Not sailing

Today was the first day of sailing, which means that there was no sailing whatsoever, just a lot of clearing and sweeping and washing. The annual clearing day always happens just before the season starts and is supposed to be about getting the whole place in working order after the winter break. We clear up the club house and remove any boats that have been sheltering in there. We remove all the debris that the river has flooded in and sweep out the layer of mud that is left on every surface that the water has touched.

Of course, traditionally the river the floods the week afterwards, destroying our hopes of a frostbite series and ruining all our good work.

This year it was all a little closer than we would like. We cleaned and cleared with the river pretty much lapping the edge of the enclosure. We were pretty sure that it had been in last week and therefore was, in theory, going down, but you can never be too sure. Nevertheless, an executive decision was made to clear up anyway. So we did.

The best bit is definitely sweeping the mud. We flood the whole place with the hoses and then sweep the muddy suspension into the field next door. It is very wet and very very muddy. Despite being dosed up to keep his temperature down, Nathaniel seemed to rather enjoy himself. Early on he took control of the hose.


He seemed slightly confused as to what the rest of us were doing which is quite reasonable, some of us weren't really sure either!


He didn't look well!


But there are few ailments that can't be relieved by a tub of dates!


Of course, everyone else was working hard. Here are Max, Hugh, Phil, Ian and Nicky hard at work supervising James and Pete actually doing something!

Behind them you can see the swirling, brown, sticky stuff that is the river. Its usually a good metre below this.

The little boy is much better now (Wednesday). He's got his first lot of banana medicine and is now prancing round the house like the kids in the calpol advert (I have never seen a truer advert in my life!).