Oooh, Mersey mercy me! Here is a story of two guys going for a long paddle on the Mersey, but that’s only the superficial story. The Deeper Message is that the Mersey deserves to be paddled more. The river is good to us paddlers (with ifs and buts, keep reading). On 19 September 2020 we had one of the biggest spring tides of the year (10.04 m at Gladstone Lock) which gives a flood current of 6 knots in places. I thought this would be an ideal opportunity the see how far I’d get on the river – would it be possible to get from the mouth of the river to Warrington and back? The best way to find out is to try it and I found another crazy person (Brian Green) to team up with. I’d leave from New Brighton and he’d trolley from home in Waterloo, adding a few more miles (so in fact he’s crazier than me), with us communicating over VHF and meeting on the water. That worked well, but it’s striking how hard it is to spot each other even from quite close by. I had to paddle ¾ of the way to the other side to spot Brian. Apparently, it is easier to spot a very tall guy with ginger hair than a normal tall guy with, ermmm, no ginger hair. The flow was working well and we enjoyed a pleasant push past the Three Graces and on to Otterspool promenade. Once past there, the river widens to about 5 km but we still enjoyed good tidal assistance and often made 15 km/h (9 mph). This section also has sandbanks – they were covered but did generate medium-sized overfalls which kept us on our toes. All of this happened with an easterly headwind force […]

Sunday Morning Sessions 10:00am until 12:00 midday and Junior Club 1.00pm until 3:00pm These sessions have been running successfully with strict controls on numbers for some weeks now, but we have still been able to get 5 groups of up to six on the water.  Today the sessions took a step forward with the use of “ski school” numbers for group members to muster around with their equipment.  Strict social distancing and use of hand sanitiser are required at all times with no more than 6 allowed in or around the compound at any one time. How it works – members book on to a relevant session using the LCC booking page… (you need your website username and password).   Sheltered water leaders & key holders all need to book as well so that we have no more than 30 people on site at any one time.   People are allocated to groups of similar ability and craft (you can suggest these when you book).   Bookings close 24hrs before the paddle but the session does rely on at least 5 experienced group leaders volunteering to lead groups.  Everyone gets a list by email of who is in which group with a named leader.   When they arrive and the compound is uncrowded they can select equipment and carry it to their group number.  When everyone in a group is present they can launch and paddle off together.   On your return, you wait on the water for the group in front to vacate the compound and then you can land and put away your borrowed equipment, return to your car and then leave. More details of paddles on our club calendar with links to the LCC booking page… A reminder: Please stay at home if you have any Corona virus symptoms.  All paddling with […]

Liverpool Canoe Club and Local restrictions in our area from Tuesday 22nd September Many thanks for all who contributed to tonight`s Stewardship meeting to discuss the implications of the local restrictions due to be introduced in our area on Tuesday.   The consensus of the meeting was that the club already follows detailed Covid 19 guidance for members to take part in organised sporting activity at a club level and we do not need, at this stage, to take any further action to ensure that our members are kept as safe as possible. However, please read the guidance on the main page of the club website Covid 19 guidance and follow any instructions given by coordinators and paddle leaders and coaches.  There is lots of advice there but please pay special attention to the following: Please stay away if you have any symptoms or are self-isolating. Please use hand sanitiser immediately before and after paddling. Remain in your car until called forward to enter the compound and leave as soon as possible after you have finished. Do not chat or socialise with anyone else from another group while in or around the compound and maintain 2m distance at all times.

Congratulations to Ruth Edwards and Mike Alter who were married yesterday Unfortunately, the current restriction’s meant that numbers at both the wedding and reception (afternoon tea party) were restricted but there were several paddling friends and family there to mark the happy occasion. I particularly liked the pair of S6 playboats which guarded the entrance to the venue. We do like a “paddlers wedding”.

In memory of Alastair Randall Our friend Alastair Randall died suddenly at home on 11th August. He left behind a partner Vikki and two wonderful young children, Sophie aged 8 and Ethan aged 3. To lose your father at such a young age is tragic, so we’re organising a competition to raise some money for this young family after their tragic loss. It’s simple to enter, please just send £5 to paypal via friends and family (Elon Musk and his chums really don’t need any more money), to alastairrandallfamilyfund@gmail.com along with your answer to the following question: How many blades are there on a kayak paddle? A) Two B) Haddock c) Eleventy Three Alternatively, you can click the link at the bottom of this post or you can enter in store, with cold hard cash. All correct entries will be entered into a draw to win one of the following prizes: A North Shore Atlantic RM Sea Kayak, you can choose which size – generously donated by Valley Sea Kayaks A Peak UK Drysuit, you can choose the model and size – generously donated by Peak UK NRS Odyssey PFD NRSCo-pilot Titanium NRS Mamba Pogies WRSI Trident Carbon NRS Kayak Tow Line all generously donated by NRS Europe A £200 Gift Voucher from TNR Outdoors which can be spent on coaching courses, first aid training or just river fees at the mill. A days sea Kayak coaching for two generously donated by Adventure Elements A days coaching for two generously donated by Kayak Essentials A days coaching for two generously donated by Adam Harmer An HF Throw-Tow generously donated by System X Five x £100 gift vouchers to be spent in our store Summit to Sea, they can be used online or instore. There are some great prizes here and […]

If you missed last night’s talk by Caz and Pete Thomas you can now watch it on the Club YouTube Link…..   Outer Hebrides – North Uist and Isle of Lewis by Caz and Pete Thomas Carole and I were fortunate enough last year to be invited on Mark and Eileen Pawley’s Hebridean holiday and were so impressed with the place that we invited ourselves back this year. Hear all about our paddling adventures at tomorrow night’s virtual talk. (You do not need a camera or microphone to watch the video stream, but you can ask questions if you do have them) Upcoming talks Monday 19th Club Awards Evening, Talks and AGM Monday 12th October St Kilda trip with Gordon Brown in 2018 by, Kris D’Aout Monday 5th October Folding Kayaks and expeditions by Tim Haines Monday 28th September Skye by Jenny Brown and Chris Thompson Monday 21st September Sheffield or Bust by Brian Green Monday 14th September Outer Hebrides Caz and Pete Thomas Club YouTube Link…..

Outer Hebrides – North Uist and Isle of Lewis by Caz and Pete Thomas Carole and I were fortunate enough last year to be invited on Mark and Eileen Pawley’s Hebridean holiday and were so impressed with the place that we invited ourselves back this year. Hear all about our paddling adventures at tomorrow night’s virtual talk. (You do not need a camera or microphone to watch the video stream, but you can ask questions if you do have them) Username and password sent to member via google group Upcoming talks Monday 19th Club Awards Evening, Talks and AGM Monday 12th October ??? Monday 5th October ??? Monday 28th September Skye by Jenny Brown and Chris Thompson Monday 21st September Sheffield or Bust by Brian Green Monday 14th September Outer Hebrides Caz and Pete Thomas Summer break 21st July River Rottnan from Norway to Sweden by Debbie Hughes 14th July West coast of Scotland Oban to Jura by Ian Bell Club YouTube Link…. 7th July Hiking and sea kayaking on Vancouver Island by Catriona Hare Club YouTube Link…. 30th June Costa Brava Sea Kayaking Club Trip – Pete and Carol Thomas  Club YouTube Link….    23rd June Prince William Sound by kayak – Alison Moxley and Keith Steer Club YouTube Link…. 16th June Constrains led approach in coaching by Matt Giblin Club YouTube Link…. 9th June Walking through the Tobeatic with canoes on our heads by Roger Coleman Club YouTube Link…. 2nd June Greenland revisited by Jim Krawiecki Club YouTube Link… 26th May Sun Khosi River of Gold by Jenny Brown and Chris Thompson Club YouTube Link…. 19th May Hiking the Te Araroa trail in New Zealand by Hannah Bellamy Club YouTube Link……. 12th May Circumnavigation of Menorca by Pete Thomas Club YouTube Link… 5th May Sea kayaking in East Greenland by Jim Krawiecki […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 12 (Wednesday) 19th August – Camas na Geadaig (Scalpay) to Balmacara We were up and the forecast was for gale force winds coming in that night slightly ahead of schedule. It was a midge-tastic morning, so we raced onto the water in our head nets and quickly paddled offshore in hope of some wind – nothing! Once we had out paddled the midges we made a plan. There was a fog bank over the Crowlin Islands, it wasn’t that thick but with no wind it might not have been moving soon. We went with plan B to make sure we were safely off the water and not caught out crossing the sound in fog or high winds if they came in early. Getting storm bound for a couple of days only an hour from the cars wouldn’t have been much fun. We did 17.6 miles round the tree lined west and south of Scalpay and over to Pabay for a bite to eat before heading through the bridge back to the cars. The heat of the day increased, the fog lifted and atmospheric clouds were left hanging round the mountain tops. As we went under Skye bridge Jenny was melting in her midge safety suit (cool weather paddling kit). Just passed the jetty on the Skye side was a massive sand crab and another castle. We crossed back to the Scottish mainland – no naked Yoga man this time – then got to the cars at low water. Vic went for 10 victory rolls and we started to carry the kit over the seaweeds and rocks to the cars. Ian and Keith set off for home ahead of the wind while Vic, Chris and Jenny stopped for lunch […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 11 (Tuesday) 18th August – Manish Point to Camas na Geadaig (Scalpay) We launched at 7:30am (Keith was still in his tent!), packing the boats the night before knowing we would be setting off at high water where we’d left the boats tied up. There was a bit of a swell on the water surging up the rocks and making a splash. As we came south level with Portree the wind dropped, and the sea became flat. There was a  fab “Skye line” in front of us as we paddled. There were lots of caves and rock formations to potter around with seals and sea eagles. We had had 9’s on a beach with a stream to refill our bottles. We paddled on through huge swarms of jellyfish – oddly enough no one fancied doing any rolling practice! Next stop was lunch just round the west side of the Rassay Ferry terminal. We found a perfectly positioned bench with a grassy verge and watched the ferry come and go. Lots of Urchins and fish around the jetty. The breeze returned as we crossed to Scalpay to camp on a sandy beach with grass backing and 2 streams, one either side of the bay. The gravel on the upper beach had an orangey purple stripe. It was a slightly shorter day – covering 13.5 miles. Vic went out fishing again while Chris estimated that the circumnavigation of Skye would have been about 150miles – so we’d ended up doing a greater distance island hopping. The strong winds were still on the forecast for Thursday evening. Plan A was still an option, but the mornings forecast would have to be checked to make the final call. We went to bed […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 10 (Monday) 17th August –Brochel Bay (Rassay) to Manish Point (Via Rona) Another long day on the water – 20.4 miles. We were up and packed by 7:40am to find a toad hiding under the kayaks. Today we were off to Rona with plenty of seals and sea birds on the way. Ian spotted a dear and a whale. We had elevenses at an MOD site on the northern tip of the island under the lighthouse. There was a nice breeze and a slight swell behind us as we started to paddle south. There was storm winds on the forecast later in the week so we were coming up with a Plan A (paddle to the Crowlin Islands, camp at Uags and head to the cars Thursday morning) and Plan B (head along the Skye coast sheltering from the SW winds and straight to the cars early afternoon Wed) to make sure we were in a good position to respond as the forecast updated. We paddled past the small islands of Eilean Tigh and Eilean Fladday stopping in caves and navigating through cracks in the cliffs off Raasay. The views of Skye where fabulous along the Skye cliffs and out to Lewis on the horizon. The breeze started to die so it was time to find a camp before the midges came out. We found a cobbled beach at Manish Point with a stream, pitched and made drinks before quickly taking cover from the midges in our tents. In Jenny’s case head net and full paddling kit seemed the most effective protection – even if a little hot! A short rain shower was very welcome, but not quite enough to fully clear the midges. As the evening sun returned we […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 9 (Friday) 16th August – Kyle of Lochalsh to Brochel Bay (Rassay) We woke up to find a fog bank bridging the sound. Annoyingly, as Chris and Jenny opened their tent another tent pole snapped under the tension. It was a mirror image of theother tent pole breakage so they remained with only 1 porch for the rest of the trip, but plenty of spare poles if anything else broke. Off we went to have “nineses” on Pabay the fog coming in around us from both directions. We saw porpoise as we set off to Longay noting the compass bearing of 320 degrees. We carried on past the Skerries rocks (Sgeir Dhearg and Sgeir Thraid) and went north up the east coast of Raasay. There were loads of sea birds, 2 circling us looking for food. We had elevenses in the fog before finding a waterfall with a freezing cold down draft for a freshen-up. Jenny got to test her hood finally! There were no sign of any submarines training, but Ian was adamant there could have been. We soon popped out the other side of the fog bank to find sea eagles and rock climbers on the landslides and cliff falls. After 16.6 miles we stopped on a gravel beach of purple brown pebbles (Brochel Bay) to camp with great views towards Appleby and the NW with many seals watching us. After dinner, a pod of bottle nosed dolphins were observed in the distance some jumping fully out of the water as if being chased or playing. Jenny had a swim while Keith got Ian to refold his maps once again. After dinner, a singing seal could be heard from around the corner. It was a very […]

Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!” Day 8 (Friday) 15th August – Loch Hourn to Kyle of Lochalsh With good weather and the tide with us this was our longest day at 21.7 miles. It was also the longest day as at 3.10am a few of us were woken by the sound of the tide getting rather close to the tents. A mini rock pyramid was built at the waterline as a marker and by 4.10am Jenny was happy the tide was finally dropping and went back to sleep. We packed up in a midge-free breeze and Chris and Jenny’s tent was caught in a gust and tumble turned towards the sea where thankfully it was saved. We paddled off at 8am along the northern shore of Loch Hourn with the wind behind us, wildlife spotting for birds, otters and seals. The sea was clear and deep with large shells, urchins and a variety of seaweeds on the bottom. Small fish flitted about the rocks. We had elevenses in the shelter of the Sandaig Islands as the wind dropped and the sun shone. A few boats were moored with snorkelers splashing about. We were thinking about stopping before the narrows, but we had made good time, the tide was racing along with us so we decided to push on to the other side of the Bridge of Skye. The heather on the mountains was starting to come out creating a purple tinge, which then got stronger through the next week. As we went through the narrows there was some frisky seals making a good splash and a head wind picked up. We crossed Loch Alsh to go along the north coast to shelter from the wind. We all had a snigger at someone doing naked […]

Demonstration of how to get into a sea kayak at our compound to reduce to stop unnecessary wear and tear on the the skeg area. https://youtu.be/tLJ8X-UJArI https://youtu.be/BW467eeQz-8

  Club Expedition to Skye 2020 “Team Alaska go on a Skye #staycation!”   Day 7 (Friday) 14th August – Teangus (Castle Ruin) to Loch Hourn A lazy start as the wind dropped. 10am and we went straight for the crossing over to the white houses at Airor. The wind was force 3 making a fair chop on the sea. The tide was still low, so it was quite a carry to get on the water. The team were now so efficient we were on the water before Keith! We stopped for elevenses at Airor as the wind started to drop then paddled around the coast into Loch Hourn. As we got to the headland there was a rock covered in seals with their pups. They all launched into the water on our arrival. Lots more trees along this coastline and fish farms with jumping salmon in. Vic got his line out again and caught dinner while we paddled with the wind now behind us. After 13.3 miles we found a Tombolo (a beach joining an island to the mainland) to camp on and enjoyed the afternoon watching the seals and someone flying a kite further up the loch. There was a lot of mica in the rocks that sparkled in the sun. Vic hiked off for water from a nearby waterfall and Jenny was pleased to have got to Knoydart, this had been on her to do list for a few years. Ian and Vic enjoyed a swim and another paddler stopped to say hello. Jenny Brown     More Photos……….