Nick Dennis
WCHA UK
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Kenneth Grahame- The Wind in the Willows
Over the first weekend of June a few members of the UK Chapter met for a weekend of paddling and merriment on the Thames in Oxfordshire based at Bolney Ferry Boathouse, Lower Shiplake where we could camp. For early June after the recent heatwave, the weather was a bit like the proverbial Curates Egg; ie good in parts. We had sun, wind and on the Saturday afternoon torrential rain.
I took my HV birchbark and my 1900 Peterborough Cedar Rib; the latter hadn't seen water for a year so I was anticipating wet knees. I wasn't wrong!
The sponge saw a lot of action over the weekend.
We were paddling on the backwaters and then would turnaround and return on the main river going with the flow and the wind. Both helped us home with ease.
Above Andy Gullands Peterborough 16S
The Hennerton Backwater never fails to impress
This green and pleasant land......
Of course we visited the pub......twice!
The sun was getting low as we left the pub for the Boathouse and supper with our non paddling members
The evenings were spent sitting around the smokey campfire or around the table on the Boathouse balcony eating ,quaffing a few bottles of wine, chatting and of course laughing! David Millward drove up from the south coast and joined us for the Saturday afternoon. It was good to see him.
It was a great weekend. Despite the weather we managed to get out on the water each day. Sometimes it's not always about paddling but getting like minded folks together to talk about their passion which is wooden canoes.
We had out on the river the following canoes
1900 Peterborough Cedar Rib
Rushton Navahoe
Peterborough 16S
Valkyrie Craft 14' Shearwater
1911 Old town Charles River
Henri Vaillancourt Birchbark
I hope this account has tempted you to grab a paddle, a canoe and get out there! Go on, you know it makes sense.
Cheers,
Nick
Over the first weekend of June a few members of the UK Chapter met for a weekend of paddling and merriment on the Thames in Oxfordshire based at Bolney Ferry Boathouse, Lower Shiplake where we could camp. For early June after the recent heatwave, the weather was a bit like the proverbial Curates Egg; ie good in parts. We had sun, wind and on the Saturday afternoon torrential rain.
I took my HV birchbark and my 1900 Peterborough Cedar Rib; the latter hadn't seen water for a year so I was anticipating wet knees. I wasn't wrong!
The sponge saw a lot of action over the weekend.
We were paddling on the backwaters and then would turnaround and return on the main river going with the flow and the wind. Both helped us home with ease.
Above Andy Gullands Peterborough 16S
The Hennerton Backwater never fails to impress
This green and pleasant land......
Of course we visited the pub......twice!
The sun was getting low as we left the pub for the Boathouse and supper with our non paddling members
The evenings were spent sitting around the smokey campfire or around the table on the Boathouse balcony eating ,quaffing a few bottles of wine, chatting and of course laughing! David Millward drove up from the south coast and joined us for the Saturday afternoon. It was good to see him.
It was a great weekend. Despite the weather we managed to get out on the water each day. Sometimes it's not always about paddling but getting like minded folks together to talk about their passion which is wooden canoes.
We had out on the river the following canoes
1900 Peterborough Cedar Rib
Rushton Navahoe
Peterborough 16S
Valkyrie Craft 14' Shearwater
1911 Old town Charles River
Henri Vaillancourt Birchbark
I hope this account has tempted you to grab a paddle, a canoe and get out there! Go on, you know it makes sense.
Cheers,
Nick
