Whitehalls

This enviable setup is on the Thames at Burcot, Oxfordshire. It isn't easy to identify the exact boat under the tarp, but it is clearly one of the American-made plastic sliding seat Whitehalls that are increasingly popular on coasts and lakes.

The dock is a great arrangement, keeping the boat out of the water so it stays nice and clean between trips instead of getting an indelible green waterline. The tarp is properly held down on the ground instead of strapped under the boat, which is both easier to attach and prevents water puddling in the cover and stretching it out of shape.

Coincidentally, the latest newsletter from Whitehall Rowing and Sail arrived, with two interesting stories. One is of a guy in New Hampshire who has been rowing his Tango double skiff twice a week for over a year, after being warned by his doctor that his weight (more than 300lb!) was killing him. He doesn't specify how much flab he has discarded but I bet it's a lot.

The other story is of a couple who got married in a lakeside hotel in British Columbia and are pictured rowing in their wedding togs. Awwww.....