Enjoy the CDU Newsletter
Published: Fri, 04/15/16
502
15th April 2016
Message Bank
We only have 15 days before we close our shop doors, and
another 15 days to get out of the unit for the owners to take
it over so if you need some gear, it is best to come in before
the end of the month. We are still trying to find a smaller
cheaper unit so we can still have some sort of shop, be it
small, but it's very hard finding something cheap.
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We have 5 more Saturday morning fitness sessions before we
finish our group training. For the next 4 weeks all the money
raised at our Saturday morning training sessions will go to
Perth paddler Sandy Robson who is paddling from Germany to
Australia. After months, years on the high seas Sandy is coming
to her final stage and the money collected will help off-set
some of her costs.
I hope that we can raise at least $1000.00. After such a
remakable journey she deserves to have our support on her
last part of her huge expedition.
Sandy Robson on her last leg to Australia
can't resist a cuddle
A picture from the Skyworks
WA drone. Thanks to John and Collette.
A picture from Philip Hill after a group trip
down at Walpole
A Gondola going by our balcony and towards
the Garvey Park festivities.
We were treated to live music and water skiers without having
to be there.
Some of the old trees are losing their branches
but these two parrots seem to be enjoying the hollow it has
created.
Taken at Sandy Beach whilst timing the CDU
race
Training & Courses
Saturday
Morning Fitness Training
7.30am start on the dot
Sandy Beach Reserve, West Road, Bassendean
$5.00 for paddlers who have bought a boat from CDU
$10.00 for other paddlers
Don't forget your PFD
Fun, fitness and a great group of people.
Donations to go to Sandy
Robson
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Please Note
The Monday night training has now moved from Claughton Reserve,
to Garrett Road.
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Featured Products
SPECIALS
All Clothing in stock 25% Off.
All PFDs apart from Vaikobi and Kokatat
30 % off.
All spraydecks in stock 25% off
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For other specials
go to
http://canoeingdownunder.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=57&Itemid=30
[ http://canoeingdownunder.com.au/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=57&Itemid=30 ]
Stories
Unite on the
Swan
Back in the 1980s paddlers tried to break the World Record
for rafting together as many kayaks and canoes as possible.
I can't remember how many we had to beat but we never beat
it. Back then we were told we had to form a long line and
have each boat touching which was certainly a little harder
to achieve than what they do today. The line was subjected
to the wind so it snaked around a little. Although we didn't
break the record it turned out being a good get together.
Paddlers getting into
position. There were very few plastic kayaks back then.
I did have a picture
of the long line of paddlers but when I want it I can't find
it.
30 years on Leonie Cockman
from Water Wanderers and Rosie Evans from Canoe WA thought
it was time to try again. Back in the 80s the record was a
lot lower, now it was a staggering 3200 canoes, kayaks or
skis. To break that number was going to be difficult but the
organisers seemed to be confident.
If there were going to be 3000 people to such an event parking
was surely going to be at a premium so many paddlers parked
well away from the raft-up site and paddled to it. I thought
I would drive to Claisebrook as it seemed far enough away
from Perth Water but not that far that I would be late and
have to paddle more kilometres than I wanted. I arrived at
Claisebrook just before 7.00am and there wasn't another car
parked in the parking area going to the raft up. I was a little
surprised but after giving my donation on Friday afternoon
and seeing that only $5500 dollars had been donated by the
paddlers, it gave me an idea that there weren't going to be
the numbers that the organisers had hoped for. In the end
the event raised over $7000.00.
By the time I had put my
kayak into the water, there was a bunch of paddlers coming
from the Maylands way and many of them were paddling quite
short boats so they were in for a good workout. One guy paddling
a pedal kayak was towing a small sit on top. By the time I
got to the checkpoint and ready to go through just before
7.30am there were about 20 paddlers waiting.
We were soon counted through
and we all took off heading under the Causeway Bridge and
out into the open Perth Water but we couldn't see any other
paddlers. We all thought the raft was going to be in the middle
of Perth Water but with no kayaks around some paddlers headed
towards Elizabeth Quay. Eventually I could see paddlers on
the beach near the surf cats at South Perth so I and a few
others headed in that direction and found the kayak raft.
By the time we arrived there were about 100 to 150 kayaks
creating a raft. It was evident that the record of 3200 boats
was very safe.
A drone was passing overhead
at that time taking video footage. With the event being advertised
as 'imagine seeing 3200 paddlers in one place' it was a shame
to only see 150 or so paddlers rafted up but reinforcements
were still coming from the Causeway direction and the Narrows
direction so all wasn't lost. I rafted up just as a tub of
lollies was being passed around. I talked to a few people
I hadn't seen for a while and when there were more people
in the raft I split and took some photos returning at the
raft at a different place to talk to a few more paddlers.
The group starts to get
bigger
Although there were quite a lot of paddlers
who I recognised being members of Canoe WA there appeared
to be more paddlers from other groups. And although there
were several paddlers there that raced, there were a lot missing
that usually race. So it was one of those events that didn't
attract every paddler that had a canoe, kayak or ski.
Grant and Kelly who must
be preparing for another Avon Descent joins in
Forty five minutes later there were
still paddlers arriving and the bunch coming from the Narrows
were having a hard time paddling against the wind and one
paddler told me she was exhausted. Many of the social paddlers
weren't used to paddling long distances so they probably need
to park closer in future years.
The raft got bigger, a ball was being thrown in the air for
someone to pick up and throw it where-ever, and boxes of lollies
were continually handed around. The drone was still flying
overhead and a person in a dingy circling the group was also
taking pictures.
Paddlers settle in. Too
bad if you need to go to the toilet!
Paddles went up in the air and then
after a while went down again, paddlers waved to the camera
and talked to their friends. When every paddler was in the
raft and the final photo was taken it was time to disperse.
With only 300 paddlers taking part it seemed evident that
WA would never break the record of 3200 boats unless every
paddler in Perth came along. However if the Raft-Up included
something else to entice paddlers along and was a little later
in the day so people out of town had time to get there, there
might be more paddlers attend. Like a racing event, it is
one of those events that appeal to a particular person but
not everybody. The weather wasn't the best but I don't think
that would have kept too many people away.
Next time it could be in Elizabeth Quay
on a Sunday afternoon when there are a lot of people milling
around
Paddles up
It was good to chat
A picture from the Skyworks
WA drone. Thanks to John and Collette.
As the raft dispersed paddlers paddled
away in all directions. The paddlers who came from the Narrows
who had the wind against them on the way here now had the
wind behind them but the group going upstream towards Maylands
which I was in were in for a head wind fight. Luckily I was
in my Epic 18 sea kayak and it was pretty quick but many paddlers
were more social and paddling shorter boats and it was certainly
going to be a struggle for them. I noticed the pedal kayak
guy was not towing the small 2.6m sit-on top on the way back.
I can't imagine what the guy in the small kayak was going
to feel like or if he ever made it back to the Maylands boat
ramp.
Stephen Chen who paddles with CDU on a Saturday morning had
paddled from Garrett Road in a CTR not realising it was 12kms
one way. When he told me that, I took pity on him and gave
him a lift back from Claisebrook Cove which saved him nearly
8kms of hard paddling. Phil Edwards had also paddled from
Garrett Road but he was a top paddler and was used to it so
he used it as training paddle and paddled back. When I saw
him on the water on Tuesday morning he said it was one hell
of a tough paddle back against the stormy weather.
As I made my way back to Claisebrook I was watching other
paddlers struggle against the stormy weather and they still
had 5 kms to go. I heard later some of them had to stop for
a coffee break. I was pleased I pulled out at the Claisebrook
Cove.
Race of the Week
2016 Canning
Classic – this Sunday 17th April
Registration on the day.
Shelley Sailing Club, Watersby Crescent,
Shelley
All paddle craft welcome
BBQ lunch for sale
Registration [on the day] 8.15 - 9.15am
Race start 9.30am
Race Distances:
Long course 12 km,
Short course 6 km,
Guppy Course 3 km.
Race & Times by class (Gender, Age,
Boat)
All prizes allocated by participation not result (i.e lucky
draw)
Entrance Fees:
CWA Member:
Adults $20
Juniors U14 $10
Non-Members Adults $30
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Race of the Week
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Kalbarri Canoe & Cray Carnival
Fri 3rd, Sat 4th &
Sun 5th June
The annual Kalbarri Canoe & Cray Carnival (CCC) for 2016
will be a 2 day, 3 night event this year on Fri 3rd, Sat 4th
& Sun 5th June - The West Australia June Long Weekend.
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2nd Hand Boats
Mirage 520
Demo craft:
Near new used a dozen
times on the river
Length: 5.2 m
Beam: 57.5m
19kg Kevlar
Usually $3300.00
Special $2600.00
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Multisport
Demo kayak
Excellent condition.
Never seen whitewater
$999.00
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CDU Saturday
Morning Race