Signs of Spring

The VCKC Dragon Boat program is looking forward to spring. Mike Fox, the DB representative on Club Executive invited team captains and representatives to a meeting earlier this week. Marie Eve and Tony were there for Loco Motion.

Mike has arranged to have a professional repair the damage at the front of the B boat, which will cost a few hundred. When we get painting weather, he proposes a work party, with sanders and other tools, to clean up the scrapes on the bottom of the boats and to get some new paint on boat boats. The damage to A boat is going to evaluated carefully to see if it is scrape or a crack. The repair costs will be shared among the teams. The goal is to get the boats in the water by the end of March, which will call for another work party.

We had an extensive discussion of launching at low tide, navigation, and responsibility for wear and tear, maintenance and damage repair.

The other Club teams are all planning to stay together and paddle this year. The other teams have all had people dropping out over the winter, or some changes. There is a rumour that Victoria's Secret is being revived. Mike suggests that anyone eligible for, and interested in the Senior Games in Nanaimo in September should organize as a VCKC team and arrange to practice for at least a few weeks before the games.

Mike suggested that the program should adopt last year's practice schedule. This was accepted as a starting point, with some teams negotiating to trade slots.

Mike said that Lloyd has agreed to take enquiries from new paddlers and try to match new paddlers with teams.

Mike was concerned about the load on the club's accredited coaches, and we discussed how to get people to step into coaching roles. The program has funding for coaching courses.

The immediate need is for a steering clinic to share some skills in boat handling and knowledge about the Gorge, and for teams with an experienced stern to put new sterns into the boat and let them practice extensively. Steering is not as easy as it looks, and the Gorge has some hidden hazards.

Mike reported that the paddling skills clinic at False Creek last November was very useful. He asked for someone to step into the role of training officer, to make some calls to check our options to get a clinic at the club. Probably interested paddlers and teams would have to pay for the course, but it would be worth it.

Mike also reported that the Club got the club PFD's and paddles from the medical organization that sponsors Komodo, and that the club PFD's and paddles are intended for the use of the Komodo team and new paddlers, and that club members should be getting their own PFD's and paddles.