9 Replies to “Bit of a cold snap …”

  1. Hang in there Guy, nobody said it would be easy!

    Life’s a bitch, and the there is the East coast.The sunny days will come; just relax and be ready to go when things are better. It will come and it will be worth the wait…

  2. Thinking of you Guy ! Must be tough keeping warm in this weather.
    Hope you manage to see amazing things despite the poor conditions….one day at a time !

  3. Keep up the good work! It looks like tough going with this horrible waether, I am sure it will get easier once Spring arrived. Enjoy your trip and let me know if you need help on, or around Anglesey. Marcus

  4. Great effort Guy – hope you’re ok. Even ‘sunny’ Devon is having tiny snow flurries today, so no doubt it’s very cold where you are too!
    Thanks so much for what you’re doing. We’ve already had over £100 in directly from your Virgin Money page, and we really appreciate your support. All the best for now, Naomi (FORCE Cancer Charity Fundraising)

  5. Well done Guy! Keep going and I’m sure the weather will change soon. What a fantastic thing to do – I look forward to following your progress while I’m stuck behind my desk. All the best with the rest of the trip

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Sea State: Scary

This is what the sea looks likes this morning … it is now starting to snow.   I think I could be stuck here for a while as this strong easterly is forecast to continue well into next week.     (I’m currently thawing out with a hot chocolate in a cafe).

roughsea

4 Replies to “Sea State: Scary”

  1. Good luck, following you with interest. I really feel for you in this shite weather pattern. Will be at Sandwich in Kent on Wednesday, if you make it that far by then, I’ll buy you a pint.

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A small weather window …

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There was another very cold start to the day today with a thin layer of ice (and a frost) covering the tent and the boat.  However, it was sunny and clear, and looking at the forecast, this was one of the calmest places in the country (as shown by this wind forecast map from xcweather).

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I paddled a few more miles, passing picturesque Southwold, and the less appealing Sizewell power station.  However with the cold easterly strengthening, I decided to stop before Orford Ness, and am now enjoying some shelter from the wind behind the steep pebble beach near Thorpeness.

Looking at the forecast, I could be here for a while!  I said goodbye to Yarmouth CG today as I passed into the Thames CG area, and I am finally south of my start point in Cambridge.  Nevertheless, its a bit worrying too think that at my current rate of progress, I won’t be able to complete this circumnavigation this year – hopefully my pace will pick up as the days get longer and the weather improves.

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Further south …

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Yesterday, I paddled south from California to Kessingland.  I was aiming for Southwold (with a thirst for Adnam’s), but after the usual  later-than-planned start, and having to spend a fair amount of time zig-zagging to avoid areas of breaking waves, I went for plan B and landed a bit south of Lowestoft.

Today, I had a day off as the sea looked even less inviting than the forecast suggested (and my hands needed a rest).  All this paddling and the cold had given me quite an appetite, so I have spent most my time here eating in my tent – only taking a break to go to the pub for a meal.

2 Replies to “Further south …”

  1. Hope you make the most of today (Thursday) as it looks like a frewsh to strong ESE’ly for 2 to 3 days from Friday morning onwards.

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California Surfing

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I’m now at California, a bit north of Yarmouth.   It was a lovely paddle yesterday with some sunshine and some swell but very light winds.  I had the company of plenty of seals that followed me for a while, and a porpoise playing in the waves.  There were also lots of seabirds which i’m terrible at recognising, bit I think one of then was a razorbill.

The landing was a bit dodgy though – I met fog just before landing and couldn’t see the beach (although I’d marked what looked like a nice beach to land on the GPS).  As soon as I turned onto a wave, I found the surf was dumping into the beach in front of a sandbar, and ended up dinging the bow of the Taran.  Oh well, I don’t think there is any damage that a bit of gel coat won’t fix.

Today feels a lot more wintry and it is raining, but I’m going to paddle south some more while the winds are light.

3 Replies to “California Surfing”

  1. Just in case your dog recognition is not any better that your bird spotting, the dog you frightened at California was a Labrador and the little fierce one was a Tibetan Terrier. Good luck for the rest of your trip

  2. Walking the dog (Lily) early mornings on the beach at Benacre I am used to finding and seeing some strange things but a tent and Kayak is a first. Best of luck on your journey.

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A few more miles …

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I left Cley this morning and covered a few more miles, but once the tide stopped helping, the headwind made progress very slow, so I stopped at Mundesley.

I know Mundesley from paragliding, and am camped on the ‘lower takeoff’ here – its quite reassuring to go somewhere I’ve been before and know there is a sheltered patch of grass here to pitch my tent.

I passed the cliffs at Cromer today where I’ve also flown before, but it all looks completely different from the sea.

I would write more, but I’ve had to walk to the top takeoff to get a signal, and now its starting to rain.

The forecast has improved for tomorrow, so I’ll go while the going is good.

5 Replies to “A few more miles …”

  1. Hi Guy,
    I keep writing messages that don’t get through – don’t understand!
    I am also a paraglider pilot and Andy flies a stiffy! Glad to see you’ve reached the coast – good progress! Jane Morton.

  2. I like the thought of finding a familiar place among so much unknown coastline. Must feel like a sigh. 🙂 Happy more paddling!

  3. Walked passed your tent this morning, 19/3/13 between California and Caister. Just to wish you good luck and well done.

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A few photos of the trip so far …

 

Setting off from the mill pond in Cambridge (thanks Will for the photo).
Setting off from the mill pond in Cambridge (thanks Will for the photo).

 

After a whole week stuck at Gore Point waiting for the weather to improve, I finally managed to paddle yesterday.

Today the wind is up again, so I’ve found a pub with wifi so I can upload some pictures of the trip so far.

 

The raging torrent that is the Great Ouse.
The raging torrent that is the Great Ouse.

The weather has been pretty horrendous – two inches of rain one day, thick fog another, frosts on the beach, snow, gale force winds, horizontal hail …

The wind chill was enough to turn boiling water stone cold again in the time it took to carry my kelly kettle back to the tent!

Still enjoying it nevertheless.

 

I gave the sensitive Blakeley Point a wide berth yesterday, but many of the curious seals swam out to see me.  The warden said “At least you didn’t land a helicopter on it like that bloke from Jamiroquoi the other day”.

A horribly knee-deep muddy exit from the tidal river near King's Lynn.
A horribly knee-deep muddy exit from the tidal river near King’s Lynn.
Chilling in the dunes.
Chilling in the dunes.
Pretty view, but also pretty cold.
Pretty view, but also pretty cold.
Did I mention the cold ?
Did I mention the cold ?

6 Replies to “A few photos of the trip so far …”

  1. Hi Guy, was nice to meet you today. Hope you enjoy the weekend at Cley.
    Just wanted to wish you luck for the rest of your journey!

  2. Good to hear you are making progress once again, you were unlucky with the weather but that’s the way it goes, it may not be the only time!
    Enjoy and take it steady for now. We’ll be watching!
    JW

  3. Hello Guy, My partner, Carolyn, and I met you on the beach at Cromer on Sunday 17th March. Was great to chat and hear about your expedition. Good times ahead I hope. I will let my father (John White – Deben Estuary Harbour Master) know about your trip. He also knows the inshore lifeboat crew at Felixstowe who will be interested. If you need shelter, hot food and even a bed for the night at Felixstowe Ferry, call him up on VHF radio or on 0780—- —-. Now off to donate, before tweeting about your journey.
    Have a good trip.
    Barrie.

    • Hi Barrie,

      Was good to meet you both on the beach. That all sounds brilliant – I’m glad I picked that spot to stop for lunch ! Also thanks very much for the donation. (I’ve made a note of the number but redacted it in your comment incase you didn’t want it posted online.)

      Thanks again,

      Cheers,

      Guy

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A bad start

Unfortunately, this trip has gone rather wrong before it has really started.   On arriving at the coast after paddling down the Cam and Ouse, my phone kept reporting, “No signal”, so I assumed that there was no network coverage.

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My rather inconspicuous position in the dunes.

The forecast sounded terrible, but I didn’t phone the coastguard as all I could have told them at that point was that I wasn’t on the water and I had no plans to paddle for several days.  However, I did phone home from a landline, explaining the situation, and so I was more than a bit surprised when the coastguard turned up at my tent saying they had been looking for me.

It turns out that I was in coverage, but the phone had broken, and of course, with hindsight, I should have let the coastguard know where I was.  On or off the water.

I’m now carefully proceeding, ensuring the CG always know where I am, carrying three new phones on three different networks, and feeling very red-faced and disappointed that I have unwittingly become a drain on the resources of one of the charities that I had hoped to support during this trip.

7 Replies to “A bad start”

  1. Good luck with the trip, we will follow your progress with interest. Living near Norwich we visit & know Cambridge very well. Nice touch starting from there….very different. We paddle a Romany Surf and a Rockpool Alaw Bach.
    Hope the weather Improves.

    Frank & Sally

  2. Do you want to borrow a VHF radio? I have a spare I can loan to you, if that would be helpful and you let me know a delivery address.

    • Hi Mark,

      Thanks for the generous offer – I have two DSC VHFs (and a PLB) with me, but they were off while I was off the water.

  3. I think you’ve done well considering the weather. Your tale is not unlike that of Geoffrey Hunter. Early contact with CG might not be a bad thing. I’m a regular sea paddler on the coast of N.Essex. If you email I’ll send you my mobile number should you wish to use it. Otherwise I’ll try to give you a wave as you pass by. Good luck.

  4. Hope the weather doesn’t get you. It will get better at some point, or you will just harden up. It’s a great trip, so enjoy every minute of it. Wish you luck and good fun.

    As for the incident, take it as great PR:-) But of course, no more searches wanted or unwanted.
    NAtalie

    • Thanks Natalie,

      Its amazing what you can get used to with the weather 🙂
      I really enjoyed your and Michal’s blog last year – a big influence on me.

      All the best,

      Guy.

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On my way …

After some delays, I’ve finally set off. As I haven’t done any training this year, I’m taking it easy – I’ve been enjoying warm days paddling down the Cam and Ouse – paddling in a T-shirt yesterday. However, the nights have been pretty cold (as shown by the frost on my boat !)

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Portaging round locks had been hard work as this requires emptying the boat before I can lift it out of the water. I’m currently waiting for the tide on the river near King’s Lynn, which should give me a bit of a boost as I paddle out into The Wash …

8 Replies to “On my way …”

  1. Wow Guy…respect to you for such an early season start !
    I wish you all the best for your trip and favorable wind and weather.
    Will be following your progress.
    Steve Porter.

  2. Hi Guy…can’t you get someone to lend you a portage trolley so that you don’t have to unpack your boat at every lock-gate…it does make things a lot easier…some of them pack down pretty small.

    • Hi Steve,

      I do have a trolley, but it didn’t help much getting the boat out at high walled banks, through deep mud, or over lumpy flood banks.
      At least I won’t have to worry about those doing those portages again for a very long time.

      Cheers,

      Guy

  3. Glad the first stages have gone well Guy, hope you managed to catch up on your sleep! Good luck embarking on the epic sea journey proper; still awed by (and somewhat jealous of) your adventurous mad undertaking. Hope to meet up with you further round the coast. Jo x

  4. Better than a day in the office ! All the best and enjoy’, I look forward to following your progress 🙂

  5. Good luck Guy! Bloody brave leaving this time of year! Stay warm and safe.

    Let me know when you get to Cornwall – there’s a warm bed and hot meal for you.
    Cheers
    Andy

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6 Replies to “Leaving on Sunday”

  1. Well done Guy! I think that what you are doing is totally insane and I am very jealous. I wish I had the balls to do something like this! Hope to catch up with on a couple of occasions on your trip, we will be keeping a keen eye on your progress and will buy you pizza at every opportunity! Take care and paddle on.
    Lots of love Heather and Jos xx

  2. I’m watching 🙂 Though I’d really like it if the map told me what date it was last updated on. All the best. Janet x

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