French Alps 2019 paddling trip Day 2b The River Onde by Craig Ford The vehicle shuttling for the afternoons paddle, The Onde, seemed to a precursor to the afternoon’s paddle. Winding narrow streets with jutting out houses designed to wreck our passing vehicles, and only one apparent line to follow. However, on to the paddle itself, four groups set off, spaced out as there would be little opportunity for finding an eddy for anything bigger than a playboat. It was a case of follow the leader, who sometimes became the sacrificial paddler sat on a rock allowing the following group to avoid the obstacle. Leaders swapped regularly as rocks and different lines caused paddlers to progress at different speeds down the Onde, which had more than good line. A combination of good paddle line choices, fortuitous boofing and overhanging trees being dodged saw the group arrive safely at the get out. The Onde even claims to have caused a hand roll, aka pushing off the bottom, but without the aid of a paddle. A river that was great fun trying to avoid being pinned against a rock with the exhilaration of getting it right and flowing down river facing the right way. More photographs……….

French Alps 2019 paddling trip Day 2a The Upper Durance by Helen Siertsema The Upper Durance is a good little warm-up river and confidence builder for the less experienced at paddling white water. Lots of easy bouncy rapids with more quieter stretches on which to take in the spectacular scenery. Today, was particularly enjoyable as the sun was out and the water blue. We split into smaller groups of four to make our large mob of paddlers more manageable thus avoiding any unruly behaviour and the flouting of white water river protocol. It was noticed that Kirk’s group were taking their time and faffing about on the river. However, Kirk was putting his group through the rigours of Line of Sight coaching which is essential when leading groups down white water. Nice one Kirkage! The last third of this section is more interesting and presents us with more bouncy rapids and opportunities to do some eddy hopping in readiness for the afternoon’s paddle. The get out is a steep boat carry before the barrage where the Durance slackens off before being sucked out by the energy companies. In previous years, my Burn was relatively easy to carry up the steep narrow path, but now I have a heavy Machno, forget it, pffffffft! More photographs……….

French Alps 2019 paddling trip Day 1 The Durance from the campsite to St Clement by Aaron Jackson After our eventful 23-hour journey on the minibus we finally arrived at the camp site, everyone exhausted we decided to have a nice chilled night. As this was my first-time out to the Alps, my excitement and anxiety started to kick in. We started our two-week journey on the Durance which was flowing very quickly. I was very nervous as this was the fastest river I have ever done. As we drifted down the flowing river the scenery surrounding us was fantastic. About halfway down we approached a rock cliff on a sweeping bend with a low overhang. Craig used the branch in the overhang to assist himself to get around, but Stuart decided to “get up and personal” with the gigantic overhang. This resulted in Stuart becoming upside down with a gentle bump from Neil and then a half-hearted attempt at helping him up resulted in a swim for Stuart. Sarah came to Stuart’s rescue by getting out of her boat to assist emptying Stuart’s. Sarah gained 2 gold stars off Keith for her heroic effort of saving Stuarts life. Soon we made it down to St Clement Slalom Course where we played on the waves and paddled the rapids. We then returned to the top wave where we practiced throw lines rescues and defensive swimming. Ron had a nice swim past the practice area as Aleksander decided to let go of his throw line. Most managed to perfect their throws and pendulum the victims (casualties) into the eddy below. Then back to the campsite where everyone relaxed and made food. Eager to get going for the next day. More photographs……….

Hilbre Island Sea Kayak Event 2019 This was the ninth year that Liverpool Canoe Club has run the Hilbre Island Sea Kayak Race based at Dee Sailing Club in Thurstaston. With the tide rolling in at a fast rate of knots it was decided to go for an on-the-water start again this year. Precisely at 2pm our event sponsor, Andy Lees blasted the hooter and the flotilla was off. With almost perfect conditions and a later start time it was sure to be a fast race again this year. Paddlers had been advised to head inshore of the racing dinghy`s at West Kirby and then to head out to the shallows around the Little Eye. The hot weather brought its own problems, paddlers needed to stay hydrated. It was great to see the numerous safety kayakers this year marked with yellow High Visibility Vests. The little eye racers rounded and returned inshore while those heading for Hilbre set off to the outside of Middle Eye and small overfalls on the end of Hilbre. When all kayaks were heading for home the 2 rescue boats (Ridged Hull Inflatables) practised rescuing paddlers with some of the safety kayakers and then shadowed the paddlers back past West Kirby and on to Thurstaston. The earlier start this year meant plenty of water for the finish. Back at the sailing club we tidied up, showered and enjoyed the BBQ and drinks provided by our hosts Dee Sailing Club. This year Go Kayaking provided a number of demo sea kayaks and items from the shop. Andy Lees, shop manager also presented the prizes for the Hilbre Island Races, the Little Eye Race and West Kirby Races. Elite Race 1st Racing Ski – Georgie Stoychev (Paddling Jacket from Go Kayaking) 1st Performance Sea Kayak – Dave Brown […]

A patch had been coned out for us at Bodfan Farm as people arrived Friday evening. Although we did notice Rabble Canoe Club (AKA Ribble) got the area nearer the loos and water! Anyway the club flag went up as the dark fell. Saturday morning the sea kayakers set off for a day trip ending back in the bay at Rhosneigr. The little boats split into 2 groups. A few went to potter about the Menai Straights checking out Swellies rock, the rock under the cardinal marker, the fish traps round the island with a house and a new rock that emerged near the channel and required an investigation. The other group went over to four mile bridge paddling over to Stanley wave for an evening play. As the BBQ was lit a few more arrived for a Sunday paddle and we were treated to a small firework display after a sunset. Sunday saw the sea kayakers heading to the Skerries, another group heading out from Rhosneigr and a couple heading home via JJ’s. A few were waiting for Fat Face to open at 10 before starting the days activities. Although the wind was a little more than expected those with bikes also headed out for a morning ride before heading for home after a late lunch back at an empty camp.  

Roof racks and spacing for carrying kayaks and canoes. Canoes and kayaks vary in length and in general the longer the boat the longer the spacing should be between the bars. However, as the boats tend to go to a vee shape towards the ends so do not sit well on flat bars if the length between them is too large. My bars have 95cm between them and boats sit well either flat or on their sides. This does not have to apply if you have cradles to sit them in but again 95 – 100cm is ideal for sea kayaks in cradles or river kayaks flat or on side. Racing boats are often carried in V shaped carriers with extra length but most general-purpose kayaks sit well with 95cm spacing. Your spacing of 65cm seems a little close but will depend on how your kayaks sits at that spacing. A 3m kayak may bounce and pitch up and down as you go over bumps. Car and roof rack spacing maybe for general luggage (eg suit cases). The width referred to in previous emails is the width of the bars and it helps to have bars that stick out a little. Try to avoid trendy sculptured bars (see photo below) recommended by some manufactures. The curve and plastic fittings at the end mean that kayaks do not sit well and in practice you cannot fit many kayaks on the bars! I recommend the Thule aero system below – with an extra 10cm on either end it is ideal for carrying several kayaks. A final word – roof racks are only rated for a maximum 75 or 100kg of weight on top. Crashing or breaking at speed with kayaks on can mean they tear the roof rack off, brake the straps […]

Photo of the Month Please send any photos to website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk August 2019 Click here to see the photos and to vote for your favourite.

Photo of the Month Please send any photos to website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk July 2019 # 1 The Lower Tryweryn trip by Dave Gentle 38 votes (28%) # 2 Tarifa Spain May 2019 25 Kt Downwind in double surfski Stephen Marnell 25 votes (19%) # 3 Parliament House Cave on Anglesey – K Steer 22 votes (16%) # 4 Open Boat Sailing on Lake Bala – Nikki Aldridge 20 votes (15%) # 5 Sea kayak trip on Anglesey Dave Gentle 16 votes (12%) # 6 Stand Up Paddleboarding during the Open Day by Christine Fay 13 votes (10%)

Race Report from Last year’s event – we still have lots of places available to club members – paddle as a group or an individual we have you covered! Hilbre Island Sea Kayak Race 2018 This was the eighth year that Liverpool Canoe Club has run  the Hilbre Island Sea Kayak Race based at Dee Sailing Club in Thurstaston. With the tide rolling in at a fast rate of knots it was decided to go for an on-the-water start this year. Precisely at 1pm our secretary, Carole Thomas blasted the hooter and the flotilla was off. With almost perfect conditions and a later start time it was sure to be a fast race this year as the leaders would be rounding the islands at high water. Paddlers had been advised to head inshore of the racing dinghy`s at West Kirby and then to head out to the shallows around the Little Eye. The hot weather brought its own problems, paddlers needed to stay hydrated. It was great to see the numerous safety kayakers this year marked with yellow High Visibility Vests. The little eye racers rounded and returned inshore while those heading for Hilbre set off to the outside of Middle Eye and small overfalls on the end of Hilbre. When all kayaks were heading for home the 4 rescue boats (Ridged Hull Inflatables) practised rescuing paddlers with some of the safety kayakers and then shadowed the paddlers back past West Kirby and on to Thurstaston. The tide had changed so the remaining paddlers had to fight hard against the ever-quickening ebb tide. Back at the sailing club we tidied up, showered and enjoyed the BBQ and drinks provided by our hosts Dee Sailing Club. This year Go Kayaking provided a number of demo sea kayaks and items from the shop. Andy Lees, shop manager also presented […]

Sunday 7th July – Clubs annual Sea Kayak Event at Dee Sailing Club As usual the Sundays Dock Session on Sunday 7th July has been moved to coincide with the Sea Kayak race and Club BBQ at Dee Sailing Club. Go Kayaking will be there with demo boats and gear for sale. This is an ideal day out for the family with access to the beach, BBQ and club house at Dee Sailing club. We hope that all of you pop along to support the club or take part in the event. We especially want club members to enter the events – rescue boats and safety kayaker cover all events. West Kirby event (4km) paddles along the shore to West Kirby Sailing Club and back (2 circuits of the docks). Ideal for those new to the sport, in general purpose kayaks, SOTs, SUPs or juniors paddlers. Little Eye event (8Km) paddles clockwise around the little eye island and back along the shore to Dee Sailing Club (4 circuits of the docks). Ideal for Fast touring boats, Doubles and racing SUPs Hilbre Race (13Km) – for more experienced paddlers in Sea Kayaks, Ladies Sea Kayaks, Tandem Sea kayaks, Racing Surf Skis, High-performance Sea Kayaks. Club kayaks and equipment can be loaned for this event – just book in the usual way. You do not have to race, we are happy for groups of paddlers to tour around the route in groups but it is an ideal way to paddle on the sea in relative safety. Please enter to receive a start bib. To book a place please go to the main page on the club website or click here to enter……. NB I still need a couple of volunteers to control access to road / parking area – please email website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk […]

Junior Club Camping Weekend at Anglesey Outdoors June 2019 This year we were based at the Anglesey Outdoors center near Porth Dafarch. This is an ideal setting for the juniors as we have our own field away from the other users with plenty of space. Some families cheated this year and booked a Yurt or Cabin, one with a hot tub!! One family even opted to stay inside the center with heated rooms. The rest of us camped outdoors. On the Friday we put up the tents and played games on the campsite. Later we got the fire going inside the Cabin before all going to bed. It rained overnight. Saturday morning saw an early start and we arrived at 4 Mile Bridge (so called as it is four miles from Holyhead). Here we played in the surf way and went through the tunnel lots of times. The current soon slowed and everyone went through. After a short break and picnic we were off in the boats again and paddled across the inland sea and saw lots of birds and wildlife. Back at the campsite for lunch some of us got our kites out. It was very windy and some crashed into the bushes. At 3pm it was off to the beach at Porth Dafarch. Some played on the sand, the tide was out so we soon had a surfing and swimming session. Later we had the BBQ on the campsite and more games before we all went to bed. On the Sunday we had a go at coasteering on one of the beaches along the coast. We swam out to a small island and then round some cliffs and found a narrow cave and crack that led us back to the start. We then headed off to 4 Mile […]

Club Open Day April 2019 Every year the club runs an open day on the last Sunday in April. The event is open to All, young and old, members and non-members, We have a large range of boats and equipment and our friendly members will be on hand to offer advice or answer any questions you may have. There was a Paddling Tour of the Docks, Rolling competition, races and events. We also had a “bring and buy” sale for any canoe or kayaking gear. Go Kayaking were there with their demo-fleet to try and buy. Ella Clews was the official photographer for the event and has produce a fantastic set of photos capturing the day. Members can see all of the on the media > club photos page……

Tryweryn weekend by John Cooke With the Tryweryn not releasing over the weekend and rain forecast we arrived at the campsite late afternoon to find Craig E was already set up, pitching the tents in the pouring rain was not an enjoyable experience, Craig and Alexsander arrived complete with gazebo which was erected and used as our dining room for tea. Later on, Dom arrived with a large family tent that we converted in to the party tent and would be the saving grace of the weekend. By now with an ever-increasing number of tents/vans we were building a Tryweryn village. Saturday morning and not much sleep due to the rain pouring all night, other paddlers joined us and unfortunately the sheer weight of water on the gazebo had made it collapse, no more dining room! The good news was the river was in fact 20cm higher than if they had actually released and 14 paddlers split in to two groups set off for a paddle which would take 3 hours, we were back on schedule for the original purpose off the trip. With a shuttle back to the campsite we all went to the cafe at the Tryweryn for some lunch. Lunch done and dusted and some new paddlers on site it was time for a second run, the rain had stopped and the river was dropping quickly so the second lap was done in just over an hour. Mission complete, back to the campsite for a shower and barbeque with a couple of drinks thrown in for good measure, the party tent was utilised later on until it was time for bed. Sunday morning and it had been decided to go to the Dee as this was on the way home for most people, and it was running […]

Liverpool International Canoe Polo Tournament by Craig Ford The weekend of 1st and 2nd June saw Liverpool Canoe Club enter two polo teams into the open age class 3 & 4 along with the U16 youth team.  Once the final details were published the U16 team (Aleksander, Dean, Harvey, JJ, Myles) was placed in the class 4 with LCC Coburg (Ben, Craig, Keith, Mark, Mike, Norman, Paul) with a head to head tie between the two teams for Sunday morning. This meant that our new youth team in their first tournament was placed to play against a couple of other youth teams and 8 adult teams from around the UK. Whilst the weather was relatively bleak the results from Saturday saw LCC Coburg and the U16 team tied in first place overnight.  By the end of the round robin the U16s were placed second leaving them playing for 1st or 2nd place.  With blustery conditions prevailing the U16s had a fantastic performance and should feel proud to finish runners up against much more experienced adult opposition. LCC Coburg in their inaugural outing as a team finished 6th with a spirited set of performances. Meanwhile LCC Brunswick (Aaron, Callum, John, Josh, Luke, Sam) were placed against Div3 teams including a GB Development team gathered from top players around the UK.  Again hard fought battles saw their efforts rewarded with a 3rd place trophy. Well done to everyone for their efforts.  Bring on the Hull tournament in 3 weeks time! Craig Ford