Team Fat Paddler 2011 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic Campaign
Back in 2009 when I first set a goal to do the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, it was a very personal journey. Since that time my journey has expanded to take in others, leading to the creation of Team Fat Paddler, a group of friends who embrace the core principles of inclusion, fun and charity. Together we’ve paddled, camped, surfed, had bbqs, eaten egg & bacon rolls, shared boats, rescued each other, gone swimming, jumped pits of fire and swam through pits of mud. Sometimes we’ve smashed ourselves up, taken rides in ambulances and bled together. Other times we’ve just caught up for a feed. But always, we’ve remained good friends, and raised many thousands of dollars for charity.
In 2010 the Team Fat Paddler entry in the Classic doubled in size from one paddler to two. In 2011 however we’ve grown to ten paddlers surrounded by even more landcrew. These hard men, the “Tenacious Ten”, have been training for many months for this hardcore ultra-marathon, as well as raising money for the Arrow Bone Marrow Foundation and research into a cure for Leukaemia. So I wanted to introduce you to the Tenacious Ten, as well as showing a little footage from past Team Fat Paddler outings. Enjoy, and maybe see you out on the river. Cheers, FP
Paddlers at dawn. Amazing to think that every single day has such a magical start.
Ever since I decided to take on the 2010 Hawkesbury Canoe Classic in a canoe, people have thought me mad. Why would any sane person decide to do a 111km ultra-marathon in something as wide and slow as a canoe? Why would anyone add several hours to such a painful challenge, on purpose? Why not just use a kayak or a surf ski like everyone else?
Those who own and love canoes understand. These are not boats designed to finish anything quickly. These are boats designed to take their paddlers on a journey, whether that be a gentle meander through wilderness or a Deliverance-style adventure through back waters and across rapids. Canoes are boats that bring adventurers or families together with the promise of well provisioned exploration. They are comfortable, fun, and a pleasure to paddle.
Travis at bow with the Emergency Bucket, containing wet weather gear and coffee supplies.
In 2010 I took on the Classic with my friend Gelo in a 14 foot plastic canoe, covering over 93km in 17 and a half hours through torrential rain, gale force winds and breaking waves. To most, we looked crazy, pushing our little boat through the storm. But for me, this had been the greatest, most FUN adventure I’d ever undertaken, firming up my love for canoes even more. Being stopped due to weather at 93km also firmed up my desire to push a canoe across the finish line in 2011, and with that challenge firmly in mind I started researching just what sort of canoes were used for marathons in the home of the canoe, North America. The rest as they say is history, and on this day I was getting the chance to take out my chosen race boat for the 2011 Classic, a Wenonah Minnesota II care of Paddle and Portage Canoes.
Wenonah Minnesota II in Barracuda layup - looks amazing with the sun behind it
We’d chosen a trip downstream from Berowra Waters for the test, a long meandering offshoot of the Hawkesbury River itself. This gave us plenty of pretty wilderness, a mix of small and wide water and plenty of distance to stretch out in. We were also joined by kayak paddlers Pam and Meg, keen also to do these waters at dawn and work on their own paddle training. With the three of us ready, we pushed off into the fog, enjoying the deserted glassy waters and the spectacle of hunting sea eagles circling above us.
Pam and Meg enjoying the perfect glassy waters of the early morning
For Travis and I this was more than just an early paddle though – this was a test of the boat we’d be paddling for 111km. We experimented with trim, shifting some weight around in the boat until we seemed to be sitting level, and then started to put in some firm but relaxed strokes in the “hit and switch” style. Before we knew it, the canoe had rocketed ahead of the others, clearly taken by surprise by the boat’s pace.
The Minnesota II is a long boat - 18'6" of shiny sexy aluminised composite
A whole lotta boat. And boy does it love being paddled!
Of course once Meg actually tried she shot past us, but Pam struggled to keep up in her plastic kayak and we came to realise that this long knife of a canoe had a decent turn of speed. And importantly, it was requiring very little effort behind the paddle to get it up to that speed. The boat was almost silent as its sharp bow cleanly sliced through the river waters, leaving just ripples of wake behind us.
Coffee stop at the 10km mark, with the Hawkesbury River just behind us
After a beach stop and some freshly brewed espresso, we set off upstream heading back to our starting point. We decided to meander a bit more and get a bit more distance under the belt, exploring hidden creeks and campsites along the way. Regardless of tide direction, the boat moved efficiently and silently through the water, taking us for miles as we chatted away. Without our knowledge, Meg clocked us on her GPS and gave us a cruising speed of 8km/hr, a great time considering we weren’t really trying.
The Wenonah Minnesota II is a beautiful boat - sleek, long and fast
As we got closer to the Berowra marina, we started to encounter lots of decent sized boat wake from passing cruisers and fishing boats. The Minnesota feels a touch twitchy in the primary stability stakes so I nervously awaiting the impact of broadside wake on the canoe. When it came, the canoe just rolled with it, not even close to throwing itself over and feeling perfectly safe. In fact it handled the wake so well we turned the boat perpendicular to it and allowed the boat to surf the waves across the river.
The Barracuda layup makes the Wenonah Minnesota II look like a long blade
My feeling on the MNII at the end of the paddle? Absolutely wrapped. This is a magnificent boat that handles beautifully and allows effortless efficient paddling, and I can’t wait to take on the challenge and adventure of this year’s Hawkesbury Canoe Classic in her. Hope to see you out there! Cheers – FP
Special thanks to Travis & Paddle & Portage Canoes for importing the Wenonah MNII for me!
Wenonah - maker of fine performance canoes
Tags: Barracuda, Wenonah, wenonah canoes, Wenonah Minnesota II, Wenonah MNII
Canoe Launch Area - No Power Boats!
With Hawkesbury Canoe Classic 2011 just four months away, it was time to test the boat I’ve been looking at using for this year’s race. Like last year I’m keen to do the Classic in a canoe, but ever since last year’s non-finish, I’ve been keen to get into a performance boat to shave a little time off the effort. To do so I looked to North America and soon found myself buried in the Wenonah website looking at their incredible array of light-weight canoes. And of course their standout performance marathon boat, the Wenonah Minnesota II.
Wenonah Minnesota II in ultra-light graphite layup - a stealthy boat for night missions
As fate would have it the Wenonah range was about to enter the Australian market via a new start-up, Paddle & Portage Canoes, and the team at Wenonah put me in touch with the canoe enthusiast behind it, Travis Frenay. I quickly ordered in my first Wenonah boat, the solo Wenonah Encounter, a sexy red canoe hotrod which I immediately fell in love with. So it was with great excitement that I organised a test paddle with Travis in the canoe that peaked my initial interest in Wenonah.
Travis surveying the water as we push off into the early morning's first light
We organised a 6am paddle in the magnificent Ku-Ring-Gai National Park to Sydney’s north. Travis arrived with the Minnesota II on the roof and his wife, baby and dingo in the car (I’m trying desperately to refrain from baby/dingo jokes!!) and we quickly got the boat ready to push off into the cold air. The test boat, a Minnesota II in ultra-light graphite & kevlar, weighs in at less than 20kgs and was ridiculously easy for us to unload from the car. The sexy black boat looked stealthy as we pushed it into the inky waters, and with a range of paddles and the “Mystery Barrel” stowed away, we pushed off into the darkness.
I'll never get sick of paddling at dawn. Simply stunning.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the canoe. I’d read many different reviews ranging from “best canoe ever” to “ridiculously tippy, couldn’t keep it upright”, so I was curious as to its actual stability (a crucial factor for a boat in the Classic). I was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn’t remotely tippy at all, and with two of us paddling in sync the boat moved through the water without so much as a sideways wobble. I was also surprised at how smoothly it passed through the water, with only a slight ripple as a bow-wake and a glide factor that was astounding. We’d stop paddling and watch as the inertia kept the boat moving effortlessly through the water, amazing us at how low the resistance was.
A spectacular view with Travis in the bow seat and the fog in the distance...
...and of course some fat fella in the stern seat ruining the backwards view!
In terms of tracking the boat was brilliant, with it barely needing any corrective strokes at all to keep it running straight. This meant almost all of our paddling effort went into propulsion rather than steerage, keeping the momentum steady and efficient. The MNII actually steers quite well from the bow as well as from the rear, so for minor adjustments to direction Travis would control the boat with little ninja-strokes. For major turns we’d work in unison with him paddling and me stern-ruddering, quickly swinging the boat in whatever direction we wanted.
The end of the line - a deep rock pool leading to some rapids
A pleasant surprise from the Mystery Barrel at break time - real Italian-style espresso coffee!
In terms of speed the MNII is fast…. for a canoe. As a kayaker I was a fraction disappointed with it’s overall speed compared to my kayak, but in comparison to my family canoe the boat is a flyer. It’s length, sharp bow profile, stiffness and lack of any rocker means that it tracks straight and runs fast almost effortlessly, and I could see why it has such a following in North America for marathons. I suspect the boat is actually faster than it seems too, since it moves effortlessly through the water giving away few sensory clues to the real speed that it is achieving. All I did know was that when we got close to shore I was surprised at the rate at which we were speeding past.
The return paddle allowed us to finally warm up with some sunshine
Another area I was keen to test was that of the seat. Canoe paddlers often kneel in their boats and utilise a traditional webbing seat offset at a slight angle. For people like me with serious back or pelvis injuries, kneeling isn’t an option and we tend to spend the whole time sitting. Prior experience has shown me however that sitting for extended periods on webbing seats can get bloody painful as the wooden mounts dig into the underside of your thighs or buttocks, so I was curious to see what the tractor-like bucket seats would feel like. After a few hours paddling I was excited to find no discomfort at all, the seats are shaped well and I found them to be far more comfortable than the webbing seats I was used to. Furthermore the MNII had sliding seats that were supposed to be used for trimming the boat in changing conditions, but this feature could also be used to shift position a little bit when wanting to stretch your legs. All in all the bucket seat was a real winner and to my mind a real game-changer in terms of marathon paddling comfort.
The Minnesota II - efficient, comfortable, fast - a perfect marathon boat
By the end of the days paddle I was in love with the boat. Canoeing is a paddling style I’m growing to love more and more in general but in a high-performance boat the experience lifts just that little bit extra. The Wenonah Minnesota II is a magnificent example of a high quality canoe which would be just as happy tripping your family into the wilderness as it would be by being pushed by athletes. In Australia, where there are few high-end brands, this will have to be be up there as the best canoe on the water.
I must note that I’ve yet to test the MNII in rough conditions so will be keen to try that soon as well, but regardless I think I’ve found my boat for the Classic. A extra special thanks to Travis from Paddle & Portage Canoes for bringing the test boat down to Sydney for me to try out. Cheers – FP
Wenonah Minnesota II in ultra-light graphite layup - one damn sexy boat!
Adjustable sliding bucket seat - bow position
Adjustable sliding bucket seat - stern position
The sharp ended profile of the MNII for maximum efficiency
At only 19kg, it was a piece of cake for Travis to portage
Tags: Canoe Reviews, Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, HCC, Paddle & Portage Canoes, Paddle and Portage Canoes, Travis Frenay, We-no-nah, We-no-nah Minnesota II, Wenonah, Wenonah Minnesota II
The great Hawkesbury River system - a beautiful place to train
It’s amazing that 6 months have already passed since Team Fat Paddler last competed in the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic. In 2009 we had one man on the water, in 2010 we had two, and for 2011 we already have eight paddlers confirmed. As a two-event “veteran” I feel confident about what the event involves, but at least half of this year’s team are “Classic Virgins” and are already thinking seriously about training and preparation.
Three TFP Classic Virgins - Cmdr Grumm, Lt. Cmdr Alan and Midshipman Nat
Despite my desire for less distance and more “fun”, the members of Team Fat Paddler insisted on a flat water training paddle to get a few kilometres under their belts. With that in mind we met at Bobbin Head around 6.30, a rabble of different boat sizes, shapes and colours brightening up the shore as we prepared to set-off.
Seaman Nathan and Lt. Cmdr Alan get ready to set-out through the fog
Midshipman Simon gives the thumbs up to head off
And they're off! Well, the fast ones anyway - haha!
Within minutes the seven paddlers formed three distinct groups – Midshipman Nat, Lt. Cmdr Alan and Cmdr Grumm in their rockets took off first, powering ahead to an early lead. Midshipman Simon and Seaman Nathan held the middle of the pack, whilst Lt. Ned remained at the back of the pack with me in the canoe, acting as sweeps at the rear. And so the paddle continued for ten kilometres until we arrived at Little Jerusalem Beach, the fast team securing the beach-head before the slower paddlers made their way to land.
The advance party secures the beach prior to the landing of the Team Fat Paddler flagship
With the beach secure, Capt FP was able to safely bring the flagship into shore
Team Fat Paddler set-up a lunch-camp on the beach
With the beach secure and camp set-up, there was really only one thing left to do – put the sausages on the Trangia for lunch. With the pan sizzling and the smell of cooking sausages in the air, the lads laughed and joked with each other and generally enjoyed each others company. Then when the cooking was done, sausage sangers were handed out to all and we enjoyed lunch surrounded by the beautiful bushland of the Ku-Ring-Gai National Park.
Oh yeah, bring on the slightly blackened sausages!
With lunch done we cleaned up the area and packed our gear away, making sure the beach was left as we found it. Team members had a few turns in each others boats for a bit of fun for a while, before preparing to set-off for the final run back to the start. At this point we were joined on the beach by a random paddler Russ, who lamented the fact he’d come too late for the sausages – haha! We gave him our commiserations before setting off back into the river.
Lt. Ned greases himself up with lube before trying to squeeze into Seaman Nathan's Zegul 550
Russ, trying to smile despite his bitter disappointment at missing out on a hotdog
The fast group decided to make a run in the next bay, the “real” Jerusalem Beach, adding an additional 5-10kms to their paddle. The rest of us set-off on the return run at a more leisurely pace, playing in the boat wake and gas-bagging all the way back. We were finally joined with two kilometres to go by the faster guys who surfed a yacht’s boat wake for several minutes to give them a boost of speed. Then with a final burst of energy we all raced our way back over the final km or so.
I get asked a lot about how to train for the Hawkesbury Canoe Classic, which is ironic considering the type of paddler I am. But for the begginners I’d say just get out and paddle each week, and slowly work your way up to some distance. You don’t need to do 50km each week, a good 10-15km most weeks with a few 20-30km paddles thrown in here and there will do you well enough to get through the event. Of course the serious athletes train much harder than that, but then clearly this website isn’t about that! Regardless, anyone can do the Classic with a little training under their belt, so if you are thinking of doing it in 2011 I’d love to see you out there on the water. Cheers – FP
Team Fat Paddler does the Hawkesbury Classic on TeamFatPaddler.com
During this year’s crazy Hawkesbury Classic, TFP Media Director Sacha dashed around video camera in hand recording the days events so we could show other paddlers out there what an amazing event the Classic is. He’s just released the 9 minute HD “Short Feature” which we’ve built into a dedicated site for your viewing pleasure!
Want to watch it in full screen HD magnificence?? Click on the right-hand box then!
Keep in mind this is a full HD version, so it’s going to need some bandwidth to pull it down (56K modems would be madness!!!). But it also means you can watch it in full screen glory to get the true feel of being there.
Massive thanks to Sacha for all his hard work on this, Team Fat Paddler veterans Grumm & Burnsie, and to Blue Earth Paddle Sports, GoPro Hero HD, Vinyl Stickers and Sydney Harbour Kayaks for their support of TFP during this year’s Classic. Cheers – FP
Tags: HCC10
