20th Anglesey Sea Symposium
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Anglesey Sea Symposium. Originally started as 'Nordkapp Meet' it has through those years grown to be an all international event with quality courses, clinics and lectures. This year had the biggest attendance ever of 160+ paddlers from Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, United States and from all over Great Britain.
Special guest was Maligiaq J. Padilla, the Greenlandic Kayak Champion of 2002. He showed us that there is still very much to be learned in, on and off the water and as a suprise to many of us indeed can be learned. Also present where Shawna Franklin, Leon Sommé and Chris Duff preparing for their expedition around Iceland starting in June.
This is my fourth visit to the symposium and BCU course week. This year strong winds created very challenging paddling conditions. But it did not prevent anyone going on the water to enjoy 5-star paddling conditions all the time under supervision by a high number of top sea coaches that know these waters, 'blessed' with many tidal races and overfalls, so very well.
Because of a very busy time an extended report by me will have to be postponed until later this year. Also this article contains only a few selected images. Others will probably follow after October. Gone paddling...
Saturday 3 May 2003
24hr: SW-4 increasing S-5/7 locally gale 8 becoming variable around Anglesey in the night; sea state: rough perhaps very rough becoming moderate or rough.
Sunday 4 May
24hr: S/SW-4/5 often 6 or 7 perhaps gale 8.
Monday 5 May
24hr: W becoming SW for a while 3/4 increasing force 5 or 6; sea state: slight to moderate, occasionally rough.
Tuesday 6 May
24hr: W/NW-4/5 backing S/SW locally 6 for a time.
Wednesday 7 May
24hr: SW-4 increasing 7 or gale 8 veering W-4/5 later; sea state: slight to moderate becoming rough.
Thursday 8 May
24hr: W-5/6 locally 7 decreasing W/SW-4 locally 5.
Friday 9 May
24hr: SW-3/4 increasing 4/5 locally 6 before easing 3/4 again and backing S later.
Saturday 10 May
24hr: SW-2/3 increasing 4/5 locally 6 for a time; sea state: slight to moderate.
Sunday 11 May
24hr: SW-4/5 increasing 5/6 veering SW/W-5/6; sea state: moderate.
| Holyhead April / May 2003 | Liverpool April / May 2003 | |||||||||||||
| Month | Day | HW | m | LW | m | Month | Day | HW | m | LW | m | |||
| April | Sa | 26 | 07:59 | 4,7 | 14:23 | 1,5 | April | Sa | 26 | 08:36 | 7,53 | 15:27 | 2,45 | |
| 20:56 | 4,6 | 02:46 | 1,8 | 21:17 | 7,52 | 03:53 | 2,71 | |||||||
| Su | 27 | 08:55 | 4,9 | 15:15 | 1,3 | Su | 27 | 09:35 | 7,97 | 16:23 | 2,02 | |||
| 21:38 | 4,8 | 03:31 | 1,5 | 22:07 | 7,97 | 04:43 | 2,24 | |||||||
| Mo | 28 | 09:37 | 5,1 | 15:53 | 1,2 | Mo | 28 | 10:22 | 8,40 | 17:07 | 1,65 | |||
| 22:11 | 5,0 | 04:07 | 1,3 | 22:49 | 8,36 | 05:25 | 1,85 | |||||||
| Tu | 29 | 10:12 | 5,2 | 16:25 | 1,0 | Tu | 29 | 11:03 | 8,72 | 17:45 | 1,41 | |||
| 22:39 | 5,1 | 04:39 | 1,1 | 23:25 | 8,65 | 06:00 | 1,59 | |||||||
| We | 30 | 10:44 | 5,3 | 16:55 | 1,0 | We | 30 | 11:39 | 8,91 | 18:19 | 1,31 | |||
| NM | 23:07 | 5,2 | 05:09 | 1,0 | NM | 23:58 | 8,82 | 06:33 | 1,45 | |||||
| May | Th | 1 | 11:16 | 5,3 | 17:24 | 0,9 | May | Th | 1 | 12:11 | 8,96 | 18:50 | 1,32 | |
| 23:35 | 5,3 | 05:39 | 1,0 | Fr | 2 | 00:28 | 8,88 | 07:04 | 1,43 | |||||
| Fr | 2 | 11:47 | 5,3 | 17:52 | 1,0 | 12:42 | 8,91 | 19:19 | 1,42 | |||||
| Sa | 3 | 00:04 | 5,3 | 06:10 | 1,0 | Sa | 3 | 00:57 | 8,86 | 07:34 | 1,51 | |||
| 12:19 | 5,2 | 18:22 | 1,1 | 13:11 | 8,79 | 19:48 | 1,60 | |||||||
| Su | 4 | 00:34 | 5,2 | 06:42 | 1,1 | Su | 4 | 01:25 | 8,77 | 08:05 | 1,67 | |||
| 12:51 | 5,1 | 18:53 | 1,2 | 13:40 | 8,61 | 20:19 | 1,82 | |||||||
| Mo | 5 | 01:05 | 5,1 | 07:15 | 1,2 | Mo | 5 | 01:55 | 8,63 | 08:39 | 1,88 | |||
| 13:26 | 5,0 | 19:26 | 1,4 | 14:12 | 8,38 | 20:52 | 2,10 | |||||||
| Tu | 6 | 01:39 | 5,0 | 07:52 | 1,4 | Tu | 6 | 02:29 | 8,43 | 09:15 | 2,14 | |||
| 14:04 | 4,8 | 20:04 | 1,6 | 14:49 | 8,09 | 21:31 | 2,41 | |||||||
| We | 7 | 02:17 | 4,9 | 08:36 | 1,6 | We | 7 | 03:08 | 8,14 | 09:59 | 2,42 | |||
| 14:48 | 4,6 | 20:49 | 1,8 | 15:33 | 7,72 | 22:18 | 2,74 | |||||||
| Th | 8 | 03:04 | 4,7 | 09:30 | 1,8 | Th | 8 | 03:56 | 7,80 | 10:54 | 2,68 | |||
| 15:46 | 4,4 | 21:47 | 2,1 | 16:29 | 7,34 | 23:18 | 3,03 | |||||||
| FQ | Fr | 9 | 04:07 | 4,5 | 10:40 | 1,9 | FQ | Fr | 9 | 04:58 | 7,47 | 12:00 | 2,83 | |
| 17:02 | 4,3 | 23:03 | 2,2 | 17:43 | 7,07 | 00:30 | 3,16 | |||||||
| Sa | 10 | 05:27 | 4,4 | 12:01 | 1,8 | Sa | 10 | 06:17 | 7,34 | 13:16 | 2,75 | |||
| 18:29 | 4,3 | 00:27 | 2,1 | 19:09 | 7,14 | 01:48 | 3,02 | |||||||
| Su | 11 | 06:48 | 4,6 | 13:13 | 1,5 | Su | 11 | 07:39 | 7,57 | 14:31 | 2,41 | |||
| 19:39 | 5,6 | 01:35 | 1,8 | 20:24 | 7,57 | 03:01 | 2,62 | |||||||
| Mo | 12 | 07:51 | 4,9 | 14:12 | 1,1 | Mo | 12 | |||||||
| 20:33 | 4,9 | 02:31 | 1,4 | |||||||||||
| Tu | 13 | 08:44 | 5,2 | 15:02 | 0,8 | Tu | 13 | |||||||
| 21:19 | 5,2 | 03:19 | 1,0 | |||||||||||
Appendix 2: Tidal Range Holyhead
Appendix 3: Related websites
- Sea Kayaking UK
- Qajaq USA (Greenland Paddling)
- Iceland Expedition (Shawna Franklin, Leon Sommé & Chris Duff)
- Kamchatka Expedition (Justine Curgenven & Hadas Feldman)
- Around the Netherlands by Sea Kayak (Axel Schoevers)
- Committed 2 the Core (Christopher Lokyer)
- Home Page (Johathan Walpole)
- Holyhead Coastguard
© A.M. Schoevers