Day 10 or 22 depending on scale

Tomorrow I head from Lynmouth to flat holm in the middle of the Bristol channel 30.2 mile open water crossing in what should be perfect conditions. That said it will still be a day of excitement.  The Bristol channel has the second largest tidal range in the world 2nd only to the Bay of Fundy in eastern Canada. And is still a major shipping channel on the worlds stage. After a night on flat holm between Cardiff and Weston I will aim for Avonmouth and then Bristol hopefully pushing on to bath by the close of play on Saturday.
  If I'm truthful I had all but hung up the towel as im sure my previous blog posts testify.  But there was this nagging feeling in the back of my head and I aim to silence it.  There is no way I could have done any of this without my dear friends and colleagues John and Glyn, nor without Natalie ( my incredible fiancé) Mum and my Brother their unconditional support is profound or any of the really beautiful emails I received. ...2 big days coming up, I feel rejuvinated after some really nice surf whilst I was at home....who knows I may blast the canals and just have london and the south coast left to do in the future.....adventure ahead!!

We go forwards together or not at all

ALS seem to be raising millions by people throwing water and I genuinely think its phenomenal.  The power of social media is tremendous!
   I set out to be the first person to circumnavigate the south of england, I set out to do it in a recyclable plastic kayak using sustainable wooden paddles, to make a bold statement about elite level performance and cherishing our environment.
I wont be the first as the weather really has pounded me and in a third of my time I only managed to move a sixth of my distance, but I stand by the equipment I am using and by my decisions to support the oceans.
People that understand the ocean have commended me on my efforts but some have said that seeing I havent completed the challenge they wont donate to the worthy cause of the Marine conservation society. Next week I will try and push further north and reach Bristol. Even the idea of getting back in my boat is uncomfortable. Yet I'll do it because the oceans deserve not a bucket of cold water from me but at least a bucket of tears of which I have most certainly given; on day one I truly thought I may die at sea I cried I weakened and I found resolve, on the day I came out of my kayak in large surf I cried through disappointment and failure as a weather window closed on me and I have cried from the support I have recieved even though I have felt so alone. I dont cry easily yet August 2014 and the north Atlantic have demanded this of me so I have given, and I intend to give some more. Please share this, please donate and please care, NOT for me but for our oceans and the organisations trying to protect them. Motor Neuron Disease is awful, but there will be no point curing it if we let the Oceans die for without healthy Oceans there simply cannot be healthy Humans.

Here is what MCS do   on average I get 150 page views per day...over 6600 in total so far and I have Raised £700   be part of the solution. Share this post far and wide..... not for a man going kayaking but for an Ocean that we all very much need,  for my own vanity dont let my tears be for nothing, for they were truly meant for something!

Thank You.
Simon Luck

What we do
MCS, the UK charity that cares for our seas, shores and wildlife
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the voice for everyone who loves the sea. We work to secure a future for our living seas, and to save our threatened sea life before it is lost forever.

Marine Protected Areas
Our wonderful seas, shores and wildlife are under threat. Almost nowhere in UK seas is marine wildlife safe from harm. We need to establish vital marine protected areas where wildlife can recover and flourish.

Levels of beach litter have doubled over the last decade. MCS works to clear our seas of the rising tide of rubbish that is so dangerous to sea life, including seabirds, whales and dolphins.

Fish Stocks
88% of Europe’s fish stocks are overfished or depleted. MCS works to reduce the overfishing which is devastating the life in our seas, and promotes sustainable seafood alternatives.

Clean Seas & Beaches
Our work ensures that the sea’s rich wildlife can be restored, fish stocks grow more plentiful, and our beaches and seawater become cleaner. We depend entirely on the generosity and enthusiasm of our supporters to continue to care for our seas, shores and wildlife.

Sorry ....few days out again

Cruel irony....the one wind direction I didnt want for this section of the trip was easterlies and that is what I have!  After constant northwesterlies on the the west coast I've really had enough!..... I promise this isnt because of the perfect swell thats just arrived. ...although I am very keen to surf it...... I'm gonna walk away from it all for a few days and if I get conditions tgat I'm happy with I'll crack on till Bristol,  but so far I havent stopped frowning once and yes the trip wasnt meant to be easy, but I've  been limited to when I can go due to work commitments (as so many people are) and I'm not prepared to keep breaking my heart..... so sorry if any one feels let down but I assure you that what ever your feeling is nothing compared to how I feel right now. Sorry again.
Simon

Day 9 Ilfrascum- Lynmouth (711 short)

.....that means I've paddled 139 miles.

Ilfracombe was ghastly today aside from a few polite humans there were a lot of ignorant rude people.... I guess the weather didnt help them to be filled with holiday cheer!    It took ages to launch the boat as low tide Ilfracombe is a bit of a pain. But that was the best bit of my day gusts of upto force 6/7 were both felt on the water and evident on the forecasting sites. I'd stipulate a direction, but that would suggest there was only one, instead of the constant variety I experienced.
   I reached breaking point today physically I feel great, technically and tactically my skills are better than they ever have been, but psychologically I'm smashing into a mountain side, I cannot see me completing the circumnav so I'm now trapped with a nagging 'whats the point?'  I can move my goals to something more achievable in this unseasonal weather but in my heart the kayak south 850miles has still failed therefore so have I, and no matter what is said the voice in my head when I sleep is the voice I have to live with. And I'm fine with that, what I won't be fine with is failing my friends family and indeed the oceans I care so much about. 
My blog has had around 6000 page views yet only raised around £500 it is so simple to donate to the MARINE CONSERVATION SOCIETY  you have to be able to separate between what I'm doing and what the Marine conservation society are doing. .... the oceans aren't mine they aren't yours and the flaura and forna that inhabits them aren't anyone's either yet we behave like we have domain over them when we simply don't.  If you read this blog post text just £1 maybe 2 if you're feeling flush it'll make a difference to the ocean. Its gotta be worth it I'll be doing it immediately after writing this. I wonder if you do to? KSAE50 £2 to 70070 
I truly don't know if I'll paddle tomorrow but I hope someone else does..... I adore kayaking but my time of doing it alone seems to be passing, there are some phenomenal athletes out there that are able to become isolated from their friends and family and endure massive hardships to achieve their goals, thats not me I'm a guy that can endure hardship for my loved ones, But not for this......I think the challenge is a good one, I think I've been unfortunate with the weather that I keep encountering and I'm unhappy more than I'm happy on the water right now but I couldn't feel more blessed by the support I have received. If I choose not to continue I do it for my own wellbeing over a challenge,  but the oceans don't matrer any less to me

Remember to text.

Day 8 Hartland-Ilfracombe

Probably my easiest mileage so far today. 25ish miles in pretty fair conditions.
    Leaving Hartland at low tide I felt slightly off as I've just spent 2 days doing next to nothing whilst waiting for an appropriate weather window however passing between the rocks at hartland point I started smiling, those 5 minutes of paddling have always been a personal favourite of mine, the water accelerates between several routes of what often feels like grade 2 White water. I've always had a real passion for hartland from climbing, surfing,kayaking,walking and working there and today was no different I left with a smile and hoisted my sail on a 050° heading towards Morte point headphones in and The Foo Fighters belting out anthems.  It was easy......and then the wind increased and the southerly became a south easterly pushing me off shore making my approach to a now bubbling Morte Point a little more awkward, but I passed the race without incident cruised past Bull point lighthouse (which is beautiful by the way) then received a text message from friend and Skern Lodge MD John Watson calmly checking I was still the right way up as the tracker wasnt broadcasting. Sure enough  I was close to  Ilfracombe at this point and came in to land at around the 5 hour mark. As an aside the rock based fishermen of Ilfracombe are either excellent at casting or diabolical! ! As in short order 4 seperate "gentlemen" cast within a couple of metres of me.  On landing I met a guy that works for p&h but I have to be honest I was hungry and didnt perhaps celebrate what a superb product they produce!  There were a couple of other gentlemen with their kids that were very warm and welcoming its really appreciated when people see what I'm doing and show an interest.  Tomorrow I'll have the tracker back on line and continue to chase Bristol and my departure from the west country.

A 25.3 mile headache

Who ever thought 25.3 miles of home waters would be my stumbling block..... I've had so much support and appreciation as to my efforts so far but the truth is I've barely traveled an 8th of my distance and time is no longer a disposable comodity of which I can play im going to try and cross yet again on sunday southerly f4 may catapult me across the bay on a nice downwind run and theni can try and clear the estuary get onto the canals and hopefully bash out some higher milage and race down  my own demons and maybe drown the monkey on my back! But until the Bristol channel gives me permission I'm stuck (in total luxury) at home. I'm so desperate to clear the southwest west and see things I've never seen but currently I'm trying to learn patience. .....still!
I may brush the sand off my kit tomorrow but other than that I'll just be keeping an eye on the weather.