Still organising for the trip.....

Things are still going ahead for the trip, it hasn't been forgotten!

Alex and I were hoping to get the trip done this year in September but there's been a few problems, so for now the start date has been moved to Easter when the days start to get longer again. This will also give more time for training etc.

On June the 24th I took part in the Coquet Island Race in Amble. I raced in a plastic sea kayak (which is a touch heavier than the glass fibre boats that most other people used) in the 4 mile course and managed to win my class, which suprised me a lot!

You can see the results on this webpage http://www.auiq99.dsl.pipex.com/RaceResults07.html

I've also been out paddling in Blyth Bay for practise with the club, round the bay and up to Cambois behind the pier etc.

So for now I'm planning to get more practise too and keep my fitness up, (and also on the lookout for more races, I enjoy them a lot)

Most of the camping equipment has been sorted out save for a few items such as food which will be sorted out nearer the time.

Next update should be soon (and this time I mean it lol)


Kev

An overdue update (Another one)

Once again my apologies for the delay in my postings. It's been a bit hectic and to makes things harder the PC has been playing up and I've had trouble getting online to edit the website.

At the end of April I took the long trip down to Holyhead in North Wales to meet up with Nigel Dennis of Sea Kayaking UK, who are kindly offering support for the trip. I got to look around the factory to see how the boats are made, and they are certainly built to a very high quality.

After trying out the boats for size it appears that the Explorer HV is the best suited for my lanky legs!
A big thank you to Nigel for your advice and support and also to Tom from the Wansbeck Paddle Sports Club ( just up the road from me) who was also there when I visited.











I'm still regularly out on the water exercising. Today I was taking part in the Hexham flat water races, for me it was full day of paddling so it really gave me a good workout.




Kev

An overdue update

It's been a while since the last update, a bit too long to be honest so apologies for that.
About a month ago I passed my BCU 2 Star Award so I'm no longer what you call a complete beginner! I'm now practising 3 Star Award techniques and I hope to take that test pretty soon.
I now have a new job with JBT Waste Services so with some new income I can finance the trip a lot easier!!

I'm now a member with the British Canoe Union. With the membership I have sorted out the licences needed to use the inland waterways and the Thames, and also some 3rd party insurance which hopefully we will never have to claim.
Once a date for the trip is confirmed between us(which will be very soon hopefully!) then the very important task of fundraising for the RNLI will take place, since this is the most important aspect of the trip.

Fitness training is going well. I'm keeping up with my regular cycling exercise and attending sessions with the kayak club. In general I'm in good shape and I'll just need to keep at it and slowly build it up.

Thats all for now, and the next update I won't leave it for so long!


Kev

Paddleaid (another good worthy cause)

Daniel Bloor paddled from Kendal to London last year for his chosen charity, WaterAid.
He raised £3000 and this has so far helped to change the lives of over 200 people in the third world.

Daniel has been very helpful to us with planning and ideas for our own trip and I would like you to visit his website to find out more about Paddleaid, where he is now planning on some more fundraising events in the near future.

You can find his website at www.paddleaid.org.uk

Picture of the paddle

As promised here's a quick snap of the paddles kindly donated to us by Avoncraft.

I managed to test them last Saturday down at the kayak club and they are superb!! Not only were they light and easy on the arms, but I managed to get a really good speed going, and I believe that the trip will be a lot easier with these.

I found no problems with them while practising support strokes and rolling, in fact they are easier than the paddles I started with at the club!!


Kev

Paddles have arrived!!!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone.
On Thursday the paddles that Avoncraft kindly said they would supply us with arrived! They are Aquabound Manta Ray paddles with carbon fibre shafts, and they are specifically designed for touring, which is exactly what we are doing.
They are excellent paddles ( I'll try and take some photos, watch this space) and we are looking forward to using them very soon.
Once again a huge thank you to Alex from Avoncraft!! We'd be stuck without you!

As for the actual kayaks to sit in, I'm still planning on how to get down to Sea Kayaking UK in Holyhead, I also need to buy a roofrack to transport the boat lol, but I'll definately be visiting soon, it's just a case of when and how.


More info to come soon
Kev

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone!!!

It's been a little while since the last post on the blog but don't worry, the trip is still going ahead!
My practise sessions with Blyth Kayak Club have started again now that the Christmas break is over and things are going well, I haven't forgotten how to roll thankfully but it took me a little while to get it done properly.

Hopefully soon I'll be able to go out on day trips to get my endurance built up, I have good stamina in my legs thanks to all the cycling I do but soon I'll have to get my arms used to hours and hours of paddling lol.

On Friday I'll be making the long journey down to that big city down south to visit the London Boatshow yippee!!! I'll be at the show on Saturday 13th and I'll probably be found at either the Guiness bar (even though I don't drink much!) or browsing around the kayak display, and I'll also be looking at the lifeboats on show of course lol!

Well thats about it for now since it's 2:30am, so stayed tuned for more info and I'll try and update the site as often as possible.

Kev