Iain D has now confirmed, an evening out with the lifeboat crew will take place on Monday 8th July
If you’re at all interested please please please get in contact so we can arrange boats and trailers for everyone!
Iain
Tag: 2013 Page 2 of 3
Despite it being another evening of strong winds with Force 6 plus gusts, last night saw thirteen paddlers on the water at Bridge End. Heading into wind, they set off to Banamin and, to quote one of the coaches, took the opportunity to “focus on their forward paddling technique” before turning for the ride home.
Any club paddlers interested in an evening working with the Lerwick Lifeboat please let us know ASAP. Could be as soon as Monday 8th and would be between 7pm and 9pm. Details on the forum.
Thursday saw a large turnout of paddlers again, and the evening was shaping up to be a stunning one with winds due to fall away as the evening went on. With one thing and another, it was decided to split into two groups. One group of seven did some canoe sailing down from Bridge End, the other 20+ paddlers went to Hamnavoe and a trip round the isles.
Turned out a lovely night!
Grabbing a quick weather window, a group of five of us (Bryan, Jim, Fiona and Steve plus myself) took the opportunity for a few hours paddling. Swell forecast wasn’t great and some of us weren’t wanting too late a night, so a shortish paddle in a relatively sheltered area was in order! Unfortunately the swell was in completely the wrong direction for the really good caves on the Northwest side of Muckle Roe, so thought we’d give the south side a go. Great evening despite not being able to go into the best caves on the south side either. Good way to spend the Simmer Dim.
Photo looking out into St Magnus Bay, taken just off of Picts Ness by Fiona.
This trip was organised through the club forum and was open to all club members.
Ever wonder what 28 paddlers setting off from Bridge End would look like? This week we found out!
With a good number of coaches and assistants, the beginners group did its first real trip this week. Conditions were ‘Shetland Breezy’ as we set out under from Bridge End and snuck south, hugging the east side of Lang Sound, did a quick regroup before entering Stream Sound and into what we knew was going to be the windy section of the trip. Trying to paddle NE while the wind came from S/SSE was guaranteed to be ‘interesting’ and the section between Kalee Ness and Hjogaland definitely tested comfort levels!
Despite getting a bit unnerved, and some a bit wetter than others, we all ended up sitting in the middle of Clift Sound and managed to stay more-or-less together as a group as we came under the bridge into East Voe and the get-out point at the Marina.
Prior planing and preparation meant a number of cars and the trailer were waiting there for us as we queued up to get off of the water, and the ensuing chaos of trying to get all 28 off of the water and back to Bridge End was well managed by all.
Everyone played their part and provided help carrying kayaks around, giving lifts back to BE and so on, which is all about being a group member on a trip. I would just like to thank Chris, Craig, Debs, Angus, Jim, Iain D and Iwan, without whom it really couldn’t have happened.
Just had an email from Nick in Orkney, still time to book for anyone that’s interested.
It’s a similar set up to our very own symposium and tries to have something for every level of paddler. There’s very few ways to boost your paddling skills to match the experience you gain in this sort of weekend, and it’s so physically close to us it’s a shame not to go. (…and you don’t even have to take the car…)
Those who’ve been before have found it a great weekend and learnt a lot!
In discussion with Angus, possibly looking at paddling from Bridge End to Scalloway Marina as this Thursday’s session. As we’re going to have to arrange shuttle for drivers to get back from Scalloway to Bridge End meet at Scalloway Marina between 6.30pm and 6.45pm to sort lifts out.
You will also now need to be considering the cost of transporting the kayaks on the trailers. This will be the third season that the Club fees have been set at £2 for local trips/ £4 for further afield for using the trailer.
Yet another evening of blustery winds and scattered showers came over Bridge End as the fifth session of the season got underway. Most paddlers were out in kayaks, four in canoes. Heading South into a brisk headwind, everyone had the opportunity to experience the benefits of whatever shelter could be found and why low-angle paddling style is a good thing in breezy conditions. Some hard paddling saw everyone up to the pier at Papil and ready for the downwind run.
The canoeists took some time out to sort their new sail (also known as a survival blanket) while the kayakers prepared for the swell. It’s probably fair to say there were a few nervous faces as we snuck round the corner into the main sound, out of the lee and able to experience just how much of swell there was. The next kilometer went past rather fast for some, and it was an experience which will stay with a lot of people as everyone coped well with the tricky conditions.
Arriving back at Bridge End everyone sorted themselves out to get off of the water, the buddy system very evident. Another evening of damp and blustery fun paddling!
There was an excellent turnout of beginners this week, who with the three coaches and two assistants meant a group of 21 on the water in kayaks and two in a canoe! As we headed South you could see the ability to paddle in a straight line getting less of an effort, and those early wobbles we all go through were getting fewer and fewer. As we were out on a short trip, Craig introduced group awareness and got everyone to ‘buddy up ‘ and watch each other as we worked our way up to Papil where we had a go at coming in to a beach and hopped out for a quick breather. After a quick review of landing on beaches, chatting about skeg boxes and pebbles, and giving an idea of some of the possibilities for trips around Burra, it was time to help each other off of the beach and head back down to Bridge End at a reasonably brisk pace with no stops! A couple of brave folk who’d missed last week’s wet session took the plunge when we got back, and everyone headed off looking happy.
Sorry there’s no photo, didn’t have my camera this week!