Unfortunately while out on the water I was cut up by another canoeist and fell into the river. Fortunately didn't drink any of the Thames spring water but did find it very cold and lost my sunnies too. I managed to swim to the side of the bank and a couple of very helpful canoers who were passing helped me out to right my canoe and do a deep water rescue to get back into it.
What did annoy me was that the canoer that cut me up was from the same club and didn't even approach me afterwards to apologise or even see if I was ok. Wiki said that he's known for being rude and never giving way to other people. Other people in the club did come up to me afterwards to see if I was ok.
This Thursday I went back to try some more canoeing. I was a bit nervous of falling in again as I went out in the same narrower canoe. The weather conditions weren't perfect but not as bad as last week when it was quite gusty.
Fortunately it was all fine and I didn't fall in this time.
Some of the more expensive canoes at the club.
However, at one point as I turned the canoe around I was overflown by around half a dozen geese! They were just taking off and came within a couple of feet of my head! It was quite shocking but at the same time really exciting to see the large animals so closely. I really wished I had my camera with me at that exact moment.
I was also rammed from behind by a couple of rowers! I was innocently paddling along when all of a sudden the rower hit the back of my canoe and then hit my paddle. I dropped the paddle and then held onto their boat as they came beside me. Fortunately they apologised quite a bit and helped me retrieve my paddle. No harm done but I was determined not to get angry with them as I was only a beginner.
The problem is that the rowers can't see where they are going as they row backwards and the canoests can only see in front of them, so the two are bound to collide more often than not.
Later on in the evening I was paddling along beside the bank when I saw a large group of about eight beginner rowers in front of me. They had a cox that was shouting instructions to them. As I came up to them they started to veer toward the bank on the right so I overtook them on the left in the middle of the river. Then just as I passed them their cox shouted at me to stay beside the bank! I was quite annoyed at this as I would have stayed by the bank had they not blocked my way. Grrr!
Here are prime examples of the rowers on the river. In the background you can actually see the beginner rowers and the cox that shouted at me.
Still at least I didn't fall in this time and I feel I am improving at paddling, but only very slowly. It's not as easy as it appears to paddle along in a canoe while trying not to roll into the water too.
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