The Canoeist

I heard a soft bump alongside a bit earlier on and stuck my head out of the hatch to see what had contacted. I saw a right hand set of white knuckles gripping the gunwale, as a rat's tail of old blue polypropylene flew through the air in my direction. The canoeist was making fast, unsteadily and at arms reach. His boat, an open fifteen footer with a lug sail, was rocking under his feet but agile as a monkey, he was up and over The Promise's side in a trice. He was nut brown and sinewy and grinning like a chad; he stuck out his hand and introduced himself simply as "Tom Colt."

'How d'you do Mr Colt,' I replied seriously.

'I saw your boat and couldn't resist,' he smiled. 'Real pretty.' His American accent rolled like the plains of Dakota.

I nodded. 'Kettle's on. Take a seat.'

So it was I came to meet Thomas Edson Colt. Canoeist, Mountaineer and man of the New World. Interesting.

Scrub between tides

I've just revamped the design side of me blog. In an idle moment you understand. A gig-rowing maid suggested that the reversed out of black was hard to read. Not so sure but there y'go; have a look. The picture is borrowed from painter and occasional crew, Ian Heard back in Blighty. It's a rough, he says but still managed to sell it. Be nice when it's done, I thought. He tells me he has a stack of half finished boards and canvases under his desk while his old boat moulders in some backwater. I've told him to bloody sort it out. Boats is for barnacles, not slugs and snails. He has got a new mooring for next year and I hope to see him afloat when I get back for a trip.

Meanwhile, the crew and I took The Promise down to the estuary of the Belon river a while ago, intending it as a spring board for deeper water but Port Manech is a tranquil, sheltered spot and there's miles of creeks to explore. The oysters are the best in Brittany and friends I have on the Odet, drive a sixty mile round trip for them. They are French I should say. More later when the kettle's boiled I have some nice tales of this place and other bits and bobs. Cheers.