17Jul 2022 by Michael Quinn 2 Comments

River Medway Trip Report

Event, News, Reports, Trip, Trip Reports
Well he promised us a good trip and he delivered. Well done Dave Hillier! On Sunday 17th July, nine Club members (and two associate dogs) set set off early from Rickmansworth to head to Teapot Island on the River Medway for an eight-mile round trip along a non-tidal section.  Planned to start at 10:00, some had logistical and site location issues which coupled with equipment preparations, delayed the set off for the whole team.  Suitably prepared by Dave’s briefing presentation we set off from a purpose built get-in at 10:50. The stretch of water was beautiful with several scenic views including an oast house, a variety of bridges, some locks, a thrown together ‘diving’ platform and a few pill boxes to count!  The water was quite busy with other craft…
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12Jun 2022 by Michael Quinn 1 Comment

The Big Paddle Clean Up on the River Colne

Event, News
Co-ordinated by Ian Walker, regular NKC trip leader & Colne Valley River Ranger, during the Big Paddle Clean Up Week, twelve Nomads gathered at 1000hrs on Sunday 12th June to carry out a clean up of the River Colne.   Armed with gloves, sacks, litter pickers provided by the British Canoeing ‘Clear Access Clear Waters' campaign. Nine kayaks accompanied by two large Open canoes set off from the NKC Clubhouse in Rickmansworth Aquadrome and paddled along the Grand Union Canal joining the Colne near Tesco’s store at Frogmore wharf. The Open Canoes, crewed by Ian and Nigel in one with Rafael in the other, were used to store the accumulated rubbish collected by the Kayaks, which could flit in and out of overhanging trees in shallower water. It was an…
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05Jun 2022 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Hertford Lea Loop Trip Report

News, Trip, Trip Reports, Uncategorized
On Sunday 5th June, eight Nomad paddlers met in a Hertford at 10am to paddle the Hertford Lea loop. All were prepared for wet weather but fortunately we escaped the rain. Prior to launching, Ian and Chris spoke to some paddlers at the nearby Herts Canoe Club to try and gain some local knowledge from local paddlers who were also just about to paddle the same route. We then launched right outside Herts Canoe Club, all except Tony & Rafael who decided to paddle the lead in and launched a bit further upstream. After launching, we headed downstream on the River Lea towards the River Beane and played in Hartham Weir along the way, the first and easiest two step weir of the day. Although, whilst arsing about Rafael did…
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27May 2022 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Private Paddle Report – River Thames: Tadpole Bridge to Bablock Hythe

News, Non-Club Activity
River Thames: Tadpole Bridge to Bablock Hythe (write up by Sue Leon) Thames Section 3 - 9.6 miles/15.5km downstream, Tadpole Bridge to Bablock Hythe. The remotest part of the entire Thames. Paddlers: Dave Hillier (Organiser), Chris Harper, John Murray, Pierre Leon, Phil Gent (with doggie guests FiFi and Coco) and Sue Leon. Dave had issued a detailed briefing on which the information in this report is based. We gathered at the Trout Inn (SN7 8RF) which was where we had finished Section 2 last month. Equipment was unloaded and the drivers took the cars to the end point The Ferryman Inn (OX29 5AT). Dave’s good friend Graham (as usual) kindly took the drivers back to the start point. Logistics sorted! The Trout Inn opened at around 9am and they serve breakfast. Apart…
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22May 2022 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Rickmansworth Festival

Event, News
A lovely weekend at the Club alongside a very busy Canal Festival. Some late activity saw the fence and a gate completed to restrict goose entry to the Nomad site; well done Chilly and Darren, it is looking really good. Four excellent Come & Try sessions led by Mike with some able assistants (two on Saturday morning and two on Sunday morning), put forty four on the water (and only three in it!) and we will undoubtedly get a few new members from this judging by the smiling faces and feedback. Dave and Darren BBQ-ed Sausages, Bacon and Burgers greatly appreciated by Club members and visitors who were either watching, enquiring or just resting under our parasols. There were Club members fun sessions during which some tried alternative craft on…
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29Apr 2022 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Private Paddle Report – River Thames: Lechlade to Tadpole Bridge

News, Non-Club Activity
River Thames: Lechlade to Tadpole Bridge (write up by Pierre Leon) The project is to paddle the length of the River Thames in sections. This paddle, on Friday 29th April, was a section starting in Lechlade-On-Thames in Gloucestershire and ending at Tadpole Bridge in Oxfordshire. A distance of just over 10 miles on the river and nearly 8 miles as the crow flies. On the route there are five locks, four of which we passed through thanks to the volunteer lock keepers and one we bypassed via a lively canoe pass. So no portages – hooray! Our get-in point was from Lechlade Riverside Car Park.  After carrying the kayaks about 100m from the car park, the entry point is an easy step-in from the north river bank. The Team L-R…
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01Apr 2022 by Michael Quinn No Comments

Private Paddle Report – Wolvecote Circuit

News, Non-Club Activity
Wolvecote Circuit Paddle (near Oxford) organised by Dave Hillier This paddle on Friday 1st April was organised by Dave Hillier to do the Wolvecote Circuit near Oxford as detailed in the Peter Knowles' Pub Paddles book. The circuit combines part of the Thames heading downstream, followed by a return to the start point, at the Trout Inn, via the Oxford Canal. As on his previous Medway paddle Dave, with his wife Zoe in tow, had walked the circuit in advance to undertake a risk assessment and highlight any potential issues. One issue was the recommended car park which had a height restriction which stopped van and roof rack access hence the change to the Trout inn get in. The only downside of the change, was that the loos were in…
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20Mar 2022 by Michael Quinn No Comments

River Colne Clean Up

Event, News
Article from My Ricky News by Bryn Holmes DIRTY RIVER: Rickmansworth kayak club cleans up Colne river for conservation - My Local News (mynewsmag.co.uk) A team of Rickmansworth kayakers gathered together at on Sunday, March 20 to clean up the beloved River Colne, collecting more than 20 bin bags worth of rubbish. Locally based Nomad Kayak Club (NKC) are affiliated to British Canoeing, who have pledged to protect and improve the health of the country’s rivers and waterways, as part of it’s ‘Clear Access, Clear Waters’ initiative. Led by Ian Walker, the team scoured the part of the river from the Batchworth Canal and the Springwell Lock, managing to fill two canoes worth of rubbish. Paddlers went into the water in dry suits to provide easy access in and out…
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11Jan 2022 by Michael Quinn 3 Comments
Middle Wye trip report

Middle Wye trip report

News, Trip, Trip Reports, Uncategorized
On the weekend of the 8th and 9th of January seven negatively COVID tested Nomads led by Matt travelled to Wales to paddle the middle Wye. In the end only three of us made it to our lovely self catering accommodation at Trefecca farm near Talgarth on the Friday night with the remaining four joining us on the Saturday morning at the put in in Builth. An unfortunate brush with a dodgy Burger King double cheeseburger the night before also meant Amie was unfit to join us for the first day's paddling. We needed some water in the river, with the level at Erwood having fallen from 2m to 1.5m over the past couple of days, but we could all have done without the grey overcast and continuous rain at…
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