Stuart Reeve posted on November 06, 2009 06:42
The day started out in normal CAP fashion as we realised that we didn’t have enough room for all the boats. A few phone calls later and the problem was rectified as cars and drivers were recalled to the container. When all the boats were safely stacked on the cars, we setoff in convoy , stopping several times en route to check that everyone was going the right way. We got to the river and started getting kitted up then it was off to actually get wet in the river.
After shooting the first weir, we paddled on a little more, until we found a delightful inn in which to eat our (soggy for some) sandwiches and drip dry on the pub benches. We soon started feeling cold, so, the emergency shelter was produced, and it wasn’t long before the group started getting very strange looks from passersby.
After lunch, we fell back in to our boats and into the water lazily, when suddenly a saviour appeared in the form of a narrow boat with friendly men on board that towed some of the more lazy paddlers up to the next lock.
There was then a mad paddle to Burpham Weir to play on the small wave there. We had fun surfing the wave and climbing behind the curtain of water.
After a while we slowly paddled our way back up to the car park and gladly got out and into dry clothes. When all the boats were back on the roof, and practically the entire store was in the back of the cars, we made our way to the pub for a well-earned pint before going on the journey back to Croydon to start the week both knackered yet refreshed by a great day’s paddle.