The next few weeks will see a flurry of kayaking activity here on the Isle of Man. On the 16th August 2008 Gordin Warner arrives on the Island in preparation for his circumnavigation of the Isle of Man. The 5 day trip is in aid of a cure for cancer and you can donate here. One day earlier on the 15th August, two kayakers supported by David Grieves in a yacht, will attempt to cross from Whitehaven in Cumbria, to Ramsay on the Isle of Man. The journey has been completed before, but at 53 km across the busy Irish Sea, this represents a formidable open crossing. They hope to arrive approximately 2 hours after low tide at the beach below the lifeboat station in Ramsay. From the 14th to 18th of August is the annual Isle of Man Sea Kayaking Symposium which in the past has attracted some internationally recognised kayaking coaches (photo above 2007 Isle of Man Symposium).The lower photo above shows some of the damage my 3 piece kayak suffered on its way back from Vancouver to Manchester Airport. As you can see the gelcoat has flaked away from the fibreglass on the lower hull. Unfortunately there is further damage to the gelcoat on the upper deck around the cockpit. It seems to me that some kindly baggage handler has dropped this segment onto its port side from some height. Either way Mike Webb of Rockpool Kayaks is currently making repairs to this segment. He described the task as "difficult". I'm not sure whether the boat will be back in time for my next trip to the Lofoten Islands, Norway, in September. Either way I can always rent a kayak. I particularly like the following quote from Lofoten Kayaks: "Kayaks are available for hire to anyone who can demonstrate an Eskimo roll technique with equipment in the boats". I think that's exactly how things should be!
www.KAYAK.im
2 comments:
Ouch! That's brutal. Was there no insurance coverage? Did you talk to the airline? Are you really as calm about it as you sound in your writing?
The boat is insured, and I really am calm about it!
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