Sailors to paddle a canoe down the Severn
A Cornish yacht delivery company has received its most unusual delivery request.
Halycon Yachts usually delivers Bavarias and Beneteaus, but it was asked to transport a 16ft canoe from northern Shropshire to Gloucester.
However, two of its skippers decided to take on the challenge and will paddle it the whole way for the RNLI.
Pete Green (pictured), director of the company and one of those taking part, said: ‘When the enquiry came in we initially dismissed the job, as we are specialists in delivery by sea and the client was really looking for a courier company.
‘Upon talking to him and explaining what we do he told us as a joke that we “could always paddle her down the Severn”.’
But this got Mr Green thinking and he accepted his client’s suggestion. He said: ‘After considering the delivery I realised we couldn’t possibly compete with a courier company on price, so we have offered to deliver the canoe for free.
‘I have decided to skipper the canoe myself. I realise all my training in astro-navigation and advanced seamanship will be of very little use to me on this delivery.
‘Paddling nearly 130 miles will be exhausting and I will certainly be missing the comforts of the yachts we normally deliver.’
To make a donation to the paddle visit www.justgiving.com/halcyonyachts.