It was a very calm day and we had a south westerly, force 1 which was in our favour. We got to Newhaven by about 12.30am so we stopped for some lunch just before the pier. Whilst we were having our lunch we saw the ferry going out so we knew there would be no problems crossing the shipping lane. We arrived at Seaford at about 2pm and went to check into the campsite. By now it had turned into quite a warm sunny day so having taken our sea kayaks with all our kit to our pitch on the campsite, which felt like miles from the sea we put up our tents and the tarp. Maureen and Rob then went on the bus to collect the cars and leave Maureen’s car at Cuckmere. Rob was quite excited about this because he had not been on a bus for years. When they came back Rob said he had forgotten his tent so he was going to sleep in his van – zero points to Rob for kayak camping. In the evening we walked into Seaford for our evening meal in a nice cheap pub where I had a very nice steak.

On Sunday Morning Mark Sky joined us for the paddle to Cuckmere. I carried my boat to the beach with all my kit and loaded my kayak. I came back to help the others with their kayaks and I was surprised their boats were so light and all their kit was missing. They eventually explained they had put their kit in Rob’s van, so zero points to Maureen and Phil for sea kayak camping because they did not carry all their kit both days.

That day was a bit windy out at sea even though it was a clear day. It was a force 3 but at first we were protected quite a bit by the cliffs just past Seaford. When we got to the Cuckmere Estuary at about 12 midday I asked everyone if they wanted to head up the valley or go to Burling Gap for lunch which was just an additional mile. Everyone agreed to go to Burling Gap except Rob who was feeling a bit tired and wanted to go home. So we all went to Birling Gap. However as we crossed the Estuary we all felt the force of the force 4 wind coming of the land and it was quite choppy and hard going to get across the estuary. However we finally got to Burling Gap for Lunch and then headed back to Cuckmere where we paddled up the tidal section of the river as the tide was rising. We then got out at the road bridge and portaged into the little stream where we paddled to the Cuckmere Country Park. It had been an interesting and eventful first for the Club but I am sure we will have another Sea Kayaking camping weekend next year.

On Saturday we paddled from Ross on Wye to kearne Bridge. The 3 star group left early with their coach Adrian while the rest of us took our time and had a leisurely start to the day. At Lunch time we joined the three star group at Kearne Bridge and after lunch we all joined in with some white water rescues. Trying out the “Wedge” for the first time was quite interesting and it resulted in a few swimmers. We then went back to the campsite and after a hot shower and a cup of tea we went out for a traditional Purley Canoe Club sociable meal at the local pub.

The next day the three star group went and played at Symmonds Yat all day practising their 3 star skills on a classic grade 2 rapid. The rest of us went for a gentle paddle from Symmonds Yat West to Redbridge. When we arrived at Redbridge we found the Ice Cream shop and brought ourselves an Ice Cream. In the evening we had a barbecue at the campsite.

On the Monday we had a quick paddle down the Wye from Ross on Wye to Keane Bridge. At the end the 3 star group tried out their roll, one was successful and the other was unsuccessful, so there was a 50% pass rate in the 3 star group that weekend.

The INTER-CLUB TOURING AWARD SHIELD

For 2009

2.00pm Saturday 27^th March 2010 at The Boat House Pub in Chertsey

The Inter-Club Touring Award Shield, now in its Twentieth Year,

was presented to

Jeff Simmons of Westel Canoe Club by

Adrian Barclay the BCU Touring Awards Administrator

For paddling the greatest number of miles in the year of 2009 in the BCU National Inter-Club Touring Award Scheme.

The results are:-

Club Name	Members Entered	Miles Paddled	Number of Awards	Awards Points	Total
Westel Canoe Club	20	7298.20	19	1300	8598.20
Canoe Camping Thames & SE	88	5482.84	15	550	6032.84
Purley Canoe Club	71	1934.00	5	125	2059.00

Kevin East, received the Silver Award on behalf of Canoe Camping Club – Thames & South East

Julia Barclay, received the Bronze Award on behalf of Purley Canoe Club

This Inter-Club Touring competition is open to all BCU Clubs and Groups. Each BCU Club or Group needs to keep a log of all the trips they have done in a year – the number of paddlers per trip and the mileage of each trip.

A Club volunteer simply enters these figures, and any individual club members mileage, onto the official Inter-Club Touring Award Entry form, which calculates your total Club mileage for the year.  This form should be sent to the Touring Award Administrator at the end of the year.

It would be great to see some new clubs enter this competition next year. If you are interested in participating in this scheme please contact me Adrian Barclay, on the email address below.

Adrian Barclay

BCU Touring Awards Administrator

abarclaypcc@btinternet.com

Here is a picture of the presentation

The BCU InterClub Touring Award Presentation 27/3/2010

For readers unable to join the shin-dig, the Wye was not in flood. The water was fresh and clean – and flowing (I guess) at a knot or two mostly – faster in the rapids. We did notice the rocks – sometimes before we hit them. Certain skilled members of the group paddled the Grade3 sections, whilst lesser mortals portaged round them.

As I recall, Julia, Richard, Robin, Vicky, Kevin, Rob and Ian all took a swim, whilst Adrian, Mark, Kieran, Gary, Lauren and Maureen avoided it.

The travelling worked fine, and all the catering. Pub on Saturday dished up excellent food. Cosy and friendly. Oh, and it was very nice to have Mark & Vicky back to join us.

Julia doing a bit of surfing

Adrian makes it through

Gary going through Hell Hole corner

Ian nearly goes for a swim

Robin

It seems as if we have been a little slow getting on the water this year but at least we made it before the end of January, “just”.

It was a crisp morning today (31/1/2010) at Hartlake Bridge on the Medway and it was very sunny even though, there was a hard frost on the ground.  I was dressed up like “Michelin Man” because I wasn’t sure how cold it was going to be.  In retrospect I realise that I was wearing to much, not that I was getting too hot but because I just couldn’t move.

Julia was wearing her new “Teddy Suit”, which kept her “snug as a bug in a rug” under her salopettes, whilst Ian wore his new “Sweet Helmet” which had extra padding to keep his head warm plus his new very grippy boots.

The three of us actually got on the water just before 11am and given Julia and I (Ian went paddling on the Dart last weekend) haven’t been padding on a river for about 2 months now, we were still able to keep up a reasonable pass and within 20mins we got to the first lock.

A quick portage and back on the river so we reached the second lock by about 11.45am. We must have reached the next lock and the canoe shoot within another 20mins and Ian and I went down the shoot which was great but the water was freezing.

Ian and I had a quick play at the bottom of the shoot before my fingers were frozen solid, so we quickly got out and I put on some wolly socks over my hands to warm them up, and it worked.

We had some lunch, and quickly got back on the water. At 1.30pm we arrived at Yalding after a good bit of exercise, a good warm up for the new year and a “cracking day on the river”.

By 2.10pm we had got changed and had strapped 3 boats on our roof including the open boat and then we drove back to Hartlake Bridge were Ian put his boat on his roof and we were home by 3pm.

It was a good day out and we all enjoyed the opportunity to get back on the water again. So thaks to Ian for motivating us all to get on the water and go paddling.

Hope to see you all on the next Club Trip.

Adrian

More posts will be added here soon, but in the meantime, here’s some pictures from our trip to the river Wye earlier this year.