Having the boat at home and taking advantage of a hot sunny day, we took her down and launched her on the Thames at Lechlade. Tied up just down river for lunch and then motored down to Kelmscott, via two locks, where we stopped for a drink in the pub. Then what should have been a leisurely motor back, except the engine packed up after the first lock. A friendly narrow boat gave us a tow back top the top lock, where the motor started again and we got back to the marina.
View Sailing Aug 10 and 11-12.2012 in a larger map
Launch and recovery was easy, with all of the masts off and no strings to sort out. Launching would have been even easier if I had first remembered to take the lighting board off.
Motoring on the river is OK, but my boat is not really designed for it. I have a deep narrow rudder, which tangles with weed and mud easily. I had it tilted up most of the time which makes it heavy and a bit vulnerable in the locks. I think if I wanted to do a long river journey under engine, I might make a shorter, deeper rudder blade specially for river journeys. But it was fun to do
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