After lunch we set off in the van round the twisty roads with great views into the gorge below. The drop below was just a little wooden fence away. The bike was dropped at the get out and we were off to the get in for the 2nd paddle of the day. A fast safe flow with lots of eddies to hop and waves to play in. Then there was the Keith v tree challenge – the tree won and Kieth rolled. He was just remindng us to avoid trees. Dom practised his technique of barging people out of eddies and team mamba started a tag team hi-fiving as they weaved in and out of the eaddies together. It was then back to camp via the supermarket to stock up for the 2 day adventure to follow. More Photos……..

1st river of the day…. Low water levels made a challenging paddle round rocks and little drops. We split into 3 groups, the average weight seemed to set the paddling rate of each team of pddlers as we scraped over some gravely sections. There were a couple of swims, but smiles all round. Off at the rickety bridge for lunch in the sun after Keith had cycled to retrieve the van. The plans for the next couple of days were discussed in detail and a plan was formulated for the afternoon paddle and for the next 2 days. More photos….

With calm conditions forecast and HW just before 11am, I launched from the Old Coastguard Station at 0840 for a scenic outing to Hilbre.  After crossing the shipping channel as “Kayak Robin”, I headed for Leasowe Lighthouse which is as far as I’d previously explored along the North Wirral Coast.  Wirral Lifeguards were patrolling the shore in a landrover type vehicle.  After hearing them sign on with Holyhead Coastguard, I called than up on Channel 16 to let them know of my presence.  They said they were already keeping an eye on me. I soon reached Hoylake slipway which presented a tranquil scene with quaint old boats moored nearby.  Despite it being around HW, water then started to become in short supply.  For next half mile or so, I splodged along in ankle deep water with the kayak following along behind.  [DSCN0530.jpg]  I eventually found some deeper water with Red Rocks to my left and Hilbre straight ahead.  While making that final crossing there were seals everywhere, too many to count. With the tide now ebbing, I didn’t want to risk the normal beach landing on Hilbre so continued around to the NW corner where there are some deep channels that are more suitable for latecomers. After a welcome break, I first headed NW, then N and NE so as to skirt around the end of the Wirral Peninsular.  A little way out, I could see two prominent green buoys which I though might mark the Rock Channel back to Liverpool.  Designated HE3 and HE2, I’ve since found that they mark the “Hilbre Swash”. With super calm conditions and the windfarm seemingly not far away, I decided to return to Crosby via a northerly route rather than staying close to the shore.  With the outgoing tide, I was drifting north […]

We unloaded all our kit and had set up camp at L` Argentiere La Bessee the night before.  After a lazy start and a food run the first paddle of the holiday was the Middle Durance. The brave got on at the campsite slalom course, picking up the less stupid at the bottom to set off down stream in the fast silty white/blue flow for 19km. Extra sun screen was applied part way down and the trees on the bends were mostly were avoided. The wind in our faces kept us cool in the hot sun. After no swims Keith got everyone in for throw line practise. The initial swim was a chilly wake-up. Although Keiran seemed to enjoy it as he went a few eddies lower than planned. We might need some more practise to improve our aim or less slalom poles to get in the way. After lunch in the sun the big kids went down the slide at the rolling pool to do another lap of the lower slalom course. Some of the others went to check out the canoe shop and Mark sampled the local blackcurrent crumble. It was then back to camp for dinner and BA sewing! More photos….

We are proposing to run a trip to Alaska in August 2018.  Provisional dates are 16th to 30 August but final dates will be determined by the cheapest days for flights.  The plan is to paddle a 12 day self-supported sea kayaking trip from Whittier.   We intend to visit a number of large tide water glaciers and several islands in Prince William Sound.  You must be prepared to camp from your boats for the whole of the trip and therefore you do need good camping skills. Approximate costs will be £500 + flights which were £900 in 2016. Provisional expressions of interest from current club members are requested by email.  Please include a very short summary of your experience if I have not paddled with you before.  Once I have this list of names more details will be circulated along with a chance to book. Keith Steer website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk

We are proposing to run a trip to Nepal in April 2018.  Provisional dates are 31st March to 13 April but final dates will be determined by the cheapest days for flights.  The plan is to paddle the relatively easy Sun Koshi with a 9 day raft supported trip camping on the sandy beaches along the river. (No need to carry anything in the boats). Approximate costs will be £500 + flights which were £450 in 2016. Provisional expressions of interest from current club members are requested by email.  Please include a very short summary of your experience if I have not paddled with you before.  Once I have this list of names more details will be circulated along with a chance to book. Keith Steer website@liverpoolcanoeclub.co.uk  

Kayak Safety Cover Required – Warrington Dolphins Docks Swim – Coordinator John Worswick Saturday, 5 Aug 2017 8am – 12pm 16 spaces available. If you are reasonably competent in a kayak and willing to help please register here. Kayaks are available from the club racks. The event takes place from the Watersports Centre and you will be placed in a team by the coordinator and be given full support and instructions. This is an ideal first event if you are new to kayak safety. Meet at the compound at 8:00am ready for the water. The club receives a small donation for helping and all volunteers are invited to a free lunch if they so wish immediately after the event. Please click here for more details and to sign up……

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Winning photograph – Sea Kayaking Arisaig during Scottish Bank Holiday Meet by Carole Thomas Second Place – Polo murderers leaving the crime scene by Jose Santos Third Place – Club Open Day April 2017 by John Pegram

On Saturday night, Andy was confidently saying that he was going to do a Holyhead circumnavigation on Sunday. This is nothing unusual for Anglesey weekends. Once the beer starts flowing, ambitions grow – starting at a trip round the Stacks, then it’s a Holyhead circumnavigation, then later in the evening it’s a full Anglesey circumnavigation and 5am start. Yeah right! Surprisingly, Andy was still up for it the next morning, so, with Lynette and Ian Bell, we got ready at the (rather pricey) Borth Wen car park at Rhoscolyn. With minimal faffing, we caught the tide down to the Cymryn strait. There was enough water left to prevent grounding on sandbanks and thanks to good navigation, we picked the right channels to reach Four Mile Bridge. The water was still pouring through, filling up the inland sea. There was enough space for anyone brave enough to get swept under the bridge, where they would inevitably swim around collecting bits of their boat. I suggested that we portaged at the take out beach to the right. Ian muttered something about rather dying before being seen portaging. So that was it, under the bridge we went. I made it look difficult by having to roll, but the others made it look easy. Mind you, I was the novice of the group. We paddled up to Stanley Embankment, where the big stopper was in full flow, so we stopped for lunch, waiting for the tidal flow to reduce. There was a lone whitewater paddler playing on the wave in the smallest boat I’ve ever seen. She was clearly an expert and it great to watch her skilfully twisting and turning. When the flow decreased, we paddled under the rail bridge and headed towards Holyhead Harbour. There were two big ferries about to leave, […]

Sunny Day again on the Dee – Lee I hold my hand up to you anyone who paddles one of them C1 things …..deserves a medal. Gary / Dave excellent skills and Stuart thanks for keeping Kieron amused.

Have you ever wanted to try canoe polo?  This is a non-contact, skilful game played in kayaks with a ball.  It is similar to netball and basketball with teams of 5.  It teaches you manoeuvring and kayak handing skills, confidence in a kayak and is a fun team sport. Josh Cook and most of the Brunswick polo team will be on the water to guide and look after you.  Age does not matter but you should have some basic paddling experience to get the most out of the session.  If you can paddle a kayak, turn, can draw the boat sideways then you have all the skills needed.   We have all the equipment you will need (boats, paddles, helmet and buoyancy aids). Just come along to the morning session at our compound at the docks 10:00am to 12:00 midday.   Open to all club members no matter the age.

Andy, Lynette, Tony & I set off from Cemyln Bay shortly after 10am, having had a faff-free start. Yay! The weather was great and the sea was calm, so we bimbled along the coast, rock-hopping and enjoying the sun. Although it was nearly Springs, Andy had timed the tides nicely for us and there was nothing daunting in terms of tide races. There was a bit pushing off the headland between the porcelain factory and brickworks, so we had a bit of a play in the waves, before stopping at the brickworks for lunch. We were joined by Lynette’s partner  Mike, who had been keeping up with us on his bike, cycling along the coastal path. Unfortunately the brickworks have recently been hit by graffiti and were “overcamped” when we arrived, so it was hard to take photos that showed the character of the place. Luckily, we had the beach to ourselves and lazed in the sun, before heading back. We headed out from the cliffs to catch the tide, which soon pushed us back into Cemlyn Bay. Thanks to Andy for organising and leading us & thanks also to Lynette, Tony & Mike for the company! John Maddock           More Photos……….

A rainy drive down the A55 after work on Friday cleared into a pleasant evening when crossing Britannia Bridge onto Anglesey. After some confusion as to which group of kayakers to join the majority of LCC members pitched up in the far corner of Bodfan farm ready for a weekend of paddling. In the morning the stray paddlers were rounded up from the outskirts of the Ribble canoe club’s plot. With a sunny start to Saturday the little boats went to 4 mile bridge and the long boats headed to south stack.  Those heading to the Alps were busy practising their rolls in the safety of the inland sea, while Sarah and Jack improved their moving water inflatable boat skills. More Photos………. Everyone returned to camp to form BBQ groups to enjoy the full moon by firelight. On Sunday another calm day allowed the sea paddlers to circumnavigate Holy Island. The others set off to Trearddur Bay or went swimming in Rhosneigr.  Another successful weekend, with more members than I managed to count!

New parking restrictions at the docks – No more parking on any road (whether it has a single yellow line or no line!) Please be aware the parking situation has recently changed at the Marina and surrounding access roads.  You are no longer allowed to park on the single yellow line or the side road with no road markings as new signs have been put up indicating a £100 fine. The good news is that we have 3 options: 1/ Park in the free British Waterways slipway carpark next to the barrier by our compound.  This has space for about 8 cars. 2/ Park in the Marina pay car park and get up to 3 hours free by entering your car registration number into the iPad like device on the left hand side of the bar at the marina.  You do not need to buy anything – just find the white iPad like screen and enter your reg.     3/ Use the concrete beach next to the compound – the barrier may be opened by the session coordinator when she or he opens the main compound.  Please be aware the barrier will be locked when people are on the water and will only be opened again at the end of the paddling session. This has all come about because of excessive illegal parking on pavements, double yellow lines etc from residents, fisherman and other docks users. Please remember to park carefully in a line on the left (top) of the beach (Facing the garage and building in order to get maximum number of cars on). Do not make excessive noise around the area or moored boats. Please do not make waves or a large wake in the area around the moored house boats. Never, ever go near the moored […]