Posted in Challenges, Kit, Paddle trips, tagged Britain, Circumnavigation, sea kayak on March 29, 2012| 3 Comments »
Geoff and I recently had our NDK Explorer kayaks smartened up by Andy Willcocks of ASW Boatbuilders.
Our kayaks are around three years old and whilst still in great structural condition, the gel coat was beginning to show the signs of wear and tear – hundreds of launches and landings on sand and rocks and more than a few misjudged ‘rock hopping’ manoeuvres. We wanted to make sure that the kayaks are in great condition before we set off.
Repairing the gelcoat
Posted in Challenges, Cornwall, Paddle trips, tagged Britain, Circumnavigation, Extreme Challenge, sea kayak on March 14, 2012| 4 Comments »
The passenger
Posted in Challenges, Cornwall, Friends, Paddle trips, tagged Britain, Circumnavigation, Extreme Challenge, sea kayak on March 13, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Wish these these things were lighter...
Posted in Challenges, Kit, Paddle trips, tagged Britain, Circumnavigation, Extreme Challenge, Sabbatical, sea kayak on March 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »
One the GB360 Team gets married this afternoon. Mike and Caroline are finally tying the knot at St Mawes Castle. As Tanya hunted through her wardrobe this morning trying on several outfits asking for my expert advice on each, I made a clumsy remark about never finding a man struggling with what colour to wear or what shoes to go for. Tanya gently reminded me just how many hours I spent looking at the Kokatat catalogue and just how many phone calls and emails there were between me, Mike and Geoff before we could finally settle on our expedition kit. Ok, good point. I may not worry so much about my shore clothes but when it comes to looking the part on the water and feeling safe and warm – well that’s another matter altogether.
Our yummy Kokatat gear has arrived and this week Geoff and I got together for a couple of days paddling to get some miles in and test the new gear.
Posted in Challenges, Paddle trips, tagged Britain, Circumnavigation, Extreme Challenge, sea kayak on March 10, 2012| 2 Comments »
A post with a bit of a serious theme this one. When we talk about the trip to friends and family, after the initial “you are joking right?”, the conversation quickly turns to how we plan to keep safe through out 2,500 mile paddle. We have prepared a full risk assessment and will be talking this through with the Coastguard before we leave – below is an extract from it.
Safety kit carried by each paddler in their PFD (Personal Flotation Device) or within easy reach - cockpit or day hatch
Midlifekayak 