Meridian Canoe Club

I am planning a trip on the River Cuckmere from Exceat, Sussex, BN25 4AD to Alfriston and return on Sunday 2nd October with Maidstone Canoe Club.
The tides are right for this trip and I will post a full timetable nearer the time so pencil in this date!

This trip was inspired by:-
http://www.canoetrips.co.uk/Cuckmere1.html
and
http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/ ... e-Cuckmere

If you have any questions, either post them here or ask me at the lake on Saturday mornings.

Timetable is as follows.
Meet at boathouse at 7:30 to load boats
Leave by 8:00
Drive the 70 miles to Seven Sisters Country Park Car Park, East Dean Road (A259), Exceat, Nr Seaford, BN25 4AD to arrive by 10:00.
Parking fee is £4 for full day, please bring exact coins.
Toilets are across road.
Meet with our friends at Maidstone and Bewl Water Canoe Clubs and launch by 11:00
Paddle the 5 miles with tide to Alfriston arriving about 12:30
Eat packed lunch, and if time explore Alfriston, whilst tide changes.
14:00 launch and return to Exceat by 16:00
Leave by 16:30.
Return to boathouse by 18:30.

Tides for day at Cuckmere Haven.
LW 06:47
HW 12:47
LW 19:02
http://tides.willyweather.co.uk/se/east ... haven.html

This is a round trip of 10 miles and paddlers should be of a 2* standard.
If you are using club equipment, please book it out at:-
viewtopic.php?f=39&t=1515

I will be at the boathouse to answer any questions you may have.

Hi,
Count me in, please.

Sandrine Hello,

If you are travelling alone to Cuckmere, then can us two travel together. My car has roof rack so can take both boats. I can't make the lake on Saturday so can you also check the text I send you and let me know somehow. My phone number is 07967739527. If your daiughter is also going then of course this won't work.

Jules wrote:Sandrine Hello,

If you are travelling alone to Cuckmere, then can us two travel together. My car has roof rack so can take both boats. I can't make the lake on Saturday so can you also check the text I send you and let me know somehow. My phone number is 07967739527. If your daiughter is also going then of course this won't work.

Tony has kindly agreed to lend us two straps for the trip.
Will be at the lake on Saturday.

Arrived at Exceat car park and met with 11 members of Maidstone and 4 members of Bewl Water CCs.
As we prepared and launched the sun decided to come out and illuminated the wonderful splendour of the South Downs.



As we progressed the Cuckmere became narrower..


...narrower


...and narrower


and was expecting at any moment David Attenborough and a BBC camera crew to pop out of the reeds making a documentary about the Okefenokee swamplands.

(This was Dale's first touring trip and I assured him not all touring trip are like this).

Fortunately we were using an incoming Spring tide and every drop of the water and flow was needed.

Finally the Cuckmere widened and we past under Alfriston Bridge..


.. and reached the weir to the north of Alfriston where we stopped for lunch and watched the tide turn.


With a higher water level the Cuckmere became wider and easier to paddle for the return trip (than punt which we had to do at times for the inbound trip).



Finally reached Exceat Bridge and then the final leg back to the car park.


Thanks to Norman at Maidstone for organising this trip.
Or was it an adventure?