Canoe Sailing

Some safety issues to take into consideration with sailing canoes........

Boat Design and Condition:- Fitting a sailing rig to a canoe puts extra demands upon it so everything should be maintained in good condition. The design should have a generous depth (of at least 20cm from gunwale to keel-line) and an evenly curved sheer line (gunwale side-profile). These factors should result in a 'drier' and hopefully safer boat. Some hull models and/or constructions may need stiffening to withstand the levering forces of the mast.

Buoyancy:- should be as much as can be fitted without affecting how the canoe is sailed. It must be sufficient to support the swamped boat, its gear and crew and should also float it high enough to enable bailing from outside the canoe prior to climbing back in. All such buoyancy must be either built-in to the canoe's structure or firmly held in place in the case of foam or airbags.

Rudder/Leeboards:- should be strong, securely attached, easy to use but readily retracted when not needed: eg while paddling.

Sail and Spars:- should be easy to stow in the canoe and to rig whilst on the water. The stowed rig should still allow for paddling and ready access in and out of the boat. It is advisable that spars are buoyant wherever possible with tube-ends being plugged.

Fittings:- should be neat and non-snagging, but more importantly sound and strong enough for the job in hand - to cope with brisker winds and choppy water. Non-corroding materials, screws and bolts etc, although generally more expensive initially, will normally be worth the investment, both in ease of use and lasting indefinitely.

Paddles:- There should be one paddle for each crew member plus a spare in the canoe. They should all be secured in some way so as not to be lost during a capsize but still be easily accessible in a hurry.

Emergencies:- A "survival" bag should be carried (a very large, heavy-gauge polythene bag to form a makeshift shelter to help in the treatment of hypothermia). A "bits and pieces" pack with a simple 1st-Aid Kit, some lengths of cord, shackles, a few tools, sticky tape and so on (to enable some makeshift repairs to be done to both person and boat/rig) will not add much to the burden but may save a lot of hassle should the need arise.

Skills and Abilities:- Trips and venture should be chosen carefully to match the experience and competence of the canoe-sailor. Both sailing and paddling abilities should be considered when making such decisions. For example if a breakage or other problem arises then the crew should be capable of paddling back to safety.

Cruise in Company:- If unsure, the company of those more capable is an obvious and wise precaution. Sailing in the company of other canoes or small boats has a great deal to commend it from the safety angle and usually adds to the enjoyment anyway.

Seasons:- Even for the experienced the colder seasons present extra potential risk when low air and water temperatures have serious consequences in the event of a mishap. These factors become so much more important during such times that many would consider the winter months to be a non-sailing period, for repairs, maintenance and expedition planning while waiting for the better and warmer weather.

Righting and recovery from a capsize:- Should the worst happen there should be a planned and preferably rehearsed self-rescue strategy to carry out. Methods vary according to equipment and personal preference. Some are as simple as bailing out and climbing back aboard while others rely on the use of more specialist devices. Whatever is chosen, the time to find out its effectiveness is in controlled practice sessions and not during an 'epic'!

Wind Strength:- Experience has shown that for most people the highest wind in which canoes can be enjoyably sailed is a Force 4 (described as a "Moderate Breeze" in land-forecasts). The ability to reef is certainly an advantage and would increase the chances of coping with "Moderate to Fresh" conditions. Most would then be heading for home while many probably would not have even set out in the first place! (refer to Wind scale page for more detail)

On-Shore Contact:- it is sensible to leave word with someone responsible about where you are going and how long you will be out so that, if you don't return, action can be taken to ensure your safety.

All pictures courtesy of Ray Goodwin

PyB Paddlesports Expedition Symposium

February 2010 saw nearly a hundred delegates come together for the 3rd Paddlesport Expedition Symposium at Plas y Brenin in North Wales. It was organized by Pete Catterall, Head of Paddlesports, and supported by many great guest speakers and coaches including the likes of Justine Curgenven and Ray Goodwin, one of the UK’s few triple Level 5 coaches. The event provided a memorable opportunity for participants from all over the UK, Europe and the USA to come together to share their experiences and skills. 

The two days was jam packed with fascinating talks, workshops and discussions covering everything from canoe poling, gear selection, tarpology with Jules Burnard and bushcraft to bear proofing your kit, recording the trip and exploring leadership / group dynamics on expedition with yours truly. It was all run with the relaxed professionalism always associated with Plas Y Brenin. However that didn’t stop a few symposium staff from getting up to mischief on the Sunday morning by participating in some ‘snowyaking’ after a fresh dump of powder!

Saturday was concluded with a highly exclusive preview of Justine’s forthcoming DVD release of ‘This is Canoeing’, which was very well received. This was followed by Peter Catterall and his team talking about their ‘Below and Beyond Machu Pichu ‘09’ trip which was a kayaking expedition to complete a first decent of the Rio Concebidayoc in the Quillabamba region of Peru. 

Overall it was an engaging and enjoyable experience as to be there as a guest speaker and occasional participant when there was time to sneak into other workshops. Praise should go to Pete and all the team for delivering a great symposium that was all things to all participants with plenty of time to network and gather information.

As always, ...and a big thank you to Kokatat who continue to provide me with quality paddling apparel to wear on and off the water

Adventure Sports Coaching - Afon Dee

UCLAN Staff - Afon Tanat

Access Officer: Dave Proctor, Capel Bethania, Cwm Cownwy, Llanwddyn, SY10 0NJ. 01691 870615

Nearby Rivers: Vyrnwy and Severn

OS Map:125 Bala & Lake Vyrnwy + 126 Shrewsbury

Grade:II

Length: 24 km

Access: off B4391 Bala to Pant road

Notes: no portages

Quality: A beautiful touring river thought to have been of inspiration to Tolkein for his wonderful Lord of the Rings

Afon Tanat (River Tanat) is a river in northern Powys, Wales. Its source is close to the Cyrniau Nod mountain, to the north of Lake Vyrnwy. The river flows in a generally east-south-east direction until it joins the River Vyrnwy near Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain. For a short distance prior to its confluence it flows within western Shropshire, England. A number of other rivers act as its tributaries, including Afon Eirth, Afon Rhaeadr, Afon Iwrch and Cynllaith

Adventure Sports Coaching - Canoe Week

By way of contrast from the last residential at UCLAN's outdoor centre, Tyn Dwr in Llangollen, the first year Adventure Sports Coaches participated in a week of canoeing under the watchful eye of Dave Luke and Chris Charlton.

Despite the poor weather and heavy rain that saw large areas of Cumbria in flood and which effected Wales also, the team were able to enjoy a full week of skills development.

A number of venues were used including the Llangollen Canal, Llyn Mymbyr and the Afon Llugwy which allowed for a number of areas of knowledge development to occur.

The students were given the opportunity to learn about boat control through activities that emphasised the adoption of good posture and the need for effective power transfer. The versatility of open canoes was highlighted by showing the students alternative modes of propulsion including poling and sailing.

By the end of the course, it was appropriate to put a number of the students through their BCU 2* paddlesports performance award. The judgement being that after 10 days of kayaking and canoeing combined, they had reached a suitable level of understanding to apply the skills learnt elsewhere. As such, and basing it on the principle of function over form, those students who sat the assessment were successful.

Adventure Sports Coaching - Kayak Week

One of the degrees being run by the University of Central Lancashire is titled Adventure Sports Coaching which aims to provide students with coaching theory and practice within the context of outdoor activities. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on developing a range of professional skills and coaching techniques that are applicable within the adventure sector.

One such area of development for the students is their knowledge of and personal abilities within paddlesports, amongst other outdoor pursuits, and this week saw them come down to Tyn Dwr in Llangollen fro week one of a six week series of residential programmes run over two semesters.

The kayaking week took in a number of venues including Llangollen Canal, Trevor Basin, Llyn Alwen, sections of the Afon Dee as well as the infamous Serpents Tail. The premise being that the students will benefit from exposure to a number of environments, teaching styles and coaching processes. For instance, this week saw them working with Olly Sanders and Dan Butler who are both well established BCU coaches.

So the week began initially by looked at fundamental paddle techniques and then moved into areas of leadership, journey skills and principles of safety. So not only assisting them in becoming well rounded paddlers in their own right but also exposing the students to the broader picture of what is needed to operate in the outdoors effectively.

The students faired well and were blessed with good weather. Plenty of swims were had, some intentional, some not so. They soon learnt the philosophy that 'there are those who have swam, and there are those who are about to'. All in all a good first week for the Adventure Sports Coaching who have begun this degree programme.

Get Ahead, Get A Canoe

Canadian Canoeing

The Canadian Canoe or Open Canoe is the boat that gave its name to our entire sport, kayaking and all. It is immediately distinguishable from a kayak because it is paddled using a single blade. The canoe originated with the native tribes of North America and was traditionally made by building a cedar frame inside a birch bark skin. The original designs were used for a wide range of purposes. Trade canoes of between 25’ and 40’ negotiated the rivers and lakes of Canada, opening and creating an entire country, other designs ranged from boats to harvest wild rice from through to fast and sleek war canoes.

Nowadays, most canoes are made from plastic, fibreglass or aluminium. The canoe is particularly suited to exploring the inland waterways and estuaries of our country. One attraction of this form of canoeing is that the whole family can enjoy it. lncreasingly the canoe is being seen on the white water rivers, a return to its Canadian traditions.

Open canoes may be 'poled', sailed, 'lined and tracked' (using ropes) or even 'gunnel-bobbed' as a means of propulsion

A leading exponant who played a significant role within this discipline was Bill Mason. He was an award-winning naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist. Mason was noted primarily for his popular books, films, and art on open boats. In his review of James Raffan's 1996 biography of Mason, Michael Peake refers to Mason as "the patron saint of canoeing."

The Song of The Paddle website is a useful starting point for more information

Canoe Ballet

...... if only we all could be this graceful