We have lots of empty 50 litre poly drums here at work that we recycle so I’m thinking it would be good to strap them in two rows of four to a frame like a catamaran and float down the Ribble. With a Jolly Roger at the mast and a chiller box of beer stowed aboard it would be an absolute hoot for a sunny day.

Only a couple of problems:

Places to put in and take out are very rare on the Ribble, which significantly discourages canoeing.

The Ribble is a big fishing river and apparently the few canoeists who do manage to launch, get rocks thrown at them by disgruntled fisherists.

So…. good idea or just plain stupid?

Screw the fishermen. Do it! How are you going to transport your vessel to and from the river though?

A cycling buddy who is a rich builder has just bought an old farm by the river near Ribchester so we could build it in his barn and launch. Getting out at Preston docks might be trickier.

You could build a prototype and try it out here…..

http://www.deepingsraftrace.co.uk/

It is held on the ‘river’ at the end of our road; guaranteed egg/flour flinging from the kids so you can practice dodging fisherman’s projectiles….!

Just avoid the weirs and you’ll be fine 😉

In fact, it’s your civic duty to paddle down rivers, to re-assert the historic navigational rights.
A bit like riding on footpaths 😀

I have paddled the Ribble – it is a beautiful river, but I paddled it on Christmas day to avoid the fishermen and landowners (who have been know to slash tyres on vehicles that are at the usual get in and get out points).

Good luck 🙂

Hmmmm…that’s a long way to drive for a tryout. I did something similar on the Kennet & Avon canal in the 70s so I’m not without experience in building and sailing a raft. Only mistake was that we put the bungs under the waterline and someone stole one, meaning the raft was borderline submarine by the end.

Just avoid the weirs and you’ll be fine

Blimey those photos are a bit alarming!

You are singing “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and I claim my £5

Do it,take a camera.

Forget the poly drums . .

Not a bublik Esme, they’re so……Soviet era.

You need a creature craft:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QtTfCkfVPw[/video]

And as others have said: Screw the fishermen.

And as others have said: Screw the fishermen.

Damn right, they get really militant on the K&A towpath, which is also a Sustrans route, and was one before the canal was restored, but the maggot-danglers think they have absolute rights to it because they have a licence.
The licence gives them a right to dangle a maggot in the water, and nothing else, but they think otherwise, down to deliberately pushing their stupid roach-poles across the path in front of oncoming cyclists to force them to stop.
I didn’t, once; cue much profanity behind me as I carried on along the path… 😈

Puncture the drums and swim to shore?

There’s a slipway at the back of the sea cadet hut on Strand road in Preston (just before the docks)

The poles are surely simply the fishermen helping you practice your bunnyhop skills. I’m a bit rubbish at bunnyhops, but never mind.

The Ribble is a big fishing river and apparently the few canoeists who do manage to launch, get rocks thrown at them by disgruntled fisherists

For the canoeists, I’d suggest a Black Widow and a big bag of marbles. However, but with a raft, you’d have the space for a pintle mounted potato cannon.