Jonty Chippendale, one of the victims of the dreadful Cockermouth flood, started rowing again recently, taking his Michalak-designed Robote out on Bassenthwaite Lake. He writes:
This is a picture of my Jim Michalak designed ‘Robote’. Its surprisingly quick and very easy going, can handle a fierce chop without getting me wet, and is light enough to car top single handed – at a push.
This day I had just rowed the length and back of Bassenthwaite Lake (the only lake in the Lake District for all you quiz fanatics!) a distance of about 6 miles. In fact I did more as it was such a beautiful morning I did a couple of extra miles afterwards just pottering around watching the bird life. Later in the year we have Ospreys feeding on the lake, but you can only do so much neck craning when rowing a brisk 6 miles, so I have yet to see one in the act of fishing!
I also have a recreational sliding seat scull which is much quicker but significantly less stable so even less suitable as a sight seeing platform.
I have a mind to use the Robote for a camping/cruising holiday, I just can’t decide where. Any suggestions – not to crowded and with quiet places to lay up for the night. Oh and NO MIDGES so that rules out Scotland and Ireland in the summer!
Enjoy the blog,
Jonty Chippendale.Well, Jonty, if you can bear to come down to the soft south you could look at the events the Home Built Boat Rally are organising, including our row down the Thames following the Beale Park Boat Show, and the Dinghy Cruising Association's Cobnor week, a brilliant camping week with access to some of the loveliest rowing waters anywhere.
