Ulster says 'yeooo!' - Northern Meet

Information about ISKA meets
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Joerogan
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:45 pm

Ulster says 'yeooo!' - Northern Meet

Post by Joerogan » Sat Jul 23, 2022 9:12 pm

Hello folks!

The Northern will be held on the 5th - 7th August In County Down.

We have secured camping at Bloody Bridge Camp site near Newcastle. Although not waterside - it will form a great base to paddle from.

Meet Structure
Our plan is to meet Friday and have a short paddle locally depending on weather. Something small and fun.

Saturday we will have organised a selection of paddles people can sign up for. These will have max numbers as they are being organised by local leaders and they must abide by the NGB rules. There should be something for everyone. Hopefully we will have a briefing board at the info tent where people can sign up for preferred paddles.

Sunday will have a selection of short paddles before people pack up and we close the event.

Camping
This is booked via the registration form - payment for camping must be made to Bloody Bridge on arrival (cash is appreciated)

The cost is £20 per night for a 4 person camping pitch. Once we have an eye on numbers we may be able to put people on shared sites to split the cost. For more information on the campsite and their rules visit http://www.camping.bloodybridge.com/html/prices.html

The location of the site is best seen here: https://goo.gl/maps/XNbD2hvAwUkGG3VJA

Food
The meet is self catering, however we are planning to have a BBQ available Saturday night for people to avail of - all money will go to aid the local RNLI Lifeboat in Newcastle.

Where do I sign up?

Simply fill in the form below and we will be in touch with more details!

https://forms.gle/hH3z9aYD5BavqnTQA

See you on the 5th!

Joe Rogan and Team

Joerogan
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:45 pm

Re: Ulster says 'yeooo!' - Northern Meet

Post by Joerogan » Tue Aug 02, 2022 8:32 pm

Hey folks,

Everything is looking good for the weekend. Looking like a great weekend ahead!

Spaces are still available and there are some cracking paddles in discussion - something for everyone! Details will be published here tomorrow PM.

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Joerogan
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:45 pm

Re: Ulster says 'yeooo!' - Northern Meet

Post by Joerogan » Thu Aug 04, 2022 12:47 pm

Hello Folks,

Hope you are all well and watching the weather as closely as I am (while sailing the Irish Sea home from visiting family in England.)

This post should update you all to the current arrangements for this weekend, but do be aware things can change so do keep an eye on the forum here for last minute updates.

Accommodation

The Campsite at bloody bridge is open for check in Friday from 3pm onwards. I will be there from 3pm setting up so if you wish to lend a hand, let me know. If you are not able to arrive Friday and anticipate arriving Saturday then you can check in any time in the morning, although if you wish to attend some of the early paddles I would suggest setting up in the afternoon after the Saturday paddles have finished. Just let the reception know you're with the ISKA Meet.

Be aware of the site rules before arriving - especially around noise and fire pits. We will aim to have a central fire pit but this will be negotiated with the site owner tomorrow.

The location of the site can be found above.

Programme

We have several paddling options for you which you can sign up for. I will have a whiteboard at my campsite with the paddles listed, but if you can have in mind which paddle you'd like to attend and let me know either at the campsite on Friday or via WhatsApp above.

Friday
We aim to lead a short, fun paddle from Annalong Friday evening on the water for 1930. Our aim is to paddle towards Thomas' Beach for a small snack then have a few fun competitions on the way back for those that are keen. It is a totally optional paddle. There is a great chippy opposite the harbour for an easy dinner if desired. Please meet at the pier north of the Harbour -

Saturday
There will be several options, all supported by qualified expert leaders from local clubs.

1. Annalong to Newcastle (out and back) - This is a paddle perfect for beginners to intermediates with some breathtaking scenery, some small cave exploring and a great beach landing. The start time for this paddle will be 1030 on the water so please aim to be there in plenty of time to get parking, offloaded and ready. This paddle will be lead by Vernetta and Patrica with help from a few others. meeting point is 54.10969217037588, -5.895018117319087

2. Ardglass to Gunns Island (out and back) - The paddle is perfect for every ability. This coastline allows for great introductions to rock hopping with plenty of cracks and creases to get your nose into. We aim for this paddle to be on the water by 10am at Ardglass. Please meet near the Sea Gems Cafe and waterside gift shop in the main harbour - Please ensure you do not park outside the cafe unless unloading boats - they wish to reserve those spaces for customers as they do get busy. This paddle will be led by myself, Steve and Willy and a few other helpers. The meet point is 54.259299583882225, -5.605420094838139

3. Strangford to Gunns Island (out and back) - this paddle is perfect for the lover of some flow. The aim to to take some time playing at Angus rock, enjoying the best of the tidal range then head round to meet group 2 at Gunns Island for some early lunch. The aim is for this paddle to be on the water at 9am to make the most of the tidal window at Angus Rock. Please meet at the car park beside the Strangford ferry. This paddle will be led by the Two Peters and some helpers. The meet point is 54.37077173018678, -5.554330634557898

4. Connecting the dots - There is an optional one way paddle. You could join the Ardglass paddle with group 2, then continue into Strangford with group 3 OR you could paddle with group 3 then continue with Group 2 to Ardglass - If you wish to do this we can work out shuttles on arrival at the destination. If you are keen to do this, please do get in touch before Friday afternoon via WhatsApp.

Sunday
We have two options depending on peoples preferences.

1. Annalong to Greencastle - this would requires some shuttle set ups but could be very helpful for those wanting escape quickly in a southerly direction.

2. Ardglass to Rossglass beach and back taking in St Johns point and Lighthouse - a long Sunday paddle which can easily be done as a shuttle also with the additional bonus of the coffee van at Rossglass.

There is a third option of a surf day at Newcastle, however this will depend on the swell closer to the time.

I really look forward to meeting you all over the Weekend and the team are excited to introduce you to some of the gems the North East has to offer.

If you have any issues you wish to discuss, please feel free to get in touch!

Kind regards

Joe and Team

Joerogan
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:45 pm

Re: Ulster says 'yeooo!' - Northern Meet

Post by Joerogan » Sat Aug 06, 2022 8:06 am

Morning

Wee update

All paddles are meeting at 10am at their start locations

If you are coming to the campsite we will have a quick brief at 9 before people depart.

Any issues give me a ring Joe 07472404288

Chris McDaid
Posts: 169
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 7:35 pm

Re: Ulster says 'yeooo!' - Northern Meet

Post by Chris McDaid » Sun Aug 07, 2022 7:16 pm

Excellent weekend, many thanx to Joe Rogan and all the helpers. Great weather, company & barbecue

Cheers
Chris

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