How better to spend a calm and sunny August Sunday than pottering around on the water?
The water in question was Underbank Reservoir, only a few minutes drive from home. It’s a place I know well, having paddled there regularly when I first got my own canoe, and it’s perfect for a gentle float around.
It sits just outside the Peak District National Park, and even at low summer water levels, offers lovely views.
After my first trial trip solo in the cronje, I had decided to replace the stern thwart with a kneeling thwart to allow me to kneel in reasonable comfort closer to the middle of the boat. At 2′ back, it is really a bit too far back, but I am only likely to be using this boat for any distance with a good load in it, and that could be used to keep the trim even.
I had also decided not to fit additional buoyancy – it has built-in air tanks in stem and stern, and its intended use is for open or flat water touring, so extra air bags seem superfluous.
Gear loops were screwed in under the gunnels using P-clips – strong enough top provide attachment points for bags of gear and keep them in contact with the boat if we did ever go over.
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