Treasna na dTonnta

As seems to be a bit of a tradition at this annual event, the wind blew strong and rain tried to interrupt proceedings. But, Brian Ormond, this years adept organiser, had plenty of workshops, talks and even paddling trips that could still go ahead despite the wild conditions. The weekend opened with a presentation on The Flora and Fauna of West Cork given by John Early in McCarthy's Pub, followed by socialising in the same pub until the wee hours.

Saturday morning was to bring the best of the weather, and even then, it was still windy. Three water sessions went ahead. A half-day smooth trip left the harbour at Baltimore for Hare Island but as the water was not any way smooth, the group made it to Sherkin and back. The full day trip, led by Robin Ruddock made it to Hare Island and beyond although their intention to circumnavigate Sherkin Island had to be shelved due to the wind. Back in the bay, the lifeboat carried out a rescue exercise under the supervision of Coxswain Kieran Cotter of the RNLI with Kevin O'Callaghan leading the sea kayakers.

Meanwhile, back in the comfort of the dive centre, lectures and workshops were taking place. Dave Hughes was explaining the intricacies of Digital Selective Calling - this is the latest means of sending and receiving distress messages using a conventional radio; while Willie Stedmond had a semi-built cedarstrip kayak on hand to demonstrate its construction. Later in the morning, a group took advantage of an introductory dive provided by The Baltimore Dive Centre, at Lough Hyne. Those that I talked to that had partaken in the dive were very impressed with the sport and the flora and fauna seen under water. Declan O'Donnell took a group on an interesting walk at Lough Hyne, a marine nature reserve close to the centre.

Meanwhile, another crew were captivated by a talk on field identification of Irish Cetaceans … whales, dolphins and porpoises to you and me! with Padraig Whooley. After Lunch, Sean Pierce took to the high seas to bring anyone daft enough out on a rough water trip. The weather had steadily deteriorated, but that didn't stop some intrepid sea kayakers taking to the now very rough seas. Back at base, Des Keaney showed an interesting video on Greenland Paddles in which Maligiaq, a 19 yr. old Inuit, demonstrated every possible roll in the book, making it look so easy. The video was followed by a talk on these paddles by Des who convinced some of us to take to the water and have a go with them. I found myself lulled onto the rough sea, surfing in on the waves and clapotis now created at the mouth of the harbour. All returned to the centre for a well-earned and delicious dinner.

After tales of wind, waves and deep sea diving over coffee and chocolate fudge cake, the group retired to the Baltimore Sailing Centre. Here, an Open Forum on the Development of Sea Kayaking in Ireland followed, chaired by Dave Walsh. There was plenty of comment and good ideas from the assembled, so much so that there were 5 filled flip chart sheets for Des Keaney to take for bedtime reading. These ideas/comments will be published in the next T na dT and will be given genuine consideration. Robin Ruddock then gave an interesting talk on 'A Paddy In Patagonia' illustrated with slides from his trip. This was followed by a slide presentation on 'Working Boats of Ireland' by Dorena Tully and a raffle, which raised £158 for the RNLI with prizes sponsored by Tiglin, Baltimore Dive Centre, Lowe Alpine and Great Outdoors. Thirsty paddlers could not be detained any longer and a move to various public houses was made.

A few others and I rose at 8.00am … well that’s the time I thought it was. I wondered why there was so few up. The chef took great delight in showing us the clock. "it's winter time !". Ahh no! I'd just missed out on an extra hour asleep!

Breakfast was followed by an array of talks… Camp Cuisine with Delwyn Klevenow, Sea Kayaking First Aid with Paul Butcher, Radical Navigation using small triangles with Dave Walsh, while Robin Feloy gave a run down on the North Atlantic Challenge… the attempt to cross the Atlantic in a modified kayak.

A walk took place on Sherkin Island led by Martina Seifert, while prospective purchasers tried out sea kayaks from various companies down at the harbour. Robin Ruddock brought a group paddling to the rapids at Lough Hyne. Another group got the ferry for a visit to Hare Island. I went on a trip with Kevin O'Callaghan leading and we headed for the rough water at Gascanane Sound.

We meet Don O'Brien and friends who had just come in from the big swell and Sean Pierce remarked " it's big out there", which made me think it was time to hide. But it was too late: we had battled out through the gale to get that far so we kept going. The group went silent as a squall hit us. It was a bit like scenes from the 'Perfect Storm' and I was hoping for a turn about although I did not relish the thoughts of turning a sea kayak in the now fierce gale. Eventually Geo signalled a turn around and I carefully negotiated this, with my heart in my mouth. That was enough rough water for us and we surfed all the way back to the harbour.

After dinner, a quiz was held in McCarthys Pub organised by Dave Walsh. Questions caused much head scratching and debate between members. Answers brought queries and the able quizmaster got heckled from time to time, but he gave as good as he got. There were prizes galore, all sponsored by Valley Canoe Products, Great Outdoors, Polyform, Lowe Alpine and Cascade Designs and no one went home empty handed. The quiz was followed with party pieces from each team although some needed a little more encouragement than others.

Well, if we thought the weather couldn't get much worse, we were wrong. I awoke to the sound of a now fearsome gale howling around the centre as the rain lashed down. This did not perturb some. After yet another hearty breakfast, Robin Ruddock took a group to Lough Hyne where he demonstrated some of the rolling techniques used by the Greenlanders. Many of the groups successfully attempted these and some people demonstrated hand rolling the sea kayak and swimming in the kayak to retrieve a paddle. New boats purchased were loaded on any available roof rack space, stylish wooden paddles were given pride of place for their journey home, and the sea kayakers drifted away, with heads full of ideas and resolutions.

To sum up: the weather was bad with high winds and rough seas; Brian Ormonds office got flooded, and it's a long way from North Donegal to Baltimore. Despite this, the weekend was great: good food, warm centre, a drying room that actually dries gear, plenty to do and abundance to see. What else would you be doing on a wet and windy weekend? !

Friday night and the cars loaded full of anticipation and heading west. The weather has been settled the suns still shining and a good weekend is in prospect. We are heading to Belmullet, another new slice of the Irish coast for me, aptly wetted by Oileáin.

There is nothing quite to rival that Friday night feeling of anticipation after a week of fine weather when domestic plans have been stitched together to allow a weekend away. We had a clear sports plan, Alan Horner, Paul Durnan and myself-drive to the end of the Belmullet peninsula off Mayo then take in the Inishkeas staying the Saturday night. There was some mention of rock on the isles and I was keen to explore.

Life used to be so simple, before mobile phones, at least that's how I selectively remember it. You used to meet mid week over a pint agree a venue and a plan and then put it into effect on the weekend - not now. In between the static we can just make out Paul saying something about the weather having changed and a strong local wind from the north, Being a teacher he is already on the scene. A quick look at the map raises suspicions and sure enough a few folds further sits the source of the "weather change"- Eagle island. A worthy excursion and with fine weather a fair excuse to change plans.

The detour, fine as it was put paid to my ideas of rock exploration. However a calm sea on the Sunday allowed for great pottering around the many inlets on the western side of the Inishkeas- sea kayaking at its best.

The west coast of the Southern island is a range of cliffs and inlets. Calm water allowed us to explore these to the full and despite a lack of obvious lines the rock climbing potential was evident. A late lunch finally allowed me to lay hand on rock while the others swam in the sun. Despite too many ledges, birds and the prospect of wetting surf there was enough to justify a return climbing and canoeing trip.

The journey home was occupied with thoughts of how to put this together. Brilliant sunshine a fine coastline, some fine banter and something to tempt you back - what more can you ask for?

Six weeks later and I am again looking out to the Iniskeas. I’ve tempted Ian over from Scotland with tales of sandy beaches, pleasant paddling and lots of virgin rock. It always sounds a nice idea to combine canoeing and climbing in remote paces but there are a few practical issues. We are looking out over white caps on a lively sea. It was blowing hard last night and although forecast to ease still seems pretty strong. Having driven the 5 hours from Dublin booked a day off work and for Ian, jumped on a plane, there is never any doubt about the decision but we make the pretence of a debate concluding we'll load the boats and have a look.

Full exploratory climbing adds a big weight to the boats and it is two monsters we carry down the short sandy beach to meet the surf. I'm hoping the weight will keep my boat low in the water and reduce the impact of a side on wind. The skeg has been playing up and I don't fancy the 6k on my side.

Morning surf generates the usual buzz but once out of the immediate shelter of the bay my boat feels unwieldy and unresponsive. I always find the first fifteen minutes or so on the water odd. A bit like skiing as you adapt to an unnatural form of locomotion. I'm in a big tub as waves slap on to me broadside. After five minutes more we adapt to the conditions and decide to continue west.

Away from the small isles, the water deepens and becomes more predictable. A big grey swell rolls in from 10 o'clock. It rides under the boat, occasionally breaks over it but mostly just pushes against where we want to go. The Islands are clearly visible and we can judge progress from Duvillaun Mór to the South but its painfully slow into the wind. We settle to rhythm keeping within shouting distance and easy sight. For me this means about thirty strokes before easing a little and then hitting another thirty.

We are comfortable, warm, have both been in bigger seas but this is hard work. Every stoke is an effort pushing the blades against the wind but at least it’s regular and only occasionally tries to snatch the paddle from your grip. A small boat passes a quarter of a mile to the north going the opposite direction but it keeps disappearing.

I concentrate on using my shoulders to sustain a smooth even stoke. A big wave breaks over me drenching me in water. The boat responds easily as I brace and I am pleased at still being relaxed and able to keep the steady motion of paddling. Any time I get the sea in the face despite knowing its salty the taste always takes me by surprise. The sea is not intimidating but progress is a grind that eventually brings us to the southern bay where at least twenty seals and a local lobster boat check us out.

This crossing would normally be about an hour to an hour and a half of steady paddling instead its taken 2-2.5 hours of real effort but in keeping with what we expected when we left the beach.

A sandy beach and lunch beckons. Hot soup and big salami and tomato sandwiches. Sunshine graces the isle and we leisurely unpack the boats shoulder climbing gear and set off for a little exploration.

The southern end of the island abounds in rock and most of it excellent Lewisian gneiss. Much of the cliffs are broken and stepped with ledges or offer featureless overhangs. The more slabby parts are also covered in black lichen that reduces friction. However on the previous visit there were enough clean steep walls to offer some good sport. But the attractive walls spotted on my last visit in calm seas are now engulfed in swell and surf pounding on to the rocks and bursting skyward for twenty metres. The calm conditions that allowed seaside exploration before have been replaced by a big Atlantic swell that surges into the zawns (narrow inlets) in spectacular fashion.

Given these constraints we do find a few walls of immaculate rock offering 20-25 metre routes up improbable walls at VS (Very Severe) to HVS (Hard Very Severe) and retire to bed with a few lines in the bag and the journey justified. We still have the most southerly aspect to explore on Sunday when hopefully the swell has subsided. As predicted the weather has cleared the wind dropped and the sea to the east has subsided - what a pleasant spot.

Sunday dawns wet. That sort of wet rain you only seem to get on the west coast like the air cannot hold any more moisture and it soaks you within minutes. The sort of wet it’s tempting to wear the wetsuit just to go for a walk. This is the sort of wet you feel if you clenched your fist you would wring moisture from the air. All in all wet. We go and have a look anyway.

Perseverance reveals a few possibilities and some fantastic seascapes. We are mesmerised by a big breaker that forms a perfect tube before smashing into the tip of the island and surging up a zawn we have climbed down into.

Every time it does this a white foaming mass surges towards us but dissipates metres from our feet in froth and fury. Its hypnotic and we can marvel at its power from the safety of land. Every now and then we just have to glance to the eastern shore to convince/reassure ourselves nothing like this is happening on our passage home.

A zawn to the north reveals what we are after steep clean grey walls with soaring crack lines and a good ledge just above the surf. This yields five routes on perfect rock, despite the rain. The approaching tide makes the abseil gradually more intimidating as our ledge succumbs to the swell. This is a perfect vantage spot to watch the approaching surf but I'm glad to be tied onto a rope above the water rather than be in a little fibreglass boat in it. In fact, despite the memory of sitting in this place a few weeks ago, its seems inconceivable to be on the water now. Current conditions would just smash anything to bits. It makes for good photos.

Rain, incoming tide and the need for food bring us back to the tents and a sumptuous feed. You can see why whisky became popular in this part of the world. We partake of local traditions before tired limbs drift off to sleep to the sound of the seals in the bay and rain on the tent.

Morning dawns early, grey and wet. We need to get Ian back to Dublin for a flight. Although there is only half mile visibility there is not much wind and we are on the water and heading into the murk by 7.30. After a mile or so visibility improves. We are greeted by a friendly following sea and hit land just as the downpour starts. A few kids on the beach seem impervious to such weather and help us throw the gear in the car.

Visiting the same quite spot over two weekends offers a good perspective on a slice of the Irish coast and so much more to go look at.

One of the better suggestions coming out of the brainstorming session at the Symposium in Baltimore last October was for an electronic discussion forum on our WWW page. It took a while to figure out the technology for this but we got there. As of mid-December 2000 a "Bulletin Board" has been in operation.

It is very simple to find, just click on the link on our page, then save as a favourite bookmark. It is extremely easy to use. Click on any of the notices already posted to read them, and you get offered the right of reply. Or you may post a brand new message not connected to anything before it. Topics are sorted by "thread" (or subject) so you get to see who posted a message and all or any replies. Join in a particular discussion or start a new one. So far, "buy and sell" is proving a popular theme, as is "anyone interested in paddling next weekend" or "in North Dublin area". Technical discussions come third in the popularity stakes.

There are rules for its operation, as usual being the one rule "no messing", the interpretation of which we will make up as we go along. It took a lot of persuasion to get David Walsh to be willing to be sole rule maker and sole judge of rule breakers, but he has agreed to do so, provided his decision is final, so that is how it will be. Which probably also means no lawyer jokes ….. ???

Well done to Ruth Bracken, Matt Corbett, and Paddy Fox who passed their Level 4 in Kinvara recently.

An assessment in January raises some new challenges!

We hope to see them at Level 5 training soon.

16:00 hours Saturday and I was on board the Shannon Willow bound for Kerry, only 3km away but in a totally different world. Ruth Bracken had phoned earlier in the week to organise a "handy" paddle to the Blaskets off the Dingle Peninsula for the weekend. This came hot on the heels of the brilliant weekend on Finish Island in Connemara, but we wanted to avail of this window of good weather.

We rendezvoused at Coumeenoole, the setting for the film "Ryan's Daughter", at 18:30 and debated whether or not to make a dash for Great Blasket Island there and then, since the tide was in our favour, but there was a mist reducing visibility and it felt quite windy on shore. Camp was set-up in a small sheltered depression overlooking Coumeenoole Bay and we headed off to check out access to the water at Dunquin. One look was enough! Here the pathway down is so steep and twisty that one would almost suffer vertigo!

The marine forecast for Sunday predicted "Winds :- N to NE force 3 or 4, locally force 5. Weather :-rain dying out. Visibility :- mostly moderate." At least there were no gale warnings for the area, as the Blasket Sound has a reputation for fast tides and there was a full moon three days previously.

The kayaks were loaded up with everything necessary for an overnight stay - just in case the weather broke. We launched through small surf at high tide from the beach below where we camped. Ruth's progress over the surf was captured on film by an early-bird tourist, - it was 7:45 am. We paddled by the rusty wreckage of the Ranga, wondering what it was until that brilliant article "Never Alone At Sea" by Donal O'Dowd sprang to mind. Sea conditions were choppier out in the Sound, and the waves breaking on Dunmore Head convinced us to paddle out around Liúir. At this stage the tide was beginning to turn so we pointed our bows north-westwards towards Beginish.

Gradually the beach, An Trá Bán, came into view as the mist thinned, also visible was surf -Big Surf ! We inched closer and eventually worked up the courage to tackle it. After much back-paddling and many correction-strokes we both managed to beach our kayaks safely, though not in the most dignified manner. A lone seal popped its head up as if to laugh at us.

On climbing up from the beach we met a local tending his flock, he didn't have much to say other than "You're out early" and directed us towards the fresh-water supply.

All the gear needed for breakfast was hauled up the steep bank to one of the house ruins where a window-sill provided a near-level surface for the meths stove. Much time was spent to-ing and fro-ing between the boats, the fresh-water tap and the campsite, and one of us had to defend the "kitchen" against two donkeys who were sniffing at the food supplies.

As we finished off the grub and tidied-up our (and other's) rubbish the sun was breaking through, and the ferry from Dunquin was approaching the island's slipway.

However, it stopped short and the nine people and one dog had to transfer to an inflatable to reach terra firma as the tide was falling fast.

Unfortunately, the mist never lifted from Slievedonagh, so sight-seeing on the island was limited to the village ruins and the impressive seascape from Slea Hd. to Inishtooskert. By the time we were hauling our gear back to the boats it was nearly low-tide.

The morning's surf had eased to approximately one metre and while we launched with ease it was still strong enough to dislodge the marine radio which was tethered to the fore-deck. Next stop was Beginish, where we paddled in to calm water among the rocks on its south-west coast. Here we had to be careful not to step on the nests of Great Black-backed Gulls, complete with spotted and blotched eggs. There is only one ruin on this island and according to Seán Ó Criomhthain's manuscript, it was different to those on Great Blasket in that it had a slate roof instead of tarred canvas. Tradition has it that Keereelach, a herdsman, was the dweller's name. Seán Ó Criomhthain was the son of Tomás, who wrote "An tOileánach".

Back on the water, we paddled clockwise around Beginish and were greeted by choppy conditions. Again we had to pass on the outside of the many rocks due to "sneaky waves". Ruth pointed out Inishtooskert and explained where it got its more common names of An Fear Marbh or The Sleeping Giant.

When exiting from between Beginish and Oileán na nÓg we were surprised to see a stampede of white horses ahead in the Sound (more like the Budweiser Clydesdales!). The wind had been from the north for the past few days and a swell had developed which was opposing the tide. Paddling out into the turbulence we made good progress, surfing with wind and wave, with many slap strokes, low braces, and the odd high brace, - and no shortage of swear words (from me anyway! ). I found it necessary to remind myself to relax and loosen-up, and the fully-laden kayak boosted confidence by behaving well.

Although we remained within earshot of each other, we often disappeared into the wave troughs, many of which were greater than four metres deep. The ferryboat crossed our paths some two hundred metres astern on its almost straight course back to The Great Cliff at Dunquin, its engine noise muffled by the breaking waves. Approximately half a kilometre north-west of Liúir the sea calmed and it was only then apparent how fast the tidal flow was. The northerly wind seemed to curl tightly around Dunmore Head creating turmoil between it and Liúir, so again we paddled on the outside, careful to avoid the waves breaking on the submerged rock alongside.

Rounding Liúir, heading into Coumeenoole Bay, the water surface was relatively flat with some areas rippled by the wind which funnelled between it and the mainland. It was necessary to hold the paddles low at this stage to reduce the snatching effect, while overhead, a gannet soared. Ahead in the near distance, people were on the beach making the most of the fine spell and, yet again, we were faced with surf but this time it didn't pose any problems - the tide was still low, the swell small, and the bay sheltered.

With everything packed away, our next stop was to be the South Pole. We passed numerous igloo-shaped bee-hive huts, complete with admission charges, before arriving in Anascaul, the hometown of Tom Crean, who accompanied Ernest Shackleton, a Co. Kildare man, to the Antarctic (1914 -1916) in their quest to be the first to cross the Antarctic continent by foot. The interior of Crean's pub is adorned with numerous photographs and newspaper cuttings about the ill-fated voyage, while the exterior is adorned with a giant penguin on the gable-end. ( I would have thought that Crean had seen enough of them at that stage! )

We were lucky with the weather, but tied for time. One could easily spend a week on Great Blasket itself, let alone touring its many neighbouring islands. Hopefully, for the forthcoming I.S.K.A. Blasket weekend, the weather will oblige. Anyway, it was time to go. Ruth back to Cahersiveen and myself to the Tarbert ferry where the Shannon was like a mirror.

I’d always wanted to give the sea kayaking a go but the time never seemed right. That is until I got an email about a Come & Try It weekend in Kinvara, mid September. The perfect opportunity – nice location and the rivers were still dry at that time of year.

At the Saturday morning post-breakfast briefing, lots of eager novice paddlers awaited Dave Walsh’s words of wisdom and more importantly, the weather forecast. Doom and gloom – gales and rain, not a great introduction to sea kayaking. I got the nod from Dave – accepted for the "longer trip of the day". Although tempted to go for the shorter one and retire to the pub, I couldn’t resist the challenge and headed off to the pier to meet my group. They were, Ruth Bracken (phew – at least I wasn’t the only river paddler), our guide Marc Jegou, his trustee helper Peter Hennessen, expert kayakers Des Keaney, Paddy Fox & Matt Corbett and second novice Clive Dalby.

We set off up the Kinvara Bay with the wind on our backs. Sure, I thought to myself, this is a doddle. The strokes were somewhat different and turning the boat took a bit longer but I reckoned I was grand so long as I was patient. A deserted village on Eddy Island provided us with the much needed shelter during lunch.

Revived and ready to go after lunch we paddled around the Atlantic side of the island and then we were homeward bound. No problems ……. until I started paddling head first into the wind. For the first 10 minutes I battled not only with the wind but my confidence. I had to keep telling myself, it was fine and it would ease off after we turned into the bay. I later discovered that that didn’t happen. Marc sensed my discomfort and stuck with me for the rest of the trip. He encouraged and coaxed me and I learnt about reading the sea and taking the right line. It was intriguing to discover the similar techniques used in both disciplines.

The combination of an excellent guide and a very patient group got me back to base in one piece, although so tired that I took a 2 hour kip before dinner!

Sunday morning started with a much better outlook – a sunny autumnal day and I was looking forward to a nice relaxing paddle. We met at a quaint little pier a few miles outside Kinvara and enjoyed a leisurely paddle out to Deer Island. Landed, had lunch and basked in the sun while a few hundred seals curiously looked on. Someone discovered there were baby seals around the back of the island. Definitely one of the highlights of sea paddling – I felt privileged to stand only a few feet away from these fluffy white mammals with their bulging black eyes. I couldn’t get over the wonderful wilderness feeling - being somewhere that not very many people have been before you.

Our paddle back to the pier was via a causeway which made it an interesting round trip. As we approached the "get-out" I knew I had to try my eskimo roll to complete my sea kayaking experience. 1,2,3 and under…….. and up again. Happily I didn’t need the assistance offered by Ruth.

All in all a great experience and a sport I hope to continue in the dry summer months.

Almost a million people in a city by the sea. And the sea kayaking facilities? None.

Nowhere for people to learn, no boats for them to try, nothing. Where? Dublin.

We have sea kayaking clubs, boats and centres in Northern Ireland, Donegal, Mayo, Clare, West Cork and Cork city. In fact, the rest of the country is reasonably well covered. But the East coast? Zilch.

Also, more than 50 of the members of the ISKA are based in the Counties of Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Kildare. That’s more than a third of the membership.

OK, so the East Coast isn’t the Skelligs but given a bit of weather, Rockabill, Lambay, Howth Head, Dalkey and Wicklow Head can stretch anyone. Just ask ‘Round Irelander Mike Barton.

There is a need for a club on the East Coast.

Here are some thoughts on what we could do…..

• Help beginners to get started. People go on an introductory course but can’t get on the water again until they get a boat. There is a need to bridge this gap.
• Get some club boats. Plywood boats could be a low cost option.
• Organise weekly paddles and more advanced trips
• Organise winter talks
• Are you interested in organising the club?
• Or would you help with the organisation?
• I would be interested but I can’t do Treasna na dTonnta as well. If someone were to take the newsletter, I’d be happy to get the club going. All you need is MS Word and an interest in developing sea kayaking. A full and comprehensive handover is part of the deal.

The West of Ireland was at it's absolute best. Sunshine, calm seas, clean water, spectacular mountains and shimmering beaches.

Paddlers arrived from all directions. Don O'Brien and Ciaran Cooke had left Roonagh Quay on Thursday, paddled around Achill Head and spent the night on the helipad on Black Rock – see Ciarans account later in this issue. This is probably the most difficult landing on the entire western seaboard. The landing platform is continually washed by the Atlantic swell which makes a swim ashore essential, even in the calmest conditions. Having arrived back on Clare on Friday evening, the lads headed off for a short 20+ miler around Inishturk on Saturday.

The main group arrived on the island on Saturday morning, set up camp and headed off on a circumnavigation of the island. What a trip! The gentle easterly wind meant the normally turbulent western side was almost flat calm.

We soon passed the lighthouse, high on the clifftop, no longer lit and converted to a guesthouse. Full marks for initiative.

We explored the caves, eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness. Some of them are hundreds of feet deep, carved by millennia of Atlantic storms. The roar of the waves crashing onto rock is amplified by the ever reducing width of the tunnel. We're constantly searching for danger, the hidden rock or the freak swell that will send us crashing into the wall. I remembered the paddler who was left suspended from her paddles which jammed between both walls as the swell dropped away beneath her. No such problems for us.

Sea arches abounded - craggy monuments to the power of the Atlantic and the struggle of the rock to withstand it. On rounding the southern corner, most of the group landed for lunch on a rock shelf while the rest continued on to a beach that was 'just around the corner'. This is one of the wonderful aspects of sea kayaking - inaccessible parts of remote western islands which only very small boats can reach. Gary Ostwald of Denver, Colorado was really enjoying his trip.

Saturday night saw a brisk business in the pub. The short distance from campsite and hostel made for a very relaxed atmosphere. This continued on Sunday morning when a strong wind ruled out any long trips. Anyway, it was Regatta Day and nobody was in a rush. It was time for land exploration and small groups of kayakers could be found in all sorts of unusual places.

Back at the beach, the Achill Yawls arrived from the neighbouring island and a great sight they were with their fine lines and sails tight in the wind.

Then someone spotted a very small sail approaching the beach. It was a folding Klepper double arriving from near Louisburgh. It was very new and an interesting contrast to the other boats around.

The currach racing eventually got underway with the sea kayak crews acquitting themselves with varying degrees of success. Some of the boats seemed to have a mind of their own with even ex-Cambridge rower Brian Crinion having problems. However, Eileen Murphy upheld the honour of the sea kayakers and won the mixed doubles event.

Then it was back to the water for the trip back to the mainland. Twelve year old Colm Pierce did very well in keeping ahead of the bunch on his first major sea crossing. A beautiful evening, a quick rolling session and away home with great memories.

That rock we had seen while paddling around Achill Head during the 1999 symposium had been filed away in the backs of our minds as a future sea trip. The Clare Island meet presented the perfect opportunity to get this one under the belt, especially as weather predictions were very favourable for sea paddling.

So the challenge was set – leave Cork after work on Wed 19^th July, drive to Roonagh Quay, paddle to Black Rock on Thursday, camp there if possible and return to Clare Island on Friday to meet up with the rest of the gang. Plan B, of not being able to land or camp on Black Rock would mean a further 4 or 5-mile paddle to the Iniskeas. Even though it was never said, both Don O’Brien and myself knew that once we arrived at the rock there would be very little chance of plan B happening – only as an absolute last resort.

We slept soundly in the back of Don’s Volvo estate at Roonagh Quay. After rolling over a few times in the early morning sunshine, the activities of the ferry companies preparing for the day grabbed our attention over breakfast. This was an intriguing ritual of putting out a multitude of signs. One of the companies obviously thought a sign saying "Dave O’Leary Booked here" would help them in their quest to win custom! The whole thing was quite cut throat – business sharks could learn a thing or two on Roonagh Quay!

Breakfast over we moved the car down to the slipway and began packing the boats, a task that always takes a long time. We were paddling at 12 noon. The day was hot, with little or no wind at this point. The fog, which had shrouded Clare Island at breakfast time, had lifted and visibility was good. The scene was set for a good solid days paddling. We made good progress initially, heading for the seaward side of Clare Island and reaching the outward point at 1.25p.m. Here we rafted up and had a few minutes break in preparation for the long open crossing towards Achill Head. There was a decision to be made here – do we go for Keem beach and a proper stop for food and rest or straight to Achill head and on to Black Rock. Keem beach seemed logical – but it would add distance, and more importantly, time to the trip. We felt we would need a couple of hour’s brightness when we arrived at Blackrock – to set up camp and cook or for the remote prospect of continuing to the Iniskeas.

The decision was temporarily postponed and a course was set for a point mid way between Achill head and Keem beach. We settled into a steady graft for the open crossing and very slowly began to put distance between us and the magnificent cliffs on the northside of Clare Island. Our plan was to revisit this spectacle properly over the course of the weekend.

The lack of wind was unusual. When we stopped paddling there was a deafening silence, not a sound. This, together with the vastness and isolation of where we were paddling is an experience I will never forget. A significant but very gentle rolling Atlantic swell was coming in from the Northwest. Its reflection from the cliffs on Clare Island and later from the northern side of Achill gave us a boost as we rounded these headlands and seemed to last much further than either of us expected. Occasionally gannets would glide or swoop past with their inch perfect precision at avoiding the undulating surface.

By 4.30p.m. We were at a point more or less level with Keem and perhaps 40 minutes paddle from the beach. We had already decided not to stop at the beach. However, refuelling was essential and I had to well you know……..go! Rafting up again I succeed in this tricky manoeuvre and after a mini mars bar we were once again on our way. As Achill head approached we cut right into the rocks and at 5.15p.m. we found a small shelf of rock just large enough to get the Kayaks out of the water. There was about a 4 ft. difference in water height with the surges, so landing the laden Kayaks took a little care – however, the hastily made sandwich and coffee from the flask was well worth the effort. The rising tide and small rock shelf meant we were back on the water in 20 minutes well prepared for the final leg of the journey.

Twenty minutes later at 6 p.m. we were just rounding Achill head itself and there it was – standing majestically on the horizon – Black Rock. The lighthouse itself is only 50ft high but the light stands at 282 ft above sea level and is second only to the light at Mine Head which is a further 3 ft higher. It made for a spectacular sight in the evening sunshine.

As we paddled the final leg towards our objective our thoughts began to focus on the landing. The breaking waves and 6ft swell surges on the north side of Achill Head was a realistic indicator of what the conditions would be like at Black Rock. As the rock loomed larger, concrete structures became obvious on the eastern side. Arriving here at 7.50 p.m. and being confronted with the difficult landing, plan B got a very brief resurrection. But then we didn’t paddle all the way out here to give up now!

Paddling just round the corner a landing platform with a series of very narrow steps became the focus of our attention. More or less directly behind this, chunky steps were cut into the steeply rising rock face. The landing platform was disappearing under 1 – 2ft of water and then being left 5 ft out of the water as the swell abated. There was also a breaking wave coming down on top of the platform from one side.

A plan was hatched. We paddled in close, quickly rafted up, Don jumped out and swam for the steps. He was carried in on a wave and pushed up the steps onto the platform, with relative ease. Meanwhile I had Don’s Kayak on tow and made a large circle in order to paddle past, close to the platform and throw the towline of his kayak. This worked like a treat – the kayak came in on a swell, Don held the nose and as the water dropped it rested firmly on the platform. All that was left was to move it to a higher shelf before the next swell – not an easy task for one person under those conditions, especially considering the weight of the kayak.

Don threw his towline and I used it to extend mine. Paddling in I passed Don the free end of the rope then backed off slightly in order to jump out and swim in. This was relatively straightforward and now there were two of us to land the second kayak. The boats were unloaded and then stored in a crevice that probably wouldn’t be out of the reach of a hostile sea. The only alternative would have been to get them up the rock face. We used ropes to lash them together and attach them to the remains of a railing high above.

The gear had to be moved in stages. At points the steps are exposed with sheer drops and no hand rails. The steps eventually give way to a path for the final trek towards the lighthouse. Here one can appreciate the isolation of this spot with Achill, the Iniskeas and Eagle Rock all away in the distance. By 9 p.m. we were setting up camp on a small patch of grass beside the helicopter pad and looking out at a most spectacular sunset. It would have been nice to have arrived an hour earlier in order to soak up the beauty of this sight. Food and chat followed of course with regular checks on the kayaks and exploration of the confined surroundings. The buildings are in good condition with a number of outbuildings under repair. There is a large tank containing fresh water, very welcome for washing the salt off tired bodies. Sitting on the helicopter pad sipping coffee we watched the light fade from the clear sky before turning in, around 11.30p.m.

We rose about 8.30 a.m. the following morning, had a leisurely breakfast and began breaking camp. It was going to be very hot with even less wind than the previous day. The gear was again moved in stages back towards the kayaks, which were taken out of their overnight nesting spot and placed on a suitable shelf for packing. The sea almost claimed one of the unmanned kayaks at one stage! There were no obvious launching spots. The landing platform was well clear of the water now (11.30 a.m.) A sideways drop off the side of the platform was probably in the region of 5ft or so. There was the option of launching the boats and swimming out but the surges were still significant and it was too early for a swim! In the end we decided to launch Don from a fairly steep rock shelf with my help lifting the back of the kayak. This worked well apart from the serious brace required when the stern momentarily hung on the rock. With that over so smoothly, the original plan of launching my boat and swimming out was changed. I gingerly attempted the same manoeuvre as Don and this worked a treat. Thank God for strong hulls and rub-strips!

As we left and headed for our lunch stop at Keem beach there was a definite sense of achievement about what we were doing. Personally speaking this will remain as one of my most memorable canoeing experiences. Rounding Achill head again we noticed two kayakers coming towards us. They turned out to be Aled and Justine, an English couple doing some sea touring. We mentioned the gathering on Clare Island to them and they altered their plan to join us on Saturday. Landing at Keem beach for lunch at 2.30 we both sought shelter from the sun and had a leisurely lunch in the shade of some rocks.

An hour later we were making the final trek back to Clare Island – this time keeping to the Achill side of the island. A fish farm just before we finished provided some entertainment with the older salmon leaping out of the water in an attempt to clear the cages. This had been a wonderful two days and there was still a weekends paddling ahead.

Around the time of the equinox, I was watching the sunrise and sunset times as published on the web at http://www.onlineweather.com/ie and I noticed that the 12 hour day occurred a few days after September 21^st. I was also interested to know if the variation of the length of the day was different at this time of the year than at others. I searched the web for information about equinoxes and found this great site from the US navy: http://aa.usno.navy.mil

Basically, we define sunrise and sunset as the times when the last limb of sun appear in and disappear from the sky respectively. The equinoxes are the two days in the year when the centre of the sun is 90 degrees above the equator at noon, when the north and south poles are both illuminated equally and when it takes exactly 12 hours from the time that the centre of the sun rises exactly in the east until it sets exactly in the west for every single point on the earth. However one half of the sun will have been visible for a few minutes before the centre appears and the other half will have been visible for a few minutes after the centre disappears so that day will be longer than 12 hours. In addition, the sun’s rays are diffracted or bent around the earth so that it can be seen for a few minutes before and after it passes the horizon. The 12 hour day will thus occur a few days after the autumnal and a few days before the spring equinox.

We are all aware of the nature of twilight - before sunrise and after sunset there is a period when the earth is illuminated enough to allow most activities to be done without artificial lighting. This period is know as civil twilight and is defined to exist while the sun is less than 6 degrees below the horizon. Complete darkness, however, does not normally occur before the sun reaches 12 degrees below the horizon. At Irish latitudes, astronomical darkness does not occur at all between mid May and late July.

Reference: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AA/faq/docs/equinoxes.html

From late July through the equinox to mid-November the length of our day dwindles rapidly by about 2 hours per month. From then until mid January it remains at an almost constant 8 hours then expands rapidly past the equinox at about 2 hours per month until mid May. Then we have an almost constant 16 hour day until late July. To understand this effect just look at the moon. The sun’s horizon moves constantly around its surface, but the percentage illuminated changes most when it passes across the centre of the moon’s visible face. As the last sliver is dissected we hardly notice the change. Similarly, a child on a swing seems to hang in the air at the points of maximum swing but flies quickly between these points. This is a basic feature of sinusoidal motion. The length of our day varies sinusoidally.

Reference: The elegant diagrams of monthly daylight and moonlight at H.M. Nautical Almanac Office: http://www.nao.rl.ac.uk/

Noon at any fixed point on earth occurs at different times each day because of two effects which result in up to 16 minutes of variation from standard time. That’s a lot of error (16 minutes = 4 degrees of longitude) if you are trying to navigate by the sun and is the main reason that nautical almanacs were an essential tool for the celestial navigators of old. The reason is a combination of two effects - the elliptical motion of the earth’s orbit and the effect of the earth’s tilt and together they form The Equation of Time. The phenomenon is known as the Analemma.

To understand the Analemma you must first realise that the earth spins one more time than we count in our 365.24 days. This "ghost" day can be understood if you take away the other 365.24 days. One single point on the earth should then remain facing the earth for the entire year. That means that as the earth rotates the sun it must also turn on it’s axis slightly each day to keep that point facing the sun. But we don’t notice - the ghost day ! This ghost day does exist and a constant part of it is included in our standard day of 24 hours.

Now consider that the earth does not have a circular orbit but rather an elliptical one. That means that at times it orbits in a tighter than average curve. However the earth turns at a constant rate during the ghost day so that the point facing the sun will see the sun wander to the east at these times and to the west at other times. The key dates here are January 2, when the sun is closest to the earth (perihelion) and 6 months later when it’s at its farthest point from us. This effect forms the first part of the Equation of Time.

Now for the hard bit - the earth spins on an axis tilted 23.45 degrees from the plane of rotation around the sun - that’s what causes our seasons. As we orbit the sun during the ghost day, the angular position of our "fixed point" follows an arc at 23.45 degrees to our equator while we spin at the equator. The angular variations will not match - at the equinoxes, the earth’s spin will be faster. While at the solstices, the earth’s spin will be slower. That’s easy to imagine because both arcs are now parallel. But, the arc of orbit around the sun will be 23.45 degrees north or south of the equator where the lines of longitude are narrower and therefore more lines of longitude are passed on this arc than on the arc of the earth’s spin at the equator.

The elliptical and tilt effects combine to produce an asymmetrical variation that gives an error of max. 6 minutes between April and August and max. 15 minutes from September to March. This variation of the sun’s position at noon throughout the year is constant for any point on the earth’s surface. The following diagram, taken from http://www.analemma.com, combines this east /west variation with the altitude variation of the sun during the year. (-23.45 degrees at the winter solstice, +23.45 degrees at the summer solstice).

Alex Ritsema is a Dutch national who says he was inspired on a visit to Ireland in 1994 by Mason's 1947 "Islands of Ireland" to get involved in a serious study of Ireland's offshore islands from the historical perspective. That is one task he did right well.

This is not a bedtime or coffee table work. It is a cross between a reference and a social, geographical and historical offering, heavily drawing on the historical perspective. The photos it contains are black and white, and poor enough, but the text is unique. This book sets out to be and achieves the status of probably the best modern short "local" history book of Ireland's islands that I know of. The author uses and acknowledges all the limited published material available, books, census results (reproduced, most usefully), everything, and ends up with a very good indeed compromise of a short version "complete history" of his subject.

The author doesn't fall into either of the twin traps of sentimentality or the "beal bocht" in dealing with the depopulation of the once thriving island populations. Facts and dates are delivered with all the feeling of a milk delivery on a wet Monday morning. But that approach alone helps clarify the real truth (that this island student had missed entirely). Ireland's offshore islands thrived under British rule in the fifty years before Irish independence and went into free-fall decline in the fifty years after, immediately we took control of our own affairs.

Well may there be the argument that the technological (particularly in communications) leap that the twentieth century brought with it promised all Europeans a standard of living inconsistent with the then Irish offshore island lifestyle, so that most such populations were bunched anyway. That argument goes that the date and time of Irish control of Irish land was just a coincidence. But Ritsema shames us with the endless statistics of costly help and works undertaken by the Congested Districts Board (later the Irish "Land Commission") in the late 19^th century, the like and scale of which later weren't and never would be undertaken today.

Alex leaps over some islands that I am fond of, and dwells unduly elsewhere, but that is taste only. He even has a chapter on islands of inland lakes, which is sacrilege, but I forgive him. The maps, and the wildlife sections aren't great. There are mistakes, few enough maybe, but the fun is spotting them. Overall, this is a serious enough book for the serious enough islander, a "must" for anyone aspiring to that category, boasting more islands than most of its predecessors, not nearly as uninteresting as Oileáin, and altogether worth its place on your bookshelf.

During our meeting of the French sea kayak section on 23^rd January we took the decision to organise a clean-up weekend. Claude Boyer was put in charge of finding a site. Not an easy task as he was passed all around the various sections of the prefecture or on to other crisis departments. In the end he got in touch with the town hall of Groix. Having been guaranteed a place to stay free of charge, compliments of Jeunesse et Marine, a minibus full of volunteers set out with people from canoe-kayak groups from the Vallée de l’Oise, from Neuilly sur Marne, Conflans and Trappes.

Setting out at midnight, we filled the tank in Rennes at Total, the only service station open (Indeed!). By early morning we were in sight of Groix, with nevertheless a ferry crossing to be paid for by the volunteers. We arrived at the Rescue Centre and a wave of a magic wand had us with our wellingtons on, white overalls, equipped with plastic bags and a "scraping tool". We arrived on the west coast and ... surprise! Not vast stretches of smelly layers. At the water’s edge and particularly on the rocky parts we discover sinister cakes of oil, hard to scrape when they are several days old, easy to roll when they have just been washed up. Our lovely white overalls are quickly filthy, the plastic bags all sticky and very hard to haul back up.

Only Marie Hélène has the courage to gather up some birds which, dead for a few days, are now decomposing. They are impossible to identify. Certainly some Troil Guillemots, they pay the highest toll at 95% of birds found. To date 60,000 have been recovered, only 12,000 were alive, 9,000 survived (source LPO - Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux). Four hundred kilometres of coast have been fouled from le Guilvinec to Ile de Ré. As for our of sea kayaking we will have to suffer the consequences of this ship wreck for a very long time like so many others.

All those who took part in the clean-up operation will long retain the bitter memory of the ERIKA.

We hope nonetheless that the authorities who are trying to limit sea kayaking will be as quick to introduce legislation to combat certain people who do not hesitate to send out rubbish ships at minimum cost with underpaid crews, and all this in bad weather.

The people of Groix who have nicknamed the volunteers the "Petits Blancs" will have need of the services of outsiders for a long time yet to continue the clean-up. Apart from the military, that weekend there were only ten of us.

We hadn’t brought our sea kayaks so that we could devote ourselves exclusively to the clean-up. It would have been altogether too tempting!

We have promised ourselves that we will come back and paddle around this beautiful Island of Groix.

A note from Jim Rowlinson, Project Manager

Just to let you know that we are going again this year. Although we have the original kayak here with us we are building a new one at Kirton kayaks in Crediton, Devon.

They will be using their specialist equipment to build a boat stronger but much lighter in weight. The design will be basically the same but modified to make Peter's life more comfortable and hopefully iron out any possible mishaps that might occur in the future. We now have a yacht designer with an interest in kayak design on board so he will bring to us ideas that kayakers fail to think about (that's the plan anyway) His name is Robin Feloy. He was at the sea symposium down on the south coast of Ireland last year. Keep in touch, the website will soon be up and running again. Hope the world is treating you well !

Jim

I rather tentatively suggested to Brian Ormond that I could do a session on Greenland paddles at last years Symposium. I'm not sure he knew what I was talking about but he agreed anyway.

I've been using Greenland paddles for the last two years and I was feeling a bit lonely. While there was always interest, nobody had tried them for more than a couple of minutes. Pat Smyth asked me for a set last year but I was never quite sure if he was serious or joking. I thought it might be interesting to show a video of how they could be used, explain why I liked them and then take people for a paddle.

The week before the Symposium, I was busily making a couple of extra paddles so that I would have enough to take a group out.

The assumption when I'm seen with a pair of Greenland paddles is that I'm a traditionalist. Not so. I paddle a fibreglass boat and much prefer Gortex to sealskin!

I have unsentimental reasons for using the old style.

They're a doddle to use. Because there's no feather, there's no doubt about the blade angle and my hands can move the full length of the paddle with ease. Also, they work very well underwater whereas the European blade likes to be on top of the water.

There is a little more resistance when paddling directly into the wind. Across the wind though, it's a different matter. You're familiar with the feeling when a strong gust gets under your airborne blade? It lifts, the one in the water dips and you get pulled over on top of it. Very unpleasant. With the traditional blade, it doesn't really matter where the wind is coming from.

"There's no power in them sticks" Wrong. The blade area is similar to the European blade but the shape, being long and slender, is very different. This means that when using the European blade, you get almost instant power. The blade is either in the water or it isn't. This is great on rivers and in certain sea conditions (crossing Roches Point during Ford Cork Week comes to mind). However, it's not such a good idea when sea touring when you want everything to be as gentle and effortless as possible. With the Greenland blade, the application of power is progressive - the narrow tip of the blade goes in first, followed by the rest of it. Don O'Brien (no slowcoach in a kayak) was very impressed but felt he couldn't catch a wave as well as with his normal paddles. The trick here is to take short, quick strokes (aka Duracell Bunny). I don't know why, but it works.

I also find the shape a big advantage in clapotis which is such a common feature of our western seaboard. Are you familiar with the sensation of finding a hole in the water beside you? With a European blade, you were ready to take a big bite of water. It's very unsettling to grab air! With the Greenland paddle, which is a little longer, there is usually some of it in the water. It's much easier to deal with.

Forget them really. There's no twist, so much less work for the wrist.

The hands are held closer together (shoulder width) than with the European paddle . This means that is that you don't have to lift your arms so much. The arm of a 12 stone man weighs around 20 lbs. so the less you have to lift it, the better.

Each paddle should be customised to its owner. Overall length, the length of the loom, the thickness of the loom and the blade width are measured and customised so that you get a set that suits.

The blades are no wider than can be comfortably held in the hand. This means it's very easy to use the full length of the paddle by sliding the hands along. The edges of the blade should be thick enough to be comfortable - too thin and it hurts. Thus extended paddle strokes for turning or rolling are very easy.

The blades I make are laminated from 15 pieces of wood - pine for lightness, mahogany for a little colour and ash for strength. The lamination itself also adds strength. I have no problem pushing off from the beach. They are not as durable as nylon but are much stronger than my last set of fibreglass blades. On my latest sets, I've edged the blades in ash which is much tougher than the pine I previously used.

A rub of sandpaper every so often and away you go! My last set had a natural (no) finish. I stored them indoors in a warm room and they were free from water damage. I wouldn't recommend a damp garage - there's a good chance you'd have problems with mildew or decay.

There are three choices.

• Fibreglass and epoxy. This is strong but adds weight and can be slippery.
• A more natural finish like linseed oil which soaks into the wood
• None at all

I really like the feel of wood. I make furniture and I don't like thick lacquer or varnish finishes that separate the person from the wood. Beautiful wood begs to be touched, not looked at through a filter. Sometimes it is necessary, for example in kitchen tables or wooden kayaks which would deteriorate very quickly without their protection.

I think paddles are different. My last set had no finish. They were never wet for long so the water didn’t do any damage. The wood bleached slightly but otherwise I didn't notice any deterioration in two years. I've a linseed oil finish on my new pair so I'll be interested to see how they get on.

If you're still reading you must be at least mildly interested! So how do you get hold of a set? You can buy them or you can make your own. It's no big deal to make your own. All you need is a knot free piece of 2" x 4" pine from your local DIY, a saw, a sharp hand plane, sandpaper and somewhere to make a large mess!

• Easy roll
• Little windage
• Progressive power
• No wrist problems
• Sliding stroke
• Strength
• Beauty

As Sean Pierce said, "those boys knew something!"

www.users.zetnet.co.uk/cbrown/pdlemk.htm

www.wcha.org/paddles/greenland.html

www.seacanoe.org/skills.htm - MARK1

www.paddlers.com/references/refgreenland.htm

www.jacksonville.net/~dldecker/fskagreenland.htm

www.magicnet.net/~gstamer/qk.html

Various US manufacturers from $130 to $215. "Sea Kayaker" magazine did a good review in the June 1999 issue, details available at www.seakayaker.com

Des Keaney, custom made at around £120

A new initiative arising out of the brainstorming session at the Baltimore Symposium is the starting of an ISKA library. We have the funds. The aims of the ISKA do not include hoarding millions, so, funds to hand have to be used. A library is a costly but a well worth-while project. It will take time to work up to a situation where we will have what the national representative association for any sport in any country should have, the best reference library in that country dedicated to that sport. Nevertheless we intend to start big. We intend to kick-start the library by spending about one thousand pounds on books, about forty percent of our cumulative assets at this moment in time.

Books may be borrowed by anyone on the island of Ireland wanting into the arrangement at a cost of £10 per year, payable at your option with your sub each year. Pay the annual charge and borrow as many books as you want, thereafter free. It is hoped that on balance the fixed fee will cover post and packaging, and is a system free of administration.

We will consider, if there is demand, an alternative secure option for those outside the island, or otherwise willing to pay a punitive security deposit arrangement.

The list of books will be regularly updated, as to our possession of them, and also the immediate availability or otherwise of each book, and posted regularly on the www page. The current status of the list will also be given in each future TnD for those cyber-illiterate. It follows that there is an element of bias against those who do not use email or look at www pages, but these days that cannot be helped, and is really to be expected.

Books will be posted (snail mailed) out to members

There will be some rules about the operation of the library, which really boil down to one, which as usual is "no messing", with the sole ultimate arbiter of messing being David Walsh, well known for his love of such a role. The rules will be made up as we go along, another virtue of David's. Not returning a book within a month is messing. One book at a time (except a second book at the same time, i.e. you can't borrow one, and then another while the first is still out), will be a generally applied rule. An absolute rule is no telephoning the librarian. You may email or write, but not ring under any circumstances. Breaking this rule means instant deposit forfeiture and permanent exclusion from the library facilities.

We are working on titles of books for inclusion in the library and will welcome all suggestions. Books don't have to be (though obviously they are of prime importance) about sea paddling, technique, or weather forecasting. Everything of interest to our sport is capable of inclusion. Books about Irish islands are especially wanted. Do you have any such books to spare, to donate? The fee will be waived for those who contribute.

This is an important development. It will be good for us and for future generations of paddlers. A full announcement will be made when the books are in stock and a Librarian volunteered.

Tel: 028 4372 2158 Fax: 028 4372 6155

All prices in GB£

Email: admin@tollymoremc.com

Web: www.tollymoremc.com

3 Star & 4 Star training (assessment available at end of weekend for those interested)

First week spent among the islands off the Eastern shore. Then travel North to Cape Breton to whale country.

Participants must be 4 Star paddlers.

Cost £490. The course fee does not include flights, camp fees or self-catering accommodation.

River Ocean Kayak will run courses for groups of 3 to 5 participants. Courses available include Level 2 & 3 proficiency.

Contact: Marc Jegou, 2 Muckinish West, Ballyvaughan, Co.Clare

Tel: 065 7077043

Email: riverocean@esatclear.ie

Web: www.riverocean.com

Introduction class for the complete beginner. Non-swimmers welcome. A dry gentle introduction to the world of sea kayaking. All equipment supplied

Dates : Every Saturday in February, March, April and May.

Duration: 4 hours, price: £25

These two day courses are geared for beginners, nervous or not . With our state of the art equipment and professional instructors we will introduce you to the art of sea kayaking in a safe and gentle way. Over the course you will be assessed for an Irish Canoe Union certificate.

For paddlers with at least a basic knowledge of kayaking. This is a two-day intensive course. Including lectures, lots of water work, navigation, tidal reading, paddling technique, rescues, towing, weather effects on kayak. After completing this weekend paddlers then have to fill certain requirements before assessment, which can be arranged on a later date.

Price of course: £35 per day, one-day assessment: £35.

Over the two days we learn with the experts all about the G.P.S. and it's use while kayaking. Everyone is issued with their own G.P.S.. Topics covered include; introduction to G.P.S. - using the G.P.S. with charts - positional exercises - route and trip planning - has the G.P.S. any limitations? - trip exercises - inputting information and man overboard.

Hand held G.P.S.'s will be on sale at the end of the course at a greatly reduced rate. Open to kayakers of all abilities.

Dates: March Sat.24^th - Sun.25^th, price: £35 per day.

Some of the topics covered on this w/e are; trip Planning - equipment for an expedition - efficient paddling technique -getting fit - camping tips (open discussion) - rescues - pick your friends carefully - towing - navigation - communication. We will be doing two trips of at least 6 miles so a level of competency will be expected .

Speaks for itself . Have fun while learning in safety. There is a possibility of getting a little wet.

Why not join us in the magic of the darkness . A very special experience.

Dates : On request, duration: 3 hrs

Price: £25 inc. all equipment

Each Sunday we do a different trip usually about 4 hours.

Numbers are restricted for all courses and trips.

Kayak & paddles: £10 per day

Sea Kayaking trips and classes are available all year round. (individual or groups). Private tuition is also available. We welcome enquiries.

Accommodation is available at Maria's Schoolhouse, Union Hall. A special deal is available to course participants.

Sea Kayaking trips take place every weekend. Give us a call if interested . Beginners welcome.

Contact Jim Kennedy at 028 33002, Email: atlanticseakayaking@eircom.net

A prerequisite for the Level 3 Instructor Assessment.

The 1^st weekend is not necessary if you already have an instructorship qualification.

Location: Achill and cost is £70 per weekend (course only)

Cost: £70 (course only)

Contact: Stephen Hannon at Stephenh@iol.ie

Saoirse na Mara, 69 Manor Village, Westport Road, Castlebar, Co.Mayo. Tel. 094 27682

3^rd/4^th March. Good paddling standard required. Some night navigation, Kinvara.

Contact Kevin O’Callaghan, 091 796511, kevin.ocallaghan@gmit.ie

Kinvara, Co. Galway, Feb 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th

Cost: £50 (excluding accommodation)

Venue – Doras Hostel, Kinvara.

Contact: Mary Butler Tel: 074 28177

Email: marytbutler@hotmail.com

This course will allow you to safely plan a day trip before you get on the water. We’ll take you from zero to Level 4 standard in a day. This aspect of sea kayaking is vital to those do their own trips. It is aimed at beginners and those who want to improve or brush up on their planning skills.

The details of this course are not available yet but it is hoped that SRC Module 1 run over two days can be organised in conjunction with BIM. This course will cost £65.

If interested in attending such a course, please contact Mary Butler Tel: 074 28177 or email: marytbutler@hotmail.com

Gartan OEC has recently opened a new wing to the centre offering excellent accommodation in double, twin and family rooms.

The centre will now offer sea proficiency courses and weeklong sea kayaking expeditions.

From: Connaissance du Kayak de Mer July 2000

Why does one particular individual notice an "odd-looking" rock when ten or so people have already passed it by? This particular rock turned out to be a man clinging to the hull of his boat adrift between tides.

Three boats – two singles and a double – took a detour to see this strange "rock", thinking it might be a paddler in trouble. When we got there we discovered that it was in fact an amateur sailor who told us that he had already spent two and a half hours in the water.

As we were only 400 metres from the shore where we had the wherewithal to dry and warm him up, we decided to get him back to land as quickly as possible and call for the rescue services once we arrived.

The double and the single kayaks rafted up, and we asked the sailor to climb on to the double behind the rear paddler. The second single-kayak had already started towing while the carrying arrangements were still being put in place. All boats carried a tow-line. So that his feet could be kept out of the water he was put sitting with his legs around the rear paddler, who also held his hands so as to prevent him from falling back in. He was very much inclined to fall asleep so we made sure to keep him engaged in conversation so that he wouldn't.

During this time, a second person came along to help with the towing; then a third and a fourth. The pace picked up, but as we arrived in the harbour some reflected waves caused the boats to surf. As the raft got caught surfing more easily than the single boats we were obliged to drop off two boats and only keep two together for a tandem tow. This allowed someone to call the emergency services on a mobile phone. Although we had a mobile on board in a dry bag we hadn't wanted to run the risk of getting it wet or losing any time since it was only going to take 10 to 15 minutes, in any case, to tow him to shore. We were asked for our exact location by the fire brigade who also put a doctor from the ambulance service on to talk to us.

As soon as we landed we took the victim to a hut which the Roche Derrien club uses in Plougrescant. Here we immediately undressed him and started to dry and rub him down vigorously. As we had planned a picnic for that day, someone was able to provide the victim with hot drinking chocolate. We also put him into a survival bag. We should probably have done this while still on the water, but it's hard to think of everything in the heat of the moment.

Was it because we warmed him up too quickly? The man, who is around 60 years old, took weak, and we had to lie him down with his feet raised. This prevented him from losing consciousness.

When the fire brigade arrived after half an hour, his temperature was back up to 34º C, and by the time the ambulance arrived, a further 30 minutes later, it was at 37.5º

The man was detained in hospital from 14.00 hours to 23.30 hours.

Another 10 to 15 minutes and the sea would have claimed a new victim within a few hundred metres off the coast, as he would not have been able to swim, dressed as warmly as he was, in water at a temperature of 9º C.

Plougrescant, 26 March 2000

Guy Lecointre, a kayaker from the Roche-Derrien club.

On Sunday 26 March 2000, I had been in the sea for about two and a half hours, beside or on top of my capsized sailing boat, when I was rescued by some kayakers. Miraculously, one of them had spotted me. Prompted by a keen sense of observation and a nose for the out-of-the-ordinary he had decided to come and take a look.

From there the operation went as follows:

A two-person kayak came alongside my almost submerged boat. A single-kayak rafted up on its left and they instructed me to slide myself on to the back of the double. As I didn't think I could lie out on the back deck I sat astride and brought my feet forward on either side of the rear paddler who immediately began rubbing them. From there things seemed to happen very quickly but was I fully conscious all the time?

My first image of the towing operation was of a single-kayak in the lead with a tow-line attached to the front of the double, and a single beside it paddling on one side only. Was the paddler at the front of my boat paddling on his side (starboard) or not? I don't really know.

Soon (…), three kayaks, like huskies pulling a sled, towed us furiously along at the end of a line. We moved quickly, the ballet-like scene perfectly choreographed. Unexpectedly surfing, some of the kayaks slithered broadside. One young woman on my right admitted to being tired. I was unaware of how physically draining this operation was but we quickly progressed towards a shingle beach where the group had their clubhouse.

I was helped inside the hut where I collapsed in a heap. I then became conscious to the fact that I was naked and that someone was rubbing me down vigorously. Then, great warmth from an aluminium survival blanket. Such warmth! No need to rub any more. I was handed a mobile phone and gave directions to the person at the other end as to the location of my boat. Hot chocolate – marvellous – but I was shivering so much I found it hard to swallow.

The ballet concluded. I was a little light-headed. My impression was that these people were "pros" who knew exactly how to react, and that this type of rescue operation was the result of well-planned training exercises.

Otherwise with my temperature down to 34° it is doubtful that I would have held out the hour and a half more it would have taken me to reach the beach…

Yvon Le Corre

There was a very useful discussion at the recent Symposium on the future of Irish Sea Kayaking. In the past, these forums have spawned the ISKA and Treasna na dTonnta and some good ideas came out of this one too. We got a bucket of ideas, some of which we can and have done something about and some of which we can’t, at least not in the short term.

A problem with carrying out these suggestions is time (or the lack of it). We need more people to be involved. My thinking is that if people can be involved, even if only in a small way, then the work is spread around and nobody gets too fed up with the workload. So if you are asked, please think about it before you say ‘no’!!

At the end of this report, I’ve listed all the ideas from the worksheets so that you can see everything that arose. We went through these ideas and put them into categories. Below is a summary of the categories and the points made, in no particular order. Each category has comments about what’s been done and what we hope to do in the near future.

• More frequent
• Abroad
• AGM

We haven’t had a poorly attended meet since about 1996 and have been carefully building on this ever since. 2001 will be similar. There will be more meets than ever before, a minimum of one a month from March to October – see the schedule on the back page. This year, we’re happy to have our first international event, on the Isle of Man in association with North West Sea Kayakers in the UK.

• Tee-shirts
• Better publicity
• Sponsorship

Yes, this area needs work and we’ll be looking for someone to help.

• Environmental organisations
• Others – Sailing, Dive, Marine

This may be part of ‘promotion’. There is great potential for pushing awareness of sea kayaking in outer outdoor and particularly marine organisations. For the last year, Seán Pierce has been doing regular reports for Seascapes, the maritime programme on RTE.

• Change the timing

Done! See front page news.

• International Links – boat swaps
• Manufacturing contacts
• Buy and sell

International links and manufacturing contacts will be included in the ‘Links’ section of the site. The ‘buy and sell’ will be included under the new Discussion Forum which is now operational

• Regional
• Manufacturers

We’ll be holding two Come and Try Its this year and will invite manufacturers and sellers of sea kayaks to send boats.

• Gear Reviews
• Boat comparisons
• Summarise forum

I’ll get some gear reviews done this year. If anyone has any preferences on what they’d like done, please let me know. Boat comparisons are a little more difficult as it very much depends on body shape, skill level and ambitions.

• Contacts
• Dublin
• Officers

We hope to shortly announce regional officers who will promote sea kayaking in their areas.

• Bulk order
• Coop purchase
• Common gear
• Buy 2^nd hand boats to resell
• Buy boats and trailer

There are two issues here.

• Kayak building
• Youth
• Guided trips
• Safety
• Boat skills
• Camping
• Regular workshops
• Gender balance

If anyone is interested in working with any of these topics, please contact Des Keaney or David Walsh

Organise international expeditions

If anyone wants to organise an expedition, we’ll be happy to help them promote it.

• Gear reviews by ISKA
• Camping
• Regions/ CATIWE
• Summarise Tnd
• Don’t break the National, regionalise on some basis
• Newsgroups on WWW
• Order through WWW in bulk
• International expeditions
• Workgroups on aspects e.g. safety
• Library

• Compare boats
• Regional contacts
• Boat skills
• More CATIWE (regional)
• Co-op purchase
• Timing of symposium
• Competition
• Training equipment
• Summary of forum in TnD

• Annual meeting – time?
• Free t-shirts
• Better publicity
• Training in Dublin area
• Bulk orders for gear
• Clubhouse – store
• Sponsorship
• Expeditions – international
• Jet ski safety issues
• Regular workshops
• International contacts
• Buy and Sell page
• Gender balance

• Break into groups – regional officers
• Classes on ‘build your own boats’, link with manufacturer –credit
• Tourist – guided trips
• Involve younger people
• More ‘CATIWE’s
• Classified ads for boats
• More frequent paddles
• More trained and qualified leaders – grants
• Grant from lotto or government agency
• Full time, paid officer

• Buy 2^nd had sea kayaks for sale
• Cash used for fold up kayaks for overseas travel
• Library
• Regional kayaking groups
• ICU to provide kayaks
• Working groups for different aspects of Association e.g. safety, sea symposium
• Earlier symposium (April)
• Sea meet abroad – sunny places!!
• Free t-shirts with your sub (Ivan’s idea!)
• AGM every year
• Leave God where he is (Paul said this)
• Links with environmental groups
• Members to participate in courses

• Buy boats and trailer and kit
• Other organisations – IWDG, Marine, Sail, Dive, Birds
• Train for beginners
• Intermediate trips
• Freedom to camp
• Core funding (4 above together)
• North-south funding
• Keep it small – hobby vs. job
• International links – boat for boat

• Groups centred around population centres
• Web register for 2^nd hand boats. Contact with UK or Europe manufacturers. Hol for 2^nd in May. Contact person for 2^nd gear.
• Contact manufacturers for "CATI session"
• Local contacts for paddle groups
• Change time of symposium venue. "Hurricanes" More events and calendar.
• More local support for paddlers to run events.

Almost 50 kayakers were at the recent "Come and Try It" weekend in Kinvara. 29 boats were rented - a figure we wouldn't have believed a couple of years ago. In fact, a couple of years ago, you wouldn't have been able to rent 29 boats in the country, never mind get them in the same place at the same time. Jim Kennedy of Atlantic Sea Kayaking had the most arduous trip - all the way from Union Hall in West Cork. It was made doubly difficult when someone reversed into his trailer just as he was about to leave. They rammed the trailer, plus the boats, into another trailer and onto a car. He eventually got going at 1:30 in the morning, drove all night and arrived in Kinvara at 9:30 on Saturday morning, as bright as a button. The Association really appreciate his efforts as we would have been seriously knackered if we had been short 12 boats!

We are also very grateful to Marc Jegou of River Ocean Kayak in Ballyvaughan and Stephen Hannon of Saoirse na Mara in Castlebar for the loan of their boats. It wouldn't have happened without them.

We learned some valuable lessons over the weekend. With the increased numbers, we need to run the event with symposium-style efficiency rather than the more informal attitude that has served so well in the past. We also need to pay careful attention to the number of people in the groups and the need to be flexible on moving people between groups while on the water. Mary Butler ended up with over 20 in her group on Saturday - not exactly recommended in the guidelines!

We plan to run two events next year - the first in Clifden on the 19^th – 20^th of May and a late season event in Skerries on the 22^nd – 23^rd of September. The Skerries Meet will be the first sea event in the Dublin area.

Looking for a full set for Ireland at a reasonable cost? Here’s an email I got from Macmillan Reeds.

From: Jane Jeffree <jane@nauticaldata.com>

We produce an update pack for the UK and Ireland which does not contain any of continental Europe for GB£12.95. All looseleaf packs this year are drilled with three holes to fit the Macmillan Reed binders. Should you need a new binder these are available from us at 6.95.

Alternatively we produce the Scottish and Western Almanac which covers the whole of Ireland at GB£21.95. This one has its own wire binding.

If you would like to order please let us have details of a credit card or mail a cheque payable to Nautical Data Ltd to the address below

Nautical Data Ltd

The Book Barn

Westbourne

Hampshire PO10 8RS

United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1243 389352