Day 7 - Pain killers, dry bags and fenders.

 Day 7.  We have arrived in Windsor, after 5 locks and 12 miles. Today we rowed through Marlow and stopped for lunch in Maidenhead.  Again, we have kindly been offered safe overnight mooring thanks to a friendly rowing club. This time the Eton Excelsior Rowing Club.  Friends met us at the rowing club with snacks galore, took us to our accommodation and joined us for a walk to Windsor Castle  

The river has got much busier with big motor boats and rowing boats.  Dads mirrors are working a treat, which is helpful as my neck is incredibly sore. After the first couple of blogs, I decided to stop talking about he pain as no one wants to hear about that, but its still there and now affecting different parts of the body. Both of us have sore lower backs and blistered hands (despite wearing gloves).  Dad is suffering with sore hips and my shoulders and neck are affecting me.  It’s hardly surprising as we are rowing for between 5 to 6 hours a day. Dad started taking painkillers on Day 1.  I only started taking them this morning and while they are reducing the pain, it’s not eliminating it. 

Dads ingenuity continues to impress me.  He’s an experienced boater (is that a word) and an engineer. In addition to post mounted rear view mirrors (which I think all coxless boats could do with, he also invented mini fenders using old plastic milk bottles. Simple.  Part fill the bottle with water, tie string to the bottle handle and something inside the boat.  Result. When they have finished their use, empty (lighter boats row faster) and stow ready for the next use.  

My level of ingenuity only extended to using heavy dry bags as points to tie morning lines to when no mooring points were available. Less creative than Dads inventions , and they also require constant supervision in case the dry bag is tugged into the water and floats down the river with the boat attached.  


Our secure mooring in Windsor 




Lunch stop in Maidenhead




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