It was a cold cloudy Crouch that greeted us first thing Saturday morning, absolutely nobody was out sailing, at the ‘sailing centre’ of the east coast, that shows what a beautiful day it was!

Still, Roy wanted to paddle the crouch before he left the area for warmer climes, so eight of us did battle with the superb changing facilities in Burnham High Street and stocked up on chocolate and drinks at the overpriced store and set off for the put in at ‘TOWN STEPS’ !*”^! It was a wooden (very slippery) slide that led to a pontoon –not a step in sight – Cheryl was that impressed with the woodwork she insisted on taking a closer look but had to lay flat out to do this! (Barry didn’t laugh! He was just nervously concerned in case she had hurt herself)

The shuttle sorted and Loraine kitted up as a big yellow duck we set off with the rain and wind on our backs, Barry’s hunter gather instincts came into play as he threw his fishing lure over the side and paddled off expecting a nice fishy for dinner, but it was not the hunter but gatherer that won the day as after several miles all he had caught was some empty shells and some sea weed.

To make the paddle a little more interesting we diverted round Brigemarsh Island and past Althorne marina where we rafted and drank hot drinks and ate all of Angies’ flapjack, with somebody pushing the raft away from the expensive boats as we raced through the backwater on a spring tide

All too soon we were back onto the main river and could just see the shadowy shapes of the masts at North Fambridge, skirting the pontoon we alighted at the concrete slip of N. Fambridge marina, some of us (all the blokes) carried the boats ¼ mile up the road to the car park, but all the girls drove the cars to the boats!

The paddle although cold, cloudy and damp was a pleasant trip but the hospitality, open fire and great food at the Ferry Boat Inn turned it into a very nice day.