NSGOM Have A Jolly time On The Water
In September the Not So Grumpies visited Carsington Water to build and race their own rafts. The visit began in true Grumpy style with a visit to the cafe for pre-event refreshments, following which our carer/instructor issued us with wetsuits, and retired whilst we attempted to squeeze into them. Looking like overfed seals we were then ready to start!
Split into 3 teams, each team was responsible for designing and building their own rafts, then launching them into the water. Captain ‘Thor Heyerdahl’ Attenborough and the crew of the Kontiki then floated around waiting for the other 2 vessels to undergo necessary adjustments to design/construction to make them seaworthy, during which time one crew member of the Titanic appeared to have fallen/been thrown overboard.
With all rafts finally afloat, the race began in earnest, and the true piratical nature of the participants became apparent! Despite the superior build quality of the Kontiki and strong backs of her crew, the Titanic nosed in front. It was only later discovered that Captain ‘Pugwash’ Saunders and the crew of the Black Pig had surreptitiously attached the Kontiki’s mooring rope to the Black Pig and were being towed by the Kontiki! With the Kontiki crew thus fatigued, the Black pig finally got her oars wet and pulled ahead.
By the end of the second leg, the Titanic was structurally compromised and had to be dry-docked, and her crew was divided between the remaining two rafts for the final leg. Aboard the Kontiki, it appeared that there was a grudge between the two new crew members and one tried to cast the other adrift by undoing the ropes securing his berth to the Kontiki, which resulted in an impressive display of solo barrel-riding by seaman Rose. Captain Pugwash and the crew of the Black Pig won the day.
Our instructor thanked us all for our participation, saying he had genuinely not seen anything like it before, and all crews retired for a de-brief (literally) before heading home.
To contact Mark, the group leader, please use the form below:-