I've a canoe!

After a few days away (doing the usual cleaning, sweeping, polishing  and chilling), I decided to buy myself a Canadian canoe to extend my boating into the rivers and creeks that Skylark can't reach. In Suffolk we are blessed with lots of rivers such as the Stour, the Gipping and Orwell, the Deben and Waveney that are crying out to be explored.

I've had a kayak for many years but not used it much recently because it's a bit restricted for space and easy to tip over (not much fun). So, an open canoe has been bought and paid for. 

It's a secondhand Old Town Pack measuring 12' in length and weighing in at a paltry 15 kgs - easy to lift on and off the Landy roof. I fitted the two air bags to aid buoyancy in the event of a big splash and invested in a new buoyancy jacket (one that does not self-inflate when you hit the water). The paddle is borrowed from my kayak.

Even though I have spent an arm and a leg on registering Skylark with the EA, I have needed a licence for this boat too. In fact, I think boat registration should be like having a tv licence where you can have extra sets in your house/boat/caravan once you get a licence for home. Anyway, joining Canoe England comes with a licence so I've done that.

Now its time to pack a few things in a waterproof bag (eg, a towel, spare togs, grub and a drink) and head off into the wide blue yonder.