So, here we are, two and a bit weeks and the adventure is over. But what an adventure! First things first, we've learnt a lot. Mainly that it's very easy to be over-ambitious when planning routes and daily distances while nice and cosy in front of a fire in winter. Hindsight is always crystal clear, and our original plan of 15-18 mile days was too much, especially with only one rest day planned in halfway. However, what was achieved was still pretty amazing, considering Sara only started paddling in Febuary, and most of her on-water time has been on canals, where you don't get affected by winds, tides, swell and chop.
As her support boat skipper I watched her push herself to her absolute limit, mentally and physically. I've known Sara for 8 years now, we were housemates and University and best friends since, and I think I've experienced more swearing and tears in these past 2 weeks than in that whole period! But there was also plenty of laughter to go with it; I'm sure Sara and her mother Christina won't forget the surprised and slightly anxious look on the face of the owner of the very nice restaurant in the small Cornish village of Coverack when I asked for a Macchiato coffee..."Right, OK, I think we can do those...let me check the book..."!
A few thank yous need to be said. First of all to Christina; without her organisational (and VW-camper van driving!) skills, it would have been a near impossible project. Then to all the people who have helped us along the way, from equipment discounts, campsite discounts, free moorings, free pastys, the loaning of 2 support boats to all the smiles and good luck wishes along the way. And last but not least, to all those who donated, and helped us break our target. Thank you to you all.
So, what's next? In the short term one of us is having a few days in Spain, while the other is back to work. Enjoy yourself Sara, you deserve it! In the long term, Sara will be moving to the Isles of Scilly in mid-July as the volunteer vet nurse, and more than likely dreaming up next year's crazy adventure!
So that's all from me. Just one special thank you to go, to my best friend Sara for inviting me to be party of this whole thing, it's been a blast! And well done you :-)
Skipper Dan, out.
Monday, 14 June 2010
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Island time
And so here we are, on the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles South West of Lands End and the mainland. Had a reasonably smooth crossing in my opinion (had rougher Dover-Calais trips!) although the bundles of rather cold and ill looking school kids huddled at the back of the boat would probably have disagreed!
The whole of arrival day treated us to nothing but rain, and was spent in foul weather sailing gear! Got the kayak all safely unpacked though, along with quick visits to the airport cafe to visit Sara's friends Nigel and Carol (who are very kindly putting us up for this week!) and the vet practice to say hello to Heike, before doing a quick interview for Radio Scilly. A lovely evening spent in the pub finished off the day quite nicely.
This morning dawned nice and bright, the forecast rain only appearing for a brief 10 minute shower. After a quick introduction to the boat we set off for the 3 mile crossing to Bryher island. Had a decent and smooth crossing, unfortunately just missing lunch time at the cafe we were aiming for! But managed to find some pasties to have on the beach along with ice creams :)
The afternoon plan was Sara kayaking round to the East side of Tresco, before leaving the kayak in the sand dunes for the evening and heading back to St Marys by boat. Tomorrow we'll be going from Tresco over to St Martins and looking around there, before doing St Martins to St Marys on Thursday.
Less miles per day gives us time to relax a little more, and Sara's body a little more time to recover! Today, the sunshine, gin clear waters and white sandy beaches definitely showed why Sara is happy to be moving here!
That's all from us for the time being, signing off and heading to the pub! Cheerio!
Skipper Dan
The whole of arrival day treated us to nothing but rain, and was spent in foul weather sailing gear! Got the kayak all safely unpacked though, along with quick visits to the airport cafe to visit Sara's friends Nigel and Carol (who are very kindly putting us up for this week!) and the vet practice to say hello to Heike, before doing a quick interview for Radio Scilly. A lovely evening spent in the pub finished off the day quite nicely.
This morning dawned nice and bright, the forecast rain only appearing for a brief 10 minute shower. After a quick introduction to the boat we set off for the 3 mile crossing to Bryher island. Had a decent and smooth crossing, unfortunately just missing lunch time at the cafe we were aiming for! But managed to find some pasties to have on the beach along with ice creams :)
The afternoon plan was Sara kayaking round to the East side of Tresco, before leaving the kayak in the sand dunes for the evening and heading back to St Marys by boat. Tomorrow we'll be going from Tresco over to St Martins and looking around there, before doing St Martins to St Marys on Thursday.
Less miles per day gives us time to relax a little more, and Sara's body a little more time to recover! Today, the sunshine, gin clear waters and white sandy beaches definitely showed why Sara is happy to be moving here!
That's all from us for the time being, signing off and heading to the pub! Cheerio!
Skipper Dan
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Week One Complete!!
We did indeed get stuck in Coverack for a day. With big swell and big winds the RIB got moved out of the bay into the harbour for safe keeping.
We set off on Friday morning for Porthleven but large chop that had not yet dispersed from the previous night put paid to kayaking about a mile out. With myself and the kayak loaded up Dan took us expertly around The Lizard and, wouldn't you believe it, as we pulled into Porthleven the winds dropped off and the sea flattened out!
After pasties and a good night sleep we set off from Porthleven on Saturday, Penzance bound. Conditions weren't ideal but weren't bad so we decided to give it a go. We made great progress to Praa Sands and then got a tad mullered by the off shore winds. After a cheeky 1 mile tow across the bay into the more sheltered Mounts Bay I paddled hard for St Michael's Mount. In strong headwinds I made it to 1 mile outside Penzance harbour. At this point the wind really picked up and made any further progress impossible. With aching muscles from a hard days paddle Dan piled myself and the kayak into the RIB for the last time and we headed into harbour. It may not have been the finish we were all hoping for, but we made it in - safe and sound.
At the end of this first week it seems like a good time to do a bit of reflection, so here goes...........
This project was ambitious from the start, and it has certainly tested limits both mentally and physically. There have been ups and downs, and I'm sure there will be more as we head into the second week, but it's all worth it. What is has done is reaffirm how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life. Without Mum or Dan this project could never have gone ahead. It is a team effort right down to the core. I truly have amazing friends and family. Dan, Kerri and I are a tripod that I'm sure will be found in the same nursing home when we are old and knackered comparing notes on practical jokes played on the unsuspecting staff, I will always be grateful for their love and support. Also my Mum is amazing! She gives so much and asks for so little in return. She is a fantastic parent and also a tremendous friend. This project has also given rise to new friendships, and that is always lovely!
A lesson I have learnt is that it is important to focus on the good, the bits you can do or have done, and not necessarily the bad. I am a great one for cheering on others and berating myself for not doing better. Yes, I may have finished paddling just 1 mile off the finish line but hey! I got to within 1 mile of the finish line -that means a previous 7 miles of paddling that day and I am proud of those previous 7 miles. There were those along the way who were quite rude about our efforts (the campsite owner who declared "kayaking doesn't take it out of you!" was a particular favourite) but in the main people have been fantastically friendly and helpful. 2 campsite owners gave us discounts because they felt the project was worth supporting, people like that are the ones worth remembering. Kayaking does take it out of you. In this past week I have done 46 miles powered solely by my own physical strength (and a little bit of tidal lift!), that's no mean feat!! I'm proud of myself and I am very much looking forward to seeing a chiropractor!!!!
So here we go, 2 days without paddling (but plenty of packing, re-packing and faffing!) and then it's island hopping time! Again each day is sea dependant, safety is paramount, but we hope to make it to each of the inhabited islands of Scillonia. I'll keep you as posted as I can!
Sara x
We set off on Friday morning for Porthleven but large chop that had not yet dispersed from the previous night put paid to kayaking about a mile out. With myself and the kayak loaded up Dan took us expertly around The Lizard and, wouldn't you believe it, as we pulled into Porthleven the winds dropped off and the sea flattened out!
After pasties and a good night sleep we set off from Porthleven on Saturday, Penzance bound. Conditions weren't ideal but weren't bad so we decided to give it a go. We made great progress to Praa Sands and then got a tad mullered by the off shore winds. After a cheeky 1 mile tow across the bay into the more sheltered Mounts Bay I paddled hard for St Michael's Mount. In strong headwinds I made it to 1 mile outside Penzance harbour. At this point the wind really picked up and made any further progress impossible. With aching muscles from a hard days paddle Dan piled myself and the kayak into the RIB for the last time and we headed into harbour. It may not have been the finish we were all hoping for, but we made it in - safe and sound.
At the end of this first week it seems like a good time to do a bit of reflection, so here goes...........
This project was ambitious from the start, and it has certainly tested limits both mentally and physically. There have been ups and downs, and I'm sure there will be more as we head into the second week, but it's all worth it. What is has done is reaffirm how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life. Without Mum or Dan this project could never have gone ahead. It is a team effort right down to the core. I truly have amazing friends and family. Dan, Kerri and I are a tripod that I'm sure will be found in the same nursing home when we are old and knackered comparing notes on practical jokes played on the unsuspecting staff, I will always be grateful for their love and support. Also my Mum is amazing! She gives so much and asks for so little in return. She is a fantastic parent and also a tremendous friend. This project has also given rise to new friendships, and that is always lovely!
A lesson I have learnt is that it is important to focus on the good, the bits you can do or have done, and not necessarily the bad. I am a great one for cheering on others and berating myself for not doing better. Yes, I may have finished paddling just 1 mile off the finish line but hey! I got to within 1 mile of the finish line -that means a previous 7 miles of paddling that day and I am proud of those previous 7 miles. There were those along the way who were quite rude about our efforts (the campsite owner who declared "kayaking doesn't take it out of you!" was a particular favourite) but in the main people have been fantastically friendly and helpful. 2 campsite owners gave us discounts because they felt the project was worth supporting, people like that are the ones worth remembering. Kayaking does take it out of you. In this past week I have done 46 miles powered solely by my own physical strength (and a little bit of tidal lift!), that's no mean feat!! I'm proud of myself and I am very much looking forward to seeing a chiropractor!!!!
So here we go, 2 days without paddling (but plenty of packing, re-packing and faffing!) and then it's island hopping time! Again each day is sea dependant, safety is paramount, but we hope to make it to each of the inhabited islands of Scillonia. I'll keep you as posted as I can!
Sara x
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
Ups and Downs of being at sea
We haven't had as much time to update as possible so apologies for those of you following our progress. Here is a brief run down of the past 4 days which will be expanded on at the weekend.
Day 1 launch from Saltash: A fab run down the Tamar, we did that in just 40ish minutes! We nipped into Cawsand for lunch and then headed back out rounding Rame Head and into Whitsand Bay. Unfortunately, over halfway across a nasty chop set up and exhaustion crept into the picture. 6.9 miles off Looe the guys loaded myself and Lowen (the kayak!) into the rib and we headed for our mooring. All in all about 11 miles paddled so not too bad. Mixed conditions and I really appreciated how important the guys were to this project.
From here on in we were living in a VW camper, 1979 model, very well driven by Mum! She has been a legend, arranging moorings and getting us from place to place. Again, it makes me realise how without a good team with you, projects like this just don't work. Well Done Mum!!
Day 3: Blown out! The guys took the RIB around the Dodman to Falmouth whilst Mum and I drove the kayak topped van round. The winds were just too strong, and conditions too rough for kayaking. However, we had a lovely fun chillaxing afternoon in Falmouth, soaking and steaming our aching bodies at the local pool. We unfortunately said goodbye to Jim that evening as he headed back to work. Deserter!! (Not really, his efforts were greatly appreciated, as was the banter and the view!)
Day 4: Dan and I launched from Falmouth at 1:30pm and stormed round to Coverack in just 2.5 hours!! I was averaging about 3.5 knots and the conditions were great!! The paddle boarding in from the rib to beach from our mid-bay morring was hilarious!! Video to follow!!
So here we are having dinner just tapping into the restaurant wi-fi. More updates will follow at the weekend, or sooner if we can manage it. Wish I had a camera right now though, the proprietor's face when Dan asked for a Macchiato was priceless!! (Me and my fancy London ways!! - Dan)
An expanded version of these days will follow at some point, as will pictures and video. Keeping our fingers crossed, but tomorrow doesn't look good for The Liazard. Ah well, we'll see what we can do!
Sara x
Day 1 launch from Saltash: A fab run down the Tamar, we did that in just 40ish minutes! We nipped into Cawsand for lunch and then headed back out rounding Rame Head and into Whitsand Bay. Unfortunately, over halfway across a nasty chop set up and exhaustion crept into the picture. 6.9 miles off Looe the guys loaded myself and Lowen (the kayak!) into the rib and we headed for our mooring. All in all about 11 miles paddled so not too bad. Mixed conditions and I really appreciated how important the guys were to this project.
- Definition: The Guys Dan Webb and James "Call Me Jim" (or was it Jim "Call Me James?!!) Evans who very kindly gave up paid work to potter alongside a slow moving kayak with a sometimes grumpy paddler and pull said paddler out of the water when disaster/bad conditions/exhaustion hit. HEROES!!!
From here on in we were living in a VW camper, 1979 model, very well driven by Mum! She has been a legend, arranging moorings and getting us from place to place. Again, it makes me realise how without a good team with you, projects like this just don't work. Well Done Mum!!
Day 3: Blown out! The guys took the RIB around the Dodman to Falmouth whilst Mum and I drove the kayak topped van round. The winds were just too strong, and conditions too rough for kayaking. However, we had a lovely fun chillaxing afternoon in Falmouth, soaking and steaming our aching bodies at the local pool. We unfortunately said goodbye to Jim that evening as he headed back to work. Deserter!! (Not really, his efforts were greatly appreciated, as was the banter and the view!)
Day 4: Dan and I launched from Falmouth at 1:30pm and stormed round to Coverack in just 2.5 hours!! I was averaging about 3.5 knots and the conditions were great!! The paddle boarding in from the rib to beach from our mid-bay morring was hilarious!! Video to follow!!
So here we are having dinner just tapping into the restaurant wi-fi. More updates will follow at the weekend, or sooner if we can manage it. Wish I had a camera right now though, the proprietor's face when Dan asked for a Macchiato was priceless!! (Me and my fancy London ways!! - Dan)
An expanded version of these days will follow at some point, as will pictures and video. Keeping our fingers crossed, but tomorrow doesn't look good for The Liazard. Ah well, we'll see what we can do!
Sara x
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