Nick Dennis
WCHA UK
Last weekend the UK Chapter had their second paddle of the year with a weekend of paddling and socialising at Bolney Ferry Boathouse in Oxfordshire on the River Thames. The wether was forecast to be a typical English summer with a bit of everything due to be thrown at us so it was a case of packing for the worst but praying for the best!
Sam Browning had been busy repairing David Millwards's cedar rib canoe; David had put a canvas on it to waterproof it back in 1966 so the plan was to remove the canvas, do some other repairs and hopefully get it back on the water looking as it would have originally but hopefully watertight. At 18 foot it was a hernia producing effort to get it on the trailer along with two further cedar ribs, my 1900'ish Peterborough rib "Femme Fatale" and Sams 1930's rib canoe. There was also another rib canoe at the Boathouse so we had four in total; a real moment especially in the UK thousands of miles from where these canoes originated.
Having arrived and pitched our tents other members arrived and so we did the instinctive Friday afternoon thing.....we went to the pub. This was going to be a test on two fronts; firstly I had a hamstring and knee ligament issue so kneeling for some time in a canoe would be a test and secondly, the large cedar rib had been in the sunshine and had dried out so we were expecting some leakage. Knnepads and sponges were suitably loaded and we set off.
We were correct on both fronts; my knee was painful and Sam and Alan had to sponge and then stop and empty out their canoe which took on a lot of water. We were joined at the pub by Andy and Alick so a few beers were enjoyed. I set back to the Boathouse first, travelling down the beautiful Hennerton Backwater where I managed to surprise an Otter. I re-adjusted my kneeling position which made the paddling less painful but to rest it I decided not to paddle for the remainder of the weekend. The weather for that paddle was dry but the wind was getting funnelled down the river which made a there and back journey difficult in the "there" direction.
Others arrived throughout the evening from various parts of the country and west around the campfire that evening for a fish n chip supper which I collected from Henley Upon Thames.
Saturday was a lazy start, some went for an early loop paddle around the island but on return the heavens opened and Andy in his Peterborough 16S caught the brunt of it.
We had a light lunch at the Boathouse whilst we awaited the arrival of David Millward who eventually got to us for 1pm. He was delighted with his new look canoe so we landed him in with a stern paddler so that he could use it and with everyone else loaded they set off to ........the pub. I stayed behind as I was chef and spent my afternoon food prepping and slow cooking a sausage and bean casserole in my Dutch oven over the fire. I sat and watched it with a beer in hand getting up occasionally to give it a stir and add some more wine for flavour.
Later all returned, the canoes were put to bed for the evening and we all enjoyed a fine supper with wine and song around the campfire. A perfect end to the day.
We had, 3 cedar rib canoes, an Old Town Charles River, a Chestnut Playmate, a 1930 Peterborough 16S, a modern Peterborough Cedar strip canoe and a small single sheet of ply gore canoe.
To be continued................
Sam Browning had been busy repairing David Millwards's cedar rib canoe; David had put a canvas on it to waterproof it back in 1966 so the plan was to remove the canvas, do some other repairs and hopefully get it back on the water looking as it would have originally but hopefully watertight. At 18 foot it was a hernia producing effort to get it on the trailer along with two further cedar ribs, my 1900'ish Peterborough rib "Femme Fatale" and Sams 1930's rib canoe. There was also another rib canoe at the Boathouse so we had four in total; a real moment especially in the UK thousands of miles from where these canoes originated.
Having arrived and pitched our tents other members arrived and so we did the instinctive Friday afternoon thing.....we went to the pub. This was going to be a test on two fronts; firstly I had a hamstring and knee ligament issue so kneeling for some time in a canoe would be a test and secondly, the large cedar rib had been in the sunshine and had dried out so we were expecting some leakage. Knnepads and sponges were suitably loaded and we set off.
We were correct on both fronts; my knee was painful and Sam and Alan had to sponge and then stop and empty out their canoe which took on a lot of water. We were joined at the pub by Andy and Alick so a few beers were enjoyed. I set back to the Boathouse first, travelling down the beautiful Hennerton Backwater where I managed to surprise an Otter. I re-adjusted my kneeling position which made the paddling less painful but to rest it I decided not to paddle for the remainder of the weekend. The weather for that paddle was dry but the wind was getting funnelled down the river which made a there and back journey difficult in the "there" direction.
Others arrived throughout the evening from various parts of the country and west around the campfire that evening for a fish n chip supper which I collected from Henley Upon Thames.
Saturday was a lazy start, some went for an early loop paddle around the island but on return the heavens opened and Andy in his Peterborough 16S caught the brunt of it.
We had a light lunch at the Boathouse whilst we awaited the arrival of David Millward who eventually got to us for 1pm. He was delighted with his new look canoe so we landed him in with a stern paddler so that he could use it and with everyone else loaded they set off to ........the pub. I stayed behind as I was chef and spent my afternoon food prepping and slow cooking a sausage and bean casserole in my Dutch oven over the fire. I sat and watched it with a beer in hand getting up occasionally to give it a stir and add some more wine for flavour.
Later all returned, the canoes were put to bed for the evening and we all enjoyed a fine supper with wine and song around the campfire. A perfect end to the day.
We had, 3 cedar rib canoes, an Old Town Charles River, a Chestnut Playmate, a 1930 Peterborough 16S, a modern Peterborough Cedar strip canoe and a small single sheet of ply gore canoe.
To be continued................
