Archive for the ‘South West Sea Kayaking Meet’ Category
Pasted below are a few documents which will hopefully offer some insight into where all the money went from this year’s South West Sea Kayaking Meet. Each participant donated £30. The only outgoing cost from the money donated was that used to hire the the nasty stinky toilets. I donated £10 a head to the National Trust for each person who camped in their field. I did not realise this at the time, but it would seem that they intend to use this money to provide paddling facilities in the area (see letter below). The rest was donated to the RNLI and Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Ashburton. These are both charities who have offered direct assistance to kayakers in difficulty, in recent years.
National Trust: £750
RNLI: £600
Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Ashburton: £1000
No personal profit has been made from the event.
I hope that all makes sense; please get in touch if you have any further queries.
I do not intend to organise any further South West Sea Kayaking Meets, but I do think that they have been a success. Whilst there is clearly a market for high profile ‘Symposium’ events where paddlers pay significant monies to be led by famous coaches, low key low cost events like the SWSKM demonstrably also have a role to play in enabling paddlers to meet new peers and develop skills to paddle on their own initiative in safe group sizes and conditions. Sadly there don’t seem to be many such events at present; I really do hope that others will grab the baton and organise similar events. It’s honestly not that hard…pick an area with a range of paddling possibilities and good parking/ access, find a camping field, get some sensible mates to paddle with small groups, et voila! If you can raise some money for worthwhile causes along the way, all good.
Most of all, thanks again to all who participated and helped this year. I hope that you will be satisfied with where your donations have gone.
Mark Rainsley
Like this:
Like Loading...
Photo shamelessly stolen from Richard H, first link below…
Sunday’s weather allowed exploration of all of Purbeck coasts, and groups spread out across the whole area, enjoying some of the UK’s finest coastal scenery. However, like a total eejit, I left my camera at home, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Or better still, take these guys’ words for it…
http://seakayak-porthsele.blogspot.com/2011/07/south-west-sea-kayaking-meet-2011-day-2.html
http://thedrownedfish.co.uk/2011/07/12/five-go-to-dorset/
Like this:
Like Loading...
On the Saturday night, everyone trekked down to the beach at Studland bay, taking advantage of the stones laid out for public barbeques, and the (relatively) warm water…for those brave enough.
A great relaxing evening, and once it was all over, there was still the pub…
All good.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Saturday dawned to sunshine but strong winds, limiting paddling route choice somewhat. Hence, all groups restricted themselves to the more sheltered eastern side of Purbeck; Poole Harbour, Studland Bay and Old Harry Rocks.
Here are a few photos from my group’s trip…
Like this:
Like Loading...
The weekend seems to have gone smoothly and hopefully our guests had a good time. I’ll post up pictures of the paddling and socialising in the coming days, and I’ll work out how much money was raised for the respective charities.
Heather and I would like to say a BIG thank you to all the volunteers who made the weekend possible by helping to run trips…various Andys, Barbara, Chas, Dave, Eurion, various Grahams, Ian, Lizzie, Mark, Pete, Phil, various Richards, Simon and others…it’s a big ask for them to stick their necks out like this, I’m hugely grateful to them. Thanks also to the National Trust for allowing us to use the camping field.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Those who have attended the South West Sea Kayaking Meet before will be aware that paddlers are encouraged to be aware of what their group are doing, to participate in planning and to make sensible informed decisions, rather than just being ‘sheep’!
I’ve collated some outline maps, tide times, addresses and so forth – make use of them as suits you…download the bumf HERE.
Saturday’s weather is looking unsettled but (fingers crossed) not disasterous. We will almost certainly be launching from Middle Beach on Studland Bay, where there is some shelter from the SW wind. Sunday is looking great, all local trips should be possible and good to go.
See you soon…
Like this:
Like Loading...
Also known as Ballowall Barrow, this elaborate multi-chambered tomb dates from the Bronze Age, or possibly earlier. It sits atop the cliffs overlooking the last setting of the sun in the far west of Cornwall, just south of Cape Cornwall.
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/ballowall-barrow/history-and-research/
In other news…
If you’ve somehow missed joining info about the South West Sea Kayaking Meet, it is here…
http://southwestseakayaking.co.uk/2011/06/29/south-west-sea-kayaking-meet-2011-joining-instructions/
…and here…
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=528037799#!/event.php?eid=219332064746170
…and here…
http://www.ukriversguidebook.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=77320&start=30
Nothing can go wrong.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Here follow some details on the South West Sea Kayaking Meet 2011…I will supply more details in the coming week, keep checking this blog.
- Thanks for coming! Hopefully it’ll be an enjoyable and sociable weekend. I’ve limited the numbers to about 85 paddlers.
- This year’s event is being held from 8th to 10th July 2011 at Corfe Castle, Dorset.
- The event starts at 9.00 am on Saturday morning with a briefing in the camping field, but the campsite will be open from mid-afternoon on Friday 8th July.
- The weekend is non-profit-making and is run simply for the fun of it by volunteers. We will raise some money for several charities, including the Dartmoor Rescue Group. The fundraising aspect is the main and over-riding aim of the weekend.
- It’s primarily a social event, an informal get-together of friends and soon-to-be friends. It’s not a Symposium or a Coaching Festival. There are no workshops or clinics. It’s just some people going paddling and getting together socially. I’ll do my best to make it all run smoothly (generously aided by volunteers) but don’t expect a tightly choreographed event.
- The weekend is aimed at folk who just want to go paddling and enjoy the wonderful south Dorset coast. The paddling will not suit novices. If you have not been paddling in recent months, please get out in a kayak prior to the event and warm up. Last year, we had to rescue one or two paddlers who had blatantly not been in a kayak for a long time…
Camping
The campsite is a field in front of Corfe Castle in Purbeck, Dorset BH20 5EZ. See this map. The camping field is directly behind the marker on the map. There will be an open gate on the main A351 road signposted for the field; basically, as soon as you see the castle infront of you, the gate for the field will be on your right (opposite and just before the Castle visitor centre).
It’s a farmer’s field with very limited facilities; I have hired a couple of portaloos and there is a very weak tap; consider bringing water containers.
Please park and pitch your tents close together as quite a few of us will be camping. The owners ask for quiet in the evening. No fires are allowed, in boxes or otherwise. More details to follow, once I have met the gentleman from the National Trust in a few days’ time.
Your donation has already paid for your camping (through a donation to the National Trust. The remainder will go to the charities involved).
Food and drink
There are cafes and pubs in Corfe Castle village (5-10 mins walk away).
If you are there Friday night, we’ll be in the Greyhound Inn up in the village, come say ‘hello’.
On Saturday night, there will an evening get-together at Studland Bay, a local beach; this will include a sea swim (bring a wetsuit, if you have one!) followed by a barbeque. Bring food to cook, I will be bringing along a large group barbeque down to the beach (there is an official permitted BBQ spot) and you are welcome to bring food to cook on it and be sociable…the whole point of the weekend! Later in the evening we shall return to Corfe Castle and enjoy the hospitality of the Greyhound Inn…
The Paddling
We will get out on the water on both days, it is of course the reason why we came! There is a fantastic range of paddling in the area. During the briefing meeting, there will be discussion of the local trip possibilities. Weather and tidal information will be available, as will photocopied maps.
You will have the choice of either…
* Signing up to join a small guided/social group (led by experienced volunteers)..
or…
* Planning your own day trip.
I would strongly encourage paddlers to plan trips which are ‘out and back’, i.e. starting and finishing in the same location. The reasons for this are both environmental and practical (small lanes, limited parking in many places).
Paddling Safety
All groups going out on the water will be expected to follow a few safety rules outlined at the briefing, e.g.
- Bring appropriate equipment, clothing and safety gear.
- Wear something on your legs; last year, I fished a guy out of the sea wearing nylon shorts…
- Consider bringing a helmet if you like rockhopping.
- Complete a simple trip plan and leave a copy with the event organiser (i.e. me).
- Groups have a designated leader. This may not be a coach, simply an experienced and sensible paddler.
- Carry appropriate communication equipment.
- Paddling groups no larger than nine on the water.
- Groups paddle and remain together at all times.
- The Coastguard will be informed of all paddlers on the water and their plans – I will take advice from them on the day, on whether they wish for contact from individual groups or from me collectively for all groups.
- All paddlers participating accept full personal responsibility for their own safety (as frankly, you should do every time you go paddling…. )
- These safety rules are non-negotiable – please do not attend the event if they do not suit.
Any queries – post them at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=219332064746170
I will add more details soon…keep checking back…
Mark Rainsley
Like this:
Like Loading...
The photo above shows me about to descend into the village of Corfe Castle; my house is just visible in the background. It’s just possible that I am lucky enough to have the best commute home from work in the world. I work in Wareham, five miles down the road. I often cycle home, and whenever I can find the energy after a long day, I hop on the mountain bike and take an offroad route. Blasting along airy ridgetops or becoming a human strimmer through overgrown singletrack, it’s all good. There’s no better way to wind down after work.
This evening I called by the field in Corfe Castle being used in a few weeks’ time for the South West Sea Kayaking Meet. The location is great, as hopefully the photos below make clear. It’s not the flattest field in the world however, and the facilities amount to a single not very powerful tap. I’ve rented some loo cabins for the weekend, but the whole set-up is fairly rudimentary. The good news is that the village (with all amenities) is only a 5-10 minute walk away.
The SWSKM is now full I’m afraid. I’ll send out (and also post here) details of what the event entails within the next few days. One thing that you may wish to be aware of, is that on the Saturday evening, instead of indoor talks, we are all going to relocate to the beach for a swim and barbeque. I swam there last night incidentally, the water is currently a balmy 13 degrees C. If you own a wetsuit, this could be the time to dig it out…or maybe bring your boat down and practise rolling etc? More info to follow.
PS Apologies for slightly ropey photo quality; all pics taken on mobile phone.
Like this:
Like Loading...
This is Jim Krawiecki, aka Jimski. He’s drunk, or possibly I was when I took the photo, or maybe both. I have no idea what is going on with Basil Brush in the photo, either. To be honest my memory of the entire evening is pretty vague. In fact, apologies for the somewhat leftfield image, it’s just used here as it happens to be the only photo of Jim I could find.
The occasion was the 2009(?) South West Sea Kayaking Meet. Jim came along and gave a talk entitled ‘Grim up north?’ about his research for a guidebook to the shores of northern England. Well, a couple of years on and the finished book has just dropped through my letterbox. Boringly enough, it’s simply brilliant; another top notch production from Pesda Press. Great writing, great photos, superb production quality. Wouldn’t it be so much more interesting (both for me typing and for you reading) if the book was a stinker?
Buy it. Jim will inspire you to visit all sorts of places north of Watford Gap that you never knew existed. I very much like his approach; although the book showcases many trips in predictably stunning coastal environments, he also presents many enticing-looking trips in far less obvious locales; a cross-Pennine trip is described, and the rear cover has a photo of industrial Teeside! I’ve already paddled the west (Irish Sea) coast of England which is described here, Jim’s book makes me want to get to the east coast and also the Isle of Man as soon as possible. Great stuff, Jim.
Anyway, if you buy the book through this site, then everyone wins; you’ll be able to better appreciate coast of northern England, and I will get commission, become obscenely wealthy and hence be able to move in better social circles than those inhabited by drunken northerners with stuffed toys.
Buy Jim’s book here.
Here’s the promotional bumf from Pesda Press…
From the Mersey to the Solway and the Isle of Man in the West and the Humber to Berwick in the east, ‘up north’ is described to us in the author’s own inimitable style. Industrial areas and the wilder landscapes are described with the same care and attention to detail. The result is a wealth of varied sea kayaking voyages to suit all tastes and abilities, from easy sheltered paddles to testing offshore passages and everything in between.
In addition to the usual important information needed to plan a trip recommended cafés, pubs and chip shops are strategically located to provide sustenance at the end of your trip. Detailed tidal information also allows the book to serve as a valuable inshore pilot for water users such as anglers, windsurfers and sailors.
Like this:
Like Loading...
This is the field that we’ll be using for camping at Corfe Castle for the South West Sea Kayaking Meet this year. I snapped this on my phone whilst mountain-biking home from work. The field isn’t the flattest (consider coming early to get the better plots along the treeline!) and only has a water tap by way of facilities, but I’ve ordered some portaloos to be delivered. The field is accessed by a gate off the main Wareham-Swanage road, which runs through the gap in the hills you can see. Incidentally, ‘Corfe’ means exactly that, a gap in hills.
A path leads to the right of the castle into the village, which has all the useful facilities needed for survival; a teddy bear shop, a National Trust gift shop (in case you run out of pot pourri), an Enid Blyton shop and a fossil and gem shop; useful stuff like that. Thankfully there’s also a grocer’s, a bakery, cafes and pubs.
There is still plenty of space on the weekend, but it is certainly filling up fast (nearly 2/3rds full at present). Last date for entries (if it doesn’t fill up first) is June 30th.
All good.
Like this:
Like Loading...
This is Corfe Castle, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. Apologies, I couldn’t find a photo without snow, but you get the general idea…it’s a castle. Corfe Castle is right in the centre of some of Britain’s finest coast. This is the location of the 2011 South West Sea Kayaking Meet, the fourth such event to take place! We’ll be camping in a field at the bottom of that hill, just out of camera shot on the right.
Back in 2008, we held a ‘book launch weekend’ to celebrate the arrival of ‘South West Sea Kayaking’. We did it again in 2009 and 2010. Purely for want of a name, it became the South West Sea Kayaking Meet. The weekend has previously been based in south Devon, this time we thought we’d try a new location.
This year’s event is being held from 8th to 10th July 2011.
- The weekend is non-profit-making and is run simply for the fun of it by volunteers. We will raise some money for several charities, including the Dartmoor Rescue Group. The fundraising aspect is the main and over-riding aim of the weekend.
- It’s primarily a social event, an informal get-together of friends and soon-to-be friends. It’s not a Symposium or a Coaching Festival. There are no workshops or clinics. It’s just some people going paddling and getting together socially. I’ll do my best to make it all run smoothly (generously aided by volunteers) but don’t expect a tightly choreographed event.
- The weekend is aimed at folk who just want to go paddling and enjoy the wonderful south Dorset coast. The paddling will not suit novices. If you have not been paddling in recent months, or are looking to get back into the sport, or are hoping for some coaching, or would like to try something more challenging than your norm or would like to try out sea kayaking for the first time…sorry, this event is not aimed at you.
- On Saturday night, there will either be an evening of talks in a local hall, or an evening get-together at a local beach; I’m working on the details now, watch this space..
- There will be a range of paddling trips on the Saturday and Sunday; there will be a choice of doing your own thing, or joining small guided groups, led by experienced volunteers. All paddlers participating accept full personal responsibility for their own safety (as frankly, you should do every time you go paddling…).
- Full details will be supplied before the event (obviously) but I will attempt to answer any interim queries by email.
- Everyone who would like to participate (this includes non-paddling friends/ partners) will need to donate £30; a small amount will be used to pay for hiring toilets, otherwise all of this money will go to designated charities, including a third to the National Trust charity for the use of their field for camping. It doesn’t matter if you are camping or not, staying one night or two, paddling one day or two, or indeed paddling or not. You will have to donate £30 if you are going to join us.
- The event has room for limited numbers and will fill up on a first come, first served basis.
- I will accept no last minute entries; the closing date is 30th June, if the event hasn’t already filled up.
- If you are planning on coming, please confirm as soon as possible. You can do this in one of two ways…
1* Paypal £30 to mark@ukriversguidebook.co.uk and email me your name(s) at the same time.
2* ‘Post’ a ‘cheque’ to Mark Rainsley, 44 West Street, Corfe Castle, Dorset BH20 5HD and email me your name(s) at the same time.
Any questions? Email me or post them here: South West Sea Kayaking on Facebook.
I will supply more information in due course. Watch this space and also here in the weeks to come!
Cheers,
Mark R
Like this:
Like Loading...
