After the exertions of last Saturday and the circumnavigation of Walney (that means going around it with a map, Mike) it appears that the intrepid team has not given up on this paddling caper - far from it, in fact.
Thursday evening saw a quartet of aspiring ocean paddlers messing around on the River Eden with Carlisle Canoe Club behind the Sands Centre in Carlisle. Kevin (him with the paddle) had possibly the longest boat on the river and was clearly aiming to get some moving water experience in a sea kayak but without the taste of salt. Needless to say his typical composure was maintained whilst play-boaters cart-wheeled around him. Ian was doing some pretty impressive tricks that seem to involve getting the bow (front bit) of his very small kayak stuck under the water, getting sort of levered up and then flopping over and capsizing with a big splash – there’s probably a name for it. My achievements centred on capsizing several times and realising that Eskimo rolls in fast moving water are quite a different game to heated swimming pools and gentle eddies – work to be done there I think. Wendy is clearly at home on white water making difficult things look really quite easy. Earlier in the week Jasper was contemplating a paddle on Ullswater, although there have been no eye-witness accounts that he actually got that far and was last spotted ‘working at home’.
Equipment needs for the big trip have pretty much been identified and a wish list compiled. There’s been a flurry of emails about fitness testing for the Sea for Cumbria crew by colleagues within the university. Mention of an ergometer has caused ripples of excitement, and possibly worry, along with dashes for the on-line dictionary. More details to follow on that, I’m sure. Nigel has kindly offered to help the participants gain British Canoe Union 3-star Sea Kayak certification ahead of the challenge - this internationally-recognised certification is well matched to the demands of the voyage so it makes a lot of sense.
Plans are hatching for some of us to join the sea kayak gathering at Brighouse Bay on 25-27 April – opportunity for some skills development and lots of…um…networking I suppose you might call it.
It does feel like the plan is coming together.
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