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What are your paddling plans to farewell 2022 and to ring in 2023?
Let's share and celebrate the activity of our club's sea kayaking adventures as one year ends and another begins!

Whatever you do on the water, wherever you are, send your best photos to our Social Media Coordinator socialmedia@nswseakayaker.asn.au
and these photos will be shared across our social media platforms, with the Salt editorial team choosing a selection to feature in future magazines.
As always, be sure to have permission to post from those featured in the images, and let Dee know if you would like names included or not.

If you haven’t yet got into the Blue Cave at the Tollgate Islands, this could be your chance. Rock N Roll 2023 will be held on the beautiful south coast out of the NRMA Batemans Bay Holiday Resort from Friday 3 March to Monday 6 March, 2023. There are paddling locations to suit all levels from rock gardening to surfing, paddling into sea caves or up quiet rivers. Expedition Kayaks will be onsite with all the paddling gear you need and as hosts to the Friday night pizza social gathering. On Saturday evening, Carolyn will be catering a delicious dinner while Sarah Davis presents the story of her kayak descent of the full Nile River. Sunday night is Pogies night where talented club videographers present their short films from a range of kayaking locations, usually including some spectacular crashes – because, let’s be honest, we all love seeing a bit of kayak carnage. If you are new to Rock N Roll or the club, you should plan on attending Mark Fuller’s (our VP) catered breakfast on Saturday morning which will help you meet people and get the most out of the weekend. And, of course, kayaking! From Friday to Monday, there will be kayak trips planned to local destinations, as well as a range of educational/training opportunities. What you need to do: Renew your membership on the club website. Book your choice of accommodation directly with Batemans Bay Holiday Resort. Quote Sea Kayak Club 2023/Reservation #222487 when you call to book to receive a 10% discount. If you have already booked accommodation, please contact Batemans Bay Holiday Resort and inform them that you are with the Sea Kayak Club. This will activate your 10% discount and ensure you are listed as a member of our group. Registration for trips, training and the entire Rock N Roll will be available on the club website from mid-January. Happy paddling over the holiday season, Sandy McGuinness

AGM 2022 has been held at 5.00 pm on Saturday 15 October at the Patonga Community Hall. It was a great weekend, thanks for all the participants.  You can read the AGM Minutes here

AGM ! Saturday 15 Oct. It’s more than just an AGM !

Your committee recently set the date for the AGM. But it’s more than just an AGM – this year significant effort is being made to make this a big weekend of paddling fun and experience. It’s hard to believe it now, but by October it will be WARM again. The rain will have stopped, the Hawkesbury won’t be in flood, the sun will be out, it will be a perfect weekend for paddling and socialising with those Club members that you haven’t seen since Rock’n’Roll.

Location and Activities

The weekend will be centred around Patonga. The program is in the early days but at the very least there will be a range of paddles offered over the weekend. The options from Patonga and surrounds are many and varied, from spectacular and secluded (Hawkesbury River, Patonga Creek), open and adventurous (Lion Rock and Maitland Bay) to iconic with great coffee (Pittwater), just to mention a few. There will be something for everybody.

Our Club Vice-President (Mark Fuller) has also already offered to run trips on the Friday and Monday either side of the weekend. So why not make a long weekend of it! We will also probably be offering training and some land-based activities. If you have any special requests or ideas please let me know – especially if you or someone you know can be convinced to directly support that activity. If there is enough interest and commitment from presenters we will find a suitable venue and make time.

The actual AGM meeting – with guest speaker

The AGM will start at 5.00 pm on Saturday 15 October at the Patonga Community Hall. We will also have a Zoom connection for those unlucky enough not to be able to attend in person. At the end of the formalities we will hear from a Club member guest speaker with an incredible story to tell. After this we will move to the Patonga Inn for dinner.

Accommodation

Accommodation options include Patonga Caravan and Camping Area and Airbnbs. The camping ground offers powered and unpowered sites, but no cabins. Booking is done by calling them (phone 4379 1287) or email. Their website is: https://patongacamping.cchp.com.au/ The 22/23 rates are not posted yet – but are $1/night more 21/22. Also, they don’t make it obvious but there is a two night minimum booking for weekends. If you really only want to stay on Saturday night then it is cheaper to book Sat/Sun as opposed to Fri/Sat. Another way to keep the cost down is to share your site. Our club facebook group is the place to tell others that you are looking for someone to share a site with.

If you want something more luxurious you will need to look at Airbnb’s in the surrounds (there are quite a few). Whatever your preference I recommend you make you accommodation bookings very soon.

Bookings

Booking accommodation is up to you – don’t delay. Booking for the AGM, and for trips, will be opened on the Club website closer to the event I look forward to seeing you at our next big Club weekend.

Regards,

Paul

Trips and training are on again

Our Leaders have leapt out of lockdown and there are currently ten events listed, PLUS the regular weekly trips.  Make sure that you are logged in and go to the ‘Events’ page on our website to see all the details for ‘Current’ and ‘Regular’ (weekly) events.  If your preferred trip is listed as full be sure to put yourself down for the waitlist as openings often occur closer to the date.  Note that waiting lists may also apply to weekly trips, as the leaders will explain if you email them directly as required.

Membership renewal

Membership renewals for 2022 are open.  All memberships started or renewed from 1 November 21 are active up until 31 December 2022.  Please get this done early as unrenewed memberships are automatically cancelled in January and it always creates hassles where members intend to renew but don’t get it done in time. You want to renew your membership, click HERE

AGM outcome

Thank you to the thirty or so members who attended the AGM last month.  Due to Covid it was a low-key Zoom affair, but it is important that we hold the AGM properly for the ongoing running of the Club.  The minutes of the meeting, including reports, can now be found on our website.  I was delighted that all of the incumbent Committee members from last year chose to re-nominate for this year.  There were no other nominations.  As such, the Committee is unchanged, namely:

• Caoimhin Ardren – Training and Trips Coordinator
• Ken Collins – Social Coordinator
• Mark Fuller – Vice President
• Paul Thomas - President
• Sandy McGuinness - Secretary/Treasurer
• Selim Tezcan – Internet Coordinator
• Simon Swifte – Rock’n’Roll Coordinator
• William Verity – Salt Editor

Kayaking magazine collections looking for a home

We are currently housing a whole swag of kayaking magazines that have been donated to the Club from various sources. Regrettably, the Club does not have the resources to make these magazines available to its members in an efficient and lawful (i.e. respecting copyright) fashion so the decision has been made to give them away.  Included in the collection are 116 issues of the US Sea Kayak magazine extending from August 1983 until December 2013 (just before the magazine ceased publication).  Also included in the collection are 73 near sequential issues of the glossy UK publication Ocean Paddler starting from the first issue. There are also issues of the US Canoe and Kayak magazine and UK Paddler magazine.  The collection represents a great source of reference material from trip reports from all over the world, instructional articles over a broad range of subjects (including boat building), kayak reviews, book reviews, incident reports, etc. Ocean Paddler magazine is visually a splendid mag.  If interested, contact Adrian Clayton (gclayton[at]bigpond.com) for more information. First in first served!

Don’t forget to book your campsite for Rock’n’Roll 2022

RnR is on at Reflections Holiday Park at Jimmys Beach from Friday 4 March to Monday 7 March 2022.  Registrations won’t open until February but accommodation at these sorts of places is currently in high demand so don’t leave booking your campsite until too late.  If you are interested in sharing a campsite then you could use the Club Facebook Group to find someone to share with.  If you book by calling them (4997 0466) then ask for the 10% discount for Club members.

Richard Barnes sets off across the ditch

Club member Richard Barnes is planning to set off from Sydney any day now on his solo crossing of the Tasman in Blue Moon, his incredible self-built kayak.  We wish him luck on this inspirational adventure and I really hope he will regale us with stories on his return.  According to the Blue Moon FB group it will be possible to track his journey on the following websites:

http://lcrk.org.au/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.2021Richard

https://maps.findmespot.com/s/J51Q (currently showing someone’s Hawkesbury Classic warmup)

Inaugural yearbook is on its way

The first Club yearbook is well and truly on its way – I’ve seen it!  By now it might even be at the printers.  So look out for it in your letter box and enjoy the read once it arrives.  Thanks again William for your efforts in getting this launched.

How to use Paddle log

Paddle log is the online log book made available by Paddle Australia.  It is necessary to use Paddle log to record the training and experience required to gain and renew PA qualifications such as Sea Skills and leader qualifications.  On Tuesday 16 November at 10.30 Paddle NSW are holding a webinar on how to use Paddle log, functions such as producing and backing up your log, finding and renewing qualifications etc.  It will also be recorded and available afterwards.  To register please go to:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7417811634653721871

Kayakasia making bags from kayaks

Finally….a little story about what one adventure tourism company in the Philippines did when the tourists stopped coming due to Covid.  To keep their staff employed they recycled their inflatable kayaks into kayak-themed bags, which they are now selling online.  A Christmas present idea for the kayaker that has everything?  See it all on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5vIMC_jMcw

Regards, Paul

This Year's AGM was held in Patonga Public Hall.
You can read the AGM Minutes here.

Thanks for those registered for the AGM Zoom meeting at 5.00 pm on Saturday 25 July 2020.

The link to the meeting is as follows:

https://zoom.us/j/98727852346

Please leave your video off initially.  It may need to be turned on for voting reasons but we will see how we go with numbers on the ground at Patonga – and bandwidth through my mobile phone during the meeting.

Notice of 2020 NSWSKC Annual General Meeting and

Call for Committee Nominations

AGM will be held on Sat 25 Jul 2020 at Patonga Community Hall and via Zoom. Below are the Agenda and details.

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Saturday 25 July 2020

Community Hall, Address 6 Brisk St, Patonga, and remotely via Zoom

The AGM will commence at 5pm

BYO for a drink and refreshments to share before the meeting

Meeting Agenda

1. Present

2. Apologies

3. Previous Minutes – AGM 2019

4. Committee Reports:

·   President

·   Vice president

·   Secretary/Treasurer and presentation of accounts

·   Training Co-ordinator

·   Trips Co-ordinator

·   Internet Co-ordinator

·   RnR Co-ordinator

·   Editor

5. Special Business:

‘That Campbell Tiley be appointed as a Life Member in recognition of his service to the Club’

6. Election of the 2020/2021 Committee

We will then adjourn to the pub for dinner – no booked space but there should be options mid-winter.

Camping is available at Patonga, ring 43791287 to book.  Weekend bookings need to be for two days.  Cost will be minimised by booking Saturday and Sunday nights or sharing a site. Make it a social weekend by staying for the night and paddling on Sunday.

If you are interested in nominating for a position on the Committee please do so by email to either the President or Secretary.  Details of the responsibilities of the Committee members are available at https://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/page-18296.  Note that the Training and Trips Coordinator positions will now be combined, and a new position of Social Coordinator has been created (see below).  Nominations close seven days prior to the meeting.

In the coming days the AGM will be listed as a Club event – both in person at Patonga and remotely via Zoom.  Please register your intention so that we can plan around the Covid-19 restrictions.  There will be paddling options on both Saturday and Sunday

New Committee Position: Social Coordinator

This position is intended to promote the social aspects of the Club, including the effective use of social media.  The role of this position is:

·   Initiate, coordinate and manage events to promote and maintain the social benefits offered by the Club

·   Provide oversight and direction of social media platforms formally used by the Club

As of 15 May 2020 COVID-19 restrictions in NSW were eased such that groups of up to 10 people can congregate outside.  This has allowed the NSW SKC to resume offering Club trips for groups up to that size.

Whilst this is great news it doesn't mean we are back to where we were before the restrictions - we need to still manage within the health guidelines.  So maximum group size is 10 (including leaders), and social distancing should be planned for and practised on trips, both on and off the water.

The Club requests that you do the following:

• At launch and on return to cars please maintain social distancing, and efficiently get organised and move off.  This is both about keeping our members safe and about public perception 
• For group briefings/de-briefings select a quiet location (away from the water?) where you will be able to maintain distancing whilst conducting the briefing
• When on the water if you need to raft up think about doing it in a way that maintains a distance of 1.5m between people

Of course you should also download the COVIDSafe app if you haven’t done so already.  We want to make sure we can do effective contact tracing if the need arises.

So keep an eye on the website for a return to (semi) social paddling opportunities!