• Australian Masters Marathon
• Spoonbill Feed Time
• WAIS Award - Ramon Andersson
• Middle Swan Race
• John O'Sullivan Photography
• Walter Chalupsky Repairs
• On My Paddles
• Swan Canoe Club on the Blackwood
• Sprint Regatta
• Pairs Enduro
• Paddle WA Courses
• Come & Try Champion Lakes & Swan Canoe Club
• Coming Events

Moore River / Middle Swan Race

The race scheduled at Moore River was changed to Middle Swan because of low water conditions due to the sandbar being opened.

I could have paddled up to the Middle Swan Bridge to the start of the race as it was only 12.5 kms but with the race being 13.5 km and 12.5 kms back it would have been 38.5 kms and a long morning so I drove to the start instead.

The doubles and the fast grids were off first. I was in div 3 and my main rival was Gordon Lentz although he has been training hard since our last race. When it was time to go Gordon took off like a man possessed. I didn’t have a chance to get on his wash, however Alastair Fox gave chase and impressively caught him and sat on Gordon’s wash. It left the rest of us feeling a little inadequate. A young girl which I think it was Claudia Ketteringham also had a good start but soon petered out.

Within 300 metres they were well ahead and at the pace they were going I had no hope of catching them. I was leading the rest of our grid and as luck should have it Alastair dropped off Gordon’s wash after 500 metres and I started to gain on him.

Within a kilometre I had caught up and passed him. I thought he would grab my wash but he seemed to fall back. A few minutes later Peter Van Maanen started passing. At first I thought it was another paddler on my grid so I was happy to know it wasn’t. Peter was in Div 2 and had capsized at the start so when he got himself sorted and started to pass me I grabbed his wash. 

At Ray Marshall Park we took the corner a little too tight and as I ran over a submerged log I could feel my hull scrape but I was travelling too fast to stop the kayak before it hit my rudder. I cringed as it did but luckily my rudder was pretty solid and it was okay so I just kept paddling.

Gordon was still a long way ahead. I thought that Peter might be faster than me and he would take me up to Gordon but Gordon was too fast and he was slowly pulling away. Peter had raced in the Downwind race the night before so he was more tired than usual. But surely that can't be an excuse.

We soon started meeting the K2s and the faster K1s upstream of Barkers Bridge and just beyond it a couple hundred metres we turned at a green spit post.
It was at the turn where Peter fell back and for a while I was ahead of him but he soon had a change of heart and decided that lounging around wasn’t the way to go so he soon caught up.

Sean Killen who started off on the grid behind was going well after a big absence from paddling. That’s what happens when you start a family. He had nearly caught up with Alastair, Erica and Chris who were on my grid.

On the way back Pete and I had a good chat. When I was on my expeditions in North America he would send me a message to remind me that he was doing another Avon Descent and let me know that he has overtaken me in numbers. He has now done 29 to my 27. He is younger and I have done lots of expeditions away from home at the same time the Avon Descent was on so he will continue to do more. I think he did 25 back to back races but he missed this year as he was on a Firefighter’s Station Officer’s course.

We chatted about other things which I rarely do in a race but Gordon was too far ahead for me to catch and the opposition were too far behind to worry me. I also had to paddle 18km later that day to make my 40 kms for the day.

While we were chatting there were some good racing upfront with the doubles and singles.

Pete and I paddled over the line together and I then headed downstream to meet some of the slower paddlers and paddle a few more kms before going home. I paddled back with Ray Smith (senior). I think he was feeling the strain as he said he would do the short course from now on. It was good weather but 13.5 kms is a challenge for an 81 year old paddler. He crossed the line with cheers from the crowd.

It was a last minute decision to change venues but apart from 5-6 paddlers who were camped at Moore River and didn’t take part the race went very well thanks to Doug and the other volunteers.       

Blackwood River Weekend – Swann CC

November 2021

On Friday the fifth of November, eleven paddlers arrived at the Warner Glen Campsite on the Blackwood River, for our annual Swan Canoe Club trip. As in past years, it was well organized by Colin Priest with his usual attention to detail. Our merry band included the Swan Canoe Club crew, of Colin and Gail Priest, Colin Scully, Jocelyn, Phyll, Des and Geoff Emery. This year we also had four Sea Kayak Club members, Pel, Chris, Austin and Jacob come along too. Friday night was spent around the campfire getting to know each other and telling tall tales.

On Saturday, the weather was a bit overcast and the water level was about 1.52 metres at Hut Pool, where we left two vehicles, before driving on to Sue’s Bridge. Unfortunately, Gail had an injury which meant that she couldn’t paddle and instead spent her time walking and taking her usual high-quality photographs. We anticipated a fast trip with the higher water level, but there was less fun to be had playing, as many rapids were washed out. Fortunately, the excellent company and scenery compensated for the reduced rapid playtime. Nevertheless, there were some spills and thrills and a few near misses. Chris grew to love the rapids, while Pel became intimate with a few logs. Austin showed his previous white-water experience and was the master of the open V chute. His wise words were “It’s all about reading the water.”

Meantime, Jocelyn who enjoys getting out in nature, was admiring the riverside foliage when she decided to have a close inspection from underwater. Phyll showed impressive female solidarity by joining her for a swim too. The two Colins and Geoff helped the girls back into their boats and we all paddled on downriver with some of us damp but refreshed.

The paddlers in the short white-water boats had to work hard to keep up with the group, but usually caught up at each rapid. Jacob was working particularly hard, as his low volume kayak was taking water and didn’t have a lot of buoyancy. Colin Scully, Des and Geoff were also paddling short boats and tended to drift to the back of the group, despite paddling hard while Phyll, Jocelyn and Austin in the longer plastic kayaks were steaming ahead at the front. Our lunch break, at about ten kilometres downstream from Sue’s Bridge was welcomed by all, especially as we knew we had another nine or so kilometres to go before Hut Pool. With lunch over and back on the water, we soon arrived at Hut Pool, where water was running over the weir. It was good to stretch the legs and change into dry clothes before collecting vehicles and heading back to camp.

That night there were some tired paddlers sitting around the campfire at Warner Glen, enjoying a wine or three and telling war stories. The rapids increased in severity with each telling along with our skills. Eventually we ran out of energy and there was an early drift towards beds. There was a bit of camp envy, as Phyll filled a hot water bottle before heading off to her A-Van Camper ‘Annie’ and Des casually mentioned that he’d turned on the electric blanket in his camper. It was a cold night for the rest of us, warmed only by our sleeping bags and our virtue at avoiding mod cons.

On Sunday morning we awoke to Colin getting the fire going, ready for his breakfast jaffle. After coffee and breakfast, we broke camp and returned to Hut Pool for the thirteen-kilometre paddle down to Chapman Pool. There were occasional glimpses of blue sky, but it remained cold, as we paddled through some small rapids. We had a bit of a play at Morning Tea Rapid before having a break on the bank for morning tea. There were a few more close encounters with rocks and trees and Jacob decided to work on his roll under Des’s guidance, but otherwise all went well. The day got warmer, especially for the slow-moving white-water boats and Des was seen to do a few Eskimo rolls to cool off. Jocelyn and Austin were having a race up ahead of us and Austin while impressed by Jocelyn’s speed, was less impressed when she beat him. After a tiring paddle, the Warner Glen Bridge was a welcome sight and not long after that the creek into Chapman Pool. Once in dry clothes and feeling almost human again, Austin ran Chris and Geoff back to collect their cars from Hut Pool. After a well-earned barbecue lunch, we all headed back to Perth more than a little tired from a great weekend. Thanks to Colin Priest for his usual excellent planning and to his assistants, Colin Scully, Geoff, and Des. While it was great having some Sea Kayak Club members with us, hopefully we might entice a few more Swan Canoe Club members next year.

Geoff Emery

Paddle WA LiveLighter Sprint Canoe Regatta #4

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Please note - This an afternoon event - FIRST RACE 1.30PM

Canning River Race

12th December

Deep Water Point to Riverton.