The mud around the pontoons is flushed away in the winter using fire hoses. It takes at least two people to hold a hose and the only effective way to cut the mud away is at point blank range. This means that at a maximum range of 6 feet, the volunteers get covered in mud from head to toe. Once dislodged, it can be hosed away at a longer range, but to get at the areas away from hard ground there is no substitute for up close and personal.

Blasting the mud	Well-earned refreshments