Marlow

Canoe
Club

Newsletter 146 Winter 201 5

www.marlowcc.org.uk

INSIDE YOUR
WINTER 2015 ISSUE
3 Marlow watersports hub open

Are you ready to act as ambassadors for

our sport? Oh dear.

4 Pub planning

A group of novices plan their own adven

ture down St Pat's under the watchful eye
of Penny and Ceri. Yep, it's got disaster
written all over it but somehow they all
survive.

5 Expression 11

An excellent boat for lazy paddlers like

your editor, despite the rubbish seat back
rest.

6 An open canoe classic

The chairman ventures into the land of

marauding Picts and changes the destiny
of Scotland.

10 Rescue me

Attention all swimmers sort yourself out,

we are all off to the pub, see yer later
chum.

12 Back to the Hamble

Nobody capsizes this year, although

Douglas gives it a darned good try.

14 Anyone for Spanish fly?

Get your editor on a Stand Up Paddle

board? I would rather be forced to watch
"Fast and Furious" AND drink lager.

14 Annual General Meeting

Your opportunity to stage a coup d'etat

and seize control of the newsletter.

15 Committee members & Retailers

And then there were three.

16 Calendar

Look at the website and you will see the

committee has gone all calendar girls?

EDITORIAL

Submit an
article to win a
paddling prize
Any club member can submit articles for
the newsletter.
You do not need the
literary talent of Shakespeare or the
photographic skills of Annie Leibovitz.
Just send us your raw words and/or
photographs and the editor will apply the
necessary polish.
And there is no maximum or minimum
size to articles. A single page with a
photo would typically be only 350 words
or so. But our sport is very visual and
often 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 but
no photos then that is OK as photos are
often either not essential or the club can
supply something suitable.
Every
member,
young
and
old,
experienced and newbie, is encouraged to
share your paddling experience with
others via the newsletter.
And remember that every year a
decent prize is awarded at the club
AGM 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 the
editor at rbcasbierd@yahoo.co.uk

COVER PHOTO

The cover photo

graph for this news
letter was supplied
by Sharron Bartlett
and you can make
your own captions
up because I got
into
trouble
last
time.

A little legal stuff....

This newsletter is a free publication for the
Marlow Canoe Club.
Whilst every care is taken, the newsletter and
the Marlow Canoe Club do not accept respons
ibility for the opinions expressed or the goods
and services mentioned in this publication.
2015.

COMMITTEE

Marlow Water Sports

Hub now open
by Andy Maxted
Anyone crossing Marlow bridge in recent weeks is likely to have noticed that the new
Marlow Watersports Hub is up and running with fit and healthy types sweating on the
various pieces of torture equipment installed in the extensive new gym. For my part, I
can confirm that the slightly smaller bar is also functioning and is wellstocked with a
selection of fine beverages from the Rebellion brewery!
Following my piece in the last newsletter your committee has discussed the various views offered
by members on how we take advantage of the hub facilities and has had further discussions with
the rowing club. Thank you to all those members who responded to the consultation and helped
inform those discussions.
One piece of excellent news to emerge is agreement that the
hub fees published in the last newsletter will be the public
rates and that anyone signing up to the hub through one of
the partner clubs will benefit from even lower rates. These club
rates will be 10 per annum for a social member giving
access to the club room and changing facilities and 120 per
annum to include gym membership plus an initial 5 deposit
for a key fob.

AGREED CLUB
HUB RATES
Social 10
Gym 120

Hub membership will run for 12 months from joining (and therefore is not linked to the MCC
membership year) and the key fobs will give access to the gym and/or changing facilities and
bar/caf as appropriate. The changing rooms are equipped with small lockers suitable for storing
car keys, phones etc while using the gym or going out on the water.
Another piece of good news is that membership of the hub gives access to a limited amount of
parking including an informal arrangement to use the lower of the Compleat Anglers car parks
other than when the hotel has large or special events on.
The team behind the hub is organised very much as our own club, ie relying on volunteers, and
access arrangements are still being developed. The gym and bar facilities are currently available to
members only during club sessions (Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday lunchtimes) and
on other prearranged occasions. Availability is however expected to increase as the hub becomes
more established. MCC members wishing to use the gym will for the moment be expected to join
in with other training squads during peak periods.
Hub fob holders will be entitled to take guests into the bar/caf area and all MCC members will
have the opportunity to see the new facilities for themselves on the evening of Monday 02
February when we will hold our 2015 AGM at the hub see the separate AGM notice for further
details.
Your committee is currently setting up systems to allow for all members to be invited to
join the hub at the same time as the club membership renewal notices go out in
February. If in the meantime any members want to access the new hub facilities sooner
please contact the MCC treasurer Kelvin Abbott (see inside back page for contact
details) to arrange payment of the appropriate fee and arrangements will be made for a
key fob to be issued as soon as possible.

COACHING

Pub planning
by Claire Osborne
Twelve novice paddlers have been very lucky as we received coaching for six weeks
from Penny and Ceri. Giving up their own time, they have helped us improve our stroke
skills and made sure we got wet plenty of times with capsize and rescue drills. The
course concluded with a fantastic river trip which we were asked to plan. Strangely both
groups chose a circular course with a pub to stop off at!!!
After loading 14 boats onto our cars, we
headed off to Sonning, which has a lovely
little grass bank to launch our boats from
(although the bank seemed so much higher
when we were trying to get out!). We
headed down stream in search of the
entrance to St. Patrick's Stream and this is
where the fun really began. It's a lovely
winding stream with over hanging trees,
fishermen and some amazing houses and
bridges to keep you entertained. The current
really pushed us along and gave us the
chance to test out all those strokes we had
been taught.
Part way down we made a slight detour (only 50m) to
play in a little bit of white water, then continued our
journey along the stream, all choosing which of the
many house style we would buy! We then rejoined the
river Thames, quickened our pace and got to The
George and Dragon in time for a well earned lunch.
The food took a while to come but the roasts were
very much appreciated and the staff didn't mind our
wet bottoms on their nice soft cushions. Feeling full
(and all slightly heavier) we then paddled back up
stream, through Shiplake Lock and back home to
complete our 11km trip.

We've all really enjoyed working together

and this was a great way to end our little
meetings and would recommend this part of
the river for anybody wanting to head out
for a nice day trip. Thank you to Marlow
Canoe Club for supporting our course. We all
feel very lucky.

REVIEW

Expression 11

by Rodney Casbierd
The club has a few Pyrana Fusion touring boats, and you may have paddled these. But
the Fusion is a crossover whitewater craft and moves through the water like a floating
brick compared to the graceful glide of a true touring boat.
Why go for an 11foot (3.35m) touring kayak instead of the more usual 4.5m tourers? Well the
shorter boats only weigh circa 20kg and this, plus their shorter length, makes them physically
easier to handle out of the water. Also they are more manouevrable in narrower waterways.
The 11footer market is not quite as crowded as it used to be. The main competition for
Perception's Expression 11 is arguably the Venture Flex 11. The Flex has the advantage of a very
adaptable seat and a convenient deckpod for storing bits and bobs. Plus it is available in green,
for those who want to lurk in the undergrowth. But it has that dodgy skeg system and is not so
fast in the water. Ditto the similarly stodgy Dagger axis. The Elie Strait 120 is sleek but is circa
50% more expensive than the UK manufactured Expression 11.
The Expression 11, at 3.53m long, is the slinkiest of them all and comes the closest to being a
pocket seakayak. On the river it cuts
nicely through the water and tracks and
edges very well. There is a skeg, which is
easy to deploy and which seems more re
liable than the Venture skegs. The skeg
does not look like much (see photo) but
in crosswinds I find the skeg to be sur
prisingly effective. Without the skeg the
boat turns with minimal effort.
The Expression 11 is not flatbottomed and has a pronounced keel. This
undoubtedly contributes to the boats performance in the water, it rides
gentle waves very well, but it also makes the initial stability feel lower
than something like a Fusion.
There is plenty of deck rigging and generously proportioned watertight
rear storage with a secure hatch cover. Both essentials for tourers.
The seat is very comfortable and incorporates leglifters to support
the bottom of your thighs. It is possibly too comfy : one problem I
found was that the backrest of the standard seat fitted to the Expres
sion 11 stands well proud of the cockpit (see photos) and interferes
both with the spraydeck and, more importantly, my buoyancy aid.
For this reason I instead opted for a seat with a backband and this is
the seating option that I would recommend for more experienced
paddlers.
Another problem is security. There is not really anything on the boat
that can be used to secure it with a cable lock or similar. At just over
500 from Marsport the boat is a bargain and too good to lose!
If you are looking for a mediumsized day touring boat that will not break the bank then
the Perception Expression 11 is a pretty good choice.

OPEN CANOE

An open canoe
classic

by Andy Maxted
There are many trips that are high on my must do list and the classic journey through
Scotlands Great Glen linking Fort William and Inverness via a series of lochs, including
Scotland's biggest, Loch Ness, and the Caledonian Canal, has long been one of them.
Its one of those trips that has lived in my imagination for years yet the possibility of having a
crack at it seemed too remote to contemplate. Too remote that is until in a discussion down at the
Dart last autumn (yes, in the bar, arent they always?) I found myself talking about it with an old
paddling friend Phil who seemed just as keen as I was. As we talked others in our group piped up,
part challenging us to make it happen, part threatening to come along with us if we did. The next
morning we went paddling. Nothing more was said about the Glen, but the seed had been
planted
January came and the new season calendar started to come together and thoughts of going to
Scotland kept coming back. When might we fit it in? How many days would we need? How many of
those who, months before, had said they were interested might actually commit to going? A few
emails produced some promising results. It seemed that everyone whod been at the Dart was
keen and one had even been talking to another friend who was up for it too. There was however,
one caveat. As a number of those involved are working in the outdoor industry it had to be mid
week and fitted in before Easter. Calendars were checked and we settled on the first week of
March, earlier than wed have liked as the trip involves wild camping, but our only realistic option.
Now I know our editor has a distrust of Facebook and other social media (not quite true, I don't
distrust it Andy, I merely think it is the work of Satan and all his little helpers that's all. Just like
the Xfactor really Ed), but on this occasion it really came into its own. One of the teams
Facebook friends had recently moved to Fort Augustus at the head of Loch Ness and half way
through the Glen. Seeing a Facebook post about the trip the friend commented that we must call
in and see them on our way through. One post led to another and a few days later, we were all
invited to stay with the friend, Jim, and his wife on the nights before and after our trip and they
would transport us to the start and pick us up again at the finish. Thats a real Facebook friend!
I was to paddle tandem with Chris Beal and with both of us working over the weekend immediately
prior to our trip we drove up overnight, leaving Maidenhead at about 9pm on the Sunday and
arriving in Fort Augustus to join the other members of the party for breakfast with Jim and Eileen
in Fort Augustus. Breakfast over we rearranged boats and kit for the shuttle to Fort William and
Neptunes Staircase the flight of eight locks that takes the Caledonian Canal up on the first stage
of its dramatic journey north west through the highlands.
Being early March we were out of season and there were no staff on hand to work the locks, not
that that mattered as canoes are not permitted to use the locks anyway. It was warm work to shift
all our boats and gear from the cars and trailer to the head of the flight, but several carries later
we were there, nine paddlers and one dog in five wellladen open canoes, and ready to start our
adventure.
It was a bright, clear day as we travelled the first few miles along the canal, a broad waterway,
more like the upper reaches of the Thames than the Kenneth & Avon. Even more different was the
view the snow clad slopes of Ben Nevis on our right and the foothills of the equally white
Grampians on our left. After a few miles we reached Gairlochy, another lock and a portage to take

OPEN CANOE

us
into
Loch
Lochy.
Paddling past one of the
pepper point lighthouses
that are a feature of the
canal and into the open
loch
we
were
again
reminded of the scale of
the Scottish landscape and
of our undertaking. We
hugged the southern shore,
or at least kept it a couple
of hundred metres to our
right, as the loch opened
out and the swell built up.
There
was
a
breeze
building too giving us the
first chance to try our sails.
We were travelling south west to north east, with the prevailing wind behaving and blowing in its
usual direction. Had the forecast been for northerlies we'd have adjusted our plans and paddled
north east to south west.
The short winter day was wearing on and by 3pm we were thinking about finding a bivi site, none
of us fancied the prospect of leaving that until dark. The main Fort William to Inverness road, the
A82, follows to south shore of the loch and it was clear that any bivi on that side would be noisy.
The northern shore seemed less hospitable, densely wooded and steeply sloped, but we knew that
was where we needed to be. Leaving the safety of closeness to the shore and the road behind us,
we made our way across the loch. On close inspection, the northern shore proved everything the
map and our earlier expectations had told us, steep, wooded and with few places to land let alone
to make a camp. The map did however show one more promising spot, a small promontory named
on the map as X. The sun was beginning to dip behind the surrounding hills when we reached it
and found a small beach on which to land.
Our camp that night was a strange
affair. Two of the crews had opted to
bring tents and finding two patches of
flattish space on which to pitch them
proved challenging. Four of us were
equipped
to
hammock,
under
tarpaulins slung between trees, while
the ninth planned to bivi, sleeping on
the ground under a tarp. The camp
made, we cooked and ate, working in
our pairs except for Matt who, being
younger and fitter than the rest of us,
was also being more macho, not only
paddling and fending for himself, but
also taking an end of day dip in the
chilly loch. We watched the sun
disappear behind Ben Nevis with
contentment. Our first 18 miles were behind us, we had enjoyed a paddle through some
spectacular scenery and we were now well fed and ready for bed. I think we were all asleep by
7pm.
I woke before dawn. I was cold, damp and needed a pee. It was raining. It had obviously been
raining for a little while, rain had worked itself down the tree to which my hammock was attached,
had worked its way along the strings of my hammock and formed a small puddle in the bottom of
the hammock in which I was lying. I put off leaving my damp sleeping bag for as long as could. As

OPEN CANOE

the grey light of dawn started to come through I could lie there no longer, I swung my feet out of
the hammock and allowed my sleeping bag to slide onto the ground. Emerging from under the
tarp I realised the rain was in fact sleet and my tarp was covered in ice.
I put on a brew and waited for the others slowly to emerge from their tents and shelters. I and the
other hammockers had been lucky. One of the tents had partially collapsed under the weight of
the ice and the occupants, Belinda, Cathy and Dexter the dog, were totally soaked. Dave who had
opted to sleep on the ground also was soaked through. We were a less happy crew as we
breakfasted and were all keen to start moving as soon as possible.
Back out on Loch Lochy, the wind and swell were again building up and we were glad after an hour
or so to reach Laggan locks and the next stretch of canal. A mile and a half of canal later we were
warmed up and then the views opened up again as we passed under the Laggan swing bridge and
entered Loch Oich. Loch Oich was a delight, the prettiest of the lochs that have formed along the
Great Glen, and the wind proved our friend as each tandem crew used a variety of downwind sails
to progress down its length. Matt, paddling on his own, had the chance to show off his skills with
his solo rig.

We lunched at the head of Loch Oich beside the small weir that leads into to the river Oich. We
were at our summit, having climbed up through Neptunes staircase, the Gairlochy and then
Laggan locks, Loch Oich is the high point of the Great Glen waterway from here it was downhill
all the way to Inverness. For most of us the weir was nothing but a little fun, for a couple of the
group who had no previous experience of running white water it was a big unknown. Suffice to say
all shot it and came through smiling. We continued in the river, enjoying a number of grade 1 and
2 rapids on the way to Fort Augustus, our mid point and the head of the biggest expanse of open
water in Great Britain.
Standing at the head of Loch Ness we were all amazed and a little daunted by its scale. At some
23 miles long we couldnt see the far end and knew that wed only be able to paddle a little of its
huge length in what was left of the short day. After a short break we resumed our journey,
enjoying the late afternoon sun and some of us taking advantage of a light breeze for some sail
assisted paddling.

OPEN CANOE

We stopped a little earlier on this second day. Partly because wed found a suitable beach and bivi
spot, but also because we wanted to take advantage of the sun and breeze to dry some kit. As we
pitched tents and rigged tarps wet sleeping bags and other gear were hung over trees. By the time
wed eaten our gear was dry and, with the weather forecast to stay kinder overnight, we were in
better spirits as we sat around a driftwood fire and chatted until dark.
Day three dawned grey
and chilly but still dry.
The weather forecast had
been for the wind to pick
up during the day but at
9am there was already a
good breeze. After a
short discussion we set
about lashing our canoes
into rafts, one of two
boats and one of three
with Matts smaller solo
boat in the middle. A pair
of canoe poles formed an
Aframe above each raft
and from this was hung a
bothy bag for a sail.
Loaded and ready, we
pushed off from the beach and paddled out into the loch. Within minutes the wind was filing our
sails and we began to make good progress down the loch. We stopped for lunch at Foyers, one of
two official wild camping sites along the Great Glen trail. We'd passed the other at X on Loch
Lochy early the previous day. The Foyers site was impressive: a canoe rack, fire pits, and a
substantial logbuilt composting toilet, although we were sadly unable to take advantage of the
later having not been able to pick up the necessary key at the start of our journey.
Wed covered a good distance with hardly a paddle stroke before lunch, but now the wind was
picking up (as forecast) and white horses were begin to form on the water. That afternoon we flew
down the loch. This was the best canoe sailing Id ever enjoyed. The wind was blowing at a good
Force 4 and picking up a four foot swell. We were constantly having to ease off on the sheets (the
technical term for the pieces of rope tied to the each of the bottom corners of our makeshift sails)
to prevent the bows of our boats from being submerged as we raced down the face of each wave.
And we didn't always judge it right, having to stop sailing on a number of occasions and start
bailing. Yet overall we were in good hands, Chris, a qualified dinghy sailing instructor, was sailing
master on our raft and Matt, equally adept adjusting the sheets and the halyard (the piece of rope
used to hoist the sail up into the Aframe), on the other, kept us moving taking maximum
advantage of the still growing wind. Phil was at the back of our raft steering with a mix of rudder
strokes and prys with his paddle, Belinda, Dexter and I were sat in the bows, chatting and
enjoying the views and the breathtaking speed with which we were travelling.
It felt as though we could sail for ever, but of course we couldnt. Massive though it is, Loch Ness
is finite and after a couple of hours the foot of the loch started to come into view and it was time
for us to start thinking about our next bivi site. The wind was now touching Force 5 and there were
white horses everywhere as we were driven into the beach at X. Despite our dropping the sail well
off shore it still proved a hard landing and a tricky moment as we beached for our third and final
night in the wild. We had landed several hundred metres short of where wanted to be but the swell
and the now rather strong wind made paddling the laden rafts further down the shore difficult so
we carried our gear down making several trips and derigged the masts and sails before making the
short trip, paddling Hawaii 5O style out and then back through the surf to bring the boats to our
camp site.
As we cooked and ate and reflected on our experience we were still enjoying the warm glow of our
adrenalinfuelled highs from a most amazing days travelling. In our planning for the trip Id

10

OPEN CANOE

dreamed of perfect sailing conditions, but not dared hope we would have them. To have travelled
pretty much the length of a Loch Ness with hardly a paddle dipped in the water was beyond
expectation and the alternative, battling a head wind, digging deep and slogging mile after mile,
would have been a nightmare. Days on the water didnt come much better than this!
Thursday dawned cold and
clear. Fresh snow had fallen
on the surrounding hills but
the landscape was gentler
now as we left the mountains
behind
us
and
neared
Inverness, the North Sea
coast and the end of our
journey.
We
were
soon
leaving Loch Ness and after a
short stretch of canal and the
much smaller Loch X we shot
the weir at X to finish our trip
on the River Ness. Again the
river never exceeds grade 2
and we enjoyed the mix of
natural rapids and weirs as we descended to Inverness arriving shortly before lunchtime to have
Jim, Eileen and another friend arrive with the cars just as we were carrying boats and gear up
from the river edge to the road.
As we were driven back to Fort Augustus we were able to reprise our route, looking down from the
road first on the canal and river that wed paddled only a few hours before and then, for what
seemed an age, the full length and majesty of Loch Ness. It seemed incredible that wed sailed so
far and for so long along its further shore, a very different world from the traffic and roar of the
A82 that we were back inhabiting. The Great Glen had proved a classic, classic trip.
Footnote: the Great Glen is a 60 mile/95 km journey usually undertaken over four or five days
although also the route of an annual, non stop race which can be paddled in as little as 16 hours.
The SCA and Scottish Waterways have created the Great Glen Canoe Trail, details of which can be
found at http://greatglencanoetrail.info

Rescue me!
by Tim Ward
This is principally for club coaches but hopefully it will give everyone something to think
about.
For a long time now I have been puzzled by certain behaviours when out on whitewater trips or at
one of the artificial courses. On the courses there tend to be many swimmers and out on rivers it's
not uncommon. There's nothing wrong with that of course, everyone has to learn and an artificial
course environment is ideal.
The behaviour I have noticed far too frequently is for these swimmers to just float down the river,
sometimes holding boat and paddle, sometimes not, apparently in their own little world making no
attempt to help themselves.
If I took a random person from the street and threw them in a river, apart from being rather
brassed off, I'm sure that most would make an attempt to get to the bank.

COACHING

11

It struck me that somewhere along the line between man in the street and whitewater beginner
the behaviour pattern has been changed. When people come on whitewater safety courses the first
thing we'd have to teach them is how to swim positively!
When learning a new skill, initially the conscious part of the brain is fully occupied with the
demands of performing that skill, or maybe only part of it if it is complex. Over time and practice
the muscles used develop, the skill becomes much more fluid but most importantly the control is
taken over by the unconscious part of the brain, freeing up the conscious part to cope with other
stuff that's going on. An example would be learning to drive. I can remember finishing my first
lesson overwhelmed with all the complexities and realising I hadn't even had time to look in the
mirror and wondering how on earth I would manage to! Yet the likes of Lewis Hamilton do all that
unconsciously while also watching for tactics, tyre wear, fuel use etc and all at nearly 200 mph!
It's all about "purposeful practice" Practice doesn't make perfect, unless it's good technique,
however it definitely makes permanent.
What does this have to do with swimming down the Legacy Course, you might wonder?
Well, the thing about the ingrained or default behaviours that you have learnt is that these are the
ones you will do without thinking when conscious thought is being bombarded with stress. When
you trip you put your hands out without thinking. This is why beginners let go of the paddle and
put their hands out when they unexpectedly capsize. It's also, I'm thinking, something to do with
why swimmers just drift down the river.
The coaches amongst us need to think back to just how they teach the capsize drill. It's a good
while since I last taught complete beginners but the method I used was to wait until the end of the
first lesson (unless it was really hot sunny weather) and run through the drill with students before
they got off to change. That way keeps the getting cold to a minimum and leaves probably the
most important learning freshest in the mind. After that I would probably do it once or twice in
subsequent lessons then in the 1 Star test.
Now the key point! Thinking back I can hear myself saying, "if anyone falls in during the lesson
just hang on to the boat and paddle and I will rescue you" This would make life easier for me, the
rest of the group and usually reduce the time the swimmer was in the water as we as coaches
competed to see who could do a deep water rescue in the quickest time.
So, thinking back to default behaviour many coaches, including me, have been inadvertently
ingraining the default behaviour of waiting to be rescued! This was then reinforced at 2 Star when
practicing rescues amongst the group by capsizing and waiting to be rescued.
What could the solution be? My proposal is that the responsibility is put upon the swimmer from
their first capsize and is reinforced from then onwards. The default behaviour needed is for the
swimmer to take charge of the situation they have got themselves into by being proactive
immediately on surfacing. They should be taught to immediately look around, assess their
predicament and decide on an action plan. It might be to call for help, it might be swim to an eddy
or shallows with boat and paddle or it might be to abandon the kit and swim like the blazes if
approaching a fall or adopt a safe swimming posture if running into a stopper. In a placid water
situation the coach needs to hang back until called to help, so initiating positive behaviour right
from the start, then reinforcing it at every opportunity.
As people learn and the behaviours become instinctive it will free up their conscious brain, they
will become more aware of their surroundings and after a capsize will instinctively react without
stopping to assess.
I would welcome feedback on this from club coaches and from recent learners as this is
intended to be for discussion. I haven't been involved in coach education since UKCC
started as I chose to opt out. I'd be interested to know how different people have taught
and been taught the capsize drill. Comments on the Yahoo group please!

12

FLATWATER

Back to the Hamble

by Rodney Casbierd

Paddling the Hamble estuary down on the south coast has almost become a permanent
fixture on the clubs annual flatwater touring calendar. 2014 was no exception and a
small group of us enjoyed this tidal paddle once again back in late July.
On this trip we had Douglas
Culverwell and Don Moore in
sea kayaks, together with
Michael day and myself in
our 11 foot tourers.
A
couple of ex club members
were also welcomed along
on the trip in their open
canoe.
We all arrived on time and
most of us were quickly
organised.
However
I
eventually
got
my
act
together and joined the
others
on
the
paddle
through the harbour. It is
always good fun paddling
past all those megayachts
in our dinky plastic tubs.
And then we are out into
the wide expanse of the
Hamble estuary. It was
a relatively overcast day
but still plenty warm
enough in late July, so
this part of the trip did
not offer any problems
and was a very causal
paddle.

At the end of the Estuary the river branches

left and right. Whilst waiting for some of
the others to catch up Douglas took the
opportunity to practice a bit of edging and
some support strokes. Those of us in the
plastic tubs then explored the left branch on
the still rising tide whilst the thirstier people
in the open canoe turned right to proceed
directly to the pub!

FLATWATER

13

It is amazing how
the Hamble's nature
at
this
point
suddenly
changes
from a wide expanse
of water to a narrow
river. We followed
the twists and turns
of the left branch
until our
progress
was thwarted by a
culvert. After a little
bit of monkeying
about in the bridge
arches we Uturned
and headed back
down the left branch
to pick up the right
branch that leads to
the Victoria Arms.
On arrival at the pub it was
became apparent that the tide
was peaking about an hour or so
earlier than we had expected.
And no this was not due to
BST/GMT confusion, it is just how
the water behaves, the delay in
the sea tide reaching the Vicky
Arms was less than had we
expected.
But there was still plenty of time
to enjoy a leisurely and enjoyable
lunch at the pub before we
eventually decided to clamber
back into our boats and journey

back.
Our
timing
seemed to match that of
everyone else in boats
and
it
was
a
bit
congested on the jetty
but we all just about
managed to get back on
the
water
with
no
capsizes
or
similarly
unpleasant hitches, even
me.
It was another great
day out, the Hamble never fails to disappoint. But whether there will be another return
in 2015, when there are other tidal rivers to paddle, well we shall just have to see what
the flatwater rep decides for us!

14

EVENTS

Anyone for a taste

of Spanish Fly?
by Rodney Casbierd
Back in July the committee
challenged club members to
venture beyond their comfort
zone and try something different.
Accordingly a Tuesday club session
was dedicated to the mission and kit
made available for people to try.
Many whitewater paddlers ventured
out in marathon boats, kayakers tried
out canoes and, after Alex Shiell
showed off his pivot turn skills,
seemingly everyone wanted to have a
go at the stand up paddleboard.
The event was a great success
and I am sure is something the
committe will repeat in 2015.

Annual General Meeting 2015

The Club AGM has been scheduled for Monday the 2nd of February.
It is being held at the Marlow
Watersports Hub, Bridge Road,
Marlow, SL7 1RH.
Please aim to arrive at 7 pm
so that the meeting can start
promptly at 7.30 pm.
As well as all the business of
running the club over the past
year and into the next there will be some fun as well. See who gets the
prizes for paddling skill / improvement, best newsletter article, and of
course, the old favourite, swimmer of the year.
Your club committee looks forward to seeing you at the AGM.

15

COMMITTEE
Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer

Membership

Coaching

1* Course Coordinator

Equipment

Sea

Flatwater touring

Whitewater

Women's Representative

Social Secretary

Newsletter Editor

Website Editor

Andy Maxted
andymcoaching@gmail.com

Kelvin Abbott
01753 654923
kelvin.abbott@btinternet.com
Alex Shiell
shiellalex@yahoo.co.uk

Tom Bailey
blast1102@ymail.com

Michael Day
michael.day53@btinternet.com

Catherine Harris
harrc014@rbwm.org

Rodney Casbierd
rbcasbierd@yahoo.co.uk

Penny Newton
secretary@marlowcc.org.uk

Rod Edmonds
01753 671389
r.edmonds@etoncollege.org.uk
Simon Knowles
07786 836012
simonknowles16@googlemail.com
Mark "Shades" Steel
07900 900302
shadescanoe@gmail.com
Chris Weston
chriskayaks@gmail.com

Melinda Livett
melinda.livett@yahoo.com

Chris Porteous
chrisps@marlowcc.org.uk

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

NONEXECUTIVES
President

Tim Ward
01494 482959
wards@btinternet.com

Vice President

Adrian Cooper
01844 344580
adrianccooper@gmail.com

LOCAL RETAILERS
Marsport, Reading. 01189 665912. http://www.marsport.co.uk
WWC, Shepperton. 01932 247978. http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk
Paddlesport, Warwick. 01926 640573. http://www.paddlesport.co.uk

16

CALENDAR
Saturday 3 January
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Weekend 2425 January

Devon Whitewater trip
See page 10 for details

Monday 2 February

Annual General Meeting

7 pm (for 7.30 pm), Marlow Watersports Hub

Saturday 14 February

CLUB
SESSIONS
Every Sunday
Doors open at 9.30 am.
On the water for 10 am.

Weekend 2122 February

POOL
SESSION

Weekend 28 Feb 1 Mar

Once per month

Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

BCU Three Star Whitewater Kayak Training

& Assessment
10.00 am 4.00 pm, location to be decided
Whitewater trip
Contact whitewater rep for details

Monday 2 March

Committee meeting
7.00 pm 8.00 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

Saturday 7 March
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Saturday 21 March

Rolling Clinic
6.00 pm 8.00 pm, Chalfont Leisure Centre

Weekend 2829 March

Whitewater trip
Contact whitewater rep for details

Saturday 4 April
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

MEMBERSHIP RATES
Adult 42 Family 65
Junior 23 Senior 23
Storage 19 per boat

Saturday 7.00 8.00 pm,

see calendar for dates
Chalfont Leisure Centre, Nicol Road,
Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9LR.
5 adults, 3 juniors

Only joking
While paddling off the Florida coast,
a tourist capsized his kayak. He
could
swim,
but
his
fear
of
alligators kept him clinging to the
overturned craft. Spotting an old
beachcomber standing on the shore,
the tourist shouted, Are there any
gators around here?!
Naw, the man hollered back,
they aint been around for years!
Feeling safe, the tourist started
swimming leisurely toward the
shore. About halfway there he
asked the guy, Howd you get rid
of the gators?
We
didnt
do
nothing,
the
beachcomber said. The sharks got
em.