Packing and Training

This is now our last week in UK before we fly out on Sunday.
So were all busy packing and sorting out last minute things.
Timmy and Richy have been out surfing and rolling,Ive been eating cake and sausage's ,working on the locals (Seals idea fat means warm).
This maybe one of the last enterys from UK so next time you look on the blog click on the link top left to the diary site.
Thanks again to Desire Petroliem you have donated £500 to expedition costes.

Thanks to Spirit of Adventure

Dear all at Spirit,

Thanks for all your help and donation of equipment including two water purifiers, one SPOT and a kayak for Richy to paddle when his got stolen. If anyone wishes to check out there website click on the link at the top of the blog

Thanks again

Good News

Our flights were confermed today with 54kgs baggage allowance so we are all very happy.Not much else to add training continues and fund raising continues ,so if you havent already then follow the just giving link if you would like to help.
Photo a wave waiting for Timmy in Cornwall

Desire Petroleum Sponsor SeaKayaking Falklands

Desire Petroleum PLC have kindly sponsored the expedition £500 which will go towards the running costs. To find out more about deire please go to there website www.desireplc.co.uk

The Isle of Windy White

Richys paddle pants
paddle fuel
ive found cake
inspector Carter
Team IOW
On Sat 22nd the team met up at Lepe for a photo by Mark the Help for Heroes Photographer and for 4 days paddling/camping,
After some alarm clock confusion and the photos and a large late breakfast,we set off towards the Needles.Poseidon must have been a little bored as he looked at our little kayaks so he made a nice breeze for us, due to this and the tide now against us we camped just short of Yarmouth.
Sunday 23rd, Was a fine crisp morning, so off with tide we went towards the Needles again into a stiff F5 ish breeze as we passed Yarmouth and its pontoons the wind picked up and about 1km later we got off the water,luckily by a cafe, as we ate a hearty second breakfast we watched the wind and waves grow and decided the Needles would have to wait for another day,so we headed off northeast towards Cowes surfing up the Soulant against the tide in probably a F7 wind gusting 8 ish lots of fun but a little chilly, we camped 6km ish short of Cowes.
Monday 24th, 2hours hard paddling and we covered 1900 meters,not sure of the wind strength but stronger than our little arms ,after waiting nearly 2 hours for the wind to drop it decided not to so we explored on foot and yes you guessed it found a cafe!! selling Bangers and Mash .
Tuesday 25th, A brisk paddle back over to Lepe to sort kayak and kit to be handed in at the docks to sail south.A good 4 days was had by all and a good reminder for all that the Sea is the BOSS of sea kayakers .
Photos to follow.

At Last I have a kayak

At last the boat has arrived. What a beauty. Unfortunately it missed the big boat (known as a ship to seafarers (apparently a ship is something you can fit a boat on not vice versa)) but it is being packed on the next one and will arive in the Falklands a few days after we do ne'er mind!!!

I fitted an electric bilge pump as you can see by the video but it is with difference. The battery pack is solar powered and has attached a battery recharger for AA's, AAA's and cigarette lighter. Main p0wer is from a 12v 5AH battery. We have power!!!

I can sea-test it in The Falklands, lovely! (it may be worth noting the large padded comfy seat in my kayak, maaan that looks comfortable)

I have also devised a cunning locking system for the kayak which attaches to my decking, back garden and ultimately the very bedrock I live on so unless some smarty pants wants the whole of the earths crust with my kayak....

Prep, and Training

Nothing exiting to add for the last few days,kit preperation and training , Surfing and rolling practice for me in a bit of a gale on Monday , and today Richy rolling and re entery rolling practice. At the end of next week we are off to the Isle of White for 4 days paddling and camping so some good photos and funny tales of failed rolls !!!

Vango sponsors us a tent

Vango have kindly offered to sponsor us and donated a tent. Thanks very much to Iain who I have been in contact with. Having a new tent to shelter from the weather of the south atlantic will certainly set some of our fears to rest!!

Two kayaks packed and on way South

Today Tim and I went to Marchwood Navel base, packed most of our camping kit into our kayaks wraped them and handed them to the load master, to sail south on the 14th and arrive early December. YIPPPIEEEE
As you know from Richys post bellow his is lost in UK somewere, we plan to load it on the 25th of Nov and it should sail south on the 5th of December arriving 3rd of January.
So are start date will slip to the 4th or 5th of January , time for Tim and I to surf and paddle about near Stanley while Richy makes tea and calls us rude names .
I will add some photos of packed,wrapped kayaks tomoro .
photo Tim and Chris sorting kayaks in Marchwood

Marchwood Southampton.

A good day for Chris and I, we had an RV at the M27 Services for a 'Training' breakfast (Very low calorie !!) . We met Fiona from Penrith who is paddling with Tom, around the Isles, at the same time but in the opposite direction.

Chris's new boat looked amazing, and weighed so little, I am a litle envious, but may have see the future !!!!! I could end up a single man though !!!!

Chris then displayed expedition leader skills and took us to Marchwood, where we wrapped and packed Kayaks with acres of Bubble wrap. !!!

I also included Tent and Sleeping bag plus Dry bags and stove etc, as well as large jars of Savlon and Sudo cream for those tender areas anticipated !!!

We were in a hanger with lots of stuff in different parts of the building, for The Ascension Isles, South Georgia and of course Stanley. Hopefully we put our Kayaks in the right area otherwise Richie may yet get ahead when he puts his new boat on the next ship.

DHL staff were very helpful and friendly and Chris took photos which he will hopefully add to this 'post', as we all felt this was a significant step forward !!

Missing (the) boat

Unfortunately, a couple of months ago my kayak got stolen. In fact it seemed as soon as word got out I was going to the Falklands for 6 weeks my kayak went missing (perhaps my wife, Sue, had some hand in this). Anyway the insurance paid out, I ordered my kayak and was expecting it on Tuesday. It did not arrive - apparently they forgot to put it on the delivery lorry (I am sure this happens all the time especially to 17ft lime green sea kayaks, they tend to blend in to the surrounding). So today Timmy and Chris are loading there kayaks onto the Falklands boat and I am sitting at home drinking tea! Lets hope I don't miss the next boat!!!! (I think it is actually a ship - boat might be underselling it)

For all those who saw it hope you enjoyed our TV clip on ITV westcountry. For those of you who missed it go onto their website and it is archived for a week!!

Dry suit wearing !!

Essentially its in the name 'Dry suit '
Need one say more??

But Richie did well especially when the camera man said could he do it again but with more 'dynamism' !!!

Hollywood here we come!!

Timmy and I are making our TV debut tommorrow at 11.15am and 6.00pm. ITV Westcountry are running a little article on their news programme. Not sure I am a natural on the TV but who cares it is a bit of publicity. If I looked cold it is because I did all the rolling and Timmy did none - who was wearing the drysuit? eh! Timmy.

Happy watching

Good news and bad news

The good news is we had the shipping confirmed today for free!!!,kayaks handed into the port freight chaps on the 7th of Nov to arrive in the Falkland Islands 3rd ish of Dec.
Bad news Paul(Spider)Taylor has dropped out of the expedition.
More good news Richy has ordered a shiny new PH Scorpio kayak (lots of room for tea bags ) and should be ready to ship on the 7th.

Tims Update

I am the oldest one of the gang, a mere pensioner from the Metropolis.
I met Chris whilst on holiday in May on a wet and windy camp site in Sennen and look where its got me !

Still kayaking on a regular basis having paddled a lot of the West Country coast, Pembrokeshire and even atrip to greece, which was tough !!

Looking to raise a lot of money with your help, as well as paddle a part of the world I know little about.

Hi there Chris here just to add to Richeys team intro, Im lving in Kent at the momment,paddling mainly near Dover and Deal ,The Expedition will be run on a pritty democratic basis so more of Exped organiser than leader , untill we get there then we will wait and see how it all goes desisions mainly being to paddle or not weather dependant ,and to sample the tea from Richy each AM ,
I am 39 and have been in the Army since i was 16 so have been on a few Expeditions some work and some fun .Other kayak trips, Northern Irish coast,,Belfast to Fort William,, Cyprus coast from Karinia clockwise to Paphos.

Packing Practise

Hi there I am Richy (the youngest member of the expedition, probably turn out to be the tea-boy!!). I live in Truro, cornwall and work there as a firefighter. I learn't to sea kayak on the cornish coastline which tends to get it's fairshare of weather and sea conditions. I met Chris, the exped leader, through Timmy Carter (also on the exped and a climbing/kayaking partner)and got invited to come along. Living in cornwall I like to try my hand at most things the environment provides for so I kitesurf, surf and climb, occassionally a bit of cycling and running to keep my fitness up.

Logistics

It was while serving in the Falklands that i first came up with the idea of paddling around it.
As i looked into it i then realised the sizable problems . getting kayaks kit and team members there, sounds so easy but quickly became very complex.
The challenge of paddling around is another thing so will not go into that as most reading this will be seakakers and will be aware that it may be a litte breezie and lumpy.
As far as we know, Leif Ponciet ( a Falkland Islander) is the only paddler to sucsessfuly paddle around both East and West Falkland, (If you know of any one else please let us know)
At the moment there are 3 differant expeditions atempting to get round this winter (Falklands summer). Fiona Whitehead and Tom Parrick, and a solo attempt Marcus Demuth ,and us. Good luck to them all.
Chris Millington

Welcome

This is the first post of many which, hopefully, will lead up to a successfull circumnaviagtion of The Falkland islands. Four of us are attempting to do this in our sea kayaks. We are heading out on 28th December and have given ourselves 6 weeks to complete the challenge. We are raising money for Help for Heroes and two Falkland Island charities - The Stephen Jaffray Memorial Fund and the Falklands Outward Bound Trust. We are currently looking for sponsorship and have generated some media attention.

Sea Kayaking around the Falkland Island poses some specific problems but also holds some amazing experiences. The islands are almost uninhabited (just over 3000 people of which most live in Stanley). They are very remote and desolate which increases the exposure but allows you to experience a true wilderness. The wildlife is unique to the islands with an abundance of seals, dolphins, whales and bird life including a number of penquin species and a very rare and myserious wren! Despite going in the summer the islands are still far enough south to produce some bad weather. They are constantly battered by swells from the southern ocean and lashed by strong antarctric winds. These factors will kayaking quite testing at times. Due to the remote nature of the islands the nearest rescue could be a very long time coming especially if hindered by poor weather.