RIVER ARUN TRIP

(Placid water / Grade 1!)

Saturday 12th December 2009

Paddlers need to be comfortable paddling at the Wye trip sort of distance. Paddlers will also need to have warm kit as the weather is getter colder!

Spaces are NOT limited, but if you wish to come along , please let me know in advance to help with arranging car shares.

Please inform me (in confidence) of any relevant medical condition you may have before commencing the River Trip. e mail me on leatham@tesco.net

Meet at the club - need to have boats/kit loaded and ready to leave at 11.00 am Route A259 & A283 24.6 miles about 50 minutes according to Google directions.

Access Point - Stopham Bridge

map click here #mce_temp_url#

On the water 12.00

Under the A283 road bridge at Stopham north west of Pulborough with some parking. Pub - The White Hart is a riverside pub and restaurant next to the 14th Century Stopham Bridge over the River Arun close to the historic village of Pulborough. The bar serves four comfortable rooms on two levels, with cosy alcoves and a real fire in the lower lounge. A good selection of locally brewed beer

Egress Point - Greatham Bridge

map click here #mce_temp_url#

There is a small, free car park here, so need to leave minimum vehicles here for the shuttle back. Access to the river from a grassy bank, may be a little muddy.

A mate of mine was asked to ‘look after’ an open canoe ‘for a while’ and the ‘while’ became months, then years, by which time this mate wished the canoe would go away as it was taking up valuable storage space. I decided to help, so I took it home - and kept it - for good. Well that was about ten years ago. The canoe is a 2 person ‘Pyranha’ about 4.5 metres long (with paddles). 

For the first few years I took it out several times on sunny days and on flat water. Gradually my interest grew and I found myself wanting to do more, go further and, for my fellow paddler, to ‘work harder’.   I had obviously got the bug…….time to join a club.

So, about a year ago, I joined the Adur Canoe Club at Shoreham and immediately found kayaking was more for me. The A.C.C. has many instructors who really enjoy teaching, so I soon learnt the basics up to 2 star level, with a roll that has plenty of room for improvement.

Last spring I bought my first kayak, a Dagger ‘Approach’. Well suited to touring - which I enjoy - it will also handle grade 2/3 white water. Over the summer I got to know my boat better and began to feel more confident on moving water. I also found myself paddling on the sea more. So……..

In late August I joined MKC and was quite taken by the friendly and easy-going feel to the club. There seems to be a good mix that lets new members like myself learn new skills, whilst simply enjoying the recreational side to the sport. I look forward to next season and any activities between now and then. So thank you to all those that made me welcome and to those who give their time keeping the club going, both on and off the water.

Clive Edwards

We scouted the loop section on Friday afternoon at the lowest level I’ve ever seen. After retiring to our hostel, Powdermills, the rain thankfully started. It rained so much we started to worry that the river may have risen too high! After a thankfully faff-free start we arrived at the river early to find the Dart at a perfect level. The water was just lapping over the stone ledge at Newbridge. We were a large group of over 20, so we split into 2 groups.

These photos are mostly of the group led by Andy and Dai, taken by Andy on the Saturday. If you have your own photos, be brave and post them up.

The two groups re-group at the first eddy for a chat!

Dai, demoing the huge green river machine

Charlie, looking relaxed

Zack, still with paddle intact!

Dale

Sanne

Sian

Nat

Chris O

Rob (me!)

Cliff and Paula and somewhere a canoe in the whitewater!

Agnis at Seal launch rock

We’ll draw a veil over Sunday’s paddle, as unfortuneatly there are no photos.

Pretty uneventful day really …………  ;)

Now that the clocks have gone back it is too dark to run the weekly Tuesday & Thursday evening sessions. However the Club will continue to operate during the winter. There will be trips away to rivers like the Dart; there is the New Year Paddle and, hopefully, there will be trips on local rivers arranged every few weeks. In addition to this there will be a number of social events and members will continue to meet down the club at weekends; when the surf is good or when the weather is fine.  

Because it is largely weather dependent, a lot of the winter programme is likely to be organised at short notice. So, keep checking the website and, even more important, make sure you are part of the Club’s email network. Happy winter paddling! 

We had beautiful weather for our annual trip to the River Wye. This trip is run as an introduction to moving water for newer members, but is such a sociable event it always attracts seasoned paddlers who come along for the great atmosphere. This year we camped at two sites - with most staying at a new site to us at Christchurch whilst some stayed at the riverside Wyedean. Lets just say there are pro’s and con’s to both sites!

The gentle waters of the Wye from Kerne Bridge (grid reference for this is SO583188) to Symonds Yat East were paddled on Saturday and a lot of coaching and catching up with old friends done. The club paddled as three groups, Dai running a Fondation Safety and rescue course as they travelled.

As my group paddled we practised ferry gliding and breaking in and out of currents,

We also concentrated on the most important of skills “Gurning” with Dr Pollard providing the experience to supervise at an advanced level

Soon solo gurning and even tandem gurning could be undertaken without coaching

At lunch we found time to practise stone skimming

Whilst I practised breaking out with my eyes closed

Not sure what Nikki, Graham and Sanne are up to here!

If you haven’t been on a MKC trip away before this is a great introduction and is organised and run by Chris Childs, normally the second weekend in September.

If you were on the trip and took photos on the Sunday, or were in one of the other groups PLEASE ADD your photos and comments.

Rob

 On Sunday 27th of September ten members of Martlet made the most of the Indian Summer on a short sea paddle to Rottingdean and back. Launching at 10.00am we paddled past the Marina, avoiding the yachts & cruisers coming out of the harbour. The sea off the Marina can be very disturbed when there is a swell running but, on this occasion, it was sunny and the sea was calm; the white cliffs below Ovingdean were looking their best and the sea kayaks made short work of the distance.

Landing at Rottingdean we made a beeline for the ice cream shop and relaxed on the beach. (An important lesson here; remember to carry some money with you on trips like this! Aide saved the day by buying ice creams all round.) We returned to the Club by 12.30, having met a couple of other sea paddlers en route.

Not an epic - 5 miles in two and a half hours in very benign conditions - but a very pleasant trip and a great way to try out the Club’s sea kayaks, if you haven’t tried them before.  

Chris C.