It has been a while since we have attempted a long run in the K2 together. On account if Lee doing not too badly this past Friday, he was in the front with the stick between his toes. We started at 08:44 having driven and dropped Matt's car in the car park at Runnymeade, which means we have to get back there. On the way back to Marlow the car is buffeted by the wind and it is lashing down with rain.
We set off just below Marlow lock and the conditions are just horrible, Matt is behind the Atkins bulk so at least he is sheltered, there are leaves everywhere which are soon jammed to the front of the boat and the spary off the bow is being driven into Lee's face by the wind, we pass another K2 heading upstream just below the Longridge scout camp, we think they mutter "another couple of DW loons"
This is a stretch which Lee knows well on account of his in-laws boat being moored in Cookham, our balance on this section is all wrong and we are really uncomfortable. We push on and reach the first portage at Cookham, the next section in the Cliveden reach
is better and less exposed to the weather. Finally we reach Boulters Lock and thread the boat through a pedestrian tunnel below the lock which is not the correct route we later find out.
is better and less exposed to the weather. Finally we reach Boulters Lock and thread the boat through a pedestrian tunnel below the lock which is not the correct route we later find out.Maidenhead to Windsor the wind is in our face and blowing a gale, on turning the bend nearing Windsor, Windsor Castle looms:
We comment it makes you proud to be British. Below Windsor bridge we have to keep hard right away from the weir, another portage and we eventually head out with Windor Great Park to our right, the wind is now cross river over our right shoulders and so strong we have to tuck in right under HRH's bank, we hope she won't mind as we accumulate ever more leaves and the boat feels stuck in the water.
We comment it makes you proud to be British. Below Windsor bridge we have to keep hard right away from the weir, another portage and we eventually head out with Windor Great Park to our right, the wind is now cross river over our right shoulders and so strong we have to tuck in right under HRH's bank, we hope she won't mind as we accumulate ever more leaves and the boat feels stuck in the water. Windsor Lock:
Finally after two more locks we end up in Magna Carta country 
and three bends later we see the car and the fishermen we left four hours ago.
and three bends later we see the car and the fishermen we left four hours ago.Our time:
03:12:44, 19.08 miles, average speed 5.9 mph we hit a max of 9.3 mph at one point! avg heart rate 137 bpm and 1,757 calories burned!
That was one tough experience, Matt needed to shoot home so no chance to sample the coffee and picnic Lee had packed................another chunk of the Thames ticked off, if we do the same distance from Runnymeade we should reach the tidal lock at Teddington and the start of the tidal section.
No comments:
Post a Comment