The plan had been to canoe the River Dee from Farndon to Chester. So, once the cars were sorted it was time to get going (NOTE – Sandy Lane car park has a max time limit of 4 hours and if you park outside of a bay then you get a ticket. But parking on the grass verge outside the car park is fine). The weather was glorious and hot, very hot, but the trip was going to be very chilled. So with a very important briefing of “Put your sun cream on and drink lots of water”, we headed off. 9 canoes and 2 sea kayaks, or to count another way 14 people and 2 dogs, then began to gently paddle down stream. The dogs had the correct idea as they were sat  under a parasol in the boat.                         To be honest, on this trip I wasn’t expecting swimmers on such flat water. Suddenly I heard a splash and realised that Keith had gone overboard! (Oh no – time to get switched on). Suddenly, another splash and Nikki was in the water. As they climbed back into their respective boats the word was given, and the word was “Self rescue practice every 30 minutes”     That set the tone for a very relaxed, chilled paddle with great company.  The miles passed under the blazing sun, at times almost too hot, until all too soon we reached Sandy Lane and the awaiting ice cream van. Alas, just as we landed, the parking attendant turned up and the van had to leave (Booo) A fab day in opens (and sea kayaks). Thanks all for coming. Mike & Ruth

Covid 19 Guidance from 19th July 2021  LCC Home  Everyone still needs to pre-book the paddle through bookwhen or email to the coordinator to ensure group sizes are within British Canoeing’s guidance. Face coverings are optional. Social distancing should be observed where possible.   2m (one paddle length) is a long way!!!! and if you approach closer you should mitigate against the risks. PLEASE RESPECT OTHER MEMBERS, WHO MAY WISH TO STILL PADDLE WITH THE CLUB BUT ALSO NEED OR WANT TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE. We will continue with a named on-the-water leader for each group. This has greatly developed paddling within the club over the past 18 months. We operate under British Canoeing recommended group sizes and ratios.  These are absolute maximums and if conditions / paddlers and/or leaders experience demand, groups sizes could and should be smaller than this. Maximum for the docks (Sheltered water) is 1:8 (1:12 for tandem / crewed boats).  Maximum for moderate water is 1:6 Maximum for advanced water is 1:4 Two groups can paddle near or next to one another on the water but social distancing should still be observed by all. Every paddler needs to be pre-booked with the coordinator or through our Bookwhen.com booking site. Paddles are notified through the club`s Google Group and also placed on the clubs calendar. All paddling takes place in separate, small groups with a nominated leader. We follow all National and Local guidance and adhere to the British Canoeing guidelines for paddlesports. Latest Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know Please stay away if you have any symptoms or are self-isolating. Always maintain social distancing (2m or a paddle length). Please leave the site asap after the paddle to reduce congestion. Please use hand sanitiser before and after paddling. If more than one group is at the compound, please quickly select your equipment and move it to your group number or away from the […]

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip – June 2021 I normally go kayaking in Scotland during early May or late September/October with the sole intention of avoiding the ‘Midges’.  Therefore, this June trip was to be a new experience for me and one I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. Horror stories from my sons, ‘Midges’ walking across your eyeballs, kind of stuff, hadn’t helped. Now the date had arrived and time to find out for myself just how bad they really are.   Monday 28th June. (NE Luing to Port Phadruig, Kerrera about 26Km) By Roger Colman Our pleasant little campsite was vacated in a well-ordered manner, breakfast taken by those requiring it and kayaks packed so we were on the water for 6:00am as planned.   The early start was a tidal requirement and allowed us to paddle up Seil Sound and under the bridge over the Atlantic. Once through the bridge it was back onto the mainland shore and a stop for second breakfast. (We learnt that Jon was not going to make the trip after all, but Ian was still scheduled to join us on Tuesday evening.)   The early morning mist had burnt off and it was another really lovely day as the five of us paddled up to Port Lathaich and there crossed over to Kerrera.    On reaching the Islands shore we paddled down the east side, around the southern end, where Sheena was able to reminisce about family picnics as we passed Gylen Castle.       Gylen Castle  We continued around the southern end of the island and up the west coast to Port Phadruig and a five-star wild campsite Catriona was aware of, courtesy of her sister. It was a stunning location. We arrived about midday and stayed put. After the early start this suited me fine. Ali and Sheena were equally happy after their additional early start and long day yesterday. However, they […]

Scotland Sea Kayak Trip June 2021 by Roger Colman I normally go kayaking in Scotland during early May or late September/October with the sole intention of avoiding the ‘Midges’.  Therefore, this June trip was to be a new experience for me and one I was both looking forward to and dreading in equal measure. Horror stories from my sons, ‘Midges’ walking across your eyeballs, kind of stuff, hadn’t helped. Now the date had arrived and time to find out for myself just how bad they really are. Sunday 27th June. (Kerrera ferry to NE Luing about 25Km) Catriona, Andy and I started out from the Oban / Kerrera Ferry slipway about 10am Sunday morning. Ally and Sheena were travelling from Skye and intending to join us later that day, while Jon hoped to be with us Monday and Ian Tuesday. That is a lot easier and quicker to write than it was for Catriona to arrange. No doubt numerous plans A, B, C etc. were developed as individual circumstances changed through the week, prior to the trip. We are all very grateful for the time and effort it must have taken Catriona to accommodate everyone’s needs. Our paddle was gentle and uneventful, in smooth seas and warm sunshine, with the added bonus of a sea otter sighting within the first 90 minutes.  Into Barnacarry Bay for elevenses, then on down the coast, a quick peek at the Bridge over the Atlantic (Clachan Bridge) through a number of small isles above Rubha Garbh Airde, to a lunch stop just below it. After lunch we stayed close to the shore line, through the Sound of Insh and on to Easdale Harbour. Here Andy had a successful ‘urban foraging’ trip and gathered together some alcoholic beverages, a table and chairs. Excellent. Andy – ‘Urban Foraging’, Easdale Catriona had been in regular contact with Ali and Sheena monitoring […]

LCC playboat session coached by Lowri Davies – by John Cooke Sunday 4th saw another of the playboat sessions coached by Lowri Davies, six paddlers met at the Dee for a day of fun in small boats. After a quick check over of boats to make sure we were outfitted we were soon on the water. Surfing, flat spins, taillies, pop outs, some ear dips and a great time were enjoyed by all. It is fair to say everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves. If anyone would like to try one of these sessions let me know and we can get something arranged, cost is £40 pp for a full day’s coaching, BARGAIN. The sessions are open to everyone including juniors (parent must be in attendance) and all equipment is available to hire out from the club. A roll is helpful but not compulsory. Check out the videos on LCC Facebook page. John Cooke. Below is Jenna getting the pop out nailed! Check out Neil’s video on the LCC Facebook page.

Ponsonby Arms to Ty Mawr Country Park by John Fay A big thanks to John Cooke for organising this coached whitewater trip. Martha Kelly, Mike Bailey, Pippa Leddra, Shane Jones and myself arrived at the Ponsonby Arms at 9.30am and after coffee the proceedings started. It was a great day with loads of time to practice breaking in and out and ferry gliding etc with some T-rescues practice and a few rolls at the end. If you get the chance I would highly recommend booking onto one of these sessions. They will certainly boost your confidence on the water whatever discipline you’re into. Shane Jones, Jamie was really good and got me using my edges a lot more and was happy to answer any questions we were asking him and let us practice our T rescues and rolling at the end. Mike Bailey, It was a proper introduction and exposed me to enough of the risks and thrills of this type of kayaking. There was enough about techniques like eddying and ferrying to give me an idea without overwhelming me with information. I felt really comfortable with Jamie. He is obviously very experienced and his coaching technique worked well for me.

We were caught on camera at Camping Les Ecrins last year! Click to view video

Thanks to Sue Bradley, Mas Mohammadifar, John Vogler and Tony Robinson for providing kayak support for the Ian Percival 26th Anniversary Swim organised by Liverpool Open Water Swimming Club on Saturday 26th June. Several charities will benefit from this event including the Teenage Cancer Trust and a young triathlete who has recently suffered life-changing injuries. There were 91 swimmers who took part in this iconic swim through the Salthouse, Dukes and Kings Docks on distances varying from one to four miles. Water temperature was 19.4C and air temperature ranged from 16-21C with perfect conditions and a great atmosphere amongst the swimmers, supporters and officials. A special thanks to Sue who stepped up to provide kayak safety support for the first time and led the two miles swim with such panache. Also to The Friends of Allonby Canoe Club who provided four kayakers and to the free-lance kayakers, stand-up paddle-boarder and jet-ski! Thanks also to the Canals and Rivers Trust who supported this event. Once again thanks for your support. Jim 

Last weekend saw the first white water camping trip of the year, we stayed at the Tyn Cornell site which gives direct access to the lower section of the River Tryweryn. Meeting up on Friday evening was a chance for new members to meet others and for friends to reunite. Saturday morning saw everyone on the lower section, 4 groups doing their own shuttles and getting on as individual groups. Back to the campsite for a lunch break and then some went off onto the upper section while another run of the lower was completed by others. Back at camp, showered and fed the fire pit was lit and a night of socializing ensued. Sunday saw much of the same, upper and lower runs. More people joined us for the day. There were a few spills and plenty of wet ears over the weekend but in general it’s fair to say it was a great weekend, we need another one ! Cheers everyone.

Last weekend also hosted another of the coached river sessions, these are going great and people that have attended have left positive feedback, It was a great day and I remembered more than I thought I knew thank you for organising, I had a fantastic day and very proud of myself for running Bala mill falls. What a fantastic time I had. Dave was as fab as you promised and I learnt loads. Can’t wait to get out on some more white water soon. Just back from the course, what a fantastic day! Thank you so much for organising this, it was a brilliant introduction to moving water and Dave was a great coach. I have forwarded the comments on as I know coaches appreciate good feedback. There will be more trips available so look out for the emails if your interested in attending one. If anyone wants some specific coached training then let me know and we can maybe arrange something. Cheers John Cooke

Conwy Estuary 12th of June This trip was a transition sea paddle down the Conwy Estuary to introduce some of us to the tides, currents, winds and waves that come with sea kayaking. It was my first time on such a trip and the more experienced paddlers that took us were just wonderful. Roger met Beccy and I at the compound to grab boats and then we drove down to the Conwy marina. We started on the beach and the weather was warm but a little cloudy. We headed up the estuary inland towards the castle and there were a few tricky currents to navigate. I honestly thought I would end up upside down at various points, but all was well, and I was just being a wimp. We paddled under the castle, which was a magnificent view in the sunshine. In the woods just past the castle there were so many Heron and Egrets in the trees above us. We continued inland where the views were spectacular. I practiced my edging at varying rates of success and with the patient help of Ian, and just about the time I thought my arms might fall off we stopped for lunch. We pulled up on the bank of the river and where we could see the mountains ahead of us and ate lunch in she cloudy sunshine. We watched the water and got back in at about 2:10pm as the tide turned, which was coordinated by Roger who had done the same trip the day before and had made note of the time – the whole way there I thought the time of 2:10 was so wonderfully specific there must be a very clever way of working it out, so this seemed like cheating when I found out he had been […]

We had a wonderful day at Llyn Padarn, under the gaze of Mount Snowdon with mild weather, a light breeze and a few clouds overhead. 11 of us were on the water in our sea kayaks at 10.45am (someone forgot to book their kayak (me), same someone couldn’t find the carpark – thankfully Vic, Dave and Clare saved the day finding parking spaces for everyone). We took a paddle the length of the lake and back before heading upriver where Roger spotted some wild yellow irises and we enjoyed the peacefulness of the surroundings. The smooth water gave a clear view of the brown and pale stones on the river bed whilst birds flew overhead and a small weir provided a gentle introduction to moving water for a few of us. We then paddled under a narrow, low bridge to our picnic spot. There was some confusion as to how to get a paddle through the narrow gap and more than one person had a close shave/prang. Lunch was much needed at this point and we found a spot on shore to enjoy Vic’s flapjack provision. Fed and watered we made our way back to open water where Phil led some skills exercises focusing on wind direction, how this impacts the movement of the kayak and how to correct for this. The highlight, however, was a magnificent game of catch showcasing Marty’s paddle interceptions, Vic’s chants to intimidate the opposition, Cath and Clare’s on target and ambitious throws and my facial expressions on almost capsizing in the excitement. I think Roger’s Renegades just about won. Alison and Ian were an oasis of calm, imparting advice and sharing stories of Alaska to inspire us to improve our fitness and skills. The clouds came down over the surrounding hills as we made […]

Circumnavigation of the Llyn Peninsula by Catriona Hare Circumnavigation of the Llyn Peninsula, with a bonus trip to Bardsey Island, an awful lot of really bad puns, and our own talking guidebook. There were five young folk from LCC Who went to the Llyn for the sea Kayaking was fun Despite the odd pun And tough, wrong route out to Bardsey I doubt that the Limerick will get a of approval. 😉 Saturday 29th May 2021 Trefor to Porth Oer We all arrived at Trefor on the north coast of the Llyn by 9:30, organised our kit and while four of us sorted out the complicated car shuttles (which Keith had designed) Keith drank coffee and relaxed with the boats. After lunch, car shuttles are hard work, we set off. We now had the nearly spring tide with us for the next six hours. This made for a relatively easy paddle, with sightings of seals and guillemots (or razor bills maybe) to reach Porth Oer 30km away. Not far from Trefor, Jimi played chicken with a blow hole….. I think the blow hole may have won, but it was a hot day, and he soon dried off. Near to Trefor, distinctive volcanoes are visible, and further west many of the cliffs are formed from boulder clay, and there were quite a few landslips. Something to think about for campsite selection. We landed on the north side of Porth Oer, the last campsite before Bardsey sound and found a lovely little sheltered campsite just off the beach (our talking book was proving useful). It was low tide at this point, which meant a long carry up the beach. We managed this safely with 4 people carrying each boat. Although a bit busy early evening, the beach soon quietened down, and we had […]

Dove Point Weekend. Over Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th of May two groups paddled out from Dove Point to Leasowe on Sea Transition paddles. SAT 29th – By Roger Colman Dave and I paddled with, Cornelia; Mike; Jim; John and Sharon. It was the first sea paddle for three of the group and we all arrived at Dove Point in good time, which was fortunate. The place was a hive of activity as it was the Hoylake Regatta and the specialised ‘Hoylake Opera’ boats were being launched. The ‘Hoylake Opera’ is a gaff rigged 16 foot clinker boat, designed by Captain Winchester, built by Alex Latta, well over 100 years ago, as the river and channel were silting and it became necessary to design a flat bottomed boat. Approximately 26 were built (all named after characters in operas and musical comedies) and the first ‘Opera’ Class Race commenced in 1902. 14 boats of the ‘Opera’ class remain today in Hoylake with another, ‘La Poupee’, on display in the Merseyside Maritime Museum. So, having managed to squeeze, one by one, between the wall and an ‘Opera’ being launched, we were away. The sea was nice and calm and although warm the sky was a little foggy/hazy producing a wonderful light upon which many of us commented. Waiting for the sea. And they’re Off. Pic’s John Groom. En route to Leasowe, against a small tidal push, we stopped to play around a couple of masts under the watchful eye of Dave. Just getting the feel of the sea. Then onto Leasowe with plenty of edging practice and cheerful banter. There was no real swell of any description to take us to the beach which was a little unfortunate as it would have been a good experience for the newer members of the […]

Crossing the Little Minch – by Tim Haines Setting off from West Kirby after work on Friday, I arrived at Camas Mor (About 5km north of Uig, Skye) at around 0300 on Saturday morning. After a few hours sleep I set out for Fladaigh Chuain. The crossing is about 10km, and takes you past some amazing nesting seabirds on the cliffs of the islands of Sgeir nan Ruideag – a little foretaste of the amazing birdlife yet to come. The rock architecture of ‘lord Macdonald’s Table’ is truly impressive, and a sea eagle passing overhead added to the overall effect of wilderness and grandeur. The landing on Fladaigh Chuain was straight forward, and there is plenty of flat ground of a tent. The low-lying land on the island is thick with plastic detritus which has been blown ashore, but on the plus side, there is also plenty of driftwood. A large number of black rabbits live on the island, along with a fair number of seals and assorted birdlife. I had a leisurely start to the morning, as the NE flowing tide commenced at around 1030, and I hoped to reach the Shiants at slack water, if possible. The weather was perfect – not a breath of wind – and the crossing (approx. 20km) was over all too quickly. After unloading the boat and having a bite to eat, I set off to paddle through the Rock Arch at Toll a’ Roimh, and then around the island of Eilean Mhuire. There is a seal colony in a sheltered cove on the sheltered western side of the island, and I was able to get ashore and climb up to a position where I could observe the seals from above, without disturbing them. Continuing up to the top of the island, it’s […]

Hi All, We have made a few minor tweaks to our paddling, following the easing of guidance today. Details can be found on the link on our website https://liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk/admin/Covid19.php or outlined below: Key Points: Everyone still needs to pre-book the paddle to control numbers. Face coverings around the car park and compound are now optional. Social distancing should be observed by all.   2m (one paddle length) is a long way!!!! and if you approach closer you should mitigate against the risks. We will continue with the named on the water leader for each and every group concept, as this is believed to have greatly developed paddling within the club over the past 12 months. Rule of six goes to be replaced by normal British Canoeing group sizes and ratios.  These are absolute maximums and if conditions / paddlers and leaders experience demand, groups sizes could and should be smaller than this. Maximum for the docks (Sheltered water) is 1:8 (1:12 for tandem / crewed boats).  Maximum for moderate water is 1:6 Maximum for advanced water is 1:4 Two groups can paddle near or next to one another on the water but social distancing should still be observed by all. Every paddler needs to be pre-booked with the coordinator or through our Bookwhen.com booking site. Paddles are notified through the club`s Google Group and also placed on the clubs calendar. All paddling takes place in separate, small groups with a nominated leader. We follow all National and Local guidance and adhere to the British Canoeing guidelines for paddlesports. Latest Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-covid-alert-levels-what-you-need-to-know Please stay away if you have any symptoms or are self-isolating. Maintain social distancing at all times (2m or a paddle length). Please leave the site asap after the paddle to reduce congestion. Please use hand sanitiser before and after paddling. If more than one group is at the compound please quickly […]