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The second race on Lake Mc Ilwaine (Chivero) also over two and a half miles (4km). As they could not produce a straight section they opted for a triangular course. Competitors would start on opposite sides of the triangle. The toss of a coin meant that our turning point to the finish was near the middle of the lake. We were running late and by the time we rounded the first buoy it was dark. We missed the second buoy and ended up at a campsite. They indicated the direction to the rowing club and in the distance we could see torches being waved. Our Cox was Brian Taylor the rest of the crew or coach I don’t remember. Norman Ramsay was by then promoted to Judge and transferred to Ndola.

I was fortunate to partake in the first Rowing regattas to be held on Mindola Dam in 1962 and at Lusaka on the Kafue River in 1964.

One must not forget the beer races that took place after the regattas.

Come 1966 I handed over the secretarial post. At a function in appreciation of my services from 1959 to 1966 I was given a Beer Tankard. Engraved on the tankard is the letters “R.I.P.

Canoeing on the Kafue River

Doctor Bill Turner and his wife Dianne on arriving at Nkana joined the Rowing Club. His female patients better knew him as Dr. Kildaire. Before coming to Nkana they belonged to a Mountaineering Club in Cape Town. Their love for the outdoors soon had him canoeing on different sections of the Kafue. He and another four decided to canoe from the Kafue Bridge on the Mufulira Road to the Nkana Pump Station. After much nagging and offering me his spare two-seater canoe I eventually agreed to join them.

After two hours on the river I decided that I was going to get me a canoe. The odd rapid was exiting and then there were stretches that you just sit back and let Mother Nature entertain you. This is something one must experience to appreciate. Only once did we come across someone living on the Kafue. After some greetings we continued our journey.

About two thirds of the way it appeared as if the river had come to halt. In front of us all we could see was this wall of reeds. As we were paddling towards the bank of the Kafue the canoeist in front spotted a gap in the reeds. It was a fairly long stretch but just wide enough for one canoe. Apart from the increased rate of flow in the channel there were some rapids to negotiate. To make matters worse at the entrance to the channel there was this stump protruding about 30cm out of the water. The second last canoeist got wedged against the stump and I managed to free him but in turn I was wedged against it. By placing my weight on the stump I could maneuver the canoe in the right direction. Before I could let go of the stump it broke resulting in the canoe capsizing. When I surfaced I was bobbing like a cork on the waves created by the high rate of water flow. I realized the quicker I get out the better. I failed with my first attempt but managed to safely negotiate the rapids. With my next attempt I was successful but I had to hurry as my canoe was in hot pursuit. Getting out of the water proved more difficult than I had anticipated due to its force trying to drag you back. My luck changed when the canoe became wedged between the rocks. The end result was that it snapped in half and with it went my belongings.