Midlifekayak

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

Any expedition at sea, whether by motor/sailing boat or kayak involves an element of risk. Throughout our planning for the GB360 attempt to circumnavigate mainland Britain, we have been as thorough as possible in mitigating the risks.

Each member of the GB360 Team has sought professional training and advice with regards to their own personal paddling and seamanship skills including: rescue techniques (self and assisted); incident management; coastal navigation and route planning; RYA day skipper; VHF license; rolling, wet re-entry and roll; coping with surf conditions and following seas. The Team has also practised these skills together.

Each paddler will carry the following safety equipment: Expedition Dry Suit; Storm Cag; Hand Held Flares (red and orange flares and smokes, red parachute rocket and white position/collision avoidance flares); VHF Radio (one paddler will have DSC capability); Strobe Light; PFD; Navigation Lights; Safety Knife; Paddle Leash; Throw Tow; GPS; PLB device (McMurdo Fast Find 210 with built in GPS capability combined with a 406MHz Transmitter and a 12.5MHz homing signal and SPOT GPS Device); Paddle Float; Pump; First Aid Kit; Tilley (to keep the sun off)

In advance of the expedition the GB360 Team will brief the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)  to take them through our plans and seek advice on how we can improve the risk assessment and action plan.  We will also inform each Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) before we set off.

Each day, before setting off the GB360 Team will study the latest weather forecast and together with tide and stream details from the Nautical Almanac will prepare a route plan for the day.  This will include planned and contingency landing sites and assessment of any particular hazards e.g. shipping lanes, MOD firing ranges.  Each kayak has a deck mounted compass and a hand held compass as back up. Before launch the Team will notify the Coastguard of the intended route and passage information for that day and inform them when we have landed safely.

Each paddler has completed a CG66 Form (safety identification details) and submitted to the MCA, this includes vessel details, safety equipment carried, shore emergency contact details, PLB registration and VHF call signs.

In general for open water crossings the team will set off if forecast is for F5 or less and ideally following or onshore.  For stretches where we hug the coast, strengths of F6 for short periods are acceptable (and inevitable) – if following wind then for longer periods. Where tide races and overfalls exist we will ideally tackle at the start of the flow or even slack water if possible and certainly avoid wind against tide conditions. For known significant races see risk assessment table later in this document.

BCU advises a minimum of 3 paddlers for any journey by kayak.  The GB360 team will indeed be 3 strong for the first half of the journey, around 1,200 miles.  Thereafter we will be 2 paddlers.  Unfortunately Mike will have to leave the expedition after around 7 weeks to return to work.  Geoff and I completely accept the responsibility and slight additional risk that this entails and have made a particular point of practicing various incident scenarios with just the two of us.

The Team will practise rescue techniques throughout the expedition – at least once a week and in particular in preparation for more significant open water crossings.

Kokatat Expedition Suits and PFD. The flash on the camera has picked up the reflective strips on the suits.