Lands End – John o Groats Solo Kayak Odyssey

At Crinan

Following on from my 2004 East Australian Coast kayak adventure I have decided to attempt another sizable kayak trip that will take me from the most Westerly point of England to the far North of Scotland. Land’s End to John O’Groats is a very popular cycling challenge though very few people have completed it in a kayak. The chosen route takes advantage of the prevailing South Westerly Winds and mixes coastal sea kayaking together with two long stretches of inland waterways.

Sponsor me for undertaking this trip to raise money for Helen and Douglas House – a registered charity providing respite and end of life care for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions, as well as support and friendship for the whole family.

Click here to Sponsor my Kayak Trip (In Aid of Helen and Douglas House)

This page is dedicated to the planning and realisation of this adventure.

Project Brief

To kayak unsupported from Lands End (Cornwall) to John o’ Groats (Scotland) via the following route:

I have 6 weeks or 42 days in which to complete this challenge.

I have several reasons for attempting this trip.

Trip in Numbers

Number	Fact
42	Days in which to complete the Challenge
155	Number of Locks around which I will have to Portage
1300	Approximate Distance in Kilometres

Basking Shark

Risk Assessment

The chosen route is not without its challenges. I anticipate challenging conditions within the Bristol Channel which has one of the highest tidal ranges in the world. Tidal streams in this formidable area can run at up to eight knots. There are also some rather perilous bar crossings including the infamous Bideford Bar. The inland sections of the trip will involve many portages around locks. In the Northern part of the trip are some exposed parts of coastline together with increased unpredictability in weather conditions.

Large Tides

The risks of Hypothermia in waters around the British Isles are ever present as is the unpredictability of the weather.

The correct training, equipment and thorough planning can help to minimise the inherent risks of sea kayaking but cannot limit eliminate them altogether. I therefore have to accept that there is a large component of unavoidable risk in undertaking this trip.

Timescales

I would anticipate the 1300 kilometre trip to take six weeks to complete travelling on average 30 kilometres per day. The trip would need to be completed within the months of June, July or August when

My favourite camp

meteorological conditions, including temperature are most favourable. By utilising the prevailing winds and manipulating maximum benefit from the strong tidal streams it should be possible to incorporate several rest days into the itinerary.

I have managed to negotiate six weeks off work for this trip so will go as far as I can in the time without putting myself in to unnecessary risky situations.

Sponsorship

Helen & Douglas House

Although attempting this trip for my own personal reasons I have will also use this opportunity to raise some money for a good cause.

The charity that I have chosen to support is Helen & Douglas House.

Helen & Douglas House is a registered charity providing respite and end of life care for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions, as well as support and friendship for the whole family. The two hospice houses are bright, vibrant and positive places, where the emphasis is on living life to the full, even when that life may be short.

You can check out their website at: www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

Please note that this project is entirely self funded and all money raised through sponsorship will go directly to Helen & Douglas House.

Trip Budget

This trip is an entirely self funded venture. Although I spent most of my time rough camping, this was far from a cheap trip.

I also visited plenty of pubs and restaraunts which was quite expensive, but all part of the experience.

Component	Budget
Kayaking Equipment	£2000
Safety Equipment	£600
Food	£900
Accomodation	£300
Transport	£250

Trip Staging

Day	Start	Finish	Km	Highlights/Excitement	Pubs Visited, (Where did I Sleep?)
1	Sennen Cove	Fishermans Cove	35	Paddling with the Basking Sharks	None, (Beach)
2	Fishermans Cove	Newquay		Riding the tidal streams around the headlands – awesome!	The Boat House, Newquay Harbour, (Beach)
3	Newquay	Boscastle		Entering Boscastle harbour for the first time – not too easy to spot!	Cobwebb Inn, BoscastleYHA Boscastle (A), (YHA)
4	Rest Day	Boscastle	-	Exploring Boscastle	Wellington Hotel, BoscastleYHA Boscastle (A), (YHA)
5	Boscastle	Clovelly		Stopping off at Hartland quay; spectacular coastline	Hartland Quay Hotel (L), (Beach)
6	Delayed due to Wind/Sea State	Clovelly		Exploring Clovelly and the surrounding cliffs in very windy conditions.	Red Lion Hotel, Clovelly, (Beach)
7	Clovelly	Woolacombe		Landing through heavy surf onto Woolacombe beach	The Tides Inn, Woolacombe, (Wild Camping)
8	Delayed due to Wind/Swell	Woolacombe	-	Enjoying the sunrise and sunset from my vantage point up above Morte point	Hungry Jacks, Woolacombe, (Wild Camping)
9	Delayed due to Wind/Swell	Woolacombe	-	Watching the race between Morte and Bull Point in a Force 7 (Awesome)	Chichester Arms, Morthoe, (Wild Camping)
10	Woolacombe	Lynmouth		Facing my nemesis at Morte Point	(Beach)
11	Lynmouth	Minehead		Passing Foreland Point	The Old Ship Aground, Minehead, (Beach)
12	Minehead	Clevedon	50	Met my sister Rebekah for a bag swap and a feed at Clevedon	The Moon and Sixpence, Clevedon, (Beach)
13	Clevedon	Shepherds Patch	50	Paddling @ >6knots in ‘The Shoots’ and ‘Hen and Chickens’ Tidal Races under the Severn crossings; Arriving at Sharpness dead on high water.	The Tudor Arms, Shepherds Patch, (Tow Path)
14	Shepherds Patch	Gloucester	23	Meeting another sister and my two nieces in Gloucester for some food	Doctor Fosters (L), GloucesterNando’s (T), Gloucester, (Cow Field)
15	Gloucester	Stourport on Severn	65	Awaking to being surrounded by a herd of cows. Enjoying glorious weather on the Severn.	The Lenchford Inn (T), (River Bank)
16	Stourport on Severn	Brewood		Pulling the boat around 33 locks and up nearly 300ft	The Vine (L), Kniver The Bridge Inn, Brewood, (Tow Path)
17	Brewood	Market Drayton			Junction Inn (L) Norbury Junction, (Tow Path)
18	Market Drayton	Chester		Exploring Chester	The Cheshire Cat, Chester, (Hotel)
19	Rest Day	Chester	-	Taking the train to Liverpool to scout out Mersey	Pumphouse Inn, Albert Dock, (Hotel)
20	Chester	Scarisbrick		Getting a lift across the Mersey after reaching a dead end at Ellesmere Port. Meeting some very kind scousers!	Scarisbrick Arms, Scarisbrick, (Tow Path)
21	Scarisbrick	Preston		Catching the Ebbing tide down the Douglas before catching the flood stream up the Ribble. Also attacked by swans!	Hand and Dagger Pub, (Tow Path)
22	Preston	Glasson		Visiting Garstang on the way through.	Th’Owd Tithe Barn, Garstang (L)The Mill Inn, Glasson, (Tow Path)
23	Delayed due to Wind/Visibility	Glasson	-	A very, very wet day so booked into an Inn for the night	Victoria Inn, Glasson, (Inn)
24	Delayed due to Wind/Visibility	Glasson	-	Visited Lancaster and Morecambe (walked barefoot from Glasson)	The Sir Richard Owen, Lancaster, (Inn)
25	Glasson	Haverigg		Crossed shipping lane before using Strong currents across Morecambe Bay.	Harbour Hotel, Haverigg, (Beach)
26	Haverigg	Ravenglass		Inadvertently straying onto a live naval gunnery range. Enjoying a few beers in the sunshine at Ravenglass	The Holly House Hotel, Ravenglass, (Beach)
27	Ravenglass	St Bees		Passing Sellafield Nuclear complex	None, (Beach)
28	St Bees	Brighouse Bay	50	Crossing a rather choppy Solway Firth and arriving into Scotland	Brighouse Bay Holiday Park Ba, (Beach)
29	Brighouse Bay	Monreith	35	Beautiful coastline, strong tidal streams, westerly breeze; Wind Against Tide!	Steam Packet Inn (L), Isle of Whithorn, (Beach)
30	Monreith	Stranraer	35	Missing the tide around the Mull of Galloway (leading to 14Km Portage)	The Waterline, Stranraer, (B&B)
31	Rest Day (Stranraer)	Stranraer	-	Exploring Stranraer	The Grapes Public House, (B&B)
32	Stranraer	Kildonan	60	Visiting Ailsa Craig; Submarine Incident off Pladda island	Kildonan Hotel, (Beach)
33	Kildonan	Sannox		Passing the Holy Isle	Arran on a Plate (L), (Beach)
34	Sannox	Ardrishaig		Popping into Tarbert and enoying some spectacular clear weather	Tarbert Hotel (L)Argyll Inn, Lochgilphead, (Tow Path)
35	Ardrishaig	Clachan Seil		Getting rather drunk with the locals at the Tigh an Truish Inn	Crinan Hotel (L), CrinanTigh an Truish Inn, Clachan Seil, (Inn)
36	Clachan Seil	Eilean Balnagowan	40	Viewing Sea Otters up close	None, (Beach)
37	Eilean Balnagowan	Loch Lochy	47	Revisiting Fort William	Cobbs (L), Fort William, (Wild Camping)
38	Day of Reflection	Loch Lochy	-	Probably my favourite day spent at my favourite campsite reflecting on life!	None, (Wild Camping)
39	Loch Lochy	Loch Ness	30	Still no sign of Nessie!	The Lock Inn (L), Fort Augustus, (Wild Camping)
40	Loch Ness	Dores	30	Enjoying some good food at the Dores Inn	Dores Inn (Beach)
41	Dores	Inverness	10	Cleaning myself up – Getting a haircut and having a shave, re-exploring Inverness	The Mustard Seed, Inverness, Gellion’s Bar, Inverness, Macnabs, Inverness, (B&B)

Preparation

Physical Preparation

In preparation for my trip I have joined the council gym in Swindon. This costs £31 a month and allows you to use all of the councils 6 gyms, fitness classes, 6 swimming pools, climbing wall, ice skating, athletics track and health suite. I plan to go a minimum of 3 times per week.

Below is my intitial training program which I will build upon as my fitness improves.

Exercise	Reps	Time (Mins)	Weight / Level / Distance
Warm Up
Treadmill	-	5 – 10 minutes	Easy to Medium
Stretches	-	8 – 12 Seconds	Full Body
Cardiovascular
Rower	-	15 Minutes	Max Resistance
Resistance
Lateral Pulldown (Wide Grip)	4 x 12	-	30 – 45 seconds rest on sets
Shoulder Press	4 x 12	-	30 – 45 seconds rest on sets
Db Shrug	3 x 10	-	30 – 45 seconds rest on sets
Bicep Curl Barbell	3 x 12	-	30 – 45 seconds rest on sets
Dips	4 x 12	-	30 – 45 seconds rest on sets
Regular Crunch	30 Seconds	-	-
Crunch with Alternating twist	30 Seconds	-	-
Side Crunch	30 Seconds	-	-
Side Bends	4 x 12	-	-
Reverse Crunch	45 Seconds	-
Cooldown
Bike	-	5 – 10 minutes	Medium to Easy
Stretches	-	12 – 14 Seconds	Full Body

Charts and Mapping

I have compiled a list of charts, guides and maps for my trip. The OS maps are a mixture of the Explorer (1:25000) and Landranger (1:50,000) series

Chart Code	ISBN	Title	Purchased
Almanac	9781408113677	Reeds 2010 Western Almanac	YES
NP 256	9780707712567	Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas (Irish Sea and Bristol Channel)	YES
Book	9781906095055	South West Sea Kayaking (Author: Mark Rainsley)	YES
OS 102	978-0-319-23703-8	Land’s End (Penzance and St Ives)	YES
OS 104	9780319240342	Redruth & St Agnes	YES
OS 106	9780319240168	Newquay & Padstow	YES
OS 111	9780319236963	Bude, Boscastle & Tintagel	YES
Stanford Charts 14	189931881X	Chart Pack – The Bristol Channel	YES
OS 126	9780319236970	Clovelly & Hartland	YES
OS 139	9780319240182	Bideford, Ilfracombe & Barnstaple	YES
OS OL9	0-319-23692-7	Exmoor	YES
OS 140	9780319240359	Quantock Hills & Bridgwater	YES
OS 153	9780319237014	Weston-super-Mare & Bleadon Hill	YES
OS 154	9780319236277	Bristol West & Portishead	YES
OS OL14	9780319240953	Wye Valley & Forest of Dean	YES
GEO Projects	0-86351-177-5	Staffordshire & Worcestershire Canal with the River Severn and the Gloucestershire & Sharpness Canal	YES
GEO Projects		Shropshire Union Canal	Yes
OS 266	9780319236543	Wirral & Chester
OS 285	9780319235867	Southport & Chorley
OS 286	9780319235782	Blackpool & Preston
OS 286	9780319235683	Lancaster, Morecambe & Fleetwood
OL 6	9780319240236	The English Lakes (South Western area)	YES
LR OS 89	9780319231500	West Cumbria	YES
OS 302	9780319238387	Dumfries & Dalbeattie
OS 312	9780319238370	Kirkcudbright & Castle Douglas
LR OS 82	9780319229491	Stranraer & Glenluce	YES
LR OS 76	9780319238417	Girvan, Ballantrae & Barrhill	YES
OS 326	9780319238752	Isle of Arran
OS 357	9780319238639	Kintyre North
LR OS 55	9780319231227	Lochgilphead & Loch Awe	YES
OS 359	9780319238882	Oban, Kerrera & Loch Melfort
OS 376	9780319238981	Oban & North Lorn
OS 392	9780319241196	Ben Nevis & Fort William	YES
OS 400	9780319239346	Loch Lochy & Glen Roy	YES
OS 416	9780319239513	Inverness, Loch Ness & Culloden	YES
OS 432	9780319239674	Black Isle
OS 438	9780319239735	Dornoch & Tain
OS 441	9780319239766	Lairg, Bonar Bridge & Golspie
OS 444	9780319239803	Helmsdale & Strath of Kildonan
OS 450	9780319239865	Wick & The Flow Country
OS 451	9780319239872	Thurso & John o’ Groats (Dunnet Head)	YES

Inventory

The follwing is a list of what I plan to take with me on my trip. Having previously spent five months living out of a sea kayak I have a reasonably good idea of what is required during an extended trip. I plan to keep the weight down to minimum (especially with the amount of lock portages I will have to complete during the trip), with the major luxuries being my camera and netbook.

Please see above for a list of maps, charts and guides.

Item	Description	Specification	Weight (Kg)	Post-Trip Feedback
Transport
Kayak	P and H Scorpio	Fast and Stable Sea Kayak, which a skeg and sail kit. Plastic construction; 5.16m	28.5Kg	Performed Satisfactorily – Definately recommend as a expedition boat. Skeg line broke. In future I would opt for a rudder system.
Spraydeck		Compatablity with the above kayak.		Performed Satisfactorily
Paddle	Werner Shuna 215cm	Strong, lightweight paddle; requires sufficient strength to be used as a launching aid!	755g	Excellent Paddle
Portage Trolley	Eckla Canyon Canoe Trolley	Small, lightweight, foldaway trolley; corrosion resistant	3 Kg	Performed Satisfactorily -very easy to dismantle and was up to the job of carting my fully laden sea kayak. Used on a 14Km portage!
Safety Equipment
Buoyancy Aid	Palm Symbiant Tour	Touring Buoyancy Aid. Size: M/L		Performed Satisfactorily. I found this to be a very comfortable Buoyancy Aid.
EPIRB	McMurdo Fastfind 210 PLB EPIRB With GPS – [Link to Manual]	Waterproof to IPX7; 5 Year Battery Life; Replacable Battery	150g
VHF Marine Radio	Cobra HH330 FLOATING Handheld VHF Marine Radio -	Waterproof to IPX7; Floating; Rechargable		Performed well, Battery life was satisfactory.
Paddle Leash
Paddle Float
Bilge/Bailer Pump
First Aid Kit	Lifesystems Explorer First Aid Kit Code 1035
Navigation Compass	Silva 59F
Global Positioning System	Garmin GPS60			Would recommend getting a protective case as sea water managed to get into the battery compartment by the end of the trip.
Camping Equipment
Air Mattress	Thermarest Full Length Lite		910g	Performed Satisfactorily
Sleeping System	US Army Sleeping System (Cold Weather Bag plus Gore Tex Bivy)		1220g	Performed well but Goretex Bivy unable to work properly in heavy rain. Solved this by adding a Basha to keep everything dry.
Stove	Trangia 27 Non-Stick Cookset With Kettle & Spirit Burner		860g	As usual the Trangia performed in all conditions. The only issue with these stoves can be getting fuel!
Fuel Bottle	Triangia Fuel Bottle (1 Litre) x 1		160g
(Lightweight Knife, Fork & Spoon)
Headtorch	Petzl Myo
Multitool	Leatherman Blast	(with Can opener)		Excellent Multitool
Clothing
Dry Cag	Palm Alutian Dry Cag
Reef Boots	SOLA ZIPPED 5mm BOOT wetsuit diving boots with zip	Neoprene, semi-rigid sole		Wouldn’t bother taking again.
Wet Weather Jacket	U.S Army Issue Woodland Camo Gortex Jacket	Goretex Material; Tough well made; Hood
Waterproof Trousers	U.S Army Issue Woodland Camo Gortex Overtrousers	Goretex Material, correctly fitting
Fleece	Lowe Alpine			I have had the same fleece for over 10 years and it still does the job!
Swim Shorts (x2)	Addidas			Performed well – Fast Drying
Rash Vests (x2)	Sola & Animal	Size: L		Excellent Performance
Trip T-Shirts (x2)
Waterproof Containers
Dry Bag	1 x Ortlieb – 59 Litre (Black)	Waterproof Drybag
Dry Bag	2 x Ortlieb – 35 Litre (Red)	Waterproof Drybag
Dry Bag	2 x Ortlieb – 22 Litre (Blue)	Waterproof Drybag
Compression Sack	Ortlieb – 22 Litre (Orange)	Waterproof Compression Sack
Map Case	Ortlieb – 27cm x 27cm Map Case	Waterproof Map Case
Map Case	Ortlieb – 50cm x 35cm Map Case	Waterproof Map Case
Dry Bags	Exped Assorted Sizes x 5
Consumables
Batteries	Rechargable – 8xAA
Matches				Always have several boxes in various bags.
Wash Kit	(Shaving razor & brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, toilet paper, biodegradable soap, nail cutters)
Electronics
Mobile Telephone	(with charger)
DSLR Camera	(with spare batteries and charger)
Netbook
USB Broadband Dongle
iPod + Charger
Permits and Licenses
British Canoe Union Membership		Registered
British Waterways Kayak License				(Included with BCU membership)
British Waterways Caledonian Canal Kayak License		Applied for at Corpach		Free (Included with BCU membership)
Portable Marine Radio License	Available from the Ofcomwebsite.	# = 1-149638863		Free
RYA Marine Radio Short Range Certificate	Passed on 12-06-2010	Cricklade Sea School
EPIRB License	Registered with the EPIRB Registry	UIN: 1D0E6410CAFFBFF		Free
RNLI Membership

Useful Contacts and Links

Site or Contact	Description
Meteorology
The Met Office	Met Office weather and climate change forecasts for the UK and worldwide. World leading weather services for the public, business, and government.
Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center – Atmospheric Models	Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center – Atmospheric Models including wave height predictions for Europe.
Marine Safety and Navigation
HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The RNLI	The Royal National Lifeboat Institute.
Trinity House	General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales, the Channel Islands and Gibraltar, responsible for a range of general aids to navigation, ‘signs of the sea’, from lighthouses to radar beacons.
UK Hydrographic Office	Provide nautical charts and navigational services of the world’s oceans and ports to support world shipping, including the Royal Navy.
Inland Waterways
British Waterways	British Waterways is the organisation that cares for 2,200 miles of the country’s canals and rivers

En Route Web/Surf Cams
Sennen Cove	Sennen Cove (Updated Daily)
Sennen Cove	Sennen Cove
Newquay
Polzeath
Summerleaze beach in Bude	Webcam run by Bude-Stratton Town Council
Saunton	Saunton Sands, Braunton
Mull of Galloway	Lighthouse PTZ, Mull of Galloway, Stranraer [Position Latitude 54° 38.105'N Longitude 04° 51.436'W ]