From the November Scrapbook

Rafting up by Horsesands Fort for the 2 minute silence on Remembrance Sunday

Rafted up, unfortunately the raft drifted into the Fort during the 2 minutes, necessitating an emergency break-up as the gun sounded to resume normal activity.

 On the way back from Fishbourne, paddling ahead of a training ship.

 and the lunch stop at Fareham.

 Chichester Harbour last weekend, sunshine in the morning,

but a wintery sky on the way home.

Kimmeridge - Durdle Dor 29th July

Alternatively, Durdle Dor or bust and it was bust!. The main party were baulked by the wind & waves, electing to stop at Lulworth Cove for a well earned lunch. The hardy few pushed on, only to be turned back by the security marshals patrolling the Weymouth Olympic Sailing area.

Many thanks to Glynn & Helen Carter for these fantastic pictures.

Swanage Weekend

Despite the poor weather forecast, 14(+1) hardy souls arrived at Woodyhyde Campsite just outside Corfe Castle on Friday evening and Saturday morning this weekend. The forecast of SW – WSW F4-5 was spot on and Saturday saw a dry day with plenty of afternoon sunshine through the gaps in the clouds.

We tackled a simple but interesting (due to the wind) paddle from Knoll car park, Studland and into Poole Harbour circumnavigating Brownsea Island. It was tough paddle with a consistent 18-20knots of wind accelerating through the gaps between islands to 25-28knots on the nose. It was hard work for most of the group and we abandoned our intended lunch stop at Shipstal Point on the Arne peninsular and went ashore at Pottery Pier on Brownsea Island instead.

Lunch saw one of the rarer kayaking injuries one is ever likely to encounter. One unlucky paddler received a 4” slice to his right cheek care of an irate Peacock who wasn’t getting as much of the paddler’s lunch as he would like! It was potentially a very serious injury but the group’s first aid skills handled it well. All that was required at hospital later was a tetanus jab. Well done team!

An enjoyable surf down the back of Brownsea was followed by another slog into the wind back to Studland but the sun stayed out and we were back at the campsite in time for a an evening swapping tall sea stories around the braii.

Bank Holiday Chelsea Kayak club Visit

The early May bank holiday saw members of the Chelsea Kayak Club visit the area and the club for two days of paddling on the South Coast.

On the Saturday, Portsmouth (and Chelsea’s) Richard Bate put them through their paces with a skills training day in Langstone Harbour’s famous ebb tidal flows.

On the Sunday they joined in with Portsmouth Club’s circumnavigation of Hayling Island. Here are some pictures taken by Steve Woods of the lunch stop at The Ship Inn and the surf landing out at Sandy Point.