Once again we were present at the Talkin Tarn Water Day, offering on the water sessions, and demo boats for more experience paddlers.

In All we had 3 Trailers, plus a van load of kayaks, canoes, Sit on tops, and sea kayaks all to try out. Normally these are based around out 5 shops in Warwickshire, Stockport, Carlisle and Perth. but we managed to get our hands on about 60% of the fleet for the day.

Fortunately the bad weather that was forcast stayed away, and we enjoyed a full day from 10-6 of talking to customers as well as helping beginners into the sport of kayaking.

The full fleet of Open Canoes was certainly well used, with a lot of paddlers able to compare and contrast all the boats available from Novacraft, Old Town,Wenonah, and Mad River Canoes.

We also had a large amount of sea and Touring Paddlers who had one of the first opportunities to try out the Tahe Kayaks boats – with the Reval and Mini Reval proving most popular, as well as having a go in our North Shore Boats

Most first timers had a go in the very stable sit on tops, or short touring boats from Perception, Dagger, Ocean Kayak

We eventually managed to get away at 6pm , With the Team from Brookbank Stockport still having a long drive home.

Pete + Antony

We now have our full range of tahe demo boats available to hire and try out. Made in Estonia, and known mainly in Scandinavia the build quality is excellent, and the price is, lets just say affordable!!

the primary ranges we willbe bringing in (and have on demo) are the seaspirit/gulf spririt/bay spirit, the Reval range, and a couplke of doubles – the reval, and argo.

the Spirits are and exellent range of boats for the internadiate, with the gulf and bay being a more rounded hull, and the sea having move of an edge – pick your preference

The  Reveals have quite a bit of rocker enabling a more advanced more playful ride

We have brought the doubles in as we were increasingly being asked for this type of boat, they will prove popular for distance travelling

We also have the Greenland boat in – great for traditional paddling – low volume, hard chines

How do you transport more than one canoe?

why not make your own roofrack?

great when you want to carry more than one boat

try 3…..will update you on how it went when they come back

Every Year we take 2 vans and 2 trailers full of Canoes and Kayaks over to Talkin Tarn to help with their Water Day. This year it was in June.

The lake is really handy being 10 miles from the shop, but close to the A69, It has full changing rooms, an Excellent cafe, lots of parking available and a lake small enough not to lose everyone, but with space to move and paddle round.

We ran the sessions as fairly fixed 30 minute groups with about 24 people in each, but if anyone wanted to demo specifcic boats, we could also accomodate this too.

With 4 staff on the water at any time, we managed  to get 6 sessions done, so in total we have about 200 people on the water it seemed summer was here, as it turned out it was one of the few sunny days we have had watch out for an indian summer soon! The sessions were very relaxed with a mix of first timers, and more experienced paddlers, some informal instruction took place but mostly everyone was left to get to grips with the sport in their own time, After 5 minutes everyone was happily paddling in straight lines, or just enjoying beiong on the water on such a nice day

We will be arranging another day probably in 2009, look out for it soon !

At the start of the month, was the annual Norfolk Island race on Ullswater. Organised by Cumbria Canoeists it starts and finishes from the Outward Bound centre on the Lake, with various classes to suit juniors, canoists, sea kayaker, allthe way up to thefastest K1s and K2s.

 As normal Pete took a van and trailer load of Sea Kayaks. Proving popular this year were the Lettmanns, and North Shores (ring us up as we are selling off the Lettmann demo boats at 20% Off) Soon all the boats were taken, with a few people dissapointed, and having to paddle their own boats!

Ian from Carlisle Canoes Club turned up with his open (not the fastest flat water beast- a Wenonah Prospector), his partner had not yet turned up, so bering the kind sort, I agreed to take part if Mike didn’t turn up…..

looking round, like last year there were quite a few opens on the water, so it looked like a bit of competition, and so it was thaqt I was lined up to compete. 3 miles later we realised we were in the lead of our class.  at the half ay island we couldn’t see any open boats. 7 miles later (after storming past another racer, we won in a class of….. 1…..) in a time of 1hour 28 mins.

It was great to see all the brookbank hire boats at the front of the pack in the sea kayaking classes, and everyone reported back on smooth fast rides, including beating previous race times. However the fastest sea kayakers were well beated by a couple of K2s, and astonishingly everyone was hammered by a racing K1 with a time of 47 minutes.

So thats how I came to win my own shield – who wants to take it off me for next year? my legs have just about recovered!

Comming up in September is the 3 lakes challenge – Coniston, Ullswater and Windermere….. join us if you dare…..

Annually we sponsor a shield to present at the annual Ullswater Norfolk Island Race,

Well here we are 2 months in,

I had thought this blog would die down, but we are still attracting hits, so an update is in order, what have we been up to?

we have a new sign up,

shop displays have been added

we are settled in.

In June (8th) we will be having a demo day on Talkin Tarn

Well we are open, Last night we had a very successful open evening after another hectic day.

The shop is more or less complete, with a few bits of behind the scene stuff to add in after Canoe Expo. We even had a delivery of new Novacraft Canoes. Six in, and four out last night!

Oh and we have a few beers left if you want one come on in !!

We had the first look at our new Catalogue, please call us for your copy

After opening the shop, the following weekend we were closed for Canoexpo! It was a great success, Here are some pics of the staff on the Saturday night, and some of the stands before we opened on Sunday….. bring on next year!

The past few days we have been dealing with all the orders, and extra stock we got. latest products include aquabound, h2o paddles, goretex socks, keen footwear, bliss stick kayaks, and north shore sea kayaks and accessoriess

Monday was rather busy, We took a delivery of 45 boats in two vans first thing. Then we took 4 van loads from the old shop – there’s not much left now!!

The new shop is now jammed with kit!! Most of the buoyancy aids, helmets and cags are out on the slat wall. Late on we received a delivery of boat racking. All six of us were a bit tired so it was a quite yet hungry group that once again took advantage of the two meals for £10 offer qat the nearby pub….

Tuesday the phones transfered over, and another two loads including boat racking turned up. Half the shop was tidyed.

Now on Wednesday we are up and running, with a few more boats to move to and from the Arches store. Hopefully sending the Stockport crew (Mike, Kev and Ricky) home on time!!) So by Thursday we should be well and truly settled in.

We have to all intents moved shops. there is now nothing left at Wigton Road, bar a few cardboard boxes. You are welcome to come and browse as from today.  More updates later when we have more time!

Still a bit of moving/tidying to do!! Phone lines have transfered over as well

Pete & Antony