6th UK Storm Gathering

This year the 6th UK Storm Gathering took place at Holyhead, in Anglesey. Organized by Mark Tozer, it was an unique opportunity to meet friends and to know famous paddlers, as well as to learn more about paddling in the strong tidal currents running around the island.
Me, from Catania (Sicily), and Mikael, from Billdal (Sweden), had a meeting at London airport of Stansted. By the way, I landed in Luton with a cabin baggage, a big rucksack with my paddling kit and two oversized PVC rolls containing the three sections of an Aretusa kayak! Digging my way across the airport I eventually reached the rental car park, under the worried look of the shuttle bus driver...

After a night driving to Holyhead, the small island in which the gathering was at its second day, we ended up in a wonderful breakfast in the Anglesey Outdoors, with the welcome of many paddlers. Instead a late sleep we launched for a Leadership class with Nick Cunliffe in a Force 6 southerly winds. The sea was pretty rough and we ended up with a heart breaking rock hopping session. Before going to bed, after dinner, we have been awake for 38 consecutive hours.

While for me the following day was due on the Open Water Navigation course with Howard Jeffs, for Mikael there was another gathering day, with the Incident Management class, again in force 6 westerly winds.

The weather forecast was all except good and another force 6 windy day was ahead for my 5 star training course, with Harold Jeffs and Phil Clegg, perfect conditions for the 5 stars, the night paddling included. Once back at the Anglesey Outdoor at 23:30 my friend Mikael did not resist to laugh at my view... I probably seemed a bit dismantled! For him it was the theory day of the Tidal Planning and Coastal Navigation course.

On 26th we drived north of Anglesey, to leave one car at Cemaes Bay and go to launch from Bull Bay. Of course, again force 6 southerly winds. We were on the sheltered shore but the current was at its highest rate being the spring one. Tidal races were running strongly around the small islands and along the coastline. Caves, arches, narrow passages give to all of us the possibility to test our leadership skills, under the guidance of two very clear coaches. The lovely dinner at the Paddlers Return Pub recharged our batteries.

After an uncomfortable night, thinking to our assessment, Mikael and I got up early to revise our trip planning. Axel Schoevers was our assessor for the first day and we went to look for the right conditions for the 4 star. Strange but true the wind dropped down to barely force 5 and meanwhile the sea flattened too, even into the tidal race around Rhoscolyn, where we found a not-too-rough situation. Again the dinner at the Paddlers Return fully recharged our batteries after a day of skill test, with rescues, rolls and rock hopping.

Kate Duffus was our assessor for the second day. She circumnavigated Anglesey just the day before, in the attempt of beating the record! In the morning the sea was in perfect conditions, but in the afternoon it turned to be well above the 4 star conditions, with southerly wind gusting at force 7 and building huge waves that we ride close to the rocky shore, into a chaos of rebouncing clapotis. Back at the base, we waited anxiously for the results, but everyone was happy to receive the congratulations of our assessors.

Leaving Anglesey we drove after Axel and reached Justine and Barry's house where a delicious meal
was quickly ready. A nice and international dinner, from five different countries after Paul Kuthe joined us. The next morning we got up early in order to drive to London. Barry was ready to prepare breakfast, and whiffs of fresh bread leaded us to the kitchen. It was the best way to leave this lovely country after a super paddling week.
Thank you friends!

New bases for Maremotu!

The sea side of  Sampieri. On the left the Patapata bathing.

 We are proud to announce that for the oncoming season (2011-2012) we will have two brand-new bases. One into the Catania harbour, and the other one on the marvellous sandy beach of Sampieri (Ragusa, south coast of Sicily).

The base in Catania is already known by a lot of local paddlers, since it is the CCC's headquarter (Circolo Canoa Catania). The base in Sampieri is housed into the "Pata Pata" beach club, where a lot of amenities and services, including a pub-bar and a restaurant will run through the summertime.

The latter will be the official Maremotu Federal Sea Kayak School site. We will organize a party (and a paddling day, of course!) by the end of this year. We want to celebrate our new play area. Stay tuned!

Circolo Canoa Catania.

Patapata bathing establishment.

 Siamo orgogliosi di comunicare che per la stagione 2011-2012 avremo due nuove basi, una nel porto di Catania e l'altra a Sampieri (RG), in una meravigliosa spiaggia.

La base di Catania è già conosciuta da molti pagaiatori locali, perché si tratta del quartier generale del CCC (Circolo Canoa Catania).
La base di Sampieri, invece, sarà ospitata all'interno dello stabilimento balneare "Pata Pata", dotato di tutte le comodità e servizi, incluso un pub-bar ed un ristorante durante la stagione estiva.

Quest'ultima base sarà la sede ufficiale della scuola federale di kayak da mare Maremotu. Organizzeremo una festa (ed una pagaiata, ovviamente) prima della fine dell'anno, per celebrare la nostra nuova area di gioco!

The village of Sampieri and The beach in front of Patapata.

Vulcanoa Tour - Plans are changed!

The very bad weather forecast discouraged many participants to engage themselves on the tour around western Aeolian Islands and on monday 19th only seventeen paddlers are present in Vulcano. The Coast Guard call to say that they didn't give the permission for the crossings to Filicudi and Alicudi islands, so the plans need some changes.

 Winds blow from WNW up to 20-25 knots. Offshore waves are 3 meters high and hit the west coast of Vulcano island, coming from the far distance of Sardinian sea, where the gale has Force 9. The only safe possibility is to paddle on the lee of the island, maintaing the group very close to the coast, and it is what we decide to do on the first day of the gathering. The reinforcing of the wind in the afternoon adds some adrenaline both to participants and guides when, on the way back to the Porto di Levante cove, the group struggle against a strong current and gusts of wind at Punta Lùccia: all the guides and helpers are involved in towing, rescuing of capsized paddlers and kayakers unable to keep the bow into the wind. Fortunately we don't had to call for a rescue to the Coast Guard, but we were pretty close to this evenience and the group was back on land, just in time to avoid a tunderstorm with lightening and even stronger gusts of wind.

 The weather deteriorated, ferries failed to connect the islands to the mainland, except one that was navigating in the lee sides of Salina, Lipari and Vulcano to maintain a minimum of the service. We loaded kayaks and gear on this one and reached Salina, to find one of the best accomodation of theese islands, in a family residence in which we were able to prepare our food all togheter and have beautiful dinners.

The following day the wind slowed down to 10 knots and, despite the sea state was still rough, we launched for the circumnavigation of the island. An "early" start, at 9 'o clock, give us the possibility to paddle all the way around in the day, with the last stop in Lingua for the usual refreshing granita of the Alfredo bar. At the end of the day, we have a super-dinner under the direction of Dario.

 

The weather now is again the very sicilian summer. We make the 4 km crossing to the west coast of Lipari, with its rock cliffs, caves, stacks, blue cristalline waters and small pebbles beaches. We spent a lot of time exploring and rock gardening along the coast. After we cross to Vulcano and the group split in two parts, one of which go to visit the Cavallo cave on the west coast of the island. The end of the gathering is celebrated in the Stevenson pub and we let run te hours and the pints.

Even this time, the changed plans turned to be a good option.

Many thanks to all the instructors and guides that make this event possible!

A paddling week in Sweden

At the end of August I was invited by Mikael and Johan to hold courses on rescue and rolling in Sweden. Their Maremotu base is located in Billdal, a lovely small village south of Goteborg. Despite the season was at its end the weather was beautiful, with sunny days and agreable temperature. For me, coming from the 38°C of Sicily, it was a great relief to feel the 20°C of the Goteborg City airport.

The warm welcome of my guests' families was the one you can receive from old friends. I was like at home from the first instant and Mikael and Johan provided me fantastic paddling days despite a cold, a broken car (for the two of them), children at school and their own work as teachers.

The Billdal beach have a floating pier that is perfect for students to follow the explanation of the instructors in 1 meter deep water. Here, during the afternoon of the first day we did some exercise, to improve the greenland standard roll. Then a gorgeous dinner was ready at Mikael's home!

 In the following days we paddled around the lovely archipelago, rockhopping from an island to the other, crossing safely the short distances and leaded by Mikael and Johan that know this place like their own pockets.

The wildlife is wonderful, swans, sea gulls, herons, cormorants and seals were just some of our encounters. In some islands it is possible to camp and it was a shame that I did not have the time to stay longer.

 One day in the city and one morning bycicling around Billdal has been my only activity out of the water.

The last day we had a group of paddlers that followed a base course with rescues. It was a rainy day but we were into the water anyway, so nobody complained for the weather and all went well, including a delicious pasta cooked by Mikael under a large tree.

The last dinner, at Johan's home was nice and relaxing, and it was a bit heavy to say "ciao" and to leave on the next morning. 

We are now altogheter planning a paddling week around the archipelago for 2012, probably between June and July, so... stay tuned!