In the last weekend of June, I road-tripped as a group of six newish CKC members to Folkestone for a two-day British Canoeing (BC) Explore Award training course led by Rob Davies from South East Kayaking.
The Explore Award centres around the skills needed to control the kayak and stay safe on the water, usually in a sheltered environment. This course was particularly appealing because it gave an opportunity to develop those fundamental skills in sea conditions.
Club members Jo, Marcel, Mary, Matt, Mike, and I (Rosie) were at a similar level of proficiency, with a recent BC Discover award under our belts. For most of us it was our first time paddling on the sea, so it was reassuring to get a gentle introduction to the waves under expert instruction.
It was especially enjoyable to complete our Explore training against an impressive Kentish clifftop backdrop. I was grateful for the late June warmth and the fabulously turquoise water that I hadn’t expected from a busy port town.
We learned how to control our kayaks in the wind when making tight turns around concrete structures left over from when Folkestone was a working ferry port. We attracted quite an audience from tourists enjoying street food on the pier while we paddled figure of 8s in procession around these.
Antony Gormley’s ‘Another Time XVIII’
Rob gave us some cool tour guide intel in the downtime between activities. He pointed out Antony Gormley’s cast iron sculpture ‘Another Time XVIII’, a human figure which can be seen standing in the pier’s old landing stage at low tide. At high tide the statue is completely submerged. We were alarmed to see its rusty head and shoulders emerging eerily from the water next to us!
Mike helpfully emptying his buddy Marcel’s kayak
On each of the two training days, we finished off the afternoon with capsize and rescue drills. The sea was quite choppy so for this activity so we retreated into the calmer environment of Folkestone harbour, close to a small beach in the event of swimming to shore.
Apart from a few boats, groups of paddleboarders were a hazard, which we successfully manoeuvred around. Coming back into the harbour from a stint out on the open water, one paddleboarder told us we’d just missed a seal in the harbour.
We partnered up for assisted deep water rescues while the seal, presumably, watched and laughed.
Some of us were excited about jumping into the water, and others (well, mainly me!) nervous about capsizing, but the fear quickly dissipated after the first practice once remembering how easily spray decks pop off when you’re under. A pleasant surprise was that the water seemed clean and relatively warm.
Emptying a kayak in deep water takes some strength but is do-able for most paddlers with the right technique by positioning your boat perpendicular to the bow of the capsized boat and carefully pulling it up onto your deck. Top tip: while the kayak is upside down, locate the skeg at the stern to identify which way round it is.
Rosie finding the leverage sweet spot to empty Matt’s kayak
We worked on the art of re-entering the kayak with heel hook rescues. Top Tip #2: keep a low centre of gravity and take it slow to maintain your balance and avoid immediately going back in. This ended up being quite an amusing activity for us and no doubt the seal enjoyed watching it too.
Rob promised that practising heel hook rescues would leave us with almightily bruised thighs, although I can reveal that no bruises emerged for me afterwards. I didn’t ask the others!
I was very pleased to have helped Matt perfect his heel hook rescue. Once happily back in his cockpit and paddling onwards, Matt mused, ‘Wasn’t I wearing sunglasses?’, teaching us my final Top Tip: always stash your hat and glasses in a hatch before throwing yourself into a wet exit!!
Mary about to master edge turns
Rob assessed our capability as we went along. Although he assured us that he rarely prevents anyone from passing the Explore course, it does happen. Rob sometimes recommends people practice a bit more before having another go at the award. So, you’ll be interested to hear whether that applied to any of us…
Drumroll please!
We were all happy to have successfully graduated from the course. Next stop: CKC sea trips!
As this this was a club-only trip and we were all at a similar level, working towards the same goal – confidence and proficiency to join the club’s sea trips – it felt like we learned a lot more than on a mixed training course.
We bonded as a group through the shared experience, and through spending time with likeminded people who felt that capsizing and practising rescues was an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
It was a great experience too to help with organising the course, as it helped me gain an understanding of what goes into planning a trip. The logistics of kayak and equipment transportation proved most tricky. Without our superstar van driver/photographer/off-duty instructor, Will, we would have struggled with transporting the kayaks. Thank you Will!!
The next training course after the Explore Award is the Sea Kayak Award. We all felt that we would want to get at least six months of consolidating the weekend’s learning before seeking to level up. But then again, in six months it will be winter, when capsize and rescue drills sound less appealing than in the fabulous conditions we enjoyed at Folkestone…
To new members who have completed their Discover award, I thoroughly recommend taking the Explore course for fundamental skills development. I’d also recommend taking it on the coast if you get the chance, for the bonus of gaining confidence in sea conditions. Folkestone was particularly well suited as we got great experience of the waves but in comforting proximity of the sheltered harbour.
For an idea of the types of techniques and skills we learned, British Canoeing’s Explore award syllabus can be downloaded from their website.
Check out the training page on the CKC website to check for details of upcoming training courses. Feel free to let the club know if you’re ready to take your Explore award and interested in sea-based training, so we can gauge appetite for running more coastal courses in future.
Six of us arrived at the Diving Museum car park, Browndown on the south coast near to Gosport on Saturday 1 May 2021. Jan had a new dry suit he was trying out on his first sea crossing:
Jan has a new dry suit to try out
After launching, we head to Gilkicker Point quite quickly with the flow. Then cross the channel for Portsmouth Harbour between fast moving yachts and eastwards over to Spit Sands Fort. This is one of four circular forts built in the Solent as part of the Napoleonic defences in the 1870s, and known as a Palmerston Fort. Palmerston Forts can be found along the south coast (eg the round Martello tower at Seaview) and on the Isle of Wight (eg Sandown Fort, which was used to pump fuel to France as part of the D-Day landings, and now a zoo). All the Solent forts are quite an amazing feat of engineering to be built in the middle of the Solent with no nearby land. All four forts were bought from the government in the 1980s and Spit Bank Fort is now a hotel. Last year they all went up for sale. So if you’re interested, you can put in an offer for Spit Bank Fort, in the region of £4m.
Spit Bank Fort
For sale: Spit Bank Fort
Although not able to land, we circumnavigate the 62.5m diameter fort before heading to a buoy that marks the site of the sinking of the Mary Rose. As you will know, the Mary Rose was the premier battleship of the 1640s, and one of the first to have broadside cannons. She sank while becalmed during a battle with the French in 1645, when a strong gust caused the ship to lean over and allow water in through the gun ports. That flooded the ship almost immediately and caused the brick oven and cannons to break loose. More than 345 sailors died, many caught up in the anti-boarding netting. The ship was raised in 1982 in one of the biggest marine salvage operations of its time. Although the ship itself is now in a museum in Portsmouth attracting 200,000 people a year, the buoy is a very poor memorial, with even some letters rubbed off.
Mary Rose Buoy
From the Mary Rose buoy, we head in a south easterly direction crossing the main channel to Portsmouth Harbour, over to Horse Sands Fort. Unlike Spit Sands Fort, Horse Sands Fort is derelict, or in estate agent language “preserved in its original state”, and yours for only £750,000. It is also at the end of an chain of submerged anti-submarine concrete blocks, part of second world war defences. Apparently those serving on the forts during the second world war were deliberately chosen for their inability to swim, to avoid any attempt to escape. As if to underline the continuing strategic nature of the port at Portsmouth, we see a Royal Navy ship pass by.
Royal Navy ship on the way out to sea
After the obligatory circumnavigation of the Horse Sands Fort we head in a south westerly direction to No Man’s Fort, a 23 bedroom hotel with a helipad (yours for only £4.25m), almost identical to Horse Sands Fort.
No Man’s Fort
After lunch at Seaview on the Isle of Wight, the tidal stream changes direction and we head north westerly across the shipping channel to North Sturbridge buoy in the middle of the Solent. The wind picks up further to F4 and it starts to rain heavily, being driven into our faces for about 15 mins. There’s nothing else to do except keep going and head back to the launch spot.
The sun comes out as we arrive back in Browndown and we have some homemade macaroons supplied by Cathy, to celebrate a successful trip across the Solent and with a few historical sites along the way.
On Saturday morning we drove down to Shoreham-by-Sea nibbling on bacon rolls and arrived at 9am – possibly one of the quickest trips to the coast.
The meeting location was marked by a lighthouse on Shoreham Harbour. Tudor, Olwen and Cathy were already at the (free) car park unloading their boats having got owner of the coffee van on the beach to unlock the 2m height barrier to let them in.
After getting changed and moving the boats down to the water, we had a safety briefing covering the rules of the harbour that the harbourmaster had kindly sent to us (at the same time as confirming no launch fees would be due). Launching at 10:10 am we follow the right-hand arm of the harbour wall out to the sea. Once out of the harbour the wind picked up to force three. We paddle for 40 minutes south looking for a southerly cardinal marker. We arrive at a buoy at 10:50 am but it is not a cardinal marker. We get quite confused, but on checking the GPS see that it is actually where we are meant to be to turn Eastwards.
The planned route was to follow three more yellow buoys spaced about 1.5nm apart, but somewhat disappointingly, none exist. As we approach Brighton Marina a sailing regatta was underway but luckily moves away before we arrive. We head towards Beacon Mill, Rottingdean – a Grade II listed windmill from 1802, now restored as a seamark on top of the hill above Rottingdean. Arriving at the beach at 1 pm.
We have a slightly longer than planned lunch break, a lie down on the pebble beach in the sun next to a gorgeous long white cliff. On the way back we decide not to retrace our steps but go on the same bearing without going out to sea. Although about 8nm away, we can actually see Shoreham Harbour from our lunch spot. Closer in to the beach we come across a lot more boat traffic including a bunch of jet skis.
Arriving at Brighton Palace Pier (also Grade II listed), we see a fairground ride flinging people into the air at an alarming rate, see a large number of people gathered on Brighton beach and a large pole with a bobble on it. Olwen advises us that the bobble goes up and down and is actually a bar.
After passing the old pier and beach huts we paddle back to Shoreham with a surprisingly strong tidal flow. In fact the whole trip was quietly surprising: a fast trip down, a lack of buoys, sunshine, a quiet beach for lunch, beautiful white cliffs and most surprising of all: how pleasant it was paddling on the south coast, even in a fairly built up part of the coastline. Then just to emphasis the surprising-ness of the day, near Shoreham, we see some graffiti that announces “I really dislike paella”. Definitely surprising.
COVID-19: Special Protocols for Safe Paddling with CKC, June 2020
Now that government restrictions have eased and our governing authority, British Canoeing, have also updated their guidance, we are able to get small groups of kayakers back on the water.
We are planning to re-start kayaking on the Thames shortly.
To do that we need to put in place some new protocols to continue to keep us all safe.
The principle of our new protocols is to minimise spread and prevent infection. The new protocols are summarised as follows:
You must NOT join in with any paddling trip if you had any symptoms of respiratory illness (or other symptoms listed by the NHS guidance that could relate to a COVID-19 infection) within the previous seven days.
You must NOT join in with any paddling trip if any member of your household has any of these symptoms currently (you should be in a quarantine period for 14 days).
Sharing of clothes, equipment must be kept to an absolute minimum.
Equipment that has to be shared must be cleaned down before and after use by the individual using that equipment.
Physical / social distancing guidance applies at all times.
Hand hygiene measures continue to be very important and hand sanitiser will need to be brought and used before and after each trip.
To assist us in the above, we would like to ask you to arrive wearing what you will paddle in, including your own windproof/cagoule/anorak (as changing rooms are out of use and all time indoors must be minimised). It will be fine to wear something that is windproof more than water proof whilst it is summer. For example a walking waterproof or shell jacket will be fine.
Please also bring the following items with you:
Wet-wipes or (better for the environment) two wash rags/cloths and a bag to contain them in. You will need to use these to wipe down the equipment and put them in the bag to take home and wash at 60 degrees so they can be reused.
Disinfectant spray, non-bleach variety. This is to be used for wiping down equipment.
Hand sanitiser / alcohol hand gel for personal use.
Dry bag with a change of clothes and space to keep your valuables.
Lights for your kayak.
Something warm to wear (layers work best) and something rainproof.
A snack and some drinking water.
Please see the Calendar, Training & Trips page for the specific details of what you need to bring and the COVID-19 specific logistics for each paddling trip.
COVID-19 Logistics at The Arches
There will be no access to the changing rooms and kitchen (in Arch 1) and time indoors has to be minimised. We will be allowed to use the loo in Arch 1 – the pair of toilets will be allocated to CKC to start with and we will be responsible for cleaning them at the end of each session, and obviously between users! CKC will have bleach in the club cage for this purpose. Members will need to use their own wipes/cloth to wipe down the seat, flush handle, sink taps before and after use, then take your wipes/cloth home after use. Please remember not to flush wet wipes down the toilet they are not biodegradable and clog up the old toilet plumbing.
The Thames leader will put in place a system of collecting equipment that is needed (i.e. boat, spray deck, buoyancy aid, paddle) to prevent more than two people being in Arch 2 at any one time.
The kayaks will be taken straight to the foreshore to be set up there and in places more than 2 metres apart. We will only be going out on the water when the tide allows there to be a foreshore/beach. It is here that the equipment will be need to be cleaned down before and after trip.
On the Water
The Thames leader on the day will be giving a clear briefing on the new systems and new rescue procedures. These include not rafting up or sharing food/drink while on the water.
If you need to do a rescue while paddling, it must be either a self-rescue or the swimmer needs to be towed to a beach. No assisted rescues are allowed.
COVID-19 HYGIENE MEASURES BEFORE/AFTER ALL TRIPS
Getting Ready
Get your personal items & dry clothing together in a dry bag
Wash your hands with your alcohol gel
Pair up with a carrying partner
Using 2m distancing, enter Arch2 as directed by the leader
All kit is numbered. The leader will tell you which number to use, then select the kit you need with that number (e.g. spray deck, cag, paddle, BA) for paddling
The leader will record the kit numbers. If you come again, use the same numbered kit
Get one kayak down and put all your items in the cockpit
Take the kayak to the foreshore
Return to Arch2, do the same for your partners’ kayak
With both kayaks on the foreshore, prepare kit as follows:-
Take each item of kit out, separately spray with your cleaning spray and physically/mechanically wipe down all surfaces with your cloth. Put the cloth back in your bag
Wash your hands with your alcohol gel
Put on kayaking kit ready for paddling
Paddling
Go paddling!
Remember while paddling:
No rafting up or sharing of food or drink
If you need to do a rescue it must be either a self-rescue or the swimmer needs to be towed to a beach
No assisted rescues allowed!
On Return
On return, remove all your kit on the foreshore
Take each kayak individually to the bottom of the slipway
Hose down and clean each kayak with the dirty brush
Take the kayak further up the slipway where a bucket of disinfectant solution will be available
Use the disinfectant solution to mechanically clean all kit: scrub down all kit, as well as cockpit rims and hatch covers
Return kayak & kit to Arch2 using correct exit/entry system
Hayling Island Circumnavigation, Jan 2020. F3, N; HW Portsmouth 0624, LW 1154
Travelling down to the launch point at Langstone Bridge on a frosty Sunday morning in January, as the sun rose into a cloudless blue sky, it seemed a paddle around Hayling Island would be great way to banish those January blues. Although the temperature was -2C when we arrived, after we’d dressed, got our kit ready and moved the boats along the quay, we were all surprisingly hot. Partly that was because we knew we had a deadline: we were launching 4 hours after high water and this meant the water levels were dropping visibly each minute. As the water dropped greater expanses of mud were being exposed. The mud here is a special type that oozes, sucks and sticks to everything, so best avoided at all costs. As a result we carried our boats about 100m along the quay, to launch at the point of minimum mud, and then quickly we were under Langstone Bridge and through the disused railway bridge.
Langstone
With calm winds, sunny and bright conditions we were able to practice our navigation identifying buoys on the marine charts and matching those on the water, and identifying land based features and identifying those on the OS map too. After ticking off the buoys at Stoke, Sinah and NW Sinah we arrived at the feature unromantically called ‘Concrete Structure’ on the marine chart. In reality it is a Mulberry Caisson, a relic from the second world war.
After a quick snack on the ramp at the east side of the mouth of Langstone Harbour we set off for the next leg. It was now low tide which meant that the East Winner sand bank was exposed and a 2km detour was required to go south and then east round the sand. It looked possible to drag the boats a short way to reach a small channel at the top of East Winner and take advantage of a short cut but we are a kayaking club not a dragging club so we stuck to the sea. East Winner must be a local attraction at low water as there were dozens of walkers on it, lots of dogs and a few horse riders.
Along the south coast of the island there was a gentle following sea from the beginnings of the flood tide. Approaching Chichester Harbour entrance we saw breaking waves ahead and it wasn’t obvious from our position on the water what the best route would be. However, Liza knew that if we stayed out to sea until the red channel marker, and turned left into the harbour only after we had passed the marker, then we could avoid a sand bank and the white horses it was creating. This plan worked perfectly and we had a smooth paddle into the harbour and to the beach near Hayling Island Sailing Club which was the designated lunch spot. A time check showed that David’s prediction of when we would get to the sailing club for lunch was absolutely spot on. The strict schedule was disrupted, however, by a couple of the group searching for the loo after lunch, and we set off for Langstone a full 19 minutes late (as David noted), although it did give us time to check the route on the map.
Checking the route
Paddling up the east side we saw a solitary Solent seal, plenty of oyster catchers and a flock of unidentified birds (a murmuration of dunlin perhaps?). We stayed just out of the channel to avoid the boats, and previous experiences from group members meant we concentrated on not being sucked into deviating up dead end channels to the west, or heading into Emsworth by mistake.
We arrived back at Langstone at about 3.45pm, and landed at the ramp rather than up the small channel to Langstone to avoid the dreaded mud. It was a bit of walk back to the Ship Inn car park and David’s trolley came in useful. After loading up the boats we had a drink in The Ship. At 5pm sharp Tudor and David took themselves to one side in the pub to hold a sub-CKC committee meeting where lots of important decisions were no doubt made. For the record, the meeting closed at 5.13pm. Shortly afterwards we headed off back to London.
A great trip to start 2020 with, which was expertly organised by Liza. It was also Rachel’s first sea trip ever, and Robert’s first sea trip with the club.
A new year, a new decade, and what better way to start it than with a paddle on the Thames. Seven CKC paddlers set off from Kew Bridge on 4th January, led by Fiona, with the objective of paddling down the river until the tide changed, and then returning with the flow. Conditions were good, no rain or wind to speak of, but for some reason the tide never really changed so the paddle back was harder work than expected. Anyway, 17 miles paddled between setting off at noonish and returning before 6pm with a few stops on the way, was a good effort.
We had a lunch stop at Putney but more memorable was the coffee break at Battersea Reach which was at the end of our downstream paddle. Firstly we had some delicious Palestinian bread (cake), then Fiona took (most of) us to a very friendly Italian family run bar/ restaurant/ coffee shop in Battersea Square that found us a table they didn’t mind us dripping on. A trip to the toilets was rewarded with an opportunity to look at their AstroTurf covered wall dotted with plastic flowers. A home décor style several of us will now be copying. Thanks go to David who selflessly stood on the beach guarding the kayaks while the rest of us warmed up with coffees in the restaurant.
The return journey burnt off more Christmas calories than the downstream leg due to the unexpectedly weak incoming tide, but there were fewer rowers to look out for. One highlight was passing Fulham FC’s ground just as the crowd erupted into applause as the home team went one up against Aston Villa in the FA Cup. We then spent a few minutes trying to guess what was happening on the pitch from the noises coming from the stands. Final score was 2-1 to Fulham, if you’re interested. But I guess if you are interested you already know that! There was also a colourful sunset to keep spirits up on the homeward leg.
Those who didn’t need to rush off after returning to base celebrated the first CKC trip of the year with a swift drink at the Express Tavern . If you ever see raspberry ripple stout on offer at your local I recommend giving it a go. Sounds weird but somehow it works.
Looking forward to more enjoyable trips during 2020.
The weather looked reasonably good over the Christmas holiday period, so it was suggested that a paddle from Newhaven to Brighton on the Sunday after Christmas might be possible. Unfortunately Newhaven beach access was closed, and the tides didn’t really work that well for that trip. Instead it was decided to go to Seaford to launch then to paddle to Birling Gap for lunch, wait for the tide to turn and return to Seaford.
Although I was a bit sleepy still, I was able to drag my bones out of bed and head down to the south coast to meet up with my fellow experienced paddlers. We met up at the Seaford Martello Tower, with its rooftop cannon, next to a small café. This is one of numerous similar towers built along the south-eastern and eastern counties coastline to protect against a Napoleonic invasion. This one, the most westerly one in England, is now used as a museum. Wherever you paddle along the British coastline there are coastal defences to see. This year we’d already visited other Martello Towers at Sandgate and Hythe; the Maunsell army forts in the Thames Estuary (Red Sands Fort) and in the Medway, Darnet Fort, all with Rob Davis at South East Kayaking. We’d also seen numerous Palmerston Forts in our circumnavigation of the Isle of Wight at Easter this year.
The Seaford Martello Tower overlooks a pebble beach, with a steep bank down to the seashore. Waves breaking close to the shore meant that the launch might be interesting. As it turned out we were all able to launch quickly and without incident, only losing a water bottle in the process. As we set off the weather was cloudy but fine with F3 winds and 0.75m waves, with the occasional, and occasionally startling, 1m wave. We paddled around Seaford Head – part of which had collapsed into the sea two days earlier – passed the entrance to Cuckmere River with its complicated moving sand bars across the entrance, then along the stunning white cliffs of the Seven Sisters with the sun now shining and on to Birling Gap.
At Birling Gap, we all successfully landed through the surf only for some of us to get trashed by the surf while trying to get out of the kayaks. As you may know Birling Gap is a bit of a tourist venue, so we were able to provide quite some entertainment for the large group of Chinese tourists on the beach. I’m sure we got onto a lot of WeChat updates as a result too. Here’s how to do it properly:
And here’s how to do it improperly:
Having successfully got our boats ashore we were able to enjoy some lunch in the sunshine, before attempting the return trip. Seal launching from Birling Gap was easy and I’d like to think we got some respect back for that as it looked like we knew what we were doing, as opposed to (some of) our earlier landings.
On arrival back at the Martello Tower at Seaford, the waves looked entirely flat except right at the shoreline, where the waves suddenly rose up to 1m and broke immediately (see photo below). Although we didn’t realise that until we were ashore. So like lambs to the slaughter we all paddled in, carefully looking behind for the bigger sets, only to get dumped big time right on the shore. We all had the same experience: spray deck off and feet out for a quick exit, controlled paddling to close to the shoreline, then very quickly picked up by a huge wave and surfed in so rapidly to the beach that it caused a capsize. Ordinarily that wouldn’t have been an issue with boat and paddler on the shore, but here the back flow of the waves into the sea was immense and all of us lost our boats and we had to really fight to recover them and pull up the beach. Even after doing that some bigger waves caught the back end of the boats and sucked them back out. I don’t think I’ve landed in such a strong back flow as that. It was so strong it dislodged one of my splits and I had to go into the waves to recover that – another pretty hairy experience! Luckily this time the 25+ people at the café couldn’t see any of this as the pebble beach is so steep, so we didn’t get on any more social media feeds fortunately.
With an improbably large amount of pebbles and stones inside our kayaks and water shoes, we retreated to the café, exhausted from the physical effort of getting ourselves and the boats out of the surf. Reflecting on the experience, I realised that having your face dragged along a pebble beach under cold seawater was certainly one way to stop feeling sleepy, and actually to feel hugely energised: good times from bad times, as they say.
Although a challenging trip, it was a perfect safe learning environment for practicing surf landings, but we did lose some kit in the process: towline, sponge, hat, water bottle (nearly: split paddle). Please return these if you find them!
I arrived at Kew on a bright crisp afternoon to a very warm glass-of-mulled-wine welcome and the buzz of activity which always suggests impending fun. As everyone “decked the decks” with festive flair and I met new and familiar faces alike, the vanguard group made ready to push off.
Both wind and tide were against us so I tired out pretty fast (sorry guys!) and we stopped at a suitable beach for mince pie round one.
Under the watchful lookout of Liza, who spotted the next group gaining on us, we pushed on once more.
As we basked in the haze of the gloaming we passed Syon House and beached once again for picnic round two. Amazingly Fiona & Sean had managed to maintain warm mince-pies stowed away in their boats!
When the kayakers and the mince pies had cooled off sufficiently, we headed back downstream to Kew. Now in the dark the fairy lights on a few of the boats looked magnificent – I spotted a photographer on the bridge who thought so too! We shot back at double speed with the tide and the wind helping us home and I learned a bit more about the rules of the road from Liza (port coloured buoys – keep to port side of them!) A lovely view of the almost-full moon later we arrived back at the Arches. We all got the boats away smartly and headed to the ‘Over the Ait’ for a debrief. A couple of pints later, around a roaring fire, I think we all felt merry and bright!
On Remembrance Sunday the CKC team were joined by members of the Meridian Canoe Club (MCC) for a leisurely paddle from Kew Bridge to Teddington Lock, and back. With our new-found friends from Bexleyheath (home of Delia Smith, Roger Moore, Shelia Hancock, Jo Malone and Kate Bush, among others), the upper Thames put on a startling display of autumnal gorgeousness to give us an almost picture-perfect paddle, worthy of some of the JMW Turner best paintings of the area.
Starting out at 10:30am the joint CKC and MCC teams met and introduced themselves after a short safety briefing, and then we were on the water. Tim, David, Sandie, Sandrine, Phil from MCC were joined by John, Mike, Rachel, Paul, Jacquie, Lorna, Liza (stand-in for Olwen), David and Tudor for the 20km paddle.
Assembling after Kew Bridge we headed up to Brentford in winds of F1-2, and without a cloud in the sky. Liza was trying out her new NDK Explorer boat and looking very much the part, as was Phil.
Passing the pink house (a key landmark for rowers), we stopped for a two minutes silence at 11:00am outside The London Apprentice at Isleworth. After we had de-layered some clothes due to the unexpected warmth of the day, we paddled around the back of Isleworth Eyot. Although David seemed pretty happy to wait for the London Apprentice to open.
Unfortunately, there was no time to hang about and we pushed onto towards Teddington, passing some bizarre boats on the way, one that looked more like a UFO:
On the way Lorna was able to rescue a coconut from drowning and paddled the rest of the day with it on her deck – claiming it as her own ‘Wilson’, or was that Tom Hanks?
With a relatively strong flow against us for the last 20 minutes, due to the amount of rainfall, we arrived at Teddington at 12:30, tied our boats together then proceeded to lunch at the Tide End Cottage pub in Ferry Road. As the tidal river ends at Teddington, the pub is well named. However, the sign outside also celebrates the involvement of boats from Teddington in the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation in World War 2, where a huge flotilla of 700 ‘small boats’ rescued British soldiers from Dunkirk over 10 days.
As well as the history, they do a smashing sausage and mash at the Tide End.
Once fed and rested we prepared to leave Teddington slipway, avoiding the weir and travelling back passed the Lydon School. There were also unsubstantiated rumours that the Teddington Obelisk was sighted, which marks the official limit of the PLA authority, but there was no conclusive proof of that sighting.
Passing the Teddington War Memorial and Radnor School, Lorna looks good:
The herons nesting at Richmond kept an eye on us as we went under Richmond Bridge too.
And although not quite to the standard of JMW Turner’s painting , Richmond Bridge still looked the part as we paddle under it:
On the way back the tidal stream was quite strong (HW was 13:35 at Richmond) and we were able to make it back 40 minutes quicker than the outgoing trip. That made this a very enjoyable Sunday paddle in pretty much perfect conditions, as well as a pretty good pub lunch. I’m sure that Turner would have approved of that too.
Many thanks to Tim for suggesting and planning this trip (as well as taking extensive photos) and bringing the MCC team to enjoy the paddling along the upper Thames tideway.
