Enjoy the CDU Newsletter
Published: Thu, 04/13/17
540
13th April 2017
Message Bank
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Have a Happy & Safe Easter
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Four WA Paddlers Selected to
Compete
in the World Marathon Championships
SENIOR TEAM
Men
Josh Kippin (WA) – K1, K2
Brendan Rice (WA) – K2
JUNIOR TEAM
Men
Luke Dooley (WA) – K2
Max Smith (WA) – K2
TEAM MANAGERS
Hugh Trivett (WA)
Joe Alia (VIC)
Full Team members go here: http://canoe.org.au/2017/04/10/2017-marathon-world-championship-teams-announced/
**************************************
This week the full moon has been rising straight out from
our balcony, creeping above the distant trees and reflecting
in the river. It is such an amazing and uplifting sight as
it creeps from the horizon and squarely between the Marri
trees in front of our house. How perfect it is as it slowly
rises higher into the sky and brings a glow that gets brighter
the higher it ascends. Even as I prepared the Tuesday evening
meal I could see it's beauty through the large glass windows.
When I sit down and write this newsletter it is still there
reminding me how special it was to me when I was camped alone
out in the wilderness. Within an hour though it gets too high
in the sky and is blocked by our roof but all I have to do
is to step outside if I want to see more.
But I'm not the only one getting such a uplifting moment
from it's appearance there would be thousands of people seeing
it from different perspectives and angles. On Monday night
as 20 or more kayakers trained near Ascot Kayak Club the moon
rose above the distant hills and gave us all a lift in our
spirits. Unfortunately it didn't help me go any faster.
**************************************
Last week after returning from the 'Unite on the Swan' I
sat on the balcony and watched the rowers racing by. Other
weekends I watch the power boats flying by with no regard
for the 5knot, no wake signs, the swimmers, the trees and
vegetation and the volunteers that plant grasses and reeds
to stop the erosion. Very few care about a river speed limit.
When the river is at low tide the huge wakes do less damage
but when the tide is high, which it has been since the time
of the floods the waves just undercut the banks.
**************************************
I received this letter from a paddler.
HI Terry, I had a narrow escape from death yesterday as I
was paddling out of Claisebrook when a powerboat charged in
at about twenty knots with a huge boiling wake close behind.
I had nowhere to go and no time to take evasive action. His
wake picked up my 5 - metre Miwok kayak and slammed it and
me into the limestone wall. I was then dragged along the wall
almost upside down, by the power of the wake. It took me a
few minutes to get upright. I was hurt in left arm, shoulder,
chest and neck.
The powerboat was by this time on the way out again. All
he did was to give me the finger. We never ever see the water
police patrolling. That is why these inconsiderate people
get away with their hooning on the water. Almost every time
we are on the water we see dickheads like this one.
**************************************
I met a farther & daughter from Cairns
yesterday. They commented on how beautiful and safe our river
was to paddle. They said they were used to high winds and
having crocodiles in the water which were becoming a real
turn off. When I paddled from Cooktown to Cape York in 1990
there was only the odd rogue croc in the Mossman/Daintree
area. Now they are sighted all the time and getting paddlers
very nervous.
Another good reason to live in Perth
and it's not as wet and humid
**************************************
A World Record Attempt in 1993
231 kayaks & canoes formed
a long line at Ascot Kayak Club
the World Record
back then stood at 568
Considering that this attempt was in 1993,
long before the advent of the big and small plastic kayaks
that Perth now have in their thousands, and long before facebook
and the internet, mustering 231 fibreglass kayaks and canoes
in one place back then was pretty impressive.
A World Record Attempt in 2017
263 kayaks, canoes, sit-ons
and skis created a raft at Claisebrook Cove,
the world record stands at
3150 craft.
Perth has thousands of canoes, kayaks, skis
and sit-on-tops yet there were only 32 more craft gathered
at Claisebrook last Sunday than there were in 1993 when there
were only a handful of craft available.
Paddlers leaving the cove
*****************************
Ascot Kayak Club School holiday program this
morning
How good is it to have a kayak club, a beach,
a flat river and a kiosk
*****************************
The Avon Descent is getting
closer
so it's time to encourage your friends and
paddlers who haven't done it before to give it a go..
Annie Danko having fun at Glen Avon Rapid
whilst two male paddlers try to pass
*****************************
One of our training courses in 2005. The finish
of an Avon Valley trip
Pat Irwin on the left is still paddling strong
and loves the Avon Valley
Training & Courses
Saturday Morning
Training
7.15am for a 7.30am start
Sandy Beach Reserve, West Road,
Bassendean
*******************
Monday Night
Training
Ascot Kayak Club 5.45pm
Featured Products
Guppy Double
Kayak
A real Special Price
$600.00
Save $1000.00
*********************
Aquaracks
Small Aquarack
Aquaracks securely store
your watercraft out of harm's way. They work with kayaks,
sit-on-tops, stand up paddleboards and canoes.
Specially designed padded arms prevent depressions on the
hull and damages to the finish; suitable for both indoor or
outdoor use.
Any size craft can be supported at the strongest part of its
hull by placing support arms at different spans. Support arms
distribute load evenly without creating pressure points; most
watercraft can be stored at multiple angles to facilitate
cleaning.
Closed-cell foam covered with a tough nylon sleeve protects
the boat’s finish.
Mounting kit included.
Small $115.00
Large $130.00
*********************
Stretch Cover
The Stretch Cover Kayak
or Ski bags protects your kayak from the sun.
Easy to put on - just slip the kayak or ski, that is at one
end, into the opening.
These Stretch Covers are available for a K1 kayak, all the
Epic Skis V8, V10 Sport, V10 and V12 and other boats of a
similar size to the above.
Prices vary depending on boat length. For kayaks/ski longer
than 5.2m price varies from $100.00 - $125.00
Stories
*************************************
Ascot Kayak
Club Holiday Program
On Monday morning Ascot
Kayak Club had 26 eager young paddlers at the clubhouse to
begin or further their paddling skills for the next five mornings!
5 mornings of fun and
learning
Several Ascot members
gave up their time to run the program
How's your balance
Event
of the Week
Unite on the
Swan
For the second year Canoeing
WA has held this event.
The record to be broken
was 3,150 water craft so it was an enormous ask for Western
Australia to break it and unfortunately we never came close.
However it was was a
fund raising event for Breast Cancer
Paddlers move into the
cove
Paddlers move into the
cove
The group gets bigger
All paddlers start to
raft up.
The raft wasn't as big
as last year.
******************
Last Friday morning whilst
out paddling I came across an Over 55 Social Paddle Group
at Sandy Beach. Many of them I knew so I stopped for a great
chat. They were headed upstream to the Riverside Cafe. Further
on at Ascot Kayak Club I met another group who usually paddle
out from the Uni boat shed. They were long gone passed their
Uni days as when I started chatting I was told that 8 of them
were above 70 years old.
It just shows that life
really starts at 65. It's pleasing to know that my life was
going to get even better than before I became 65. There is
so much more for me to do.
Ten finely tuned athletes
turned up (err, I think I'd better start again). Ten happy
paddlers turned up at Ascot Kayak Club for the downstream
run to Tranby. In no particular order there was Georgie, Heather,
John, Ray C, Ray W, Dave, Graham P, Phil, Doug and Graeme
G. The morning was beautiful, the conditions perfect.
While congregating waiting
for more arrivals, we had Terry Bolland from Canoeing Downunder
join us in conversation. One of WA's greatest paddlers and
adventurers, it was great to rub shoulders with someone who's
done it all.
The sojourn downstream
was a pleasant, easy paddle ... under the Tonkin Highway bridge,
the Garrett Rd bridge, and then into the channel to Ascot
Waters where we reviewed how some in the community are accommodated.
Then onto Tranby House,
the Peninsular Tea Rooms, and coffee and scones and jam and
cream. Everyone was obviously in a happy mood, with jokes
flowing, and lots of laughter and frivolity, a great social
occasion. But departure time arrived, so it was back into
boats, in the water and heading for Ascot. Back on land, with
boats washed and racked, it was time for another coffee and
more frivolity, what a day. Distance paddled was an enjoyable
12.5 km.
Cheers,
Graeme.
Race of the Week
2nd Hand Boats
Ace 380 Kayak
With the white water
getting closer the 380 is a great kayak for flat and white
water training
It is beneficial for
all paddlers to train in a white water kayak that is manoeuvrable
There is so much more
you can learn about white water paddling when in a proper
white water kayak
Price: $300.00