The Avon Canoe Pilot - How to plan a journey.

No travel plan survives initial contact with adventure, but to entertain god, 
first choose your media whether is be air, land, water.

Next, discern your method of motivation from such possibilities as wind, 
current, muscle, gravity.

Its also important to decide on a destination and if you are coming back or 
not. Details such as departure point and time are highly dependent on 
ambition.

Prepare sustenance: water, shelter and food should be priorities.

A proportionate balance between risk and safety is wise. Obtain information, 
orientation techniques, rescue plans.

Have a clear understand of your spiritual goals. Some seek enjoyment, learning 
and advancement.

Below you will find actual plans made for actual journeys made. Ignore the 
cancelled or failed ones.

Maybe a wander through 11-08-2007 would be of use.

Hogge and I wanted to go to Denny Island for a second time.

Its best to arrive around low water for serenity and maximum, exposure to 
quick sands. This is also a point when the water changes direction. Basically, 
you can go there on the outgoing tide, play in the sand a short while and come 
back on the incoming tide. Interestingly, the currents shortly before and 
after low water are at their strongest, which make for a fast and exciting 
crossing.

Having decided to be on Denny Island at low water we can choose our times of 
departure and return from Bristol with the aid of a tide table.

Check the weather before and during your journeys. Contact the city docks and 
Avonmouth control for updates via mobile telephone or VHF radio. Winds over 15 
miles per hour in The Severn Estuary are tricky. Waves over 50 centimeters, 
especially if coming from multiple directions at the same time are interesting 
for open canoe users. Air bags are recommended to keep sinking waters out of the
canoe.

Add regular occasions for breaks and rests. You will find several submerged 
sandy beaches in the tidal Avon around low water. Keep them a secret !

We use a resolution of ten minutes for time planning. Some thing smaller would 
be insane and anything larger could mean missing optimal currents.

Avoid river after heavy rains as hazard of Ecoli infection. Water is less 
muddy during Neap tides, due to smaller currents.

Get water quality information from harbour master on 0117 903 1484.

Note that heavy rains cause high outgoing river current, neutralising incoming 
tidal current. So do not expect an easy ride home.

Get current water level reading from Netham weir on 0117 977 6590 (09:00-15:45 
winter/ 07:00-21:30 summer). They will provide in centimeters the height above 
Netham Weir datum level (9.6m above Cumberland basin datum level). Average 
summer level is 15cm. Average winter level is 45cm and dangerous flood level 
average is 70cm. Our youngest canoe pilot shot and survived Netham weir in 
flood this summer after calling for guidance on her mobile phone.

 26 06 2006.

 28 06 2006.

 01 07 2006.

 02 07 2006.

 04 07 2006.

 12 07 2006.

 13 07 2006.

 02 08 2006.

 08 08 2006.

 11 08 2006.

 24 09 2006.

 05 11 2006.

 21 06 2007.


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