Jersey Sea Kayaking Symposium

It is amazing to think that it has been 18 years since the first sea kayak symposium was held in Jersey waters and next May sees the 10th running of this event. We had about 50 participants on those early years but more recently the numbers have increased and this time we will be accepting 120 kayakers. Some of the best known characters in sea kayaking have visited the island, over the years, to participate in the event and to offer coaching sessions and lectures helping to make it a popular and enjoyable gathering.

An aerial view of St Catherines, the venue for many of the on water coaching sessions.

Key note lectures have been given by Frank Goodman, Chris Hare, Dan and Karen Trotter, Scott Cunningham, Justine Curgenven, Christian Scalbert, Mike Devlin and Mike McClure
Regular contributors have been Duncan Winning, who along with Brian Aplin from Guernsey, has the distinction of attending every event.
In the 18 years we have been fortunate enough to have the following coaches contribute to sessions. Kevin Danforth, Graham Wardle, Derek Hutchinson, Donald Thomson, Franco Ferrero, Martin Melling, Howard Jeffs, Axel Schroevers, George Hartwig, Tim Franklin, Peter Midwood, Douglas Wilcox, Gordon Brown, Andy Stamp, Denis Ball, Dave Collins and Christian Morel to name some.
Download the booking form and send it back to me as soon as possible if you are interested in attending the event next May and within in months you could be experience the pleasure of paddling in local waters in the company of highly experienced local and visiting coaches.

A symposium group on the Ecrehous, one of the must do paddles for sea kayakers visiting Jersey.

After the 3 days of the Symposium there is the opportunity to stay on the island for a further 4 days paddling, which includes trips to some of the offshore reefs and the other islands. There is also a full programme of evening activities which includes a meal, key note lecture, BBQ's and Quiz night. 2010 also sees the return of the popular and competitive sea kayak slalom. So consider joining us in the Channel Islands for some of your future paddling, you won't be disappointed.

The Monday evening BBQ is always popular and the raffle is drawn, which is normally for a brand new sea kayak.

Sark in September

Looking at the forecasts it was clear from the beginning of the week that a weekend's sea kayking in Sark was a distinct possibility. Our first real opportunity of the year to make the 12 mile crossing to this unique corner of the British Isles. There is more information about the island on the main Sea Paddler website.
Our point of departure was L'Etacq, on the north west corner of Jersey and we aimed to use the tidal flows to assist on the 12 nautical mile crossing. Our destination was Dixcart Bay, one of several beautiful bays on the south east coast, as we were staying in the valley above the bay. The crossing passed in 3 short hours leaving a few hours to explore the small village before heading off to the delights of the local bars and restaurants.
The return to Jersey on the Sunday afternoon was assisted by the north east force 4 wind which had picked up, arriving back on our home island just as the sun set. Any visit to Sark is memorable for a whole range of reasons but without doubt it is one of the more interesting sea kayaking destinations around the British Isles.
The two main departure points are Jersey 12 miles to the south or Guernsey 6 miles to the west. The shorter crossing in many ways can be more of a challenge because of the significant tidal streams which have to be crossed whilst en route from Guernsey.

Heading north from Jersey. Sark is just visible over Katy's right shoulder. The tide is running north at this point but there is a slight headwind. The 12 mile crossing was completed in 3 hours.

Pete approaching Dixcart Bay. The ferry in the background is anchored in Derrible Bay. For those who have read "Mr Pye" by Mervyn Peake Derrible Bay features several times. The headland behind is where a group of British Commando's landed in August 1942 during the German occupation.
Landing at Dixcart Bay. During the summer months this bay is full of visiting boats but today there were just two craft in addition to ourselves. There are a couple of hotels and a camp site at the top of the valley. For the visiting kayaker this is one of the easiest places to land.
Looking along the south east coast of the island. The circumnavigation of Sark is a memorable paddle with numerous caves, arches and stacks. The vast majority of the coast is vertical and it was along the Sark coast that Aleister Crowley, the noted occultist and black magician, experimented with limpets as movable footholds for rock climbing.

The Avenue, Sarks shopping centre.
Even the banks have a unique feel on this beautiful island.

The post box, it is difficult to read, but is a good reflection of island life:
Collection Times:
Half hour
before delivery For local Delivery
commences

Arriving back in Jersey on the Sunday afternoon. The cliffs of Grosnez are clearly visible behind Andy

Last Tuesday Night Session

Tuesday evenings have always been seen as the Jersey Canoe Club training night, based at the Club House at St Catherines, on the east coast of Jersey. The end of season BBQ has been held but with the stunningly beautiful weather of the last few weeks it was decided to conclude the summer programme with a paddle which extended into the hours of darkness.
St Catherines Breakwater was a large scale project by the British Admiralty in the 19th Century to build a harbour of refuge. The project was abandoned before it was completed but today the breakwater provides shelter for a number boats as well as being the base of the Jersey Canoe Club. The initial few hundred metres were along the base of the breakwater before heading south towards Gorey.

Part of the group of the eastern end of the Breakwater. This is roughly slack water as the tide can run with surprising speed in this area. Wind against tide can create particularly challenging conditions. The Normandy coast of France is 14 miles away behind the kayakers. Later as we head back in the dark, it is the French lighthouses which will be the most visible.

Heading south towards Gorey. The east coast of the island is visible behind the paddlers but the detail is lost as the sun sets. It is 18.45 and the day after the autumn equinox. It will be quite a few months before the sun sets this late again so it was important to make the most of the high pressure system.

The Fara Ledge Beacon, one of the more unusual navigational marks off the east coast of the island. It is a productive fishing spot as the tide swirls over the hidden reefs.

Mont Orgueil or Gorey Castle silhouetted against the western sky. The castle has experienced turbulent times and in 1373 it was the only part of the Channel Islands not under the control of the French. By the late 16th Century though it had outlived its usefulness and had been replaced by Elizabeth Castle as the main castle in Jersey. Today it is a major tourist attraction and the views from its summit are superb. From Chausey in the south, past Seymour Tower and north towards the Ecrehous and the Normandy coast. All excellent paddling waters. At night the castle is floodlit and looks particularly attractive. Its lights are visible from the Ecrehous on a clear night.

Entering Gorey Harbour in the last light of the day

Inside Gorey Harbour. Mont Orgueil Castle sits proudly over the harbour and the village. Gorey village grew rapidly in the 19th Century and this development was linked to the oyster beds that were present offshore. In 1830 around 2,000 men plus hundreds of women and girls were employed in the industry. Oysters were so cheap in Jersey that they were served free in the local hotels. By the middle of the century though the industry was finished due to over-fishing and disease.

Darkness has arrived. the glow sticks of a few kayakers are visible on the right hand side. It is 2 miles back to the slipway at St Catherines. There were a number of small tidal races on the return journey which added to the enjoyment.

Further aerial shots

Flying around gives a unique view of some great sea kayaking destinations. There were some shots posted previously and here is a further selection of some well known sea kayaking destinations. So next time you settle down into your seat make sure that you have your camera at the ready. Just ensure that you don't leave the camera in the sea back pocket when you disembark. I did this on a flight out of Greenland this summer and lost the 500+ shots that I had taken whilst on a 19 day trip. I suppose that we live and learn! If you were sitting in seat 39K of Air Greenland on the 11th August and you happen to read this could I have my memory card please.

Heading towards the Isle of Wight. Calshot Spit is clearly visible on the western side of Southampton Water.

Crossing the Ice Fjord prior to landing at Ilullisat. A hint of things to come.

The Cherbourg Peninsula, the aircraft is flying over the Alderney Race, the scene of some challenging water conditions.

Brighton. The marina and piers are just visible through the haze.

Take off from Milos, Greece. Antimilos is the island. A must do paddle the next time I visit Greece.

The south coast of Guernsey. A stunning section of coastline.

Dragon Boat Racing

Its not exactly sea kayaking but it is paddling on salt water, so there is a tenuous link. 52 teams gathered at St Helier Harbour on Saturday morning, each crew participating in 3 heats with the top 10 teams going through to the final. As paddlers we should have been at an advantage against make shift crews from banks, offices, schools etc but there were a number of crews which managed surprisingly fast times and they were all improving with each heat.
Our team went under the name of "Paddlers United". A selection of sea kayakers, surf kayakers and wave ski paddlers many of us hadn't paddled together for years but it was surprising how quickly we came together as a team.
The 10 boat final was clearly going to be a hard race, a good start was needed to ensure that we were in clear water, therefore we used the 2nd and 3rd heats to work on our starts. Our main rivals, the water polo team, pushed us all the way , from the start, and our winning time was 6 seconds faster than recorded in any of the heats.
It was a great day out with thousands of pounds raised for Jersey Hospice. If you haven't tried dragon boat racing next time there is an event in your area put a team together for a really enjoyable day out.

Paddling out for the first time. An opportunity to develop timing and group work, the key to success.

Start of the second heat. The race was down the length of St Helier Harbour. Its surprising how much pain can be generated in 90 seconds.

The third heat. Time to practice our starts.

A tight finish. The water polo team are in the nearest boat. At the end less than 1 second divided the two crews.

Strange Visitor

Paddling down the west coast of Guernsey we came across this unusual visitor. Conditions were not ideal for photography, so Richard positioned his kayak to attempt to provide some protection from the wind and waves.
We had an idea what we were looking at but we hoped that our initial instincts were wrong but comparing our (rather poor) photograph with the guide book confirmed that we had just had our first encounter with a Portuguese Man of War.
There has been a significant increase in the number of sightings in the waters around the British Isles over the last couple of years, between 2003 and 2006 there were only 10 reported sightings around the British Isles but but in the last few weeks there have been over 60 sightings involving hundreds of Portuguese Man of War.
The sting can be particularly painful, leaving whip like red welts on the skin which can last for 2 to 3 days. So the best advice is to avoid them, something which may become increasingly difficult if the numbers continue to increase. If you are out and about over the next few weeks, particularly in the south west, keep a look out for them, they making interesting paddling companions

The Liffey Descent

There are a number of events/paddles which should be part of the education of any kayaker, sea or inland. These include the Devizes to Westminster Race and the Liffey Descent.
I had been keen to take part in the Liffey Descent for more years than I care to admit so when the opportunity arose this year I jumped at the chance. Gordon Brown had arranged for us to borrow a couple of Wave Hoppers and Jim Kennedy was prepared to help transport us to the start. It seemed like a good plan was coming together.
This was the 50th running of the event so a large turnout was promised and in the end I understood 1020 paddlers took part. It was an amazing sight as all the craft headed up stream to the start, that amount of plastic would have sent the spirits of any manufacturer soaring.
I must admit to being slightly apprehensive as it was 8 years since I had paddled on a river and I had never been in a Wave Hopper or any other type of white water racer.
Gordon and myself were in the Masters General Purpose class although I am more of a Master than Gordon (age that is as opposed to ability). Somebody said that there were over 500 paddlers in the General Purpose class, which I could well believe when I saw the video replay of the start. Jim had prepared a superb map of all the weirs of the course with detailed explanations on how to shoot them and at least I felt like a sea kayaker with a map taped to my front deck. The instructions for Straffan, the first weir were river right and try and get there quickly. At the sound of the hooter it was a quick shift in gear to try and get through some of the field and focus on the first shoot, I really didn't want to swim this early in the race. Gordon went over the lip just in front and too my left, that was the last I saw of him for 2 hours 40 minutes until we arrived at the end, so much for paddling together.
Jim's advice was well founded the scene below the weir was one of carnage and the video evidence showed that it only got worse. The rescue teams were highly efficient and seemed to relish their work, they certainly made me feel confident as I prepared for what I thought would be my swims on the bigger weirs downstream.
Downstream from the weir we entered the area known as the jungle, fast moving water through a heavily overgrown area. This was the time to settle into rhythm, being to get used to the Wave Hopper and admire the variety of other craft. I was surprised by the number of sea kayaks which were being used in the race.
There is a portage part of the way down the course and just after this I found my self paddling alongside Kierran, a kayaker who had first completed the race in 1981 and who had an intimate knowledge of the course. His advice was to prove invaluable as we went over the larger weirs such as Wrens Nest and Palmerstown and we remained together until the finish.
The finish line appeared to arrive quite quickly and willing hands pulled the kayak from the water. It was time to savour the water and mars bar which were thrust into my hands on arrival before heading off in search of the chicken curry in the large tent.
The Liffey Descent is a great event, you are literally surrounded by hundreds of people who are having a great time. The organisation was smooth and the crowds along the bank were enthusiastic, particularly close to the weirs. Much to my surprise I remained upright for the duration of the race and was pleased with my time. What better way to spend a Saturday.

Apologies for the quality of the photographs, its not easy to take pictures when falling over the edge of a weir, so I didn't take any on the way down.

Launching at the start and preparing to paddle nearly a mile upstream. Gordon and myself are still together at this time.

The scene below one of the weirs
The finish.

Although my pictures are not that great "The Wonder of Light" website by Ciaran Whyte has some great photographs which capture the excitement of the race, made all the more interesting for me as I am one of the paddlers.