THCCwiki - User contributions [en]

Testing kayak lights for the Thames Tideway in 2013

2012-03-01T19:47:06Z

Owenb:

On 2010-03-23 representatives from [http://www.shadwell-basin.org.uk SBOAC], THCC, the [http://www.pla.co.uk PLA], [http://www.canoe-england.org.uk Canoe England], [http://www.batterseacc.org Battersea Canoe Club] and [http://www.chelseakayakclub.co.uk Chelsea Kayak Club] met at Shadwell Basin to test different navigation light set-ups for kayaks paddling on the Thames Tideway during hours of darkness.

The meeting was part of an ongoing dialogue between the PLA and the Tideway kayaking community to improve the safety of kayakers which has become a priority due to the increasing numbers of kayaks on the Tideway and, in particular, as a response to a [[near miss]] with a [[Thames Clipper]] in December 2008.

===The test===
Observers stood on the Thames Path just to the west of Shadwell Basin and watched as seven boats with varying illuminations crossed to Rotherhithe, re-grouped for a few minutes under bank-side street lights and then returned to Shadwell. All the kayaks then proceeded 200m up river past The Prospect of Whitby close to lights on the bank and returned. Finally, two groups of three and four paddled separately down river close to the bank past Free Trade Wharf, crossed to Rotherhithe, paddling back up river until opposite Shadwell and returned across the river.

Conditions were slightly misty/rainy with good to moderate visibility.

===General observations===
*Headlights are barely visible from beyond 50 to 100m and then only if pointing directly at the observer
*Only boats with lights for and aft had all round visibility
*A tightly spaced group of lit kayaks is very much more visible than a spread out group
*Flashing lights had good visibility from a distance. According to the PLA flashing lights are OK as an addition to a constant white light. But beware if you use a diving light such as the one available from Maplin (see below), as the flashing mode is "SOS" in Morse Code; this caused a search and rescue call out incident early in 2012 when an onlooker called the coastguard.
*Visibility of kayak lights is reduced close to the banks in pools of ambient light
*At close range the brightness of most lights seem similar but when viewed from a distance it varies greatly

===Lights tested===
The different light types tested are shown below with scores out of 10 based on the post test discussion.

{{wikitable}}
| align="left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Light'''
| align="left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Notes'''
| align="left" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Source'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Cost'''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''Score'''
|-
| [http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=99360 4 LED dive torch] with diffuser||Waterproof with diffuser made from translucent plastic bottle||[http://www.force4.co.uk/1871/Force-4-LED-Diving-Torch.html Force 4]||£17||8
|-
| [http://www.tek-tite.com/src/product_info.php?id=33 Tektite 4 LED stern/marker light]||||[http://www.tek-tite.co.uk/acatalog/MarkerLights.html Tek-Tite UK]||£30||6
|-
| Flashing LED bike light/strobe||Bike lights not usually waterproof||Widely available||£10 to £40||6
|-
| [http://www.tek-tite.com/src/product_info.php?id=2163 Tektite 2 LED stern/marker light]||||[http://www.tek-tite.co.uk/acatalog/MarkerLights.html Tek-Tite UK]||£20||5
|-
| LED head torch||Not usually waterproof||Widely available||£10-£40||2
{{endwikitable}}

A pictorial guide to making the diffuser light is available on [http://www.flickr.com/photos/playdreamer/sets/72157625012952424/ Flickr] (click on the image below).

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/playdreamer/sets/72157625012952424/ [[image:All-round-diffuser-lights.jpg]]]

===Conclusion on best practice===

Following the test there was an email discussion between the PLA, SBOAC and the participants concluding that ''best practice'' for kayakers could be summarised as:

1. Lights to be 'all-round', rather than directional, either by design
or adaptation with a diffuser.

2. Each boat to be lit fore and aft.

3. Crossings to always be in tight formation.

The PLA has now published a a number of [http://www.boatingonthethames.co.uk/Paddling: guidelines for kayaking on the Tideway] on their web site including a [http://www.pla.co.uk/pdfs/maritime/100709_-_ab_-_complete_lighting_guide_first_draft.pdf: Guide to lighting and other safety tips for small leisure craft]

Sea kayaking intro trip 13-14 August 2011

2011-08-21T18:14:47Z

Owenb:

Photos [http://www.flickr.com/photos/torontoaddick/sets/72157627433500804 from Stephen]

:'''Trip report haiku'''

:::''kayaking for tarts''
:::''the green barges''
:::''swim faster''

:'''Trip report in the style of William McGonagall'''

:::''Twas a cloudy Sabbath day in August,''
:::''You should have come along and saw us!''
:::''On the rising tide up the River Thames,''
:::''Under the bridges and around the bends,''
:::''With Ailien in charge of all''
:::''We really had a paddling ball.''

:::''The tourists on the bridges did wave''
:::''At the novice paddlers so brave''
:::''And shoot with cameras at the little kayaks''
:::''That did shoot so nobly there and back,
:::''Till the Portuguese Bakery we did sight''
:::''And stopped off just to eat a bite.''

:::''After the turning of the tide''
:::''We’d all eaten all the pastries they could provide,''
:::''And soon at Shadwell we all arriv’d''
:::''The wake and waves we had all surviv’d.''
:::''With only two little capsizes into the drink''
:::''That brought the Police over but no-one did sink!''

Touring and white water canoeing - River Wye - 6-7 August 2011

2011-08-17T19:33:41Z

Owenb: /* Day 1 – Touring style paddle on the Wye – Ross on Wye to Symonds Yat east */

[[File:Symondsyat.jpg|right]]

Four of us travelled up to the Wye to do some open-boat paddling: a mix of flat water touring and some white water training. Owen drove up with his boat, the rest of us hired boats there, as the likely scrapey conditions wouldn’t suit our soft bottomed Pakboat.

== Day 1 – Touring style paddle on the Wye – Ross on Wye to Symonds Yat east ==

We were dropped off on the outskirts of Ross, we were travelling with a couple of large groups – a set of dragon boaters out for the day, and a party group, it seemed.

The Wye here is mostly flat slow flowing water, with the occasional baby rapid at bends - its very scenic and pretty with lots of birds along the edges and the number of fishermen suggesting good fish stocks also.

Lunch was taken at Kerne Bridge, where we tied the boats up and sat and watched the chaos of many groups preparing for their afternoon on the water

Sarah demonstrated how to properly eat a TimTam whilst canoeing, and we practiced some towing towards the end of the day.

We camp cooked that evening with the menu offering freshly made risotto, pasta, and some instant meals in plastic packets which were better than they should have been, and the night was rounded off by a pint or two in The Saracens Head, a minutes walk from the camp site.

== Day 2 - ½ days white water canoe coaching on Symonds Yat ==

For our second day on the Wye, we organised some moving water coaching from [http://wyedean.co.uk/ WyeDean], handily the guys we were camping with. Our coach Pod put us through our paces on flat water & got us to practice a few new moves and then took us down to Symonds Yat rapid, we spent the next 2 hours working our way up and down the rapid, breaking in and out, aiming at eddies and ferrying our way back to near the top.
As the day went on the rapid got busier and busier - towards the end it was hard to get onto the way to try a surf. Next time I’d plan to start paddling early, so we got most of the time on the water before the crowds turn up

Towards the end we got our boats right back to the top to have one last run down, aiming at grabbing a few top eddies before carrying the boats back to the top for the short paddle back to the camp site.

Once off the water we headed again to The Saracens Head for lunch before the drive home.

Photos: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/twicezero/sets/72157627417685560 from Dan]