Dragon Boat West

head on down to So Cal for some paddling - tomorrow's forecast is a sunny yet "brisk" 66 degrees F (19 degrees Celsius)!

oh-so tempting...   got an extra bed and an extra oc1?  :D

 You all are whimps !!................as Russell Peters the comedian says " Just be a man "  :lol:

I think the club worries more about their spanking new C-Lions than our safety, imagine someone slipping and breaking a rudder, worse yet the boat itself.

Are they going to notify us when the club opens again?

i don't think so...  i tried without success to have the rules that we had over the summer enforced now (with regards to the new c-lions), and was told that they weren't going to do anything about the rules and that they basically didn't exist anymore.  :? 
i was under the impression from the club rules that so long as there is no ice in the bay, the boats are allowed to be used.  otherwise, yes, i think they'll notify us.

The hi resolution webcam on this site *usually* points right at the docks pogue and fcrcc oc6 programs use by the Burrard Marina. Snowy docks, but no ice on English Bay...

http://www.katkam.ca/

Is there a webcam that points at Alder Bay, so I could see how much it is frozen over?  I remember breaking through a few inches of Alder Bay ice in a 6-16 for an evening practice in January 1998.  That was a unique experience...

Hypothermia from a DB practice in -9degC weather that winter was also an experience. I got some better winter paddling clothes after that.

Barney and the geminis could be used (sacrificed) as the alder bay ice breaker fleet...

for paddling out of fcrcc (alder bay), the "no snow or ice on dock" rule applies as well as the "ice in alder bay" rule.

What rules were those?

It would have to be very cold indeed to have ice on English Bay. Even so, it isn't all that safe to lug a 400+ pound canoe down (and up) a slippery slope or walk on those snowy docks.

that you needed 3 month plus experience to use them, or so I heard

yah, Luke mis-quoted, but thats the basic idea..  all FCRCC members should have received the rules via email when the first batch of c-lions came in.  to be "allowed" to use the surfriggers and c-lions, you needed a minimum 3 months experience on outriggers as well as permission from one of the outrigger program coaches. 
Rule was made to protect the newer boats/boats used for races from as much damage as possible from people who weren't competent in the use/transport of outriggers yet.  While the first batch of c-lions was made to race spec and not club spec, people still treated them like the bigger, more solid montgomery/surfrigger/etc; picking them up and dropping them heavily on their shoulders, dropping them onto the dock, dropping them on the rudders, smacking them into things on the way down to the water or up to the shed...         now that we have the newer batch in made to club spec, they're able to stand up to a bit more abuse, but i still see people treating them the same way.  :roll:  Talking with the board members though, its impossible to "police" such rules, and many [paddlers] find it unfair that they might be excluded from using the newer boats, so in essence, the rule no longer exists.

If it gets too cold there, you can always head indoors.  I heard that Gung Haggis did some wild thing like building a Dragon Boat Go-Cart. I checked it out and sure enough they did... Amazing!!! 

Good Job Todd and Bob!

Here is the link:  http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/SFUGungHaggisFatChoyCanadianGames

The Willamette River gets pretty rough here, but rarely snow or ice. Just lots of debris and swift currents. Many of the Portland teams paddle year round, others do pool side training.

Ayla

Below are the rules that were sent out. Note that it is 3 months experience OR permission from an "approved" OC1 coach. They still apply and the club will definitely do something if we see people not following them. The club is also going to crack down on non-members taking out boats.

1.0 For the Novices, 3 months minimum should be spent learning OC1 paddling in either a Challenger, Calmar or Montgomery OC1 until the Novice can demonstrate competent ability. This period can be shortened by FCRCC approved OC1 coaches at their discretion.

2.0 For Surfrigger and C-Lion usage:

- Please use the boat holders on the dock to protect the hull and rudder.

- Please do not sit in the canoe unless it is in the water.

- Carry OC1 on shoulders by 2 people down ramps to dock.

- Carry ama and iakos separately from OC1 canoe down to dock.

- Ama screws NOT to be overtightened, only enough to hold iakos on, no need to screw new holes into iakos.

- Soft shoes ONLY are to be worn - ie neoprene booties - NOT trainers to protect interior bulkhead from damage.

- PFD, canoe, iakos and ama should all be rinsed off after paddling and put away in racks, never left on dock unattended.

3.0 Any breakage please report ASAP - we have a 12 month warranty and must get things fixed immediately so that you can use them again soon.