Paddling on the Thames

Far too long since was out on the Thames. This time out on the inflatable kayak that is sure but slow, particularly into the wind.

Fortunately this time managed to avoid the deflating (literally) sound of "ssssssss....." from a previous trip that required an urgent paddle to shore to avoid having to swim.

Spot the helicopter (above). For some reason the camera had gone into 16:9 mode so not taking the full resolution photos.

Boats! Boats! Boats! .... at Richmond

At and above Richmond (where had gone to visit the Richmond Bridge Boatyard) the Thames is non-tidal and becomes a pretty idyllic playground for boaters of all types.

Above are some afternoon kayakers and below rowers by the historic Marble Hill House, built for one of the mistresses of King George II:

I also spotted this steam powered launch:

Its smoky smell wafted quite a way down stream: while atmospheric it probably doesn't do much good to London's already poor air quality.

Boats! Boats! Boats! ... on the Thames at Putney

... and, apparently, an amphibious car.

Boats! Boats! Boats! ... on the Thames above Hampton Court Bridge

Rather nice spring weather we've been having and the sailors & kayakers have been out on the Thames.

Picture Puzzle: Paddle this canoe?

Ok, you interweb search wizards, hear's a little picture puzzle for you.

1. Why is this canoe (kayak really) hanging from the ceiling?
2. Whereabouts in London can it be found?
3. What happened here in 2012?
4. Which rivers has it paddled down?
5. What's it all about?

The PLA's Thames Vision

Today the PLA opened a consultation on its Thames Vision, looking at how the river will be used over the next 20 years.

As you might expect there are goals (6) and action items (24) but I checked and there is no mention of consultant speak like "forward looking" or "strategic objectives".

It sounds pretty good - the goals include: the busiest ever Port of London; 20 million passenger trips a year; more goods moved by river; the cleanest river since the Industrial Revolution; and more people than ever enjoying sport and recreation.

The approach to sports and recreation is to focus activity on selected "sport opportunity zones", in particular: from Kew Bridge to Richmond, Putney Bridge to Chelsea, and east of Greenwich.

Hmmm.... what about between Putney and Mortlake? I understand that's a patch rowers are pretty keen on.

Lots of different types mucking about are covered, with:

more rowing, kayaking, canoeing and stand up paddle boarding at Kew – Teddington; more kayaking at Putney – Chelsea; and more kayaking as well as sailing at Greenwich – Crossness, particularly in Gallions and Barking reaches. Further east, there are opportunities for more yacht clubs serving  sailing and motor boating as well as kayaking, and for rowing and paddle boarding in Benfleet Creek.

Interestingly no mention of more sailing around Putney, you know, this sort of thing:

Which brings me on to water quality - and more good news here too. To be precise the action item is: Water quality improves to ‘good’

So not very good or excellent, and the key action is the infamous Thames Tideway Tunnel, a super-sewer to be dug below the Thames itself. This has follow on consequences, such as the development of new wharfs at Hurlingham (for the waste from that tunnel) and others such as in Battersea for soil removed by the Northern Line extension.

A lot to digest but it does sounds pretty positive, the Thames at a heart of the growing London, connecting east and west, old and new, business and leisure.

For anyone with something to add, the consultation is open until 15th February 2016 and available here.

Great DW Kayaking Race Video

The Devizes to Westminster is one of the world greatest and toughest endurance kayak races, and its spirit has been captured in this recently released short video.

It follows Steve Backshall who was undertaking it to raise money for World Land Trust, a charity really worth supporting. The biggest two environmental problems of the day are global warming and loss of habitat, and its efforts to protect the richest habitats helps address both.

Tech heads might like to know it was filmed on Sony A7s, Handycam AXP33 and an action cam.

Stranger on the river - revisited

Recently I went kayaking on the Thames for the first time in.... well, lets just say a long time. Actually my paddling muscles said it was a very long time. The waterproof camera was equally underpowered and the battery went flat straight away, so no new pictures were taken. 

So I'm forced to re-post the pictures and text from the last time I went back on the river after a long gap, with suitable editorial updates.


INT: Wild west saloon, honky tonk piano bashing away, polished wood bar with assorted cowboys with their beers, miners drinking whisky etc etc. To one side are racks of kayaks, canoes, PBDs, skirts, paddles etc - the art director isn't sure about this bit.

Soundtrack: clip-clop / squeak of bike brakes / theme to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

There's a shadow by the door, then enter: the Stranger (JP)

All look round: the bar goes quiet.

Sheriff

Howdy stranger (he spits) Haven't seen you around these parts.

JP

I've been out East

Sheriff

We don't want no trouble (spits again - what is it about spitting?) We want a nice safe paddle.

JP nods then walks over to the bar.

Old timer serving behind said bar

Oh my giddy eyes. God-darn it if isn't old JP. How've you been youngster? (ok I made that last bit up) You look older (alas didn't make that up)

JP

It's been a tough 6 months, old timer. Been back East working, and had family health troubles.

Old timer

I'm right sorry to hear that JP

Enter glamorous woman, think Jane Russell / Scarlett Johansson / enter your choice here. She approaches JP and slaps him on the face

Glamorous Woman / Scarlett

That's for leaving me lonesome, you double timing no good heart-breaker (ok, totally made that bit up, but its what should have happened).

[Editors note: Still didn't happen - doh!!]

Old timer

Go easy on him, Scarlett, life hasn't been good to JP - sounds as bad as finding a rattle-snake in your jack-pants

Glamorous Woman / Scarlett

Oh you poor thing, you come here now and let Scarlett take care of you (still making it up)

[Editors note: ditto]

Old timer

No time for that Scarlett, I'm taking JP off up Thames canyon for old times sake. What you riding JP?

JP

I'll have that fibreglass slalom kayak

Cut to: EXT: Thames Canyon. Sound track clip/clop splish/splash, backdrop ol' Father Thames

JP

So what's new, Old Timer, looks just the same to me.

Old Timer

All the same? Haven't you seen that darn yellow monstrosity? Those PLA boys did that (he spits - its ok, they're on the river.)

[Editors note: this time we went down river not up so didn't get to see this buoy. But did get to paddle passed a barge that friends live in and say hello, which was cool]

JP

And that?

Old Timer

(shivers) We don't talk about that JP. No good comes of asking about that.

[Editors note: the Michael Jackson tribute has gone - hurrah!!]

JP and the Old Timer go paddling upriver towards a fine sunset...

Fade to black. 

- The End -

Lost paddle

Spotted in the Thames today.

Alas it seems broken, but it does suggest someone has been paddling in a creak without a paddle.

Hannah White's Paddle Across England for the RNLI

Water is dangerous stuff. If it doesn't suck the heat from your body it can suffocate you, and its waves can crush even the strongest vessel.

But boaters are not alone, for here in the UK we have the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) which is on standby 24/7, and the two busiest stations are right here on the Thames.

To raise funds for the RNLI Hannah White, sailor, adventurer and Olympics / Extreme Sailing announcer, is currently kayaking across England and this afternoon stopped over in Putney.

It was a short stop to say hello to the support team and get a quick boost:

Then it was on downstream towards Westminster:

You can contribute by heading over to the JustGiving web site here.

Good luck Hannah!

Kayakers sent to the Tower

 Where are those kayakers going on this sunny Saturday?

Hmmm.... this doesn't look good:

Devizes to Westminster and a sea of bluebells

There are many ways to spend the Easter break.

Some, like the two above, kayaked or canoed the 201 km from Devizes to Westminster as part of the "DW".

This year the race was delayed by two hours by the discovery of a body in the Kennet and Avon canal.

My weekend was a lot more peaceful, surrounded by a sea of bluebells:

Kayaking on the tidal River Thames

Excellent article on kayaking on the Thames in central London on Canoe London.

Good stuff about not stopping by the MI6 building as they get twitchy (alas I already did that when hunting for rowing pictures) and not going out when its been pouring with rain (like, er, yesterday and overnight) for reasons best left unsaid (search for the bubbler).

The photo above is from earlier this year when the weather was much, much nicer!

Kayaking in Kangerdlugssuaq Fjord

The day after we didn't get lost in the fog in Greenland we launched the kayaks again. 

The first time had been by Turner Island but there weren't enough places for everyone so I'd hiked instead. But this time I was very keen to give them a go and boy was it fun!

I was in the double kayak with R. and we were paddling between 'bergs in one of the most amazing places on the planet - just brilliant.

 And then we were joined by a curious seal:

It's fair to say that not falling in was a pretty important goal in these freezing waters, and no one decided to test out their roll here.

A just amazing paddle: another great day.

Borea Adventures: Forbidden Coast

Last year during the sail to the Arctic Circle we decided to avoid the ice on the grounds that that involves specialist knowledge.

But wanting to see more of the amazing scenery I did a bit of googling and found Borea Adventures, a company that each summer sails from Iceland over to East Greenland.

Couple of emails later and I was booked in, and had a just brilliant time.

Here are a couple of their videos that gives you a feel as to what it was like - and that convinced me to sign up.

Totally tropical Thames

Ok, maybe not tropical, but certainly summer like, with more days of sunshine forecast for the weekend.

Just right for a paddle on the Thames.

Hssssss! is not a good sound...

.... particularly when you are in an inflatable kayak on the Thames.

Actually its probably not a good sound when on any bit of water.

This photo is from a previous voyage when both hulls remained fully inflated, because on Monday's trip was focusing more on getting to dry land than recording the view for posterity.

Fortunately it was low water so there was lots of gravel banks on either side of the river, and after a bit of rapid paddling meant was soon inspecting the starboard tube (that being the one that was hissing).

I pumped her up again and then sprinted back to the starting point, all too aware that I was now sinking - a bit like Titanic but with dirty Thames water rather than icebergs.

Then it was back to JP HQ to unearth the repair kit, trying to remember what little I once knew about bicycle inner tube repairs.

The yellow buoy

Its a short post tonight as they're broadcasting Sherlock from the start - oh joy!

The Thames Fire & Rescue Boat

This evening I went back paddling on the Thames for the first time in nearly 2 years.

It was a lovely weather for once and we got to see the Thames fire & rescue boat up close. They offered us a tow which did sound rather welcome as I discovered I'm really out of practice.

I'll have to do better as this year doing a bit of combined sailing & kayaking.

Sailing and committment

Over the years I've tried my hand at many types of vessel, some of which are shown above. Sailing boats, big and small, classic and modern, plus the odd motor boat and not forgetting those kayak trips on the Thames and Wandle.

I have spent time recently wondering if I should buy rather than borrow or beg my place afloat. I see those other bloggers that have boats and ask whether I too should have something that was mine alone, to sail when and where I wished.

I can't help but be impressed at their dedication, out in all weathers to get that rolling gybe just right, or fixing that dodgy electrical system.

That takes commitment - a decision, that yes, this is the one for me, something I find hard to do.

Yes there are reasons. London is known for many things - concerts, galleries, architecture, history, restaurants, pubs and clubs, to name but a few - but marinas are not on the list.

But is that an explanation or an excuse? Is it a coincidence that the likes of Tillerman, who shows not just commitment but dedication to the art and science of the Laser, is accompanied to warmer climes with a Mrs T?

Is there character information to be gleamed from a sailor's choices - are those more likely be joined with a life partner also likely to identify and remain true to their choice of vessel?