On The Canal

For me, the trip up the Kennet with the Home Built Boat Rally came to an end at Newbury, where there is a fabulous range of facilities to wit:
A shower in the nearby leisure centre (£1.70);
A public slipway.
I think this is the first proper picture of the boat I had borrowed to do the trip, a Salter double skiff. A fibreglass brute but the right boat for the occasion. Paul Hadley and I could get her up to a decent clip and she could hold all our gear with no problems.
Three of us pulled out at Newbury and took a cab back to Pangbourne to collect the cars and trailers. The driver was a tremendous guy from Zimbabwe. We told him proudly how we had rowed/paddled/yulohed ALL THE WAY down the Thames and up the Kennet, and he told us how he used to avoid hippos in the Zambesi river.
The rest of the flotilla continued, pulling out at various points. Tim got to Bath. Adrian and Pete made it all the way to Bristol - kudos to them. There are more pictures here, here, here and here.
It was a great trip in great company. Thanks everyone.