My paddle partner will be a good friend called John who has a little less paddle experience than me but is very much up for the journey after recently completing a full restoration on an Austin 7 racer.
Equipment wise I do not have much and what I do have was either cheap or old. My canoe is a real Tank, a Coleman Ram-x 17 , it looks like it has survived a few world wars but it was cheap and there's plenty of life in the old girl yet I'm sure. I've had her in a lake with 3 adults and 4 kids and although she wasn't particularly steady she performed well and nobody got wet which is always a bonus! Obviously I have a buoyancy aid, this I bought from http://www.decathlon.co.uk for a princely sum of £19.99.
I was worried about securing gear for camping ect. into the canoe and not losing it so I set out to find a good way of doing this and after a bit of searching came up with this very good guide to fitting out an open canoe http://www.palmequipmenteurope.com/blogs/open-canoeing/outfitting-an-open-canoe/. Rope, Pipe and Shock Cord were ordered as per the instructions on the site and work got under way unfortunately I didn't order enough Rope or Shock Cord! so the front of the canoe is still not done but parts are on order.
Did some planning last night and came up with the following:-
- Set off from Hull at 4am (bloody early but we have a 2.5 hr, 150 mile journey to Ironbridge)
- Arrive (hopefully) at Ironbridge for 6:30am
- Secure Canoe and drive to Bewdley and Park the Truck up
- Taxi back to Ironbridge £35
- Set off downriver around 9am
- Stay over at the Unicorn Inn at Hampton Loade (drink beer and eat heartily)
- Set off when ready next morning (depends on how many beers night before)
- Arrive Bewdley and Throw Canoe on Truck
- Time permitting a trip to Marstons brewery on the way home for a Tour
Best laid plans and all that so lets hope things pan out and the trip goes well.
We have now procured a nice blue barrel to put our gear in to keep it dry, I have also learnt than there are a set of Rapids not far from Ironbridge! these go by the name of Jackfield Rapids and look like a man made thing but should make things interesting, I can see John and I going swimming! must get a long rope to make sure we don't lose the canoe...
