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Having had so much fun last year after completing the S2C trip last May, we decided to do it again this year as an expedition. We met on Friday 01 May at Sudbury HQ and sorted through everyone's kit and loaded up the canoes for the trip ahead.  The Sea Scouts camped the first night on the back field behind the Scout HQ, whilst leaders slept in the hall after making final checks on the 12 boats.  We also moved vehicles in position at Wissington ready for us to move them onto Cattawade on the Saturday.

The A Team were the first to depart followed by the B Team thirty minutes later.  Both teams made their way down river from Sudbury passing through Great Cornard, Henny and Lamarsh before having lunch at the recreation ground at Bures.  Then continuing past Bures Mill, where the EA are carrying out engineering works to raise the low bridge, Wormingford and arriving at our campsite at Wissington at 18:00hrs.  Once back on dry land we unloaded the boats and pitched the tents before cooking dinner of pasta on light weight stoves.  Both teams worked well.

Sunday morning and everyone was up and about, after a slightly damp start to the day it cleared and turned out to be fine for canoeing.  For this part of the trip we removed much of the kit (tents, sleeping bags etc.).  This part of the trip we passed through Wiston, Nayland, Boxted and had great fun shooting the flumes at Langham before stopping at Stratford for lunch provided by the Swan Inn.  After lunch the group split into their teams and made their way down river passed Le Talbooth towards Dedham.  The fine weather brought the public out and there were plenty of rowing boats between Dedham and Flatford, where I bought ice creams for everyone – well that was the idea.  However I forgot my very good friend Nick Pitts who had come along and given support for the expedition.  Not something he is going to forget in a hurry. 

After Flatford Team B took the lead for a short period of time before Team A regained their front position, as we made our way through Brantham tidal lock up the marshes to Cattawade.  Both Teams arrived at Cattawade about 18:00hrs on the Sunday evening.  We had group photos before loading boats and heading back to the campsite.  Our boats were taken back to Sudbury, giving some people time for a shower, before starting on the evening meal.  A small camp fire and beer for leaders went down well before going to bed.

Monday morning; breakfast was served and everyone was washed and changed for 09:00am.  We set to work on dismantling our campsite and loading up the vans with tents and kit which had travelled down by boat.  A quick ball game and womble to check the site was tidy, before heading back to Sudbury.  Lots of cleaning up of kit and boats was needed after our 26 miles of canoeing the River Stour.  We had lunch together at the Scout HQ and spoke about how we felt the weekend had gone, also filling in our feedback forms.

I would like to thank everyone who helped make S2C 2009 very successful, in particular 1^st Great Cornard Scouts, Sudbury Canoe Club and RST members for use of their boats.  Thanks must also go to Nick and Aid for collecting the county canoe trailer from the other side of Woodbridge and carrying out last minute repairs.  I would also like to thank those Sea Scouts who have raised funds from the trip for the troop.  I congratulate everyone who took part and completed the expedition, and look forward to making presentation of the expedition badges sometime in the future.

YIS

Rob Palmer

3^rd Sudbury Sea Scouts.