Weekend Whaling

THE HENLEY WHALERS - Weekend Whaling - Daylight Rowing and/or Sailing - Click here for the Summaries

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What is it? - Usually Second Sunday of each month

To meet the demand for more daylight outings, but constrained by our working lives, we also meet about once a month, usually on the Second Sunday, for a cruise from Henley.
This is in addition to our weekly Wednesday evening whaling, and our popular participation in various national and international events and competitions. (Past events & Pictures,)

These weekend outings are either just rowing, or sometimes rowing and sailing. Upstream beyond Marsh Lock we have enjoyed Wargrave, Shiplake and Sonning. Downstream destinations, beyond Hambledon lock have included Aston, Medmenham and Hurley. These reaches are blessed with several pub-lunch possibilities. When better weather permits, picnics are sometimes preferred. (Who said "Never"?)
In the longer days of summer, or in conjunction with some towing by road, one can achieve longer one-way trips and days on the coast.

The vagaries of our climate and the associated fickle winds, together with the bends in the river and occasional flood conditions, mean that sometimes we resort to rowing-whilst-sailing, or even just rowing.
Some Summaries are below.

Any crew unable to stay for the whole day can board or jump-ship almost anywhere along the towpath, thus the logistics of fitting some waterborne relaxation into a Sunday are easy.

Members check the Crew Booking System / read your emails
Visitors welcome - Don't know if you'll enjoy it? - You dont have to become a member - Contact us for information

Some Weekend Whaling Summaries (in reverse order) - Special events, major races etc not noted here
*(41)* Sunday 7th January 2012 - Despite a modest current, five oars & helm made it to Wargrave for lunch, and back before sunset!
*(40)* An experimental format - Upstream on Saturday - Return on Sunday Saturday 10th December - An easy row up to Wargrave Rowing club, and car lifts home Sunday 11th December - By train to Wargrave, row up to Sonning, and brief drink in the village, then "home" to UTRC.			..
*(39)* 13th November. Brilliantly sunny. Only the colours and low sun reminded us summer has gone and it really will soon be Christmas. We observed the two minutes silence (right) then rowed upstream. Middle = At the Wargrave landing after jovial pub lunch. Far right = After putting Molly to bed.			. .
*(38)* 15th October. Six aboard enjoyed a creat cruise below Aston, plus Flowerpot for lunch *(37)* 14th Aug 2011. Loveley weather. Picnic upstream of Marsh lock. (Picture right). (36) 10th Jul Henley Festival. *(35)* 3rd Jul. Henley Regatta. (Not strictly "Second-Sunday" outings) *(34)* 26th June. To Wharfe Lane for Regatta. *(33)* 10th April - To Aston (Flowerpot) & back. *(32)* 9th Jan 2011- Shiplake (Picture, below right). *(31)* 14th Nov 2010- Hambleden Mill. *(30)* 10th Oct - Temple Island then snacks at Mill Meadows *(29)* 19th Sept - Shiplake wier (GRR practice) *(28)* 4th Sept - Phyllis Court Disabled Regatta. No we were'nt competing. Carrying passengers and disabled rowers. Some pictures here *(27)* 18th July - The Hennerton Backwater - Yes Molly DOES fit . (26) 20th June - Whalers 2nd "Thames Long Row" to Windsor *(25)* 9th May - Wargrave *(24)* 11th April? *(23)* 13th March - Wargrave *(22)* 14th Feb Caviar & Vodka *(21)* 17th Jan 2010 - Wargrave *(20)* 13th December 2009 - Row around Henley . (19) 7th November 2009 - Whalers sail at Datchet. - Report currently here. (18) 18th October 2009 - Whalers 1st "Thames Long Row" - Witchurch bridge to Henley, with socable and refreshing pauses at Caversham and Shiplake. Mostly sunny and warm. Some crew were inducted in the use of the steering oar, and liked it! (17) 10th October 2009 Despite grey skys and only moderate wind we collected the mast, and decided to limit the sails to just gib and "Julia" (our trysail). From a safety perspective this was ideal, making capsize "impossible". Aston, The Flowepot, and return, achieved, but mainly under oars.				14th August 2011 10th April 2011 9th January 2011
(16) 26th September 2009 Stunning September sunshine, almost no wind, and minimal current, made ideal conditions for a downstream cruise, even with only four oars plus helm. Turned below Medmenham then beached on the Buckinghamshire shore for lunch aboard. Easy rowing "home" still in brilliant sunshine. Molly secured by 16:30.				Henley Festival 2009 High definition/large version available on request
*(15)* 9th August - Shiplake.
*(Early July)* - Henley Regatta & Henley Festival (Not strictly "Second-Sunday" outings)
*(14)* 14th June - No details . (13) 10th May - Phyllis Court Races . (12) 19th April 2009 - Wargrave?
(11) - Sunday 8th March 2009 Blustry and bright. See the picture. We stayed within the Henley Reach. Two visiting crew Parked aboard. Down almost to Hambledon. Up-stream and up-wind to Mill Meadows. Refreshments at the cafe.				Squally shower as we approached the mooring. Covered up by 13:30, then it TIPPED down! - Splendid timing. Back up to Top
(10) - Sunday 8th February 2009 Another excellent "2nd Sunday". Brilliant sunshine most of the day, and virtually no wind. (This followed a week of school closures due to snow). Six aboard for the row to Wargrave where we used the public landing then enjoyed a brief stroll to The Greyhound for lunch.				With eight aboard for the "downhill" run, and a strong following current, we were home in around 50 minutes, achieving 6.2 knots with very little effort, and just before the weather turned again!
(8th Jan we went to Rye and won the Rum Race)
(9) - Sunday 9th November 2008 A Tale of Two Temples and another great success! The weather was far better than forecast, being dry and mostly sunny from the outset. 09:30 cast off with 10 aboard. By 1015 we had passed Hambledon lock, picking up 2 more crew en-route.	Here we are heading down toward Temple Island (Click to enlarge)	11:00 saw us observing two minutes silence in Hurley lock, and by 11:15 we moored at Temple lock for beer and cakes.	(Click to enlarge)	Unsurprisingly the return journey against a fair amount of landwater, was much slower, yet still dry apart from a brief shower as we moored for lunch at "The Flowerpot".The strong current below Hambledon lock was no problem, but headwinds and squalls in Henley Reach reminded us of "Devils Point". Moored around 15:30.
(8) - Sunday 21st Sept 2008. A rowing-only day. Caviar, and a lock too far? A brilliantly sunny September day. Against a modest stream, 5 &1/2 crew made it to Shiplake College, and dropped off the 1/2. There followed a gently drifting picnic. One of our number having recently returned from Russia, our diet included a little imported speciality. The salty substance was washed down with a perfectly pleasant white. The things we suffer for our sport! The now following stream aided a swift return, enabling several crew to disembark at The River and Rowing Museum to attend the Henley Literary Festival. A lock too far? - Not quite, though meeting the 1430 deadline required some pretty focused rowing. Molly safely home by 15:30.
(7) - Sunday 10th Aug 2008 A day of mostly good weather. Rowed upstream to Wargrave. Lunch. Gentle sail downriver - Winds fickle as ever! One crew member went ashore at Marsh lock on the homeward journey. Molly "put to bed" at around 17:00.
*(6) -* Sunday 11th May 2008 A splendid spring day - Perfect picnic weather. In preparation for our forthcoming competition in Venice, we had been hoping to fine tune our reefing technique. The forecast 14mph winds would have been ideal. The plan was somewhat scuppered by breezes varying from dead calm to subtle and fickle. Some non-sailing crew were so sedated by the good weather they stayed aboard and enjoyed the very gentle sailing. More crew joined at picnic-time. A discussion about reefing, gust-management and getting off the mud was followed by some adjustments to the reefing gear and some practise with it. A further crew change took place at Marsh lock on the homeward journey, and Molly was "put to bed" at around 17:30. Thanks are due to NG for his pics, here.
*(5) The Calm Before The Storm. - Rowing-Only* Sunday 9th March 2008 10:30 - Despite prophesies of foul weather, seven optimistic crew (including a visitor) mustered at the mooring in brilliant sunshine and a gentle breeze. We had already decided to make this a rowing-only trip, and to keep it fairly brief. The Flowerpot (aka "The Poacher"?) was our chosen destination. There was time for a brief diversion downriver of the Aston landing, and after mooring we were still at the doors a few minutes before high noon. Just as well because the tables quickly filled. Recent moderate rains gave a slightly "up-hill" feel to the return row, but Molly was safely tucked up by 15:00, and we had enjoyed another delightful, mostly sunny cruise with not a shower in sight. (Storms struck the UK, notably the South Coast on the following day, causing damage and traffic delays)
*(4) - Was this really 10th February?* 2008 Sunny all the way, virtually windless, and at least 10C in the afternoon. With eight aboard we rowed upriver, enjoying the various skills of several of our crew. Warm sunshine during an outdoor lunch. Just enough breeze to justify "sailing" home. The return trip became a leisurely drift downriver whilst wondering whether the faint occasional breeze would ever give us more speed than the current. This was so gentle that even some non-sailors were pleased to be aboard. The sun remained bright to the end, even whilst Molly was covered up.
*(3) - Sunday 11th November* 2007 Rain before the start was a temporary concern. Once under way with the sail gently filling we cruised sedately to Hambledon. After the lock, a more certain tail wind pushed us swiftly down to Aston. Lunch at The Flower Pot was generous and good quality. The return voyage involved a little more rowing, but we were secure on the mooring before dark. All-in-all a pleasant day out, and a moderate test for the new spar. Helen's pics . Madeleine's Pics
*(2) - Sunday 14th October 2007* Sunny all the way. Without the sailing rig (repairs in progress, following damage in Dorestad) we rowed to Wargrave, picked up a passenger en-route, and dined at "St George". During the return row we were unable to resist an invitation to tea and cakes at a riverside residence, perfectly positioned to watch the sunset.
*(1) - Henley Whalers 1st July 2007 - "Sunday Sail" is successful* Gentle rain gave way to dry, windy, and overcast. With 8 aboard we rowed to Marsh Lock, rigged the sails and fought headwind and strong current for 3 hours. With much tacking and some rowing, we reached the "St George" in Wargrave for a late lunch. With only the "Julia" and the gib, the following wind and current swept us back to Marsh lock in under half an hour! Brilliant sunshine during the return trip helped make it an excellent day's sailing. Definitely an experience we intend to repeat.
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