After a two week break for the dredgers to do their work, we opened again for business at Coed Gwilym Park. We were pleased to welcome Steve Lucas, our bat expert, back to the canal with his daughter, grandson Cai, and other members of the family, for a trip on the boats.

We tied two canoes together to form a stable catamaran as Cai has a muscular disability. His mother and a childhood friend of hers who happens to be a qualified canoe instructor (she’s the one standing up, of course!) joined them on the boat. They paddled away up towards Trebanos Locks in perfect unison (well, almost) and had a great time. They would have been gone even longer except, as Cai joked, ‘The swell was making him sea sick’.

Well, he soon recovered back on land because he was off again having a ride on the undulating mountain bike trail behind the canoe store in no time. Afterwards, he said it had been the best day of his life.

I think we enjoyed Cai’s company as much as he enjoyed being on the water with us. We hope to see him (and all the family) again soon.