Report on River Stour Trip

By Richard Pankhurst

 

 In November I was asked to plan an expedition for three people. The team consisted of myself Richard Pankhurst A.K.A Para Panky, Phillp smith and the one, the only shamaz Pierson.

After some considerable time (three weeks) planning and testing the equipment for fault we got the date 30^th November to the 1^st December.   

In Truth Sea Scout fashion the team awoke with the lark and got things out the loft. After 15minites tents was the only thing on the list still to find. A call went out for two tents 10minites later the tents were found and the panic was over, but as one problem was solved another arose. The weather, kicking down with rain very wet and cold but in holy trin style as we love all things wet we didn’t cancel the expedition we went through it and loved it.

We waited for tappy and we hit the road half an hour later we were at sandwich and launching. Remember what I said about problems well after having to sit on the front of the landrover to push sea spray off it’s trailer, a swan started to eat the outboard.

After an hour of waiting for Dan A.K.A coxswain to get back from our first recovery site (I won’t tell you what happened there).

Mean while back in sandwich us boys had trouble of our own as the tide was speedily leaving us.

When Dan came back we swiftly exited sandwich and we went on our way to the place we called home for the night Frankly if we had an inspection at night I would of told him/her we weren’t coming out. As shoes got wet we had to resort to bin bags as socks(empty).

We had nothing so we amused our selves by doing the jaffacakes ad with bourbon biscuits. (It was a scream!) .

The next morning we arose too find we were ice cubes (NO JOKE).

Cold and icy. We had breakfast and packed up and left (I wont tell the river bank story).

 Off we went to meet Bosun and No1 at grove ferry we got there that a bout 1o’clock. After mooring up, Phill took a bath while the rest of us had lunch. Then we casted off. Next stop Fordwich. Bosun was is my boat and Phill and shane in coxins boat. After some considerable time tugging up the river all we saw apart from the odd swan was really bad pollution. (And got a really good football from a man over broad drill.) It was a memorable weekend and a good time was had by all.