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ECSKC Log February 2016
Hello fellow club members and welcome to the club newsletter.
The spring is here, Anois teacht an Earraigh, and a man and woman's thoughts turn to only one thing, yes you’ve guessed it…...Kayaking. The weather will hopefully start to improve and the summer beckons.
Many stalwarts of the club have been paddling throughout the winter and continue to do so. There was, by all accounts, a very interesting trip recently from Bray, led by Mick Carroll, it provided some thrills and spills among the rocks beneath Bray Head, although details are still sketchy…..I think someone's blushes are being spared. You have to be there. The coming year has a full programme of trips and events.
UK Storm Gathering Symposium
This coming February a group from the club are heading over to the Isle of Anglesey, (which incidentally is the biggest island in the Irish Sea) for the “Storm Gathering” a symposium which promises to be an excellent weekend with many UK providers and trainers being present. Looking forward to hearing reports on it.
ISKA
The Irish Sea Kayaking Association (ISKA) has published a calendar of events and meets for the coming year. These events are always well led, are super fun and take the paddlers to some locations that have to be seen to be believed. Camping on offshore islands and training weekends are just two of the activities planned
for the year. On one notable trip last year we visited 5 islands in the one day/trip.
Visit the ISKA website www.iska.ie for more details of the calendar.
East Inishowen Sea Kayak Symposium 25th27th April
Coming up in April also is the Inishowen Sea Kayak Symposium….based in Moville, County Donegal. This is the symposium's 3rd year in operation.
I have attended them all so far and the weather has always been very good for them. Actually, it is often better than the June/July weather. In 2014 a few of us got out to Inishtrahull, a major island on the Irish Sea Kayaking list of “to do” islands, and I actually got sunburnt. All of the major leaders in the country attend, normally, and it is a great symposium in a wonderful part of the country.
Symposium in Brittany France.
Michael Carroll and Nicolas Depezay are telling of a symposium in France in August. This was attended last year by a few club members and by all accounts was a great paddling experience. More on that later.
http://ecskc.eu/forum/4generaldiscussion/5008britannyfranceseakayakingaugust1523
Sardinia
Alan Horner is organising a trip to Sardinia in September, if the sun does not shine here in
Ireland, it will definitely shine in Sardinia, more on that trip anon. http://ecskc.eu/forum/7meetsandotherevents/5423sardiniatripsept2016
As always, keep a close eye on the club website www.ecskc.eufor all trips, information, stuff for sale, trip reports and some general chit chat, mostly kayak related.
Club Library
The club has a library of books and DVDs which club members can borrow. There is work ongoing to to get a comprehensive listing of all titles and to get it onto the club website. More on that as it happens.
AGM
The AGM was held a couple of weeks ago in the Royal Yacht Club in Dun Laoighre. It was an excellent night, lovely room and lovely food. It was well attended and club officers were elected and reelected.
The highlight of the night was probably the talk and slideshow given by Susan Honan on her trip around Ireland during the summer of 2015, accompanied by Sonja Ewan. It was a very informative talk,. with some great information on the logistics and what is required both physically and mentally to undertake such a trip. Susan also interspersed the presentation with many anecdotes and tales of daring do and the lighter side of the paddle. Suffice it to say that they had a hard but very rewarding and sometimes funny paddle.Very well done ladies
everyone in the club sends their heartiest congratulations also.
Thats all for now news wise, but as our thoughts turn to getting out more often on the high seas, I will leave you with this famous poem which goes some way to capturing the spirit of what we do….I think anyway.
Sea Fever
○ I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
○ And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
○ And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
○ And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.
○ I must down go to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
○ Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
○ And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
○ And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the seagulls crying.
○ I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
○ To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
○ And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellowrover,
○ And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
John Masefield
Until next month.
AJF
February 2016
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