Work Party (Special )

17 February – Special Work Party

Those of us that race regularly realised some time ago that the overhanging trees on the opposite bank from the club were becoming a problem. Some had collapsed into the water becoming a navigation problem and some had branches that stretched out and snagged sails. An appeal to the EA was all but ignored so a decision was made to do something about it ourselves.

On the 17th six members met at the club and with chainsaws, axes and a variety of other tools set about clearing the more obvious obstructions. Nigel and Tony did the cutting. Don and myself towed the cut branches across the river. Bryan and Gordon cut up the branches on the club slipway.

The wood was then carried up to the car park for disposal. I suppose we worked for about six hours. The Aquarius patrol boat battled manfully against a strong current while towing some enormous boughs but eventually we managed to clear the more dangerous obstacles. There’s still a hell of a lot to do but it was a good start and it proved the techniques that were used were about right.

Mike (who’d be a lumberjack) Baker