The new business cards

Thanks to Inventive Solutions for these an amazing gifted group of people. You've made my day!

SHIP AHOY!!

The Falmouth tall ships regatta starts around the 28th of august which means there'll be a lot more boat traffic through August coinciding with my mid august launch  I'm truly excited to be paddling in the same vicinity as these behemoths if your planning on being at my departure I recommend you grab an ice cream and visit some of these glorious ships.

Flat earth sail

A huge thank you to Kari-tek for helping me to get a sail sorted. Even if it only offers occasional gains in distance or efficiency it'll at least offer a variety to my days. Cant wait to recieve it and get sailing I mean kayaking I mean eerrrrr kay-ling???  Well whatever its called it should be fun.... it may help me blend in on the solent as well ;)

Great day

23miles most of which was against tide and half into a f5 strengthening breeze I felt really pleased paddling out to Morte point from Appldore, but had a hickup with technology in that I was unable to obtain a good weather forecast so essentially I turned tail and slogged home. I was told how valuable head wind training is....I understand now as it feels quite demoralising, stopping to eat is an exercise in travelling backwards hard fought yards drifting under your hull. That aside it really was beautiful. Baggy point was in perfect light Morte always feels foreign to me. Perhaps due to the change in rock colouration but glorious all the same. I observed Gulls sitting along eddylines, A useful tool I think almost acting like lane markers. It was also the first time ive paddled laden in a while and the boat played along very well. As did my  Anglesey stick which performed better than expected against a headwind, they really are intuitive to paddle with.

An honest truth

I love doing nothing I love it so much that I can lay in bed wishing I was doing less, but I also love being on the brink of failure of struggling and of having to desperately fight to just hold on.   This juxtaposition causes many problems for me not least of all when it comes to training. To complete my trip I need to hit about 26 miles a day. .. any less will result in failure and any more will help factor in the inevitable weather days or a rest day. Doing a 26 mile day once is quite straightforward,  you embrace the discomfort and get your head down but doing at least this for 30 days.....it seems herculean. ... I genuinely at this point have to up my fitness considerably.  My trip will be done alone but my journey there is gonna take some support I reckon!   Send me messages, tweets and donations to ensure I succeed where I could easily stay in bed.
Simon xxx

A cheeky 12 today

Today was a meant to be a 20 mile day, but due to wind and swell I shortened it on the fly. It ended as a 12 miler. I have heard so many comments about Greenland paddles both good bad and arguably at times ill informed, I honestly cant fault them I guess time will tell, but today I punched out through 3-4ft westward ho. A beach with a notoriously long paddle out, and it wasnt even a thought that my paddles were different to my normal ainsworths, they really are very intuitive. Even making little corrections as I flirted with heavy thundering surf on the infamous bideford bar wasnt an issue, I then cruised up the torridge estuary swinging between any buoys I could find, and yet again my 225cm Anglesey Stick was fine, over a few hours I averaged 3mph and maxed at 7mph this will get quicker as my core strengthens, ultimately the sun was out and the paddling was great, just a horrid portage at the end, I wont leave my trolley behind again!

Greenland Paddles

Thank you so much to Anglesey Stick for the most beautiful paddles I've ever owned these are 225cm western red cedar Greenland paddles I'm hoping to use these on the trip.  So far the swing weight feels perfect.