A copy I have waited for for some months arrived just a few days after Christmas, a belated present! And I have not been able to put it down since, well not until finishing reading it anyway!

The Fat Paddler by Sean Smith gives account of the authors struggle back to fitness and purpose of life  after suffering an abnormal amount of trauma, be it witnessing first hand  the atrocity of the Bali terrorist attacks that saw a number of his rugby playing colleagues and civilians lose their lives, to the suffering of near fatal injuries from not one but two major motoring accidents. The most recent of which just beggars belief!

Used to fitness through rugby playing. The big Australian front rower was now smashed and battered. With long periods of hospitalisation, served up with bouts of depression and increasing obesity, time appeared to be running out!

The start of family life usually brings things quickly into perspective and the same can be said here. The realisation of wanting to see his children grow up soon had Sean seeking other ways to get fit. This came in the way of kayaking! Being one of the few things that his permanent injuries would allow him to do in some degree of comfort, this form of paddlesport would lead him down a path of fitness, discovery and well being.

A story of One man, one normal mans desire to live, A story of physical as well as emotional experiences suffered, one of personal sacrifice, of strength and fortitude, and of the joy, wonder and realisation that life is for living. The Fat Paddler will have you looking at your own life and asking yourself whether you are doing enough in yours!

Nigel Ayers

You can connect with the Fat Paddler and read more of his exploits and adventures in a variety of social media methods including:-

Fatpaddler.com

Facebook

Twitter

The Fat Paddler by Sean Smith

Published by: Finch Publishing

ISBN: 978 1921 462 313

For details of availability visit FatPaddler.com

February 16th to 19th 2012

Having enjoyed so much hospitality from all the staff at the Dog Inn near Ludham bridge, we will again be gathering for a long weekend of canoeing and camp-fire socialising!

A few of us have enjoyed some great times at this the inaugural event of the year on the Norfolk Broads, and with a mixture of weather conditions. Canoeing in this area at this time of year has to be amongst the best recreational canoe areas in the country! Virtually free from holiday boat traffic , it provides a very quiet and tranquil place to paddle indeed. Plenty of route options for the adventurous, plus if the weather is kind we’ll have one or two paddle routes planned too!

Joining us in Norfolk in February is easy! You simply register on the C-waV Community Forum and add your name(s) to the 2012 “FROSTBITE” thread. I would dearly love to say just turn-up but, we do have to keep a tab on numbers attending!

There is no stipulation on canoeing experience! All abilities are welcome! And you should not feel intimidated by those with apparently more experience, things are seldom what they seem! A fair number of those that will be attending have been canoeing for a while and you will be made to feel at ease and should have plenty around to offer assistance and advice!

However, the canoe trips will be peer group paddles and everyone must be aware of their abilities and should be equipped with their own suitable clothing and bouyancy aids (to be worn when afloat).

Useful links to past “FROSTBITE” TripTales:-

The FrostBite…(or a Warm Weekend in Norfolk)…

Frostbite 2010 (or Where’s Biff Part II)

Frostbite Trip Feb 2009

Also visit the Gallery to view some great photographs from the past events too!

Hopefully see you in Norfolk!

Nige.

Dark coloured T-shirt added to the clothing line in the C-waV Shop and available to order on-line. Features the C-waV Canoe with a View logo on the left breast and the “I’d rather be CANOEING!” slogan on the back. Available in a variety of dark colours (light colours available soon) pop by the shop to view the colours available.

Look cool without breaking the bank. Our durable, high-quality, pre-shrunk 100% cotton t-shirt is what to wear when you want to go comfortably casual. Preshrunk, durable and guaranteed.

Coming soon Dark “I’d rather be KAYAKING!” T-shirts

The beauty of offering this kind of merchandise in this way is that it is “printed on demand”, you buy an item they then print it and ship it, in fact they handle all logistics including returns! So all this means that I do not have to have vast stocks of stuff that could take ages to sell. It also means that if changes need to be made at anytime this can be achieved in minutes!

The products really do look good, and reading the descriptions appear to be of excellent quality too! I’ll have more details on this once I buy something myself. Do pop by the shop and have a browse there should be something in there that may interest you!

Coming soon I’ll have some unique canoe related designs that will be printed on the back of some Tee-shirts etc, so sign up for the email newsletter to be kept informed. You can always check out the forum and the C-waV Facebook page for future updates!

You will find the shop by clicking this link Canoe with a View Shop or scroll through the items via the Shop widget on the left of this page.

Happy shopping!

Nige.

Each item is covered using detail full colour photographs (800 altogether) illustrating each point of the item being explained, these accompanied by text that guides the reader through the process beautifully, neither over-burdening the reader or ever appearing to teach you how to suck eggs either! You could easily take on board a number of aspects from the book and practice these on the water without having to have the book with you! Paddle strokes, canoe sailing, poling, lining, rafting, along with safety aspects, triping and planning, just some of the many subjects covered.

It is a craft of great beauty and practicality. There is a beauty in the way the canoe fits into the landscape. It connects us to water and the environment with an intimacy that can be so lacking in other aspects of our lives…Ray Goodwin

Open canoe sailing covered in the the book is a particular favourite of mine, not for any wanting or desire to sail in a canoe, but because Ray includes a descriptive piece from his own canoe experience of completing the first ever crossing of the Irish sea. I don’t know whether Ray intended to give it the air of Arthur Ransomes “We didn’t mean to go to sea”, but that is exactly what I pictured when reading it, very entertaining!

I have not taken any formal canoe coaching with anyone and have never met the author, but from reading the book it is easy to gain an idea how and the manner in which his coaching is delivered. With the desire to inspire as well as teach, this book reflects that ideal!

There are indeed numerous canoe books out there and no doubt many a canoeist has his or her favourites within their collection, many famous titles by canoe icons of the past, Canoeing by Ray Goodwin with its modern approach will undoubtedly take its place alongside these classics and establish itself as a classic in its own right. A great book, lovingly put together, and worthy of a place on any paddlers bookshelf!

Nigel Ayers

Canoeing by Ray Goodwin

Published by: Pesda Press

ISBN: 78-1906095-26-0

Available direct from Ray Goodwin.com or most top book retailers

Rudyard Lake in Staffordshire had be chosen as venue for hosting the event some months before, and the staff gave every assistance, allowing us to display posters, setting aside a suitable place on the lake side for us to hold the event, and event loud-speaker announcements on the day to encourage the public to come and try canoeing.

Some 20 plus members turned out to give their support and enthusiasm for the event, with even a couple of members travelling some distance from the south east to attend. All willingly giving up their canoes, BAs and paddles, as well as talking with members of the public while also overseeing with helpful tips, their first time canoeing!

The sun came out and it was very hot, for a change we had an event where the weather was not wet and windy! Some say this was due to the date being arranged by someone else and not me! The weather played a big part in ensuring the Rudyard was kept busy with day-trippers, quite a number of which were very interested in trying canoeing for the first time. I think some left with the desire to have their own canoe, maybe some of these folk will be attending next years event.

An extremely successful day, far exceeding what I expected. Made all the more rewarding for having such an enthusiastic group of folk attend, both members and public alike! Thank you for helping make it a great day!

Special thanks to Rudyard Lake and its staff for allowing us to stage the event.

Will be back for more of the same in 2012..Hopefully even bigger!

Nige.

You can view all the photographs taken and submitted by members of the day by visiting the Gallery

Early morn.

Canoe with a View for the last two years has headed for the Norfolk broads in East Anglia, and this was no different. With the major holiday season still a couple of months away, the Broads in February is predominantly boat traffic

free and has an air of solitude and timelessness about it, plus the wildlife has changed with more winter visitors in residence! The winter colurs too , varying subdued shades of brown, the banks lined with beige reed ready for harvesting, all very different from the Broads spring and summer plumage!  Just some of the reasons why I for one is drawn back to the area time and again!

Winter colours - Fleet dyke @Nigel Ayers

So, 2011, the 3rd running of this gathering, saw ten hardy souls arrive in at the Dog Inn near Ludham bridge hell bent on taming the Norfolk weather, the weather which has in the past managed to through almost everything it has in its arsenal at us! On arrival things did look quiet promising with the sun shining, certainly not very frostbite really, and some would prefer to spend the weekend completely frozen while others would just have to make do!

The "Dog Inn" ©Nigel Ayers

Camp established, and for me it was time to finally paddle my new Apache canoe for the first time! Arriving at the put-in by the bridge we were greeted by a flat calm river, but only two of us launching. Setting off upstream just to get a feel for the new canoe, and she did feel nice, tracked well, very little correction and fast, although trim was a little rear biased it presented no hardship for this first try-out, a kneeling thwart further forward would help sort this out and a job for when back at home! The really highlight though was paddling the Broads in February in just tee-shirt weather!

Maiden Voyage ©Redframe

That evening we all spent in the pub apart from those who obviously thought that the night-life of Ludham was far too much opting instead for a trip to the local 24hr Tesco! Re-acquainting ourselves with the hospitality and great food it the pub, and a great evening was had.

CwaV Frostbite paddlers 2011 ©Redframe

Friday dawned, and the wind had got up, but group canoe day was upon us, and instead of previous aired plans it was decided we would use the put-in at the bridge and head downstream to the River Bure and on to explore South Walsham broad. All on the water and off we set under the bridge! It is only a

St.Benets moorings - River Bure ©Nigel Ayers

short paddle to the junction with the main River Bure where we make a left turn towards St.Benets Abbey. As some of the group had not visited the abbey before, we stopped for photos and a walk around the ruins. The gatehouse or part of it is really the only part left standing, that along with the 16th century windmill cleverly crafted into its structure, but view the site from above on Google Earth for example will reaveal the general layout and shear size this place must have been.

St.Benets Abbey and Windmill ©Nigel Ayers

Leaving St.Benets behind, it is a short hop across the river on to Fleet dyke that will takes on toward south Walsham broad. At about 2 miles long we paddled mostly straight into a head wind. One member of the group suffering a back problem was forced to quit and turn back, shaperoned by his youngson, so here we lose two members of the group, and I’m left on my own as the others had carried on, and heading out onto the broad were now out of sight! The wind was quite strong on the broad so I gave up on trying to catch the main group so turned back to wait it out in the relative shelter of the dyke. Knowing that they have to return the same way, I settled down for a brew and a snack.

Lunch stop ©Redframe

Time passed, I’d had enough of the wind, the place I had chosen to stop was not the best sheltered, so I got back in the canoe and headed back upstream to find a more sheltered spot. Languishing amongst the reeds, cut off from the wind was heaven itself, I even took time to phone my wife! Soon after though my peace was shattered as I was joined by the others and somewhat reluctantly headed back, stopping on the way to investigate what looked like the front of a car under the water, but fortunately it turned out to be just a front bumper. Too heavy and awkward to retreive safely so we had to leave it!

Phonebox in the reeds ©Nigel Ayers

That evening it rained, and the group was split into two, taking shelter under tarps and awnings. Chris and Fiona, CwaV event newcomers and I sat and chattered while the rain, before I was tempted away to the warm and dry of the pub. Once back at my tent, very late, I found the whole floor area flooded, so I abandoned the tent in favour of sleeping in the car!

Power gives way to sail ©Nigel Ayers

Saturday and the wind was still blowing, so not feeling entusiastic about canoeing we did what everyone should do in these moments of crisis, go shopping! For the second year running it was off to the shopping mecca of Lathams in Potter Heigham and spend some money, and enjoy a cuppa and a piece of cake in the cafe too!

Back at the site some opted for a paddle trip upstream towards Barton Broad in search of the illusive otter, of which only one managed a sighting. I on the other hand stayed back at camp to re-arrange my camp set-up before heading for a last meal in the pub. Later on in the evening we all made it back to Seans smoke filled opium den, the highlight of the evening  was him trying desperatly to cool down is gas-bottle wood burning stove after having it litterally glowing red hot, and detaching the flu from the melted tent door zip, oh how we chuckled!

Sunday morning it was time to think of heading home. This time due to my new camp set-up and having packed a few things the night before, this became a more relaxed affair than offten experienced, and it wasn’t raining for a change! Had bid my farewells and thanks to Lorraine the lovelly landlady the night before, and it was soon time to say goodbyes to some fine canoeing friends.

A fantastic weekend all in all, thanks in no small time to a wnderfull group of people. Great to see others that I had not seen for awhile and it felt good to be paddling with them again! Also brilliant to welcome some newcomers to the event too!

Until next year! Yes we will be there, too bloomin right we will!

Nige.

For more comments and thoughts from the 2011 “Frostbite checkout the C-waV forum thread

See all the photos from the “Frostbite” in the Gallery

Since 2006 Nancy has organised the volunteer clean up and has actively encouraged others to do the same.

Many other countries around the world have joined Nancy and the Great Wilderness clean-up to support the event and help make a little difference to the wild and not so wild places they spend much of their spare time enjoying.

The great thing about this event is its flexibility, you really do not have to attend many of the planned clean-up events in Canada, although for some of us this would be great, no all you need to do is choose your own favourite haunt, it doesn’t really need to be that wild either, it could be as simple as getting out there on your favourite walking route or canal/river canoe route, encourage a few others to join you or simply go it alone with a bin bag and pick up some litter!

This year Canoe With a View will be holding there own Clean-up along the banks of the Caldon canal in Staffordshire. The reason for this choice of venue was a simple one really. The Caldon, especially this section, is frequented by a few C-waV members and times spent there have often been very pleasant and enjoyable experiences, so I felt that we should try in some small way to give a little back to the area.

It is hoped that we will have some members looking after the tow-path while others in canoes will be will be picking litter from the waters edge. Starting from the “Black Lion” car park at Consall Forge working upstream as far as Oakmeadowford lock. Those not familiar with the stretch, when not picking up litter is approximately 45 minutes paddle to the lock.

If you wish to help out by attending either one or both days either sign the event page on Facebook or sign the attendance thread on the C-waV Forum You will also be able to see upto date information and or last minute changes by following either of these links! Hope to see a few of you there!

Just one last thing. Please lend your support to Nancy and the “Great Wilderness Clean-up by visiting the Facebook Event Page and press “Attending” .

Nige.

Regarded by many as the UK’s top canoe coach, his books arrival is eagerly anticipated by many me included

“A thoroughly modern book on the traditional open canoe.

This book covers all aspects of the open canoe, from design to wilderness travel. What really sets it apart is its focus on canoeing techniques.

Ray Goodwin is the UK’s best known and (many would go so far as to say) foremost canoe coach. By introducing some of the latest canoeing performance skills, based on what he has discovered through decades of coaching and guiding, he sets out to inspire a new generation of paddlers. Through clear language and the use of photographs acquired over many years of paddling around the world, he shares some real insights of the reality of canoeing; sometimes gritty, but always enthralling”.

Author Ray Goodwin.com

Published by Pesda Press

When not in use the legs tuck neatly away

1st impressions were good, very compact and no loose bits to get lost. When not in use the legs tuck neatly away and are locked in position with captive pins.

Legs locked with locking pins for storage

The same pins lock the legs in the extended position providing a very stable triangular footprint.

Legs locked in position in use

The stove comes with several lengths of flu pipe which store neatly inside the stove for transporting.

Everything stores away inside

Assembly takes a couple of minutes and is easy, the 1st length of flu has a built in damper.

Built-in flu damper

Once assembled the end of the flu stands 2.4m from the floor. Once outside we lit the stove using bought (cr*p) kindling and with the door and damper fully open it was soon drawing nicely with no back drafting despite the blustery wind.

Drawing nicely.

Once well lit we closed the door to it’s 1st position.

1st position closure

With the damper closed slightly and boiled a pan of water as well as a full kettle in about 12 minutes.

To boiling in 12 minutes

I then shut the door fully and closed the damper about a third of the way which slowed the rate of burn considerably. The amount of heat radiated by the stove body increased noticeably at this point and still no back drafting. With careful adjustment of the damper and decent fuel I can see no reason why it shouldn’t stay in all night.

Ideal weight just 10kgs

As for weight, 10kgs even  James at 4years old can lift it!

Another nice little touch that shows the thought that has gone into the design is the clip on ember catcher and the flat plates to spread the load on the legs with a nub on the bottom to stop it sliding about. Whilst the paint finish may not last long a tin of BBQ paint will soon restore the finish As expected the paint gave off fumes when 1st lit but these soon cleared. There is no grate fitted but would only add to it’s weight. A heat resisting knob on the door latch would be a good easy addition as would a spark arrester/cowl to keep the rain from running down inside the flu. For the price and given it’s low weight and compactness I’m bowled over by ths simple well made stove. Just need my Bell tent now!

Words and pictures by Michael Shepherdson – Reproduced here with kind permission.
Original forum thread and members comments can be found here