Marlow

Canoe
Club

Newsletter 147 Spring 201 5

www.marlowcc.org.uk

INSIDE YOUR
SPRING 2015 ISSUE
3 Inland flatwater tours

Yep it is that time of the year again when

Michael Day gives the rest of us something
to do with our otherwise tedious lives.
And if that fails then we will probably end
up drowning with smiles on our faces.

NOTICE

Extraordinary
General Meeting
Monday 27 April 2015 at 7.30 pm
Marlow Donkey PH, Station Road, Marlow

4 Your new marathon boat leader

"Hello my name is Anne and I want you all

to get into boats that are designed to
dump you into the water after fifty
milliseconds. But don't let that put you
off".
I think that about sums up this
particular article.

5 A canal trip full of surprises

A blatant advertisement for the touring

programme. Where else will you get to
see a kingfisher diving down to catch a fish
or Michael Axler paddling with a clothesline
prop.

8 Send for Crocodile Dundee

We all know there is a drive to prevent

invasive foreign species from entering our
waterways and here you can see the
reason why.

9 Paddling to 10 Downing Street

A paddler's guide to voting in this year's

election.

10 5star whitewater leadership

Dave Goddard suffers four days of brutal

treatment, so that he can then inflict it on
everyone else.

11 Committee members & Retailers

Your wonderful new committee, including

those of us that are unable to escape.

12 Calendar

Not quite as good as those Unipart ones

from the 70's but hopefully this will do?

Members attending the AGM held earlier

this year at the new Marlow Watersports
Hub will know that your committee has
over the winter reviewed the clubs
constitution. Having an up to date
constitution is obviously good practice
and something that is required for our
affiliation to British Canoeing.
The old constitution was welldrafted and has
served the club very well but the committee
felt we should take the opportunity to clarify a
number of points to reflect our recent practice
including the clubs inclusivity policy and the
categories of membership appropriate to those
under 18 years.
The draft new constitution is available by
contacting secretary@marlowcc.org.uk.
Amendments to the constitution can only be
approved in a General Meeting of the
membership and this is the only item on the
agenda for 27 April. Members will be warmly
welcomed to the meeting which also offers the
chance to meet members of the new
committee and enjoy a drink with us prior to
the next committee meeting which will
commence shortly after the EGM.
It would be appreciated if members wishing to
attend or to send apologies could email
advising
their
intentions
to
secretary@marlowcc.org.uk.

COVER PHOTO

The
cover
photo
graph for this news
letter was supplied
by Rodney Casbierd
and
is
titled
"Basingstoke before
the town planners let
rip".

A little legal stuff....

This newsletter is a free publication for the
Marlow Canoe Club.
Whilst every care is taken, the newsletter and
the Marlow Canoe Club do not accept respons
ibility for the opinions expressed or the goods
and services mentioned in this publication.
2015.

TOURING

Inland Flatwater Tours

by Michael Day
The club will once again be offering a monthly flat water touring programme this spring
and summer giving members the opportunity to enjoy a variety of rivers within a
reasonable travelling time from Marlow.
Tour lengths vary between 815 km or around two to four hours paddling time. Listening to
previous feedback, only one of this year's trips requires a car shuttle, and all the trips are within
one hour's drive of Marlow. And most of the trips require little, if any, portaging.
All trips are suitable for members paddling kayaks or canoes and a number of the scheduled tours
follow the Canoe England selected paddles. The tours offer an ideal opportunity to log trip
experience for the BCU Two Star and Three Star Touring Awards (see http://www.canoe
england.org.uk/testsiawards/personalperformanceawards/paddlesportstarti1to3star).
There is no cost to MCC members to attend these events although guests will be asked to pay a
day visit fee in the usual way to ensure insurance cover.
All trips are planned to take place on Saturday or Sunday mornings, meeting at the start venue at
10 am and enabling members to return to the Marlow area mid/late afternoon. Programme details
are shown below, complete with sat nav details for the start and finish points, and have also been
added to the calendar on the club website.
Any offers from volunteers to lead or assist on these trips will, as always, be welcomed!

26 April

31 May

28 June

26 July

23 August

27 September

Thames/St Patrick's Stream

Start : Waterside Centre (SU736739)
End : Marsh Lock (SP487094)
11 km (7 miles) oneway trip
A Thames classic taking in St Patrick's
Stream and the Hennerton Backwater.

Thames/Cherwell
Start/end : Donnington Bridge (OX4 4BJ)
13 km (8 miles) go and return trip
A trip into the heart of Oxford and then
through the water meadows to the 'Vickie'
Arms and back

Wey at Guildford
Start/end : Guildford (GU1 1BD)
8 km (5 miles) go and return trip
Scenic paddle through the heart of
Guildford to the Parrot Inn and back. Two
locks but easy.

Grand Union canal

Start/end : Cow Roast lock (HP23 5RE)
14 km (9 miles) go and return trip
Easy for all as it has no locks to portage.

Goring gap
Start/end : Goring (RG8 9DX)
14 km (9 miles) go and return trip
From Goring to Pangbourne and back,
perhaps the most beautiful stretch of the
Thames with no locks.

Basingstoke Canal
Start/end : Winchfield Hurst (RG27 8DE)
15 km (9 miles) go and return trip
Very easy paddle with no locks and a
picnic at Odiham castle.

MARATHON

Your new marathon

boat leader
by Anne Bateman
Hello, I am Anne Bateman the club's new marathon rep.
boats so perhaps that explains my appointment.

I mainly paddle

marathon

Many of you already know about marathon paddling whereas some may be new to paddling in
general.
The club has a range of K1s (marathon boats) ranging from very stable but still swift, to a bit less
stable and swifter. However speed largely depends on your paddling technique and not just the
stability of the boat. Put simply the fastest boat for you is the one you can paddle!
The Joy of K1 paddling may be briefly summed up as follows:
Speed
K1s are are long, straight, pointy boats with a rudder, so all your energy is used to propel you
forwards.
Lightness
K1s are made of glass fibre, carbon or similar light weight composite and are generally much
lighter than sea kayaks or general purpose boats, making portaging a delight. Usually you can just
(carefully) sling them on a shoulder and even run, rather than stagger across portages.
Skill
If you can paddle a regular kayak you can paddle a K1 but with the added frisson of keeping
upright in something a little wobblier than the kayak you are used to. Paddle technique is
important as learning this will improve your stability and speed.
Distance
You
can
cover
longer
distances with less effort and
discover more of our beautiful
river network in less time.
They make great touring
boats.
Competition
There are many competitive
events that are designed for
these wonderful boats! Some
even take place on our
doorstep! Look up Marathon
Racing UKs website for more
information on this.

For extra frisson how about a K2...

If you would like to try a K1, or simply rediscover the joy, I will be at the club's next
Tuesday evening session and perhaps a few members can give it a go.?

TOURING

A canal trip full of

surprises

by Rodney Casbierd
Last autumn a select group of Marlow kayakers paddled the stretch of the Kennet and
Avon canal between Newbury and Aldermaston. Most of us thought we knew what to
expect from the trip but surprises laid in store for us all.
This was a rerun of an identical trip back in 2013. For those of us that missed out on that original
trip this was a welcome catchup opportunity.
There were five of us in total on this trip led by Michael Day and accompanied by Jennifer Burns,
Sally Axler, Michael Axler and your correspondent. We were all in kayaks. With eight locks in
front of us, the majority of which we expected to portage, the open canoeists all presumably took
fright. Either that or they did it all last year!
We all arrived at the start point in Newbury on time and quickly got unloaded, even me. There
were three cars between us so the guys
abandoned Sally and Jen as we performed the
car shuttle to Aldermaston. Now car shuttles
are all very well but they do eat up paddling
time. Unfortunately they were digging up that
stretch of the A4 so it was well over an hour
before we got back Newbury.
However we were all soon deployed into the
canal amidst the many narrowboats. We got
off to a nice start by following a boat into the
first lock. That was one portage avoided at
least, although sadly it did not set the scene for
the day as we would find ourselves portaging
most of the remaining locks.
After the first lock we entered the familiar
greenery and treelined scenery of the Kennet
and Avon.
About three locks in we had our first pleasant
surprise of the day when we met the king of rock
'n' roll aboard a narrowboat.
Sally seemed
particularly excited to find that her hero was still
alive and well, although it was disappointing that
he refused to give us any kind of impromptu
performance.
For Sally's hubby, Michael, the
sight of Elvis was sheer torture and he spent the
rest of the day craving for a hamburger.
The rest of the group were less convinced and we
left Elvis behind with somewhat suspicious minds.

TOURING

A couple of the lock portages were quite

tricky. The banks were quite high compared
to the water level. This made it particularly
tricky for wee Jen to get way down into her
Fusion from such heights.
But Jen and
everyone else coped fine and the day passed
without any capsizes or swimming.
On we went with our paddling and
intellectual discussion, with the conversation
ranging from Jimmy Hoffa, the Barnet
formula, section 106 agreements, and
additive manufacture. Only on inland touring
trips do we have the time and space for this.
We truly are the philosophers of watersport,
so unlike those whitewater ruffians.
And so it was highly apt that we were then rewarded by our second pleasant surprise of the day,
when right in front of us, we saw a kingfisher dive down and catch a fish. A rare sight indeed and
a first for all of us on the trip even Michael Day.
Onward
we
paddled,
Michael
Axler propelled by
a most unusual
traditional wooden
paddle. Long and
slender, I think
Michael said that
this
was
a
Greenland paddle.
It seemed efficient
enough and it was
a fitting tool for
Michael, given his
reputation as an
oddball.
Still
whatever
floats
your boat eh?
Some of the bridges on the canal
were quite low. Along the route there
were a few swing bridges and we
were grateful for help from passersby
that kindly opened them for us.
As avid readers of this newsletter will
know from previous Kennet and Avon
trip reports, the canal was intended to
act as a last line of defence during
World War II. Every now and again
we had reminders of this when we
saw pillboxes on the northern bank.
These were constructed to house
snipers whose suicidal mission was to
shoot at enemy forces trying to use or

TOURING

cross the canal from the south.

Briefly the fields and greenery gave way
to an industrial landscape. Sometimes
you can have too much of a good thing
and the sight of concrete and steel was
actually a welcome break.

At one point we portaged a rather

unusual lock.
Gone were the
sheer brick walls that we are used
to seeing, giving way instead to
overgrowing reeds and access
decking. All very peculiar.
Finally we reached the Rowbarge
pub.
This was about three
quarters of the way along the
route so by this time we were all
somewhat famished, especially
Michael Axler still craving a
burger. The pub has a very large
beer garden by the river. We
happily made camp there for well over an hour during which were were entertained by the sight of
a narrowboat attempting to perform a Uturn and getting stuck in the bankside. They struggled
for at least half an hour before finally getting the boat round mostly by brawn rather than brain.
Entertainment over we got
back in our boats and did
the final stretch down to
Aldermaston. After our long
lunch this last leg felt like
really hard work! So when
we reached the final lock we
decided not to portage.
Instead Michael Day and
myself decided we would get
out and operate the lock
ourselves.
If nothing else
this would justify Michael
bringing the windlass.

TOURING

We got the lock open but once inside the lock we were joined by a narrowboat. The narrow
boat's crew agreed to take over control of the lock allowing Michael and myself to get back into
our kayaks. However there was some
drama as the lock descended and the
narrowboat found itself trapped on a
submerged ledge or obstruction.
The
narrowboat
started
to
list
quite
alarmingly and there was a frantic
scramble to refill the lock to correct the
list and refloat the boat. We were all
quite relieved when we finally escaped
from the lock.
And then we were at the end,
Aldermaston Wharf. Well not quite, there
was a low bridge in the way. After all the
drama of the lock it seemed we would
have to portage again after all. But our
companions in the narrowboat helped us
out and operated the verticallyopening
bridge allowing us to glide under to the
wharf where we had parked our cars.
What a great day out. It had been a
bit blowy but otherwise we had good
weather all day, not bad for late
September.
Super scenery, some
fabulous
surprises,
plenty
of
amusement, a bit of drama and, most
important of all, cracking company.
Thanks to Michael Day for organising
the tour and for everyone else that
came along and made the day.

Send for Crocodile Dundee!

A gentle paddle down river to the
Bounty pub suddenly turned into a
terrifying experience for a small
group of club members one balmy
Tuesday evening last summer.
As we took a small break to admire the
scenery, we became aware that we were
not alone in the water, we had been
joined by something vaguely reptilian.
Alligator or crocodile, we did not stick around to find
out, we were just glad to escape with our lives.
Presumably it had already feasted for the day on
Longridge marathon boaters.

POLITICS

Paddling to 10
Downing Street

by our political correspondent,

Adolf TerreBlanche
It cannot have escaped your attention that on 7th May 2015 there will be a General
Election in the U.K.
Party manifestos for commitments to the paddling community are all due for publication on 1st
April but here is a sneak preview of what our spies in the rival political camps say will be on offer.
Conservative Party
The main thrust of the Tories' paddlingrelated policies involves the privatisation of the entire river
network with use chargeable at 1 per mile with exceptions for rowing eights and vessels officially
classified as ginpalaces. On a more positive note they also propose the complete deregulation of
controls on locks and weirs, theoretically allowing 5gate fun for whitewater Sunreaders 365
days per year. VAT is to be abolished on all blue kayaks.
Labour Party
The main opposition party proposes affirmative action to promote the
controversial suggestion is for the Nene facility to be taken into state
all paddlers to use, funded by a new tax on anyone with the family
forced to give way to paddlers at all times, except during a tsunami.
red and pink kayaks.

use of lefty paddles. A more

ownership and made free for
name Axler. Rowers will be
VAT is to be abolished on all

Liberal Democrats
The thin Lib Dem manifesto suggests the promotion of opentoed footwear for all paddlers. Also
the legalisation of naked paddling. VAT is to be abolished on all yellow kayaks.
Green
The Green Party's manifesto is surprisingly light on paddling related legislation, but they do strike
a positive note with their proposal that all motorboats be outlawed and sent for recycling. VAT is
to be abolished on all kayaks manufactured using papiermache sourced from sustainable forests.
UK Independence Party
In a typically populist move, UKIP promise that the Nene facility will be upgraded to pump real ale
into the course instead of water. The fiddling of canoe club expenses is to be encouraged with a
place in the European Parliament for the most blatant abuser. Taking a tough line on law and
order they plan the restoration of both the ducking stool and formal trial by water. VAT is to be
doubled on all kayaks manufactured in mainland Europe.
Scottish Nationalist Party
Nicola the Sturgeon has made a firm commitment to the creation of a brand new saltwater cut
from the West coast near Gretna to the East coast at Berwick. The use of tartan spraydecks will
be compulsory for all paddlers north of the border, especially those suspected of being
Anglophiles. VAT is to be tripled on all kayaks manufactured in England.
Plaid Cymru
Not much to report from the Welsh nationalists, except the proposal of a blanket ban on Marlow
Canoe Club paddling any rivers in Wales, following the disgraceful incident with the flock of sheep
last year. VAT to be quadrupled on everything.

10

WHITEWATER

5 star whitewater
leadership
by Dave Goddard

Simon Millington, James Hughes and yours truly all attended a four day course with Ken
Hughes Coaching based in Fort William covering the BCU 5 Star WW Leader Award and
Advanced White Water Safety and Rescue Course.
Even though the water conditions were not ideal Ken felt that we were able to cover the syllabus
adequately and sign us all off on both courses, i will summaries below some of my personal
learning points and activities undertaken during each day.
Day 1: River Garry low dam release
Focusing on group leader ship & communications in a Grade 4 environment, we reviewed our
equipment and equipment design. We role played a number of communications scenarios and then
spent the afternoon developing our rescues from those learnt during the standard WWSR course
including boat, bank and entrapment rescues.
Day 2: River Spean very low levels
Today's focus was on technical rope work and steep
access, over the course of the day we climbed into the
Spean gouge using the equipment normally carried in a
boat set up various rope systems including moving a
boat at high level to the other side of the gorge and
completed a casualty extraction to above the gorge
high water line. A very enjoyable but physically hard
day.
Day 3: River Etive very low levels
Personal skills was the focus on the first three drops of
the Etive, we looked at boat control and positioning,
power strokes, running drops, mental rehearsal and my
favorites, attentional focus.
I found this a very
interesting day and it is encouraging me to consider
further paddling skills coaching in a grade 4
environment.

2015 Award Winners

Most improved paddlers
Nick Martin
Caroline Duncombe
Most improved junior
Abigail Goddard
Newsletter article
Sharron Bartlett
Swimmer of the year
Toby Bellinger

Day 4: Garry full release

The final day of the course was on the River Garry were we focused more on the leadership and
communication required of a group on Grade 3+ water, reading and running the Garry drops from
our boats (where appropriate).
Overall a very enjoyable but tiring course. The water levels were disappointing but good learning
points were made each day. Based on the feedback from this course I am looking to arrange a
trip back to Scotland in October this year and to arrange a number of days coaching covering
personal paddling skills required for a 5 star leader including running drops.
If you think you would benefit from this level of coaching please let me know and maybe I can get
a club group together (of the appropriate level).

11

COMMITTEE
Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer

Membership

Coaching

1* Course Coordinator

Andy Maxted
chair@marlowcc.org.uk

Kelvin Abbott
01753 654923
kelvin.abbott@btinternet.com
Penny Newton
coaching@marlowcc.org.uk

Sibel Hickey
secretary@marlowcc.org.uk

Rod Edmonds
01753 671389
r.edmonds@etoncollege.org.uk
Ceri Harris
new@marlowcc.org.uk

Equipment

Tom Bailey
blast1102@ymail.com

Inland touring

Whitewater

Marathon

Sea

Social Secretary

Women's Representative

Website Editor

Newsletter Editor

Michael Day
michael.day53@btinternet.com

Anne Bateman
a.bateman37@btinternet.com

Toby Bellinger
tobybellinger@hotmail.com

Chris Porteous
chrisps@marlowcc.org.uk

Chris Weston
chriskayaks@gmail.com

Mark "Shades" Steel

07900 900302
shadescanoe@gmail.com
Catherine Harris
harrc014@rbwm.org

Rodney Casbierd
rbcasbierd@yahoo.co.uk

Feel free to contact us to discuss a relevant issue or share your views

HONOURABLES
President

Tim Ward
01494 482959
wards@btinternet.com

Vice President

Adrian Cooper
01844 344580
adrianccooper@gmail.com

LOCAL RETAILERS
Marsport, Reading. 01189 665912. http://www.marsport.co.uk
WWC, Shepperton. 01932 247978. http://www.whitewaterthecanoecentre.co.uk
Paddlesport, Warwick. 01926 640573. http://www.paddlesport.co.uk

12

CALENDAR
Saturday 4 April
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Saturday 11 April
Work day
9.30 am, Club house

CLUB
SESSIONS

Tuesday 14 April

Every Sunday

Saturday 18 April 2015

Doors open at 9.30 am.

On the water for 10 am.

First Tuesday session of 2015

East Dorset sea trip

Suitable for all members
Contact sea rep for details

Sunday 26 April

St Pats Stream paddle

See page 3
10 am, Wokingham Waterside

Monday 27 April

Extraordinary general meeting

See page 2 for details
7.30 pm, Marlow Donkey PH

Saturday 2 May
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Sunday 31 May

Grand Union Canal paddle

See page 3
10 am, Cow Roast lock

Saturday 6 June
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Sunday 28 June
Cherwell paddle
See page 3
10 am, Donnington bridge

Saturday 4 July
Pool session
7.00 pm 8.00 pm

Sat 18 Tues 21 July

4 day Thames trip

Sunday 26 July
Goring Gap paddle
See page 3

Every Tuesday
Doors open at 6.30 pm.
On the water for 7 pm.

POOL
SESSION
Once per month
Saturday 7.00 8.00 pm,
see calendar for dates
Chalfont Leisure Centre, Nicol Road,
Chalfont St Peter, SL9 9LR.
5 adults, 3 juniors

MEMBERSHIP RATES
Adult 42 Family 65
Junior 23 Senior 23
Storage 19 per boat
WATERSPORTS HUB
Social 10 Gym 120

EXTRAORDINARY
GENERAL MEETING
Changing the club constitution
See page 2 for details