March 14/15 Navigation course joining instructions

Thanks again for booking onto the navigation course we have planned for 14/15 March - I’m looking forward to meeting you.

I’m hoping that this page contains all the information that you need ahead of the course. I’ve put these instructions online so that if I’ve missed anything, I can add it later - please do let me know what’s missing! It also contains a couple of things that Paddle UK insist I include - so apologies for its length!

The plan

We’ll aim to begin the course at 09:00 on Saturday morning. Please feel free to arrive from 08:30 - be aware that we might still be in the chaos of setting up if you arrive early! I plan to be finished by 17:30 on each day. A very rough time plan is below:

As a reminder, we’re planning to cover all of the British Canoeing navigation modules over the weekend (Weather, Tides, Surf & Swell, Navigation, Open Crossings). We’ll cover Open Crossings as the last item on Sunday and you’re free to make a decision either way if you want to join us for that at the time. For those not joining us for Open Crossings, I expect to be done with the other modules by 15:00 on Sunday.

The course ‘handout’ is online here. I’ll teach the course through discussion and interactive planning exercises wherever possible to keep the ‘lecturing’ part to a minimum. The course requires full and active participation to complete, but there is no assessment element.

What to bring

The Scout Hut has a small kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities. Please bring your own lunch and snacks. There is a small village shop a short walk away. Anyone who brings cake or other baked goods along will doubtless be very popular.

I’ll provide most of what you need for the course, but please bring:

Warm clothes in case the venue is cool.
Outdoor clothing for a short outdoor exercise on the recreation ground by the venue. The recreation ground is rather muddy, so if possible, bring a spare pair of shoes on the first day to avoid bringing mud into the scout hut (there will be options to complete the exercise staying on paved paths!)
Your smartphone - to look up online forecasts etc. (we can work in pairs if not everyone has a working phone / poor reception etc.). If you prefer (as I do - fat fingers?!) to work on a laptop/tablet tethered to a phone, please feel free to bring whatever works for you.
If you have one - a Silva-type baseplate compass (I can provide these if not, but it’s nice to get to know your own)
If you need them - reading glasses - we’ll be working with charts and maps with fine detail
Pen/pencil and something to take notes on
Any navigational equipment (e.g. dividers, plotters…) that you’d like to use (I’ll provide these, but again, it’s nice to use your own if you have them)

Directions to the venue

We have been kindly offered the use of Hardwick Scout Hut for the course. The Scout Hut is imperfectly insulated - we will use the (noisy) heaters in breaks to keep the space warm, but please bring warm jumpers.

We’re lucky to have been offered the use of the Scout Hut by Hardwick Scouts in return for a modest donation - please help me keep their building clean and tidy!

Hardwick is a village just south of the A428. Come off the A428 at the junction to the west of the village (signed: Toft, Hardwick, Dry Drayton). Follow signs through the junction for Toft, Hardwick to take the St. Neots road that runs along the north side of the village. After 1 km, turn right onto Cambridge Rod, signed ‘Village centre, Toft’ After 500m, just after yellow ‘School - keep clear’ marks on road, turn right onto Egremont Road, signed ‘Recreation Ground’ Follow Egremont road. The park opens up to your right, eventually you will see a parking area on the right, accessed across a drop curb. Park in the parking area (by the road, or, if this is full, further across the park close to the Social Club) Walk away from the road along the tarmac that crosses the park. You will pass the Social Club, then come to the Scout Hut. The Hut is accessed at the far end through a gate, but if you knock on the windows we can direct you and let you in!

The parking area is close to the location that Google has for the Hardwick Sports & Social Club (The Pavillion, Egremont Rd, Hardwick, Cambridge CB23 7XR).

The parking is at: 52.213074, 0.008117 https://maps.app.goo.gl/AkqpMLer5uvgc8oj8 W3W: ///seriously.cheering.doctors

The Scout Hut is at: 52.214044, 0.008800 https://maps.app.goo.gl/YDvMuZuivPdXE2Qw5 W3W: ///boardroom.gums.shin

If you can’t find us, please give me a call: 07846 997057

Policies etc

As a provider delivering courses on behalf of Paddles Up Training (PUT) I would like to direct your attention to their policies which can be seen here: https://paddlesuptraining.com/policies, especially the policies on: Data Collection and Data Retention, Appeals procedure, Equality and Diversity, Special Considerations and Reasonable Adjustments. My policies (including my privacy notice and cancellation policy) can be found here.

I hope that’s everything. If you have any questions or concerns then please do not hesitate to contact me, either by email or phone - my number is: 07846 997057.