on the way from Stokes Bay (Gosport) to Cowes, which took two hours. Seldom is one fortunate enough to have wind and tide behind you & waves of the right amplitude on which to surf. The return journey was superb, taking one hour. NL 38. Being based in Marlow, although some distance from salt water, does have the advantage of being able to travel south, east and west, so in ’89 we paddled the River Blackwater in Essex, from Bradwell to Maldon and return. Coming upstream to Maldon, all the moored Thames Barges with St. Mary’s church on the small hill behind is a calendar scene.

Winter 2005 / 04

This was followed by a trip on 8th July from Brockweir on the River Wye to Bristol. 27 miles. Never to be forgotten. NL 39. With Peter Lee, I paddled from Sully Island (Barry) to Steepholm – Flatholm for lunch. It was a hot July day & we lingered too long on the beach. The tide was on the flood, & for me, we had a very hard-sustained ferry glide without being able to stop for a drink, as we would have lost too much ground. A relief to get back to our start point. 18-20/08/89. Stokes Bay (Gosport) clockwise around the I.O.W. Friday early evening paddled to Bembridge (Whitecliff Bay on the south-east corner of the island) Slept on the beach; shallow trough in the shingle with karrimat and bivvy. On Saturday morning made use of the holiday camp toilet block before setting off for Yarmouth. Landed at Scratchels Bay (a small beach of large pebbles at the extreme western end of the island) while we waited for the tide to turn. A real tide race as we rounded The Needles lighthouse. The north side of the I.O.W. is unstable clay and finding a campsite is difficult. On every trip that you undertake, you have to plan to have the tide with you. In this case we had the last of the evening ebb tide flowing easterly to take us to Bembridge, then on Saturday the ebb tide running westwards helped us down the southern side of the island. (The tidal flow in the Solent is difficult to explain unless you have a tidal atlas in front of you) On Sunday morning a spring flood carried us from Yarmouth to Stokes Bay in four hours, including a coffee stop (by the toilets!) in Cowes. We always aimed to get in at least one sea trip during the Christmas break, sometimes two. On December 29th 89, Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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with Gerry Knight and Peter Lee, I paddled from Stokes Bay to Seaview (I.O.W.). Easterly 4/5. A good blow, but too rough to land at Seaview. We could have got ashore easily in an emergency, but we had no reason to get wet, so we retreated to Puckpool where we able to get ashore and keep dry in the process. 28/04/90. V.H.F. Radio course & test at Calshot. 25/05-2/06/90.With Gerry Knight & two others, a clockwise circumnavigation of Mull. 103 nautical miles in 5½ days. The pressure was on as Gerry was to organise the marathon on Sunday 3rd June. Detail in NL 42/3. There were many memorable moments, one of which was being able to paddle backwards to the very back of Fingles Cave, with seals plopping into the water all around .TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS – LEAVE FOOTPRINTS. We did just that. 20-22/07/90. Another leader was indisposed, so at short notice I took a party clockwise around I.O.W. 36 miles paddled on the Saturday. Saturday evening we camped on the mainland between Lepe and Calshot 2nd March 91. River Blackwater. Spring flood tide. Set off in the fog. NL 46. 09/03/91. Southsea. Wind southerly F6. Ugh!! Back into the car to think of an alternative. Paddle around Hayling Island. Found shelter behind Hayling Island Yacht Club to light our stoves. Watched four Lasers all with broken masts being towed in. Back on the water and out to sea where we ferry glided across the Winner sands! Wow!! With the sun in our eyes, windsurfers travelling at high speed are scary. We lived to tell the tale. 01/03/91. A trip I have not mentioned before, but well worth doing is from Lymington with the flood tide behind you, to Newtown on the I.O.W., taking the right hand arm of the inlet & going Winter 2005 / 04

all the way up the creek to the tiny brick arched bridge, which if the tide is right you can just squeeze through. We never had any problems, but you are not supposed to land in the nesting season. Further trips were undertaken before David Mitchell and I went to the Western Isles for the week commencing 21st May. It is important that you go no later than the end of May if you want to avoid the dreaded midges, it also helps if you camp on the shortest grass available and in a reasonable exposed position, unless a gale is blowing! We had a week of wonderful weather. No midges were encountered. We were able to play in Corryvreckan, Dorus Mor (both whirlpools) & The Grey Dogs, a small channel no more than 30' wide where the incoming tide runs downhill at you. High crosses in sea kayaks! The most memorable part of this week was our camp on Colonsay. From the top of the small hill which was sheltering our tents from a strong south westerly, on an exceptionally clear evening we could see to the north-east, more than fifty miles away the ‘Pap of Glencoe’ and ‘Ben Nevis’ NL 47. 17/08/91. Planned Ilfracombe to Lunday. S/W 5/6 far too strong. So we paddled in two tiring days from Ilfracombe to Porlock Weir. Kayaking up the Bristol Channel against a strong ebb tide with difficult overfalls close to shore really called for a lot of endurance. The outgoing tide would have been used to help us to Lundy. Two reports in NL 48. October 91. Clevedon – Flatholm – Clevedon. Departed in fog at 09.30 with a spring ebb going like an express train. Navigation has to be spot on. Too far to either side of the island and you will be swept past. Flatholm, named by the Vikings is an interesting island. In days Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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past all the Clippers heading for Bristol would stop at the island to land any sick crew members who would be admitted to the purpose built quarantine hospital. April 92. David Martin from Portsmouth and I launched at Lepe & went to Ryde. On our return, dense fog rolled in. We paddled back up the middle of the Solent going from buoy to buoy. The top of Fawley chimney was helpful. 10/05/92. Thames tideway. NL 52. 16/05/92. Our intention was to cross the Thames estuary from Sheerness to Southend. S/W 5 over flood tide, which we were to paddle across, was asking for trouble. Opted for the Swale instead. 23-30/05/92. Western Isles again! Good campsite at Arisaig, where we could leave the cars in safety. Good launching facility, & hot showers awaiting our return. To Eigg – Muck – Rhum – Sanday – Canna – Rhum – Skye – Arisaig. David Lyddiatt report in NL 53. Going ashore in the Solent with a partially loaded kayak is in the main, no problem. However, a fully loaded sea kayak has a lot of inertia, and getting ashore in a rocky / seaweed covered boulder situation, which is then complicated by even a small swell is an entirely different matter. Great care must be taken not to put a hole in the kayak. You will have in your buoyancy aid pocket a painter (short line) with spring clip on one end. You clip this onto the grab line that runs around the deck of the kayak. You can then concentrate on getting out of the kayak with the free end of the painter in your hand. You then have the option of getting your kayak someway out of the water, or moored afloat, before you help others. A party of 4 is a good number to have especially when it comes to carrying Winter 2005 / 04

loaded kayaks from shore to campsite. Should a person slip of fall, the kayak is still supported by the other three. As the number in the party grows so it rapidly becomes more difficult to find enough level ground on which to camp. Another years paddling before we return to Scotland again, for the last week in May 93. This time taking the noon ferry from Oban, for the six-hour voyage to Castlebay on the Outer Hebrides. Our aim was to get to the southern end of the chain of islands and get round Barra Head. Studying O/S maps showed us that Mingalay had a sandy beach, sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly. It was very rough and cold, but our landing was easy. Portaging the loaded kayaks over very fine soft sand was hard work. We found an abandoned settlement, and as the wind was blowing strongly we each put our tents up within the four walls of four derelict cottages.We were storm bound on Mingalay for three days, spending time bird watching. Looking over the cliffs, the Kittiwakes had young in the most precarious places. Crawling on your stomach one could get within four feet of the Puffins. We climbed to the top of the island where from the shelter of a large overhanging rock I could speak on the V.H.F. radio to the Coastguard at Stornaway 125 miles north of us. They were most kind and helpful & asked that we keep in touch. We went afloat in a gale, with the wind blowing the tops off the waves and crossed to Barra Head but we could not get ashore so returned to the shelter of Mingalay. We finally left Mingalay with a S/W force 6 behind us. It was too rough to take one’s hands off the paddle to take photographs. We found another secluded beach on the northern side of Sanday, where we went ashore and set Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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up our tents. Advised Oban coastguard where we were. The weather had moderated, so we used old sheep pens to hang out all our wet gear, which dried in the sun and breeze. Interesting reports of other sea trips in NL 59 & 60, including a circumnavigation of Jura. 05/09/93. Organised a Southern Region introduction to sea touring, with a trip from Lepe to Cowes & return. There were twenty three on the water, a calm sunny day, ideal. Report by Colin Scottow in NL 60. Half the enjoyment of sea touring is the planning. Weather forecasts, Tides, Charts, Tidal atlas, O.S.maps. The ability to chart a course allowing for wind and tide. Your detailed equipment list, which you keep, & add to & delete from as your experience grows, goes right down to clothesline & pegs, a book, radio & alarm clock. Do you know your sea birds, can you tell the difference between a Cormorant and a Shag, a Guillemot & a Razorbill, Redbreasted merganser & Shelduck, an Eider duck. If not a bird book could be useful; it makes life so much more interesting if you know what you are looking at. When you are afloat the birds are not so afraid of you and at times you can get very close, and if you paddle backwards even closer to the seals. Sitting absolutely still and drifting along the shore of Vatersay we got within 100m of sea otters. A detailed knowledge of the ability of the rest of your party, including any medical problems that might arise. Have you a tried and tested method of standing your kayak on edge using your spare paddles to give your tent protection in severe weather? If you are planning to camp, then load and reload your kayak on your back lawn, making sure that you adopt a system whereby everything goes in the Winter 2005 / 04

same space every time. All aqua sacs are clearly marked. My tent in its own dry bag would stow in the cockpit behind my seat, so that it was always first out & erected. Trangia stove, meths & firelighters in the bow compartment. All food in the stern compartment. Your food menu is planned in detail for the week. Written on fablon & stuck on your deck. You do not want to be unloading Thursday & Fridays evening meals on Monday or Tuesday, so you load the kayak to plan. Each breakfast was individually packed in a small freezer bag, which would contain 130 grammes of museli mixed with dried milk powder & sugar. All I had to do was add water. Each egg was individually packed in its own container (wrapped in thin foam in a baking powder/bi-carb container). All tins were marked with their contents with black marker pen and the labels removed. Dried potato was pre-measured and placed in freezer bags. Bacon was packed in the bottom of the kayak, where it was kept cold. While eating my breakfast I would be preparing my lunch. Ryvita & honey sandwiches, and heating water for vacuum flasks. You have to bear in mind that you are using a lot of energy, and therefore food selection is important but space is limited. No chocolate, which melts, but a lot of dried fruit, which can get wet but is still edible. There was always a bag of apricots in a pocket of my buoyancy aid. Bananas from green to ripe, the days ration being carried on deck under your deck elastics, the balance tucked into various crannies. Oranges are another good way to carry moisture that can be easily stowed. The normal loaf is a problem, rye bread travels better. The time taken from landing on a beach, finding a flat site for your tent, to changing into your dry thermals and Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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tracksuit to finishing your evening meal would be about two hours. The hardest two hours of the day. The thinking of what to eat is taken away from you. As you refer to your pre-planned menu. My spare spare clothing would be in the very front of the kayak, & therefore never unpacked, with other clothing immediately behind. This meant that the kayak was light at the bow and rode the waves more easily, it did not dig in, and I had a drier ride. Carried on deck were waterproofed O/S maps for that day and tidal information, two x two litres of water, thermos, flares and rockets, spare paddles, tow line, compass, etc. If you are able to plan your trip so that you can camp in one place for more than one night, and go for a days paddle or walk that is a bonus. I am comforted by the thought that the growth in sea kayaking is slow. There may be a lot of water in which to paddle, but when it comes to knowing the whereabouts of good car parking and launching facilities, you very quickly find a different situation. The B.C.U. Canoeing Handbook has a chapter on Sea Kayaking, and the B.C.U. will also have a list of books on sea touring. Get the titles then ask your public library what is available. The more demand you create the more likely they are to obtain copies from out of County. About five years ago I wanted a special book on the composer Beethoven. They had not got it in the County and purchased it for me. I kept renewing it and had it for several months. Sea touring is another facet of our sport, that will give immense satisfaction after a hard days paddle. Go down to Lepe, get kayaking. Nothing venture-nothing gained. John Kingsley (Life member)16/12/05 Winter 2005 / 04

TOP TIPS Got a nice new boat for Christmas, don't want your current one to wear out so quickly. When seal launching off anything other than a rounded wooden edge (concrete lock and weir sides spring to mind) place a stick or something similar under the front of the boat to act as a roller. Sounds silly. I thought so too, until I saw it done. At Hurley. A dagger something or the other of several years vintage with barely a mark on the bottom. And the owner assured me he always looks for a 'roller' wherever he launches his boat.

BLUE PIGGIES? Cold weather - it's a bane. I notice some of our more affluent members have invested in centrally heated Michelin man suits but for many of the rest of us, cold feet goes with the game. Those poor little piggy's, stuffed up into the tight bow of a boat, it's no wonder they're turning blue. Especially when you consider there is only 5mm of plastic between them and the freezing water. So when I took the long boat out on a far & fast run the other day, I put my nookie changing mat under my feet bliss. If your feet are really squeezed up, try a thinner layer, but thicker is better.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?. Just how much do you know about our 'home' river. Ever wondered just what's around the next corner that a Sunday trip just can't quite reach. Maybe the river's history is of interest to you. Or the geology. Or the environment.

Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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What about the water - how much? How fast? How deep? I came across this site quite by accident http://www.the-river-thames.co.uk/ and spent quite a while learning stuff to forget later, but at least I'll know where to look in future. It's a site put up by a boaty couple who obviously like the river as much as we do. Next time you are on the net, take a look. It's worth it.

SMELLY BOOTS? I put this in a while ago, but just the other Sunday someone was wondering what to do with smelly boots. Here's two things I do - and my daisy roots are as fresh today as when I bought them. 1) Rinse of any mud and along with thermals and wetsuit I put them in the washing machine with a little fabric conditioner on a rinse cycle only. Make sure there are no sharp edges in the drum and you should be O.K. but it's at your own risk. 2) Concentrated disinfectant. Before I started using the washing machine I used a product called Zoflora (Waitrose) but the Tesco assistant I asked only had Zofflera in stock - still, it looked the same. A strong solution in warm water left in the boots for a few minutes sorts out the little nasties that may have taken up residence. Then rinse out with clean water. Whatever you do you need to dry the boots afterwards. Roll the top of the boot down as far as it will go and drying is a lot easier. Now that they smell nice you can put them in the airing cupboard without getting the attention of the other half, or upsetting mum.

Last months little quote was from Albert Einstein. The older I get, the more I think he was right.

Winter 2005 / 04

LEVEL 3 KAYAK TRAINING WITH RAY GOODWIN The summer evening paddles are great! They seem to cater for everyone’s taste/mood with the option of a beer and chips to follow. For Big David Goddard and I the last few warm evenings on the water were about planning our L3K Coach training. Dave was, as many others, inspired by the Ray Mears canoeing programme featuring Ray Goodwin and made the suggestion that we should use the latter for our training. Hence, come a Friday in mid November, and a cold one at that, we are off to JJ’s Rafting Centre at Mile End Mill on the river Dee for some personal coaching with Ray Goodwin and Nigel Garrett (to be known to all as Naughty Nigel). Access on the Dee (stretches that are not owned by JJs): Has been an issue recently: the situation is the Welsh Canoe Association (WCA) has in effect walked away from negotiations and have accepted that there is no access for its members… in practice “It’s never been better” is the practical situation according to most of the local paddlers we met. Effectively this has meant that individuals carry out “bandit runs”. To the fishermen we met this did not seem to be an issue at all. They were, if anything, friendly. Quote UK Rivers Guide: “Excellent you are completely unrestricted by an access agreement since there isn't one.” The down side is that there can be no officially organised events (smacks of two children fighting over a toy). Nigel took us through the first day of what would be the start of a dissection of our paddling. We began paddling a route, moving around the river between Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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boulders not a problem, I know how to get across a bit of river. Sadly a few coaching points and I moved from unconscious to conscious incompetence. Now I’m watching Nigel more closely and what I had dismissed as confidence and experience was now about technique. “Who dictates the angle of the boat when you leave the eddy, you or the river?” and other equally leading questions were posed. Unfortunately the only satisfactory answer was to paddle better. Soon we were new paddlers on the river moving about with efficient ease, control and a slick confidence, but only on the occasions that we got it right. Naughty Nigel then brought up the concept of what he called a “stern squeeze”. The exercise was moving from an eddy behind a boulder in the middle of the river, exiting the eddy on the opposite side and crossing back across the river up-stream of the boulder. Ten paddle strokes was the norm, pre the new stroke. NN achieved the same manoeuvre in four strokes. When exiting the eddy a good power stroke well placed into the stream you are about to enter provides upstream force as the boat enters the stream (as taught by Adrian demonstrating high crosses on the Nene). NN was turning this power stroke into a modified stern rudder, squeezing the stern of the boat to the paddle, pulling the boat further into the main stream and providing, in NN’s case, some significant forward movement. I got it (more or less) right a few times that day but, sadly, have not since. It was getting late and the sun was losing its battle against the cold as we moved onto a play-wave -… where I managed to capsize Big Dave. Considering the weather he restrained his appreciation well and went on to capsize himself again on the play wave, Winter 2005 / 04

proving that dry suit seals still work when frozen. Dave only snores when he is tired and has had a beer or two. So, after a beer or two at the end of a tiring day, it was off for an early night. Revenge was exacted. Minus Six: was the temperature reading on Dave’s car the next morning and the frost and ice had command. Day two was the introduction of coaching skills as well as personal skills, communication, leadership and safety. Dissecting strokes into their components, understanding the effects, symptoms of problems. Some more leading questions, including one which will stick with me: “What do you want to achieve as an instructor?”, triggered the discussion about conditioning victims. This I found a most valuable lesson especially at this level. The answer, as I see it, is to coach paddlers to a point where they are independent, safe, able to make judgments, carry out rescues and also to carry the right level of equipment. Ray’s comments are “All too often the coach will carry all the safety kit and not allow mentorees to think for themselves. “This is how a victim is conditioned”. This struck a chord with my “excellent manager” training from earlier in the year. This describes four styles of leadership, directing, coaching, supporting and delegating, and when best to apply them. It all maps well to the river environment. However, despite being a well (pause) trained manager I still have, according to the results of both of the training sessions, and noting a factor of a thousand difference in cost, a reluctance to the directing style. Ice was forming on my hat as we got off the water as dusk hit. I seemed to be the only person who didn’t want to get changed in the car park. (Proper Hardened Paddlers Don’t know what a Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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heated changing room is. Makes you get to the pub quicker as well DG Note) The evening session was held at Ray’s cottage, middle of nowhere, stone floor, wood beams, wood burner, fish and chips, flipchart, home made paddle over the hearth, excellent! Day three: Amazed to find that there was no evidence of the major wood processing operation that was set up in the room overnight. It was -6.5C as we prepared for a bandit river run from Town Falls to Trevor Bridge. Ray and Nigel were putting us as river leaders and coaches in turn. It feels uncomfortable coaching peers, but leading and coaching level 5 coaches was quite a challenge especially as Nigel and Ray had a two man comedic routine going, featuring various levels of Naughty Nigel. This section of the Dee is an excellent stretch with long sections of grade 1 with the occasional 2 and easy 3. During the quieter sections we went through more coaching leadership and paddling skills tips and experiences. The head was full of information and the energy levels were ebbing as we surfed the last wave under Trevor Bridge. The wash up was held in the conservatory of a local 4* Hotel. This helped add to our sense of ceremony for the assessment and analysis of our performance, goals and personal development plans. With lots to consider that evening, we headed home. Just a few more logs to process from a tired Goddard in the passenger seat. Will big Dave spend more time in a kayak in 2006 or will he be drawn back to the dark side of open boats? In summary: The weekend produced two TL3KC’s and several sheds full of brass monkeys not forgetting to mention the wood for the sheds. Winter 2005 / 04

No rest for the wicked and just time to unpack, re-pack and grab a few hours sleep before a hideously early flight to Venezuela and the sharp contrast of some 35 to 40 degrees.

References: Ray Goodwin coaching (www.raygoodwin.com) Ray Mears (www.raymears.com) JJ Canoeing (www.jjraftcanoe.com) JOHN PARKIN

03/02/06

AGM REVISITED As per the norm, the 'Kings Head' had once again been booked for the AGM. It's a chance for some of the members who have moved away from the club to put in an appearance and some old faces were to be seen. I don't know too many of the 'old timers' but I've seen the faces. Steve Williams always finds time to talk to those members that he knows, and as he has put in a 400 mile round trip this is to be appreciated. We will be hearing more from Steve in a later issue, I hope. It seemed to me that the no's attending were down on previous years, but a check back on last years AGM showed that there was not a great deal of difference. Perhaps the audience was not so vociferous as in previous years, and this would account for the increase in charges going through without a murmur. Or could it be that Gerry was not going to have to re-mortgage as the boat storage fees were to remain the same? Still the evening went well and all the official stuff was dealt with relatively promptly. No doubt aided by the fine 'London Pride' and other beers on offer, and for some, gastronomic delights from the kitchen. So after a sort break to recharge our glasses we Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

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got on to this years awards. I've listed the recipients and there award below. All received 'Nookie' changing mats unless mentioned otherwise. Not an annual award, but one member sponsored a booze voucher for Dave Goddard in appreciation for all the hard work on the re-vamped website. I get to choose the newsletter awards. Two this year. For Hannah Sharp & Rachel Holloway for their excellent descriptive work on the DW race, from the inside out. And for their parents who did an equally good feature on the DW from the outside looking in. Not club members so a bottle of plonk is on it's way to them. Most improved adult went to Denise Peet who has now passed her 3* and is a regular attendee on Wye / Usk trips. Most improved junior went to Emma Seabridge for a steady and continued progression through the star awards. The volunteer of the year award went to Sarah Belcher (honourable mention to Terry Belcher) for establishing the Thursday night marathon paddling sessions. And so to that most coveted of awards, 'The swimmer of the year'. Open to all members but often given to a member who's skills (the greater the better) deserted them when they were needed most. This year the award goes to Martin Seabridge for several notable incidents throughout the year, some noted in previous issues. I'll start worrying when he surfaces without a smile! I've never got this award, and sometimes wonder why, because like Martin I could have got it on quantity if not quality. But neither of us need worry. Just like the 207, there will be another swimmer along in a minute. That's all folks. Next issue around mid June. Taking items now. Winter 2005 / 04

MARLOW CANOE CLUB DIARY START DATE 02/04/06

END DATE 02/04/06

06/05/06

07/05/06

14/05/06

14/05/06

03/06/06

04/06/06

11/06/06

11/06/06

13/06/06

20/06/06

18/06/06

18/06/06

VARIOUS

2006

EVENT/LOCATION Cricklade to Ha'penny bridge - 10 miles. The 1st part of GUY'S Thames tour. Our 1st 1* course of the year. (I just know summer begins here!) River Wey, Bowers Lock to Pyrford Basin 6.6 miles. Leave club at 08:30 Our 2nd 1* course of the year. (Just like the first but warmer!) Ha'penny Bridge to Tadpole Bridge - 9 m. The 2nd part of GUY'S Thames tour. The first 2* course. Suit last year's 1*'s. (includes w/end 17/18 June) Riverside open boat demo day, + BBQ See box below for details. This year we have pushed the boat out ref trips and I think we've got something for everybody. New starters, flat water, white water & touring. No surf or sea confirmed yet, but watch this space.

MIN LEVEL 1* N/A 1* N/A 1* 1*

ORGANISER/ CONTACT Guy Maddieson 01844 275418 John Norris 01494 483833 Guy Maddieson 01844 275418 John Norris 01494 483833 Guy Maddieson 01844 275418 Tim Twitchen 07833 995289 See noticeboard See noticeboard and website for details / updates.

Check with leader or a coach.

Bold denotes organised MCC event or participation

RIVERSIDE OPEN BOAT DEMO DAY + BBQ - ALL FREE. TRY OUT SOME OF THE DEMO BOATS AVAILABLE. SPEAK TO THOSE WHO KNOW HOW TO USE AND ENJOY THESE CRAFT. DETAILS AND MAP ARE ON THE NOTICEBOARD.

CLUB CONTACTS President

Tim Ward

Chairman

Adrian Cooper Andy Maxted

Secretary & Southern rep. Treasurer Safety rep. Coaching Course Bookings Equipment Officer Longridge Liaison Marketing & Publicity

Paul Crichton Guy Maddieson Tim Twitchen David Lydiatt Don Moore Martin Plain

01494 482959 01844 344580 07730 852760 08708 806962 01844 275418 07833 995289 01753 887773 01628 773555 01628 483252

David Lydiatt

Newsletter Editor

John Norris

Social Secretary Whitewater

VACANT POSITION Martin Reed

Women’s Rep

Debs Hardy

Youth Rep

George Cooper Guy Maddieson

Inland Touring

VACANT POSITION

Marlow Canoe Club Newsletter

Marlow Marathon Membership Secretary

Page 12

Rod Edmonds

01753 887773 01753 671389 01494 483833 john.norris @bt.com

01844 344687 07812 749555 01844 344580 01844 275418

Winter 2005 / 04