For September 2009's raft race I built a winning craft. It was held together by little bits of white gaffer tape and plastic wrap. If I'd had a ship-mate, it hopefully would have looked something like a viking long boat. Oh well.

I'd show you pictures of it here, but I didn't paddle a mile on that boat, now, did I?. Didn't need to. Done it the year before. And now I've finally finished putting everything together...


*************

I knew from the very beginning of Insatiability that I would complete this task, for points or none.

And then, less than a month before the end of the era, I got word that it would happen. The email followed shortly thereafter. And so I give you...


THE LIMEHOUSE CUT THROAT

Raft Race 2008
- Olympic Time Trials -
Sunday 28 September
2pm Limehouse Cut

Start Line - Limehouse Cut (Canal), Commercial Road (A13) Bridge, South Side
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limehouse_Cut

Finish Line - Limehouse Basin
(Approx 400m)

RULES

No motors
No yachts
No more than 4 per raft
No running along the side of the towpath to make a leap for the finish line
No air rifles

Fishermen may change race location

The Town Hall will be open from 10.30am on Sunday 28 for raft building.Contact me if you want access to the hall in the week before.

Pre / Post drinks at The Grapes or the Narrow Street Pub on Narrow Street.
Possible BBQ at the Town Hall.

Rain or Shine (Five Star)
No pre-entry – just turn up with a team and a raft on the day
The canal is next to the old Town Hall

**********************************************



I read that and immediately thought, "Balloons!"

I'd made only vague plans for the raft, the day before. They ran along the lines of using two plastic fake doric columns (rescued from a theatre skip at the start of the summer) as pontoons, with balloons inside them, attached together with some dead bike inner tubes. Or something. It was vague because I had faith. My studio has some magic; we're all packrats enough that there's always something useful lying around in the midst of all the junk.

I had a heavy one on Saturday, and didn't turn up until 11:30 to start construction. I was the first to arrive. Evil, who'd called the race, came in on my heels, worried that no one would turn up. But the weather was gorgeous, better than it had been for most of the summer. So we started building.

We rooted around in the yard, in the cupboards, and I took out the three bags of balloons I'd picked up at the grocery store on the way in. 75 between them. Then I remembered I still had the plastic cover from when the landlord finally stumped for a mattress to replace the one with the broken springs. We found the remnants of some old marquees in the yard. That would provide the frame. We kept blowing, kept getting dizzier.

While we worked, a few people drifted in and set to work on the detritus lying around the hall, and others rang to find out where we would be holding the race.



We built, with gaffer tape and string.



And we gave each other tattoos. No self-respecting pirate sails without them.



The race happened late. No surprise there. And we chose, in the end, to hold it outside the Palm Tree, a rather fine pub on Regent's Canal near the top end of Mile End park. A much prettier spot that the grey of the Cut, and much cleaner too--you couldn't see the water in the Cut for the algae covering it over.

5 rafts made the march of just over a mile up to the race site.



Ours (mine and Evil's) was definitely the easiest to carry.



No, sorry, that's a lie. Emily had turned up at the hall 10 minutes before we left and threw this one together with particle board and styrofoam (the cloud shape was pre-existing).



The march along the towpath didn't take too long, and we had a fine summer day for it.



On the grass between the pub and the canal we lounged, preparing.



A few dinghies arrived, inflated so a few young pirates could join in.



At last, we embarked.



The race was full of drama and excitement.



In the end, we were edged by a dinghy floating on a cloud. Still we had a good lounge about before returning to solid ground.



We were quite proud of how we'd done, and not entirely surprised that we'd taken on a bit of water. A few balloons had popped during the race.



We lounged some more, drank some more, but finally the afternoon was moving on to evening, and we needed to get the rafts back to Limehouse. So began the long, soggy paddle. Happily, the race's victor loaned me her kayak paddle. We set off.







Others opted for the occasional tow. Not I.







We had to portage around a lock on the canal. I was really quite wet by then.



The kayak paddle was pretty efficient. Bristly and Hardcastle lagged behind, then teamed up.








The total distance paddled after the race was 1.042miles.


*************************************

For more pictures of that raft race, look here.

For pictures of the race in September 2009, look here.

If you'll be in London in September 2010 and want to sail, get in touch.