There’s nothing quite like the ‘home stretch’ whenever you’re out paddling – the optimism, the burst of speed, the feeling of ‘nearly there’. Well on this trip we had two whole days of home stretch as we shuttled eight of the club boats 52 miles up river on the CKC trailer to Marlow and planned to paddle them home all the way back to Cremorne Riverside.
Dave Tuttle came up with the ingenious plan, as a way to get to see what the rest of the Thames looked like – the non-tidal part – and as a way of potentially ticking off a chunk of a later source to sea challenge?
Thanks to my nephew who played shuttle-bunny and dropped Dave and I, along with the kit and boats off at the riverside slipway in Marlow (at the crack of dawn!), minimal faffing was required and when the other guys rocked up via train and taxi we swiftly packed boats and made it on the water for an impressive 9am launch. However, we were only paddling for about 4 minutes before we had to stop and wait for our first lock – which was good as it gave us time to slap on some extra sun cream, as the day was looking to be hot!
Thankfully most of the Thames locks are manned during the day, so all we had to do was paddle on in when instructed after the motor boats and barges. Sitting in a sea kayak when in a lock is a surreal experience – the first time you do it – but by the end of this trip we were all dab hands at it (the trick I found is not letting the stern of your boat get caught on the steps as the water drops!). We also became quite adept at leaving a CKC tag in the locks we passed through with a bit of ‘sludge graffiti’ as the water level dropped beneath us. Stu and Kate had to go one further and mark their own personal journey down the Thames… but I guess each to their own?
Dave had heard of a nice couple of pubs that nestle against the banks of the river, just down from Marlow – and as it was still pretty early we all convinced ourselves that a hearty pub-breakfast and a cuppa coffee would be a good way to start the weekend. Unfortunately it was so blooming early that none of these pretty little places were open or serving food as we forlornly paddled up to each of them.
In hindsight it was probably a good thing that we didn’t stop, as we had a long way to go that day – 26 miles in fact – and with only around 0.5 knots of current to help us along, it was going to be a tough slog. So we continued onwards and started making friends with some of the pleasure boaters who we played leapfrog; they zoomed by us, only to be caught up again at the next lock as we all waited for entry. Something that added a considerable chunk of time to our meticulously planned schedule as it took longer than Dave thought it might to clear each one – if you turned up at the wrong time.
Randomly we managed to acquire some red and pink cowboy hats for everyone – so not only did they raise eyebrows and ice-breaker questions from the passing boats, but provided some much needed protection and shade from the sunshine – bonus!
It was late morning by the time the countryside tow-paths gave way to the manicured gardens of the uber rich that stretched down from grand houses on the both banks of the Thames in the Maidenhead area. So not wanting to seem common, Dave was all too keen to say hello to a man he saw sitting on his private pontoon – it wasn’t until after the life-size papier mache gnome failed to respond did he realise his mistake and look quickly over his shoulder to see if the rest of us had noticed his blunder (we did and mocked him for it!!).
It was in this neck of the woods (or should I say topiary) that we also came across a bunch of Canadian canoes pootling along the river, lazily taking in the sites and gawping at the splendour (and cost) of these houses! In our speedy sea kayaks it didn’t take us long to catch them up and introduce ourselves and have a chat with Hastings Canoe Club, who were doing a similar trip – but over four days instead of two.
Shortly after that we said our goodbyes and carried on, with the prospect of a lunch stop some-time soon, it wasn’t until we started to see the outskirts of Windsor that we found a suitable landing to get out and stretch our legs.
Back on the water we carried on downstream amid the hundreds of ducks and swans, skirted by the island based Windsor Racecourse and then down a cheeky ‘short cut’ which lead us passed some hillbilly lookalikes and into tumble of fallen trees across the river. With a few limbo manoeuvres we made our way through and came out facing a whole load of people sitting on the riverbank and drinking in pubs near Windsor Town. Around the next bend we arrived at the ‘no mooring’ signs or the Royal grounds attached to the back of Windsor Castle itself, a beautiful stretch of river that sadly was spoiled by the noise of the planes heading into Heathrow.
By now the heat (and length) of the day was starting to get to us and we desperately wanted a beer – but it would seem that it would be some time yet before we could break for a pint as there were no pubs to be seen. After eagerly asking one Lock Keeper we got told of a Harvester some two miles further down river, they were probably the quickest two miles of the day at the speed we paddled. Although a bit of a dive, the beer was cold and much appreciated (even though the first one barely touched the sides).
Rested and watered we cracked on and, much like buses, now came across pub after pub along the banks. The hesitation we had about Staines proved to be in vain as we were pleasantly surprised it ‘looks alright’ from the river – especially the pub we spotted after passing under the bridge. With our campsite supposedly just 30 mins away we stopped for another quickie pint and to appreciate the late evening sunshine with a load of locals. Much to Olwen’s delight they served ‘Tea’ (by the pint) and Tim was also impressed that he could get a pint of ‘Semen’ – or something like that?!
We reached our designated campsite near Laleham as the sun was making its final descent below the horizon and swiftly pitched tents, showered and headed over to yet another pub, where we made last orders for food by the skin of our teeth. Not surprisingly after a full-on day paddling we were all pretty shattered and were heading back to our tents soon after for well-earned snooze.
As Sunday dawned we all got up in good time and de-camped everything back into the hatches on our sea kayaks, ready to head off after we’d had hearty breakfast at the campsite café. It was at this point we discovered that the café had been fire-bombed and it would be another morning without brekky – so we shared what rations we had left and set off in search of the next open pub or café down the river.
We passed through Chertsey and a good part of Shepperton before we rocked up at the Thames Court – only to discover we had to wait for the lunch menu before we could eat. Not wanting to risk the wrath of a hungry Stu, we waited and watched as suddenly hundreds of people emerged to make the most of the sunshine and a nice pub lunch (unfortunately it wasn’t that nice!).
After Shepperton we headed on towards Hampton Court, but as we went by Sunbury there seemed to be a flurry of river traffic, so Olwen, Tim and I hitched a lift on the wake of a small motorboat towing a kid on a rubber ring. After a day and a half paddling the small surfing rest bite was well received and thanks to that kid’s help we all made it down to see the Hampton Court Palace gilded gates rested and eager to go.
After that, the river towns and river started to feel more familiar to us Londoners, as we passed Thames Ditton, Kingston and then Richmond. We became so relaxed and settled into our paddle stroke that it wasn’t until after a flock of geese nearly decapitated Kate as they v’d along the river did we start to pay attention at what was going on around us again.
Thanks to Dave’s planning – and a perseverance to paddle onwards by the team – we reached Teddington Lock bang on high-tide, so were actually able to shoot the 4 inch drop down the weir with barely a scrape to our hulls. The cut-thru on the weir also happened to place us nearer to our designated lunch spot – The Anglers pub. However mutiny occurred when Phil spotted a massive sign for Cream Teas at the place next door – so we split up into two contingents; one for beer and one for tea, only to regroup and ride the tide back to Cremorne half an hour later.
We were suddenly making a stonking pace, as we let the ebbing tide add a few knots to our regular paddling tempo, helping us zip passed Kew, Barnes and Hammersmith. Now we really were on the ‘home stretch’ – water we regularly paddle during the evening sessions, so it didn’t take long to but those last few miles under our belt. It was around 5pm that we made it back to base, with triumphant grins all around – we’d done it, two marathon paddles in two days!
If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. Swimming, for example. Some people just slap on a pair of trunks and jump right in. I like to prepare my swims a little more carefully. For the truly satisfying swim I recommend cardboard and sticky tape, in quantity. Widescreen TV boxes work pretty well. The idea is to build something that looks like it might float, something that will float for long enough to pass the Harry Whelan “float test”. Then you’re ready to go. Oh, and for the truly, truly satisfying swim, make sure you’re not taking the plunge alone.
This, then, is how it goes: you get your “boat” onto the water, and climb carefully aboard. (You may find others doing the same thing – they may be under the impression that the object of the exercise is to paddle the tv carton round a buoy and be the first one back.) Ideally you stay afloat for a minute or two – it gives the right impression – and then you begin to sink. It’s quite effective to sink stern first, the bow rising elegantly out of the water. It won’t be long before you’re given the order to abandon ship and swim. Job done.
Well, not quite, because at this point it’s only you swimming, and it’s more fun if there are two of you. This is where the “rescue boat” comes into play, the double kayak with a paddler in the rear seat and an inviting cockpit up front. Wait until the double is alongside, then put as much weight as you can on one side at the front, and with luck it’ll tip right over, and now there are two of you swimming. Much more fun.
Tim Mansel
Tim Mansel and colleagues on the Chelsea Kayak Club team (Katie Wade and Izzy Kaminski) won the wooden spoon at the Cardboard Canoe Challenge at Cremorne Riverside on 9 July. Jacqui Marsh played an important part in this triumph. This achievement was so momentous it even made it in to the Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle.
The Cardboard Canoe Challenge is arranged by the Friends of Cremorne Riverside as a charity fundraising event to help generate money to encourage youth and adult use of the activity centre. The day has been a big success so far and provides a fun, social event for the local community – CKC can’t wait for it to happen again next year, so we can continue to show our support.
Always keen to support a good cause or learn about a paddling challenge, CKC was pleased to hear from the Shetland Bus team who are going to attempt the first ever sea kayak crossing of the North Sea, from Scotland to Norway, this month.
The guys; Patrick Winterton, Mick Berwick and Olly Hicks, will be paddling 388 miles over about 5 days to reach their goal, navigating across a pretty hostile sea to raise money for the RNLI and the Make A Wish Foundation.
We’re sure that Chelsea Kayak Club members will be routing for the team’s safe’n’successful journey, supporting the fundraising drive and following the expedition via the updated GPS link on the Shetland Bus website – when they set out tomorrow, weather dependent (on the rescheduled start date).
Chelsea Kayak Club was proud to be involved in one of the rehearsals for The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, taking place next year, when around 1000 boats are expected to make their way down the Thames, to celebrate sixty years since the coronation of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Diamond Jubilee celebrations are to take place during the first weekend of June 2012, with the flotilla dominating the Sunday’s festivities as it winds the 13+ miles through London, from Putney to Canary Wharf.
Yesterday’s practice run was specifically for the kayak contingent of the ‘armada’ to ensure that we were able to maintain the required 6 knot speed over ground that the precession will need to take. As the typical sea kayaker paddles at around 2.5-3 knots on flat water in calm conditions – you can see why all eyes were on us, to see whether it would even be possible to take part.
It was Judes and I who were flying the flag for Chelsea Kayak Club when we met with Port of London Authority (PLA) Harbour Master, David Phillips, in one of the club houses on Putney Embankment for our briefing, protocol and safety talk, with around 16 other kayakers. This forum proved to be quite useful to share some of the learnings from the Kayakathon – for paddler dynamics in large groups on the Thames tideway – and for British Canoe Union (BCU) best practice.
It was a little after the high tide, that all the boats marshalled on the river and set off behind our escort for the trip, PLA’s Kew catamaran – which was tasked with setting the pace, a steady 6 knots. It was then that the dozen or so sea kayaks; a combination of composite, plastic, solo and double kayaks attempted to keep up with Kew. Few did.
As the tide had just changed, we were all paddling on slack water with no support from the ebbing tide – and despite being in one of the Cremorne Riverside double kayaks for the day, I could see our lead marker chugging into the distance, getting away from us. We were paddling like fury to try and stay in the required tight formation, but it wasn’t long before there was a natural lag – creating a long string of kayaks, stretching back for nearly half a mile. It was hard going and exhausting trying to maintain this pace over any length of time.
It was at about Vauxhall Bridge that we finally caught up with Kew, having been gaining ground for the previous 20-30 minutes as the tidal flow beneath the boat lent its power to our now tired limbs. After that it was a relatively easy and sociable ‘ride’, we all managed to maintain the pace quite comfortably as we paddled passed Big Ben, The London Eye and ultimately Tower Bridge.
Shortly after Tower Bridge, we all practiced our best improvised ‘paddle salutes’ as we went passed HMS President and discussed the merits of either a ‘synchronised roll’ or an ‘all-in-swim’ as the best way to impress Her Majesty on the big day, should we be selected to participate. I guess the Jubilee Pageant organising committee will need to make the final decision on that one!
The guys at Tower Hamlets Canoe Club, who’d also been paddling in this mini flotilla, played host to all the weary, yet cheery, paddlers when we landed at their club house – and a hot shower and dry clothes were extremely appreciated at that stage. We then headed to the Prospect of Whitby for a pint to dissect the day’s event and give our two pennies worth about how it ‘should be done’ and ponder what it would be like to take part in the real thing next year.
There will be 80-100 sea kayaks from all over the UK selected to take part in The Queen’s boat precession, these will join around 200 rowers to form the ‘man powered vessel’ section of the flotilla. Anyone can register to take part, so long as they’re in a boat that’s 14ft or longer, by visiting the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant registration page and completing the form before 31 October 2011 – selection will take place shortly after that.
Although initially it was hard work, there was a great sense of achievement – both personally and as a group – when it all came together and we learnt some interesting things from this rehearsal that can be applied to the real thing. I for one will be putting my name down and will hopefully make the cut and be picked to be one of the lucky hundred on the day.
What is it with people constantly calling kayaks; canoes? It’s seems to be a recurring theme going all the way back to when the two boats were first made and this latest slip up has made it on to national television (albeit Australian telly) in a pretty funny beer ad;
As the paddlers amongst you would probably have noticed the ‘real men’ in this Carlton Draught ad are carrying kayaks on their shoulders, not big old hefty Canadian style canoes – no matter what the voiceover man says.
I suppose we need to be thankful – at least we’re in the same ballpark, people haven’t yet started to call them ‘paddle-boats’! What’s your take on the naming convention, let us know in your comments below…
As part of the sea kayaker’s safety kit, a sharp knife is a must to keep with you – especially if you deal with ropes in any way. The last situation you want to find yourself in, would be trapped or caught in a load of rope underwater or being pulled along by a snagged line.
There are plenty of specialist knives to choose from and they tend to be of the ‘flip’ or ‘folding’ variety, which means that they can be stored on your person pretty safely, without fear of stabbing yourself whilst going about your paddling business. These should be easy to open one-handed and have an open-lock to prevent it from snapping shut when in use.
It can be a little fiddly to open the knife one handed sometimes, especially if hands are cold and wet or you’re in a bit of a tricky spot, using it for real, in an emergency. A neat little trick I learnt to assist opening and speed up the whole process; was to attach a cable tie to the blade – this provides something to grip between your teeth and yank open.
Although technically no longer a one-handed technique, the cable tie does give you a whole load of extra purchase on the knife and therefore a better chance of using it in anger – just be careful not to stab yourself in the mouth!
A couple of other pointers on knife care/use:
A serrated blade is preferable for cutting through ropes
Don’t use the knife for anything else – keep it sharp and close by – you don’t want it blunt when it counts because you’ve been chopping apples/salami during rest stops
Look after the blade and mechanism, salt and silt can clog this up from time to time – so rinse in clean water and dry properly
Tying your knife to your buoyancy aid – personally I’m against this as it could become more of a hazard in a difficult swim situation – but there are two schools of thought on this one
Make sure you’re legal, owning and carrying a knife should always be safe and for a purpose
In a departure from the usual Thursday evening we thought we would take advantage of the longer evenings and stretch our range a bit further with a trip to Shadwell Basin. Six of us headed downstream at 6.30pm with a brisk tide taking us along the river. On a glorious sunny evening we passed through a busy central London with pleasure craft plying to and fro.
After an hour of gentle paddling we came to Tower Bridge and with the tide still ebbing we decided to carry on to Shadwell where we conveniently found the famous Prospect of Whitby (perfect for the evening pint).
With the tide flooding we headed upstream but as many of you will know, the upstream flow is only a fraction of the downstream flow so it was a fairly robust paddle back to Cremorne. Off the water at 10.30pm, distance covered 24km.
Here are a few other snaps from the trip:
Thanks to David for being our photographer, see his comment below for the full album.
With the Club’s fleet of sea kayaks fast approaching their first birthday the Scotland trip a few weeks ago presented an opportunity of giving them a bit of well earned TLC.
With some people moaning that their skegs were not working, upon inspection it was immediately apparent that most of the skegs were not in a very good shape at all – this was mainly due to the accumulation of silt and sand causing them to jam up, but there was evidence of misuse in a couple of instances.
A bit of a recap on what a skeg is and how to use them then…
Generally most sea kayaks when evenly loaded will weathercock – that is the front (bow) will turn into the wind. This is because it is generally anchored in the water whilst it is moving enabling the unanchored back (stern) to be blown downwind.
The skeg is a dropdown fin which if used correctly can provide extra resistance at the stern from being blow downwind making it easier to paddle in a straight line in windy conditions.
All the skegs in the Club’s sea kayaks are adjustable using a stainless steel braided cable to pull the skeg up into the recess in the stern or to push the skeg into the deployed position. This enables you to set it to the right depth in the water for the wind direction and strength. This requires fine tuning and is not a simple skeg up or skeg down exercise. Adjustments are made until the least amount of correction is required when paddling forwards in windy conditions.
When paddling into the wind the skeg is not required to maintain direction (i.e. skeg should be completely up), when paddling with the wind on the front quarter have it a quarter down (i.e. diagonally across the wind), when paddling across the wind it is halfway down, when paddling with wind on the rear quarter it is three-quarters down, and when paddling downwind the skeg is fully down. This is only a general guide you need to experiment as trim and kayak design will have an effect. On the recent Wallasea Island paddle I was forever adjusting the damn thing as we paddled around!
On the infamous Scotland trip in 2009 which ultimately lead to the formation of the Club I remember Jules McLeod suggesting we use the Grand Old Duke of York nursery rhyme to help remember how a skeg should be used. When you are travelling up against the wind, pull your skeg up, when you are travelling downwind put your skeg down, and when the wind is neither coming nor going, your skeg should be neither up nor down.
Some Top Tips
If you’re not sure how to use a skeg seek advice from a fellow paddler – if you’re in any doubt don’t use it at all!
Don’t use skegs on the Thames sessions – there is generally no need to use them in this environment
Skeg slider / control (to the left of the cockpit) when fully functioning does not go all the way forward in its groove so don’t try and force it further forwards (there is a good inch or so left to the end of the groove when the skeg is fully up)
Make sure that the skeg is pulled up when coming into land so it doesn’t create resistance, break, or kink the cable (see photo)
As a general principle, if you want to do any complex moves or get into tight places the skeg should always be up!
We had the rare opportunity to ignite some safety flares in a controlled environment, so that Chelsea Kayak Club members were able to see how they work – helping to avoid any confusion when the heat is on, in a real situation.
Warning and safety flares should be part of any sea kayaker’s essential emergency kit, easily accessible from the cockpit of the boat. Typically there are four types of flares that are used:
Red Flare – used in severe emergency situations to attract attention of passing vessels, coast guard or land-lubbers, indicating distress or problems within the group and requesting assistance
Parachute Flare – this flare sends a rocket into the sky with a parachuted Red Flare, that will float on the breeze for a few minutes – increasing the viewing range and likelihood of being seen
White Flare – used to increase your visibility on the water to other boats or ships to help avoid collisions
Smoke Flare – used as a secondary location indicator, where orange smoke drifts off in the wind sending out a trail that can be followed back to source. It is also really helpful for any helicopter rescues, so that the pilot can gauge the wind speed and direction on approach
The basic mechanism for setting off the flares are all pretty similar and involve a ‘twist to unlock’ followed by a sharp bang to the bottom – different makes do have different ignition techniques, so make sure you’re familiar with yours as soon as you buy them. The main tube will then become very hot, so it was determined that holding the locking mechanism at the bottom would keep your hands from being burnt during the call for help.
One thing that we did find interesting was the fact that flares continue to burn even when submerged in water, meaning that should you accidentally drop the the flare after initial ignition – all hope is not lost!
The RNLI and the RYA provide really comprehensive guides to safety flares, protocol and procedures and are well worth a read.
PLEASE NOTE – we were given special permission to undertake this test from the local Coast Guard, safety flares should never be set off unless in a genuine emergency situation (even for testing).
After many hours sitting in the same position in your kayak, best practice recommends you take a break, walk around and stretch your legs. CKC, in our usual style, took this advice one jump further on our recent visit to the Ardnamurchan peninsula…
After and open crossing to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, some of us opted for the tourist route, and spent the afternoon eating fish ‘n’ chips in the sun, sampling the local pints and touring the whisky distillery. An experience that made us jump for joy.
From sea level to mountain heights, one day we even hit the hills – climbing Ben Hiant to take in the aerial views of the loch, North Atlantic, Inner Hebrides and beyond. We reached the peak at 2220ft, but achieved a total height of 2223ft thanks to this fancy flying footwork.
The walls of Castle Tioram on Loch Moidart have withstood many an assault by marauding men in kilts, but until this day, we don’t think they’ve ever witnessed such a feeble attempt at besting their formidable height.
White Sands, on the edge of the North Atlantic, a little slice of heaven was our wild camping spot for the night. Why are we jumping? We got bored waiting for the sun to set over Eigg, Muck and Rhum, which sets so late, Judes already had her pjs on.
You can’t spend a week inches away from the sea without at least one intentional swim. After braving the icy waters for a few minutes we needed to jump out quickly to catch the last warm rays of sunshine.
With the pub in sight for our final night, the Kilchoan High Street made the perfect backdrop for one last Scottish leap before we got too drunk to stand, never mind jump.
From Kilchoan to London it’s just a hop, skip and a jump (and 14 hours in a bus) – but it was all worth while for an amazing trip away.
