Row, row, row my boat.....
“Here are the details for the SRA Staff Summer Party being held on Friday 7th September; we hope you can join us!”
The plan
The plan is to close the office at 1pm and walk over to Bath Boating Station. From 2pm we have reserved a few rowing boats to enjoy the delightful river Avon for a couple hours before ending up at The Bathwick Boatman Restaurant for dinner & drinks.
There are several different types of boats on offer for hire, subject to what’s on offer on the day:
The Skiff : a type of rowing boat adapted for leisure use on inland waterways: long, graceful and slender for speed, but broad enough for stability and comfort. The oarsman sits in the centre (amidships for purists) and rows ( again, strictly speaking “sculls” since he is using both oars); his passengers, meanwhile, sit back in comfort and make encouraging remarks and also steer the boat by means of a pair of lines to the rudder. Larger skiffs have positions for two oarsmen (oarspersons, perhaps, nowadays?). The most elegant have wicker backrests; all are traditional varnished wood and most were made here where the tradition of boat building goes back over a century and a half.
The Punt : is a flat-bottomed boat, typically used in small rivers and canals. It is propelled by pushing a long pole against the river bed and forcing the punt forward through the water. The same pole is used to steer by trailing it in the water astern after the propelling stroke is finished and moving it to one side or the other. It sounds more complicated than it really is and a little tuition at commencement will send most novices happily on their way.
The Canoe/Kayak : The Canoe is the traditional Canadian style with wooden paddle (Kayak style canoes with the traditional double paddle are also available).
Following our afternoon of boating we have arranged for a 2 course sit down dinner at the Bathwich Boatman Restaurant around 5.30/6pm with pre dinner drinks from 5pm. We have been given a set menu and will need to pre-order so please see the menu to make your choices.