HE is an experienced sailor who travels the high seas delivering a wealth of expensive sailing and power boats.

But 30-year-old David Taylor from Woolston, Southampton, has recently been commissioned with his most unusual delivery yet.

For he has been asked to paddle a new 16ft Canadian canoe all the way from northern Shropshire to Gloucester by his employers Halcyon Yachts, an international yacht delivery company.

“I have spent my life on boats and have sailed nearly 30,000 nautical miles,” said David. “But I have a feeling that the next 130 miles will be the most painful! Delivering a 16ft open canoe is certainly a new one for me.”

Piloting the craft along Britain’s longest river, the Severn, will present a series of new challenges.

Joined by one other crew member, it will be an exhausting trip expected to take seven days and the sailors will definitely miss the comforts of the yachts they normally deliver.

“When the enquiry came in we initially dismissed the job as we are specialists in delivery by sea and the client was really looking for a courier company,” explains company director Pete Green.

“But on talking to him and explaining what we do he told us as a joke that we could always paddle her down the Severn.”

“After considering the delivery, I realised we could not possibly compete with a courier company on price, so we offered to deliver the canoe for free. The owner will make a small donation to our favourite charity, the RNLI, and we will be doing our best to use the opportunity to raise money for them.”

To support the charity canoe ride, log on to just giving.com/halcyonyachts.