MARLOW CANOE CLUB NEWSLETTER ISSUE 139

7/28/2019 MARLOW CANOE CLUB NEWSLETTER ISSUE 139

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M a r l o w

C a n o e

C l u b


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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 and the Marlow Canoe Club do not accept respons-ibility for the opinions expressed or the goodsand services mentioned in this publication.

© 2013.

INSIDE YOURSPRING 2013 ISSUE

3 Cut off by the tideSunken wrecks, dead ends, two pubs, tidaltraps. Oh and glorious sunshine too. Yep,Andy's tour was a treat alright.

6 Tourer, tourer, tourerBe prepared to really get cut off by thetide in 2013. And that's just on the canaltour. Here is what Andy Maxted hasplanned for you.

7 Salty says helloShe's tall with short curly hair and ever soslightly mad. I don't write this stuff,Sharron does. Here is what Salty has instore for those of us crazy enough tofollow her lead.

8 Welsh, wet and whiteChoice set of photos, supply your owncaptions!.

10 Regional awards 2013Canoe England Volunteer and RecognitionAwards.

11 Oooh new shoesDominic is the new Imelda Marcos.

11 A fit of the vapoursPrepare yourself for the sight of a beerbelly, clothed in blue breathable fabric.

12 Pool sessionsNote the new timings of our regularsessions.

13 Changing the locksSainsburys, Tesco, who might it be?

14 2013 AGM

Adrian takes charge of the rabble.

15 Committee members & RetailersAdrian takes charge of his executive rabble

16 CalendarDates for your diary.

COVER PHOTO

The cover photograph for

this newsletter was sup-plied by Rodney Casbierdand is entitled "Boat envyon the Hamble".

EDITORIALSpring is finally on the way and

with it come lots of new beginnings.The AGM in February brought several

changes to the committee. Jon Garnertakes a well earned break from the ClubSecretary role and we welcome Penny

Newton on board to keep us allorganised. James Hughes takes onwhite-water and Sharron Bartlett takes onthe formerly vacant Sea kayak post. It isgood to see the new committee membersall making an immediate impact.

After some debate, the AGM alsoconcluded that most members were quitehappy with the newsletter staying moreor less as it is. So here we go again then!

In this issue, Andy Maxted whets ourappetite for inland touring with the tale of last years pub crawl on the Hamble, andthen goes on to invite you to six moretours in 2013. How could you possiblyresist, apart from the threat of beingtasked with doing the write-up for thenewsletter?

Sharron introduces her plans for Seakayaking and invites those of you madderthan her to come along too. But do notcall her “Salty”, she seems to like it toomuch.

The white-water community haveinitiated a caption competition in thecentre pages. I invite suggestions to bebroadcast on the yahoo group!

A couple of kit reviews in there too,some scary rumours about Temple lock

and an invitation to put yourself forwardfor an award. Oh yeah and the joke onthe back page definitely sets a newstandard. Enjoy!

Rodney Casbierd, Editor.

2



3TOURING

Cut off by the tideby Andy Maxted

The water was lapping gently around the jetty as we went ashore for lunch. It has beena fascinating and warm morning’s paddling and we were hungry and thirsty. Fortunatelythe pub was open and food was being served. We were at the Horse and Jockey atCurbridge having launched onto the River Hamble at Swanwick and paddled with theflood tide taking us upstream into some wonderful Hampshire countryside.

We’d caught the time and the day just right. Itwas August, high water was at lunchtime and

he sun was shining. We were a party of 17 inotal paddling a variety sea kayaks, touring

kayaks, play boats and open canoes and in

good spirits.

The morning had started launching close to abusy marina, but we were soon under themassive M27 flyover and passing Manor FarmCountry Park and the Cricket Scout campsite.There is much to look out for along this stretch.The remains of one of Henry V’s warships, theHMS Grace Dieu, can allegedly be seen at veryow tides. We missed that, but the regular

rectangular bays cut into the bank where

anding craft were marshalled ahead of D Daywere clearly visible.

At the YMCA’s Fairthorne Manor centre the river splits. We took the left hand channel and madeour way up a muddy and narrowing creek to the village of Botley. There’s something almost

voyeuristic in paddling quietlypast suburban houses andgardens although the silence wassoon disturbed by children andtheir dogs playing and theninterrupting their play to gaze at

us curiously as we made our wayupstream under the trees.

Our exploration ended at a smallweir barring further progress butthe tide was running stronglyand we were keen to return toFairthorne Manor and take theother fork to our intended lunchstop.What had been a muddy creekwas now a broad and clear riverand it didn’t take too long toreturn to the junction and, nowpaddling with the tide oncemore, make our way around toCurbridge.



TOURING 4

The Horse and Jockey is aquiet rural pub and is certainlyhighly recommended.

Upon arrival we were greetedby Sue Bunce, the south coastpaddler and former owner of

he pink (or is it fuchsia?) seakayak that the club acquiredn early 2012. Judging from

her mood, attire and lipstickSue was clearly feeling in thepink although she was notmpressed at the grubby state

of her former charge!

Some of the group discreetly ate the lunchesthey had brought with them while othersselected from the bar menu; those taking thelatter option waited a while, but the food wasworth the wait!

We’d not been long at the pub when word waspassed up from the water’s edge that the jettyhad disappeared. The last few inches of tide hadcome in very fast and where we had landed in asmall bay there was now a very large lagoon,illing the space from the pub garden to the road

bridge and across to the fields opposite. Butwhen, an hour or so later we came to leave the

ide had ebbed away equally quickly and thewater was significantly lower than when we’d

arrived. It wasclear that thispub was only reachable at high water and we realised that wehad been incredibly fortunate with our timings.

Had we arrived an hour later we might well have been strandedwith insufficient water to paddle back – we’d have been cut off by the tide!

Lunch over we swiftly repacked our boats and followed the tideback downstream to the junction and then through wideestuarial waters, sparkling in the sunlight under a cloudless skyand filled with other boaters. It felt good to be travelling withease and in good company on one of the few real summerafternoons that we had last year.



We passed back underhe M27 as firsthoughts and then

suggestions of afternoonea surfaced. Ratherhan head for the

Swanwick shore we kepto river right and soon

saw the welcominganding stage of the Jolly

Sailor Inn.

Club members of acertain age willremember the pubplaying a starring role ina once popular Sundayevening television soap - Howard’s Way - a role which is celebrated in photographs within the pub

oday.

Mooring at the inn was somewhatlimited and we had to moor boatsbroadside on in a raft and clamberacross to reach the safety of the jetty.One member of the party, suffering

rom chronic alcohol withdrawal symptoms, decided that this was taking far too long and, having

resorted to clambering out onto a bridge, nearly got stuck in the railings.

But once ashore these difficulties weresoon forgotten and I have to confess

hat we spent another happy hour athe pub taking tea and, for one or two,

something a little stronger. But it washat sort of day. An 11km/7 mile tour,

good company and two pub stops.

’m looking forward to going back

again this summer. Who knows, wemight find the remains of the GraceDieu next time!

For those members interested in exploring some different waters, the club is once againoffering a series of monthly full day tours between April and September. Details anddates for 2013 can be found on the next page.

TOURING 5



6TOURING

Tourer, Tourer, Tourer!by Andy Maxted

The club will once again be offering a monthly flat water touring programmethis spring and summer giving members the opportunity to enjoy a variety of rivers within a reasonable travelling time from Marlow.

Tour lengths vary between 11-16 km or around three-four hours paddling time. All tripsare suitable for members paddling kayaks or canoes and a number of the scheduledtours follow the Canoe England selected paddles. The tours offer an ideal opportunity toog trip experience for the BCU Two Star and Three Star Touring Awards (see

http://www.canoe-england.org.uk/tests-i-awards/personal-performance-awards/paddlesport-start-i-1-to-3-star). There is no cost to MCC members to attend these

events although guests will be asked to pay a day visit fee in the usual way to ensurensurance cover.

All trips are planned to take place on Sunday mornings, meeting at the start venue at10:00 am and enabling members to return to the Marlow area mid/late afternoon.Programme details are shown below, complete with grid references for the start andfinish points, and have also been added to the calendar on the club website.

Any offers from volunteers to lead or assist on these trips will, as always, be welcomed!

21 AprilThames/St Patrick's StreamStart : Waterside Centre (SU736739)Finish : Marsh Lock (SP487094)11 km (7 miles) one-way tripA Thames classic taking in St Patrick'sStream and the Hennerton Backwater.

19 MayGreat OuseStart : Huntingdon (TL245718)End : Huntingdon (TL245718)11 km (7 miles) circular tripSee Huntingdon and Godmanchester fromthe Ouse before diverting into thecountryside via Cook's Stream

23 JuneThames/CherwellStart : Donnington Bridge (SU525045)Finish : Donnington Bridge (SU525045)13 km (8 miles) return tripA trip into the heart of Oxford and thenthrough the water meadows to the 'Vickie' Arms and back

18 AugustArun

Start : The Black Rabbit (TQ025085)Finish : The Black Rabbit (TQ025085)13 km (8 miles) return tripAnother tidal trip paddling up river through the spectactular Arun Gap to theBridge Inn and back

21 JulyHambleStart : Swanwick (SU495093)Finish : Swanwick (SU495093)16 km (10 miles) return trip

A tidal treat in the home of Britishyachting to the Horse & Jockey and back

23 SeptemberKennet & Avon Canal

Start : Newbury Wharf (SU473672)Finish : Aldermarston Wharf (SU603672)14 km (9 miles) one-way tripRelaxed canal paddling with locks, swingbridges and pubs



Salty says helloby Sharron "Salty" Bartlett

Following the AGM in February, the club has a new committee member to represent theSea touring community. Me!

A quick profile:

Tall, with short curly hair and ever so slightlymad. Have started answering to the nameSalty’ – well let’s face it, anything is betterhan Sharron! Other interests include

mountains (hiking/skiing) and photography.

started sea kayaking about 5 years ago, withhe odd day trip here and there, and knewrom my very first day out off the Cornish coasthat I loved it! I have even reached the dizzy

heights of a 2 star paddler, all achievedhrough the club and its excellent coaching

programmes.

So far I have kayaked Devon and Cornishwaters, around the Isle of Scillies, off the WestCoast of Scotland and I have done the Scottish

coast to coast challenge (Fort William tonverness). I am sure that I should be betterhan I am by now .....but i live in hope!

7SEA KAYAK

Intro to sea coursesJune fully booked.........availability on the April dates 27th/28th. Please contact me asap.

Club tripsWe have one 4* sea kayaker but several 3* competent paddlers and day trips will be organisedto suit conditions and strengths within the club – watch this space!

Guided tripsLundy, June 8th - June 9th.Guided by Mike Bradford. I have looked around and Mike is without doubt still the mostcompetitive price wise. If others know of good guides please do let me know. Need to be astrong paddler and able to cover distance, see below for Mike's description of the trip:

The crossing usually takes around 4 to 5 hours of constant paddling, with a short snack break every hour. You will need to have paddled sea kayaks before and be fit enough to paddle for that length of time. The cost is my time and expertise as a guide for the two days, which is £50 per

person, campsite costs on Lundy range from £8 - £11 per person per day.

A safe & enjoyable crossing is dependent upon weather conditions and minimal swell. I will contact you during the week of the trip to let you know if the trip is likely to go ahead. If not, wewill look at the next suitable dates & tides. We will camp overnight on Lundy, with the option of areturn paddle the following day or returning by ferry. We aim to depart from Lee Bay within anhour of high water to take advantage of the ebb tidal stream.



8WHITEWATER

Welsh, wet, whiteby Chris

A collection of photographs capturing the action at the recent whitewater club trip toNorth Wales. Feel free to supply your own captions!



9WHITEWATER

and uncaptionedWeston



10ADVERT



11REVIEWS

Ooooh, new shoes?by Dominic Hurst

Teva Cherry Bomb 2 sounds like a dodgy student cocktail or a bad Hollywood movie. Butn fact these are tough yet comfortable boots for white water paddlers.

After buying a dry suit, my trusty PalmGranites were too small. Two club memberssuggested the Teva boots. They're Americanand not widely available except online. Sizing isa lottery. I bought one size over my normalshoe size but had to change to another size up.Best to try before you buy (and take note if youbuy from Amazon USA to save money).

It's more of a squeeze to get my feet inside myboat, so I'll have to move my foot rest onenotch forward. But the result is I now have nicewarm feet and can scramble up and down riverbanks with more protection for my feet.

Time to celebrate - cocktail anyone?

A fit of the vapoursby Rodney Casbierd

I do admit that I am something of a fair-weather paddler. So when the cold weatherkicked in last autumn I finally decided to get something that would keep my top half dryand protected from the chilly autumn breeze.

Having surveyed Marsport's impressive range of candidates, backed up by virtually zero priormarket research on my part, I eventually settled on what was essentially the cheapest breathable

cag that they had in stock and in my size.

For fifty quid, including club member discount, the PalmVapour is a perfectly comfortable lightweight cag, suitable fornovices and occasional paddlers. It claims materialwaterproofness to 5 metres although I am hoping never to

est that personally. The neoprene lined wristbands and neckare all adjustable with velcro to maximise protection from theelements.

t also claims a breathability of 5kg/m2 /day. Is that good? All

know is that so far I have not found myself dripping in sweatafter a typical Sunday club paddle. It does have a zipped frontcargo pocket but it is of limited use as it will usually be hiddenunder your buoyancy aid. Personally I would have found asmaller pocket in a different position more helpful.

All in all, it does the job. But I do regret buying a blue one.



12FACILITIES

Pool sessionsby Dave Goddard

Marlow canoe club has booked a series of swimming pool sessions for clubmembers at Chalfont Leisure Centre, a 25m four lane swimming pool about 25minutes from Marlow.

These sessions are open to all members and providea warm indoor environment for you to practice wetskills such as support strokes, capsize drills and themuch sought after skill of Rolling or to introduceyounger members of your family to paddle sport.

They are unstructured session in as much as there isno specific courses or coaching rota, however youwill always find experienced members willing to helpand can seek specific support through the clubsYahoo Group email system if required.

The sessions run from 7.00pm to 8.00pm on the Saturdays listed below, it isrecommended you arrive and are ready to get in the pool at about 7pm as this is whenthe pool is cleared of swimmers and an opportunity to sneak an extra few minutes of water time. We need to leave the pool promptly at 8.00pm so we can change and they

can close the centre at 8.30pm.

The entrance to the swimming pool is down a small service road to the left of the mainentrance, we usually pile boats and paddles outside the door before and after thesession before getting changed in the swimming pool changing rooms (20p for a lockeror take a bag pool side). The pool has ladies and gentleman’s changing facilities withwarm showers and toilets.

Chalfont Leisure Centre

Nicol RoadChalfont St. PeterBucksSL9 9LR

http://tinyurl.com/y5fndsa

These sessions costs £5 foradults and £3 for juniors.

ndividuals are responsible for collecting and returning equipment to and from the club(Use the Yahoo group to request lifts/shares/access etc)

All equipment must be inspected for cleanliness and rinsed off prior to use in the pool.

See the back cover calendar for pool session dates. Hope to see you there!



13LOCAL

Changing the locksby Phil Space

Council insiders have allegedly leaked plans to close the lock-keepers lodge at Templeock and redevelop the site as a convenience store for a leading supermarket chain.

There had been speculation about the future of the residence ever since the Environment Agencyirst suggested selling lock-keepers cottages a couple of years ago. The subsequent retirement of he owners of the teashop at the end of last summer had only fuelled the rumours.

Despite the historic character of the property, it has been confirmed that planning consent wouldnot be required for a store due to the established use of the property for the sale of food and drink

o the general public.

A leaked sustainability report,allegedly states that plansannounced in 2012 to upgrade

he A404 Bisham roundaboutwill eventually allow bothshoppers in cars anddeliveries by heavy goodsvehicles to access theproposed new store by road.

n the mean-time, however, its rumoured that they plan to

provide access for MarlowHigh Street shoppers using ariver-boat shuttle service. In

he absence of adequate HGVroad access, consideration isapparently being given to thedea of re-commissioning

canal narrowboats in order to keep the store fully stocked at times of peak demand.

The supermarket giant has also allegedly approached leading members of the Marlow Canoe Clubcommittee for permission to load their narrow-boats using the clubhouse frontage.

Club Treasurer Kelvin Abbott, speaking from his new beach-front property in the Seychelles,added, "I've no idea where these rumours come from, or which supermarket chain might benvolved, however I have always believed that the club should try something new today and that

such proposals could help members live well for less".

n a revealing moment of indiscretion club Chairman Adrian Cooper was recently overheard to say,My initial reaction was to think that this was another outrageous example of the trampling down

of the common man’s rights under the jack boots of corporate fascists, and that Oliver Cromwellwould be turning in his grave. However, on reflection, I am now convinced that the Marlow CanoeClub membership will be fully supportive of this proposal, especially when they see that theproposals include a Starbucks coffee shop and that there is a large cheque in their post. Andsurely the best thing about Sainsbury’s is that they do keep the riff-raff out of Waitrose”.

If you wish to comment on the plans then you need to get paddling because the deadlines said to be 1st April 2013.



14COMMITTEE

2013 Annual

General MeetingThe Annual general Meeting was well attended and proved to be a good test of the car parking skills of club members.

• The chairman gave a special mention this year to Alex Sheill for his coaching and coachingprogramme. Also Rodney for the Newsletter, Rod and Kelvin for work in the background, Jon forSecretary, Tom for the door lock. Dave Goddard has run an excellent programme of white water.

• The growing membership means that subscriptions have increased by £1000. The door cost£2700. Our surplus remains very healthy at £43k. The accounts have been independentlyaudited. Club fees will remain unchanged in 2013.

• One important matter is the changing of the trustees.

Currently these are Andy Maxted, Tim Ward andAdrian Cooper. However the law has changed and toregister the land with the Land Registry photographsneed to be produced. Tim has requested a copy of any photos containing old images of the state of thefrontage before the club had the new frontage built.

• Several new committee members were elected.Penny Newton takes on the role of Secretary. SharronBartlett takes on Sea Touring. James Hughes takesover Whitewater. A vacancy remains for the Youth reprole.

• There will be a new coaching programme, usingmodules. This will allow members to put togethertraining that suits them.

• Is the current newsletter the most valid form of communication to the club? 16 articles were writtenby John and Rodney, 9 by the committee and only 3by other members. It was discussed and decided thatthe newsletter is still the best form of communication.Short pieces accompanied by pictures were suggested to encourage a better contribution frommembers. Club trips to have a reporter assigned, possibly the first swimmer.

2013 Award WinnersMost improved paddlerErika Taylor

VolunteeringSimon Millington

Newsletter articleDominic Hurst

Swimmer of the yearAwarded jointly to:• Les Prior (for the Usk)• Dave Goddard (Walkham slot,

Holme Weir)

CLUB GUIDELINEResponsibility for club boats

If you borrow club equipment, including boats, then you are fully responsiblefor the equipment from the point that it leaves the club-house until you

eventually return it. That remains the case even if you sub-contract transportof the equipment to another person.

In the case of an incident involving loss or damage the committee doesreserve the right to take into account extenuating circumstances.

However the default position is that the borrower is liable in full forany loss suffered by the club.



15COMMITTEE

LOCAL RETAILERS

Riverside, Oxford01865 248673

http://www.riversideoxford.co.uk

Marsport, Reading01189 665912

http://www.marsport.co.uk

WWC, Shepperton01932 247978http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk

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

PresidentTim Ward01494 [email protected]

Secretary

Penny Newton07765 [email protected]

MembershipRod Edmonds01753 [email protected]

EquipmentTom [email protected]

Women's RepresentativeCatherine [email protected]

Social SecretaryMelinda Livett

[email protected]

ChairmanAdrian Cooper01844 [email protected]

Treasurer

Kelvin Abbott01753 [email protected]

1* Course Co-ordinatorSimon Knowles07786 [email protected]

CoachingAlex [email protected]

Newsletter EditorRodney Casbierd

07960 [email protected]

Youth RepresentativeVacant

WhitewaterJames Hughes

01628 485049 [email protected]

Website EditorChris Porteous

[email protected]

SeaSharron [email protected]

TouringAndy [email protected]

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



Saturday 6 AprilPool session, 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm

Sunday 7 AprilFlatwater Safety and Rescue Refresher

8-9 AprilFundamental Kayaking Skills

Sunday 14 AprilNovice Open Water Canoeing

22-23 AprilFundamental Canoeing Skills

Weekend 27-28 AprilBCU Foundation Safety and Rescue

16CALENDAR

Weekend 4-5 MayIntroduction to Paddlesport

Saturday 4 MayPool session, 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm

Monday 6 MayCommittee meeting7.30 pm – 9.30 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

13-14 May & 27-28 May

Further Fundamental Kayaking Skills

Sunday 19 MayIntermediate Recovery and Rescues

Saturday 25 MayRolling Clinic

Saturday 1 JunePool session, 7.00 pm – 8.00 pm

Weekend 1-2 JuneSea kayak introduction weekend

3-6 JuneIntroduction to Paddlesport

Saturday 15 JuneFundamental Recovery and Rescues

17-18 JuneBCU Two Star Award Assessment

Thursday 20 & 27 JunePaddlepower Passport Only jokingQuestion : What do you call a fishwith no eye?

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 RATES

Adult £42 Family £65Junior £23 Senior £23

Storage £19 per boat

Monday 1 JulyCommittee meeting

l k

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.* Tuesday night sessions restart in April Refer to the club website for exact date

MARLOW CANOE CLUB NEWSLETTER ISSUE 139

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