Isles Of Scilly - Expedition report

The Team - Yvonne, Charlie, Lisa, David, Jackie, Maddy, John, Mitch Jeff and Simon

Our IOS expedition booked up very early this year and we had been looking forward all summer to get out there with the group. We all met at Maenporth beach for a familiarisation day in the local area. It was the start of Falmouth week so there was lots of boats to avoid while crossing the Fal to St Mawes for strawberries and clotted cream.

Lisa and Charlie leaving the beach at St Agnes

` I say, anybody for a cup of tea?` St Martins

Jackie and Jeff paddling back to shelter after a blast in the full force of the Atlantic

The weather was set to play a major part in the week. On the first night we had a forecast of force 9 winds. However the night was breathless and strangely quiet. The low pressure had passed directly over us. The Scillonian was cancelled for the next day only to be rescheduled in the morning. None of the forecasts could seem to get it right. With 3.5 m seas off the backs of the islands we cautiously explored the inner parts of the islands for the first half of the week.

Bryher from Tresco

The paddling was amazing with crystal clear waters and and perfect beaches. What really made the trip was the people who booked onto the expedition. The group really bonded and worked really well as a team both on and off the water.

For more photos of this expedition click here for our Gallery

Thanks to all of the group for making it such a memorable week for both of us.

Hadas & Tomers Final Report from Newfoundland

Hadas & Tomer at the end of their 66 day circumnavigation of Newfoundland, well done guys!!!

Well 3 days turned into almost a week because we figured we had the time to spend until our flight, so we split the days in 2 and took it real easy. Anyway to sum it up, the trip was fantastic!!!!

We have seen some special places and met many new friends along the way. Sixty six days with only 10 real showers... And 6 times of doing laundry. We definitely stank and so does all our stuff by now.

Lots of stories still to tell but that will be at home.

We take this chance to say big thanks to all our sponsors:

NDK kayaks that did the job staying bone dry the whole way around.

http://www.seakayakinguk.com/

LENDAL paddles that always fit our hands perfectly.

http://www.lendal.com/

EXTRASPORT paddling clothes, PFD's and spray decks that kept us dry and afloat.

http://www.extrasport.com/

RUTABAGA that helped keep us warm with the under layers of merino wool and dry bags.

http://www.rutabaga.com/

EUREKA for the big yellow dry tent, sleeping bags and mats.

http://www.eurekatent.com/

Jeff Allen for all the moral support.

http://www.seakayakingcornwall.com/

Karel Vissel our forever friend and weather man.

http://www.kayakweather.blogspot.com/

Avner Moncaz for the GPS

http://www.moncaz.com/

Simon Jansen and Susan Pottle in Corner Brook, NFLD, for all the logistics.

http://www.pureadventures.ca/

Royal Navy Challenge

Around the Sharp End!

Sorry we haven’t been able to update our blog recently. For the past two weeks or thereabouts, we have been busy training up nine Royal Navy personnel for quite a challenge. The aim was to take 9 volunteers with no previous kayaking experience and get them around Cornwall…..In one piece! Well 9 sailors went out and 9 came back. All nine volunteers acquitted themselves admirably and Simon Harry and I enjoyed an amazing journey around Cornwall with them.

The team prior to departure.

The challenge started with a two day Intro course which was run by Harry Whelan and myself, Harry down from London for a week was working with me in preparing the group for the challenge.
The first day of the journey saw us paddling out from Pilgrim’s Step’s in Plymouth straight into a 5ft swell and force five gusting 6 south westerly wind, we made it as far as Cawsand before the wind increased further and we had to land. Valuable experience was gained later on in the day when a paddle out to Penlee Point was undertaken to practise surfing skills in the large swells and ebbing tide.
After 36 hours the winds died and we had a cracking paddle along the south coast, Fowey, Mevagissey, Gorran Haven and Falmouth were all visited. On Sunday the team had a chance to demonstrate their new found skills at an RNLI day at Maenporth Beach.

Basking Sharks in Mounts Bay.

Monday had us setting off towards the Lizard, a perfect high pressure, blue skies and calm seas allowed us to make good mileage and we made it around the Lizard and into Kynance Cove. Then an open crossing of 16 KM the following morning to Tater Dhu lighthouse, during which we saw several Basking Sharks before rounding Lands End and into Sennen Cove for a meal of BBQ’d mackerel, washed down by a few pints of ‘Head Launcher’, the local brew.

Landing at Kynance Cove after rounding the Lizard

The guys were now facing the North coast, a committing section of coastline by anyone’s standards and they handled it with style, making it as far as Porthtowan before we had to land through the surf to end the journey in style.
Well done Eddy, Matt, Jesus, Rowan, Mark, Guy, Wally, Adam and a big thank you to Lt Cdr ‘Harry’ Harrington for organising such a successful expedition.

Xped members silhouetted against the Atlantic sunset.

Visit our gallery pages shortly for more pics from the expedition.

Hadas and Tomer in Newfoundland

So we are now only 3 paddling days away from the finish. After finally leaving the south coast and a very long time of paddling in the fog with head winds lots of the way, we found the sun again. Yohooo!!!!!

It was getting so depressing waking up every day in the fog, we wouldn't recommend it for paddling conditions. On one of those foggy days while we were rafted up for a pee, Tomer was just getting back into his cockpit and I was getting out, a very gray calm Mako SHARK!! appeared right by the side of my kayak. While I was almost having a heart attack and Tomer too, it swam around to his side as I was quickly closing my spray deck and both of us paddling away. After a few minutes that shark, or maybe another one was jumping high up out of the water, and again, and again... We got so scared, didn't stop anymore for peeing until the end of that day. On the south coast there are very few small communities that are trying hard to promote their communities for tourism so that they don't just disappear for ever.

In one of them the school just closed this year after only having 2 kids left in it. You can only reach these places by boat or kayak. Now we are left with 3 days, hopefully with following seas. (Finally thanks to the SW prevailing winds of the season). Anyway, we are tired and ready to go home. We will write one last update when we get back, so ciao for now

TS & HF