{"id":1247,"date":"2018-09-24T10:00:35","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T09:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alderton\/jemmac_software\/?p=1247"},"modified":"2026-08-24T18:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T17:51:23","slug":"tb2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jemmac.com\/index.php\/team-building\/tb2018\/","title":{"rendered":"The River Nene Take IV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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2018 has been a very busy year at Jemmac, so on the basis that “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” we decided to return to an old favourite for this year’s Team Building – the River Nene for another days Canoeing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So expert organizers Canoe2 once again provided the necessary transportation, equipment, maps and safety advice. Actually, maybe that’s not quite true on the maps which bore very little resemblance to the river itself! Of course, there were also the hand written notes but those proved almost impossible to cross reference with the map, especially for those of now of an age where reading glasses are essential. More on this later!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"River
Thrapston – the start of our adventure!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sadly we were a rather depleted unit as we met up Thrapston for the start of adventure. With five colleagues absent the remaining ten did at least divide naturally into two which given our previous experiences with three person Canoes on the River Nene (see here<\/a> for more details) was a very good thing. Provisions were doled out, flotation devices zipped up and paddles selected. Apparently its best if they fit under your chin – not something easily accommodated for yours truly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the interests of impartiality a modified version of the 70’s swingers party classic of “car keys in a pot” took place with partners pairing up based on matching key tag colours. So Mark was with Sarah, James W with Lauren, Sally with James N, James S with Alex and Kevin was unlucky – i.e. he got Al! As it happens though an ill advised joke the day before that we should all bring Supersoakers had been taken seriously by one member of the team. So perhaps Kevin wasn’t so unlucky after all with Al duly filling up his water pistol in preparation for a good days ‘sport’. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is that a steering wheel?<\/strong> – if only!
(It’s actually a trolley to strap under
the Canoe when on dry land)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

So to the river. Did I mention the instructions? The other ‘challenge’ being phrases such as “look for the posts before the weir”. All well and good, except by the time you have spotted the weir you are already well past what you are looking for! Oh, and the ‘weir’ was actually labelled ‘sluice gate’ and with us not being water born creatures we failed to recognise that in this instance they were one in the same. Besides, technical folks like things to be factually correct. It’s either a weir or it isn’t surely? And no, I wasn’t calling you ‘Surely’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The net result was total mayhem as five Canadian style Canoes paddled around aimlessly at the first lock searching for the elusive disembarkation point. There were several tempting options competing for our attention but each was labelled with a sign saying “Canoes DO NOT<\/strong> disembark here”. All well and good, but what was lacking was a sign that said “Canoes DO<\/strong> disembark here”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end a local whose house overlooks the lock took pity on us and pointed out the tiny landing strip we had all merrily paddled past as we had approached, eyes glued on the locks and the aforementioned landing pontoons! No matter, its team building and through our pretend incompetence we had managed to include the general public in our event already. By our reckoning that was 1-0 to Team Jemmac already!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Team work<\/strong> – Two sit and two watch while one pushes!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On to the second lock. Now I’ve personally done the route we were on two times previously and never, ever managed to spot the advertised exit point. On each occasion we’ve ended up man handling canoes over fences and gates and down paths that they really seem to have no desire to go down. So when a pair of intrepid explorers (i.e. Kevin and Al) refused to accept defeat and set off back up stream in search of the weir and the matching fence posts (now easier to spot being after the weir instead of before them) Lauren and I decided we couldn’t let them battle on alone and headed off in the same direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the weir and posts located and the grassy path traversed we happily set about launching our canoes into the backwater safe in the knowledge we would meet up with our colleagues soon, no doubt a few hundred meters down river once they had rejoined from the lock. Except the river had other ideas. Where we had wanted to turn right, it stubbornly refused heading at 90 degrees to the previous flow. The strong current emanating from the weir meant we really had no choice in the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Alex
All hands on deck<\/strong> – But mind the wet paint<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Lauren and I shot backwards down the river at speeds never previously achieved when paddling. It all felt a little perilous – and now I come to think of it we should have at least made beeping noises so anyone round the corner was at least aware that “this canoe is reversing”. Eventually we managed to gain control of our canoe and found a calm spot to wait up for Kevin and Al.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\nAs we drifted further and further away from where we had expected to be we began to get a little worried that perhaps we had missed a turn, or that we weren’t even on the River Nene any more, but perhaps an adjoining river that would take us who knows where?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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James\u2019 GPS Trace \u2013 \u2018the wrong way!\u2019<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The sense of danger was heightened by some very over grown sections, one featuring a floating carcass of a dead sheep (did I mention the dead sheep Sarah?) which unfortunately could not be easily avoided. The lead canoe got snared as it tried to pass before Lauren unleashed her full rock climbing power breaking us free by ripping a section of branch away with her bare paddle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things fell very quiet after that as Kevin and Al also faced the gorge of terror…and for anyone who knows Kevin you will realise that is a very bad thing indeed. When he’s happy, Kevin shares his joy with anyone within a half mile proximity. Except on this occasion he wasn’t. After some waiting, some worrying and a quick paddle back eventually Al and Kevin’s canoe hove into view and our worst fears were confirmed. Kevin was sporting several cuts and was most definitely ‘not amused’. Good fun this paddling eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\nAs the miles drifted by promising rows of trees after rows of trees failed to be ones on the approach to the pub (sorry Lauren I might have thrown you a bit of curve ball there).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this point we had decided that the backwater described as scenic (which it was) probably wasn’t quite as short as we had expected. Lauren finally had a break through with the map and confirmed that actually we would rejoin the main river just a mile or two before our planned lunch stop at the pub.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so it was that we eventually rejoined the main river, our plucky pair of canoes managing to dissect a boat powering its way down stream. Any hopes of seeing the other three canoes was dashed by the passing boats who reported that they were neither behind us or ahead of us. How odd. Oh well, to the pub then!<\/p>\n\n\n\n