Paddling around Mallorca 2016

Back in 2007 when i attempted to paddle around Mallorca with good friend Pete Evans, we climbed a lot together, managing 2 weeks in the French alp's and even sailed across the English Channel but never done the sea kayaking thing together.  Well we had some mixed and mainly bad weather and we run out of time but we did manage to paddle the North coast.  Which is truly amazing!!

So when i was talking with Barry Shaw about my initial thoughts about a solo trip he was interested and suggested the Balearic's.  I didn't need much convincing and over the next week or so, as we created a plan.

It was over 1500m drive and two ferries (2 hours and then 8 or so).  We decided to go for Dover to Dunkirk and drive through France to  Spain and get the 2nd ferry from Barcelona to Alcudia on Mallorca as it was 100 euros cheaper.  We left at 0500 on the Saturday and arrived on the Monday morning at 0500, and looked for someway to park up and wait for the morning to begin!

Driving on down and some super cloud formations

Now with over 400 photos, yep ... its difficult to decide on those that paint our story.  So Ive done my best and hope you enjoy our adventure.  I'll try and keep the words to a minimum!!

We started on the SW side of the most Southerly point and this was our first lighthouse of many!!

Thankfully we explored and stopped at this small Cala, which made for a perfect
nights camp and with enough time to dry kit!

As we moved up the East coast (were going anti clockwise), we had some super assistance form the wind.

Honestly it is that kind of blue ...

This magic blow hole was so much fun ...

Day 2 had been a long day.  Not through choice, just that we couldn't find a wild enough camp.  
Time to be up early then!!

The variety and colour along the coast was fantastic

just had to be done!

having a floating break before crossing the bay of Alcudia

Whoop, whoop... Cap de Formentor, the most Northerly point

As the North coast unfolds, it was time to look for a camp!  

Do your stuff Mr Baz Dundee....

Cala Figuera and my trusted kit!

Next morning was chilly and atmospheric!!

Heading for Cala Sant Vincent for more water

Just leaving Cala Sant Vincent, in an increasing swell and wind ... we turned back, due to the next section of coastline was to be the most committing, with no landing until Sa Calobra, which even then we were unsure about.

The next day, rest and ready

The morning sun really brought the coast alive ...

We had a gentler increasing wind on our backs and smiled our way along the coastline ...

Entrance to Torrent de Pareis

Just trying to capture the height!!

The cost was that good  ;)

Getting a fly by with a large flock of Shearwater's -it was such a great sweep through  

One of many we passed along the way

Now on the SW side and on the way to the Bay of Palma!

We found it ... just a little to close to Magaluf!

Beautiful start to the next day, although 45 minutes into the crossing and the wind suddenly increased to Bf4 -5 the f5 gusting f6, offer and out of the bay!!  Thank fully 1 hour latter the aggressive front had passed  ...

We can get this at home ...

Final on the water lunch ...

Seven days in total which wasn't through choice.   It was difficult to find wild camp spots and we found out afterwards, you can get fined for wild camping!

We made the distance to be 280km although we tended to go from headland to headland and overall we were fairly lucky with being able to do that

Big thanks to Hilleberg  for the solo tent, Reed for the deck and cockpit cover and P&H Custom Sea kayaks for the demo Cetus mv - much appreciated Mathew  ;)  Further thanks to the support of  Mitchel Blades  for my paddle and Kokatat, for paddle wear.

And nice one Barry - thanks for the company  ;)

Roger

Having a good run along the coast in my Cetus ...

Claa Sant Vincent and a 4km loop before returning ...

Landing in Cala Sant Vincent

Skye’s the limit! Expedition prep time again… by Tavi Murray

Skye’s the limit! Expedition prep time again…                 

The last few weeks have been jam packed – it’s now just days before we head north to circumnavigate Skye. The Isle of Skye has some 280 km of the most amazing and committing coastline in Britain. We’re paddling in aid of Alzheimer’s Research UK as two of us have parents with dementia.

I’d been planning to circumnavigate Skye since last summer, but unfortunately the person I was hoping to paddle with had an accident in December that meant she could no longer commit to the trip. So at that point I set about assembling a new team with the aid of facebook … “Team Skye” now consists of a friend, the friend of a friend and a responder to a Facebook advert! Hopefully at the end of the trip we’ll all just be friends!

Introducing Team Skye: Kevin Brown, Fiona Buttrey, Anita Daimond, Tavi Murray.

Over Easter we all met for the first time on Anglesey to paddle together. We spent a day planning (big thanks to Penny and Stan at Anglesey Outdoors for the loan of the dining room) and 2 days paddling, getting some distance in as well as practising rescues etc. We even managed a forward paddling clinic!

Since then our nights and weekends have been busy with expedition preparation. We’ve been getting in some fitness paddles, pounding the canals as well as on the coastline round Anglesey and south Wales. Kevin described the Manchester canal as feeling like a Scalextric track! I’ve managed two 40km paddles on the canal as well as some evening paddles, fewer long paddles than last year but I hope I’ve regained some of my fitness! We’ve all been to the pool practising our rolls and self-rescues too.

We’re a group with complex food needs … Various allergies and a vegetarian and a vegan team member means we need to take our own food and not rely on the small shops on Skye. We’ve arranged resupply so we don’t have to carry it all at once, and now our food has been purchased and packed. Maps have been made and we’ve all practised packing our boats. My new boat gives a bit of extra space but has needed lots of small jobs doing to get it ready from drilling the skeg to installing new deck elastics.

I think we’re ready for the off! We’re travelling north to Skye this Friday 22^nd April and hope to start paddling on Sunday. Fingers crossed for some settled weather – we’d like to get some of the committing west and north coast done as soon as possible. As yet though both our start point and the direction we’ll go is weather dependent!

I’m so much looking forward to the stacks and caves and reputedly amazing coastline … we’ll post on facebook as much as we can as we make progress– send Tavi Murray a friend request if you’d like to follow us!

If you’d like to make a donation to Alzheimer’s Research UK we have a justgiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/TeamSkye.

By Tavi Murray

This is an independent trip that Tavi has organised separate from Coastal Spirit and Roger wishes Team Skye a successful and rewarding experience.  Paddle safe and enjoy the journey.

I look forward to hearing about your adventures on your return.

Thanks Roger.

PS: Tavi is on Coastal Spirit's mentoring programme.

Springing Forwards with Coastal Spirit

Its been a great start to 2016, with a number of Advanced sea kayaking courses, InterMediate, 3 star
training/assessment courses and InterMediate Plus.  A few Bespoke private courses, during the week and with a near full callender up until late May.

With Summer just around the corner its a good time to start focusing on what you want from 2016 and those early wishes you may have made in January, to actually action!

Here is a list below of what is available currently.

• Introduction to sea kayaking private and unique.  Available during the week, with details available here

• IntroMediate aimed at those who want to progress their sea kayaking skills with a gentle introduction to swell, current, wind and waves - 11/12th June, 9/10th July at £160.  Have a look here

• InterMediate working towards 3 * performance skills - 28/29th May, 2/3rd July, 30/31st July at £160 p/p and during the week 19-22nd July at £270.  Have a look here

• InterMediate Plus, is aimed at 4 star leader and performance skills, while working in moderate conditions - 18/19th June, 6/7th August at £160.  Have a look here.

• Advanced sea kayaking is aimed at 5 star Leader and performance skills and at a ratio of 1:4 - 25/26th June, 23/24th July and 20/21st August at £160.  Have a look here

• Coaching the Mind - for leaders, coaches and paddlers who want to increase their understanding, confidence and performance.  Sports Psychology in action, with the first day of theory and work shops, which also can be used as a coaching up date and the 2nd day on the water putting theory into practice.  Ratio of 1:4 and delivered by Lee Pooley and Roger Chandler.  At £180 - have a look here for more information 

• 4 star leader training with coastal navigation and tidal planning - 25-28th July at £270.  Have a look here

• Orkney sea kayaking for top end Intermediate paddlers 8-16th August at £655.  Have a look here

• 5 star leader training with open water navigation and tidal planning 17-21st September at £330 and only one place left.  Have a look here

Bespoke opportunities are available form early June.  A day is set at your pace, based on what you want and need.  A great way to progress further and gain more form your time on the water.  More information can be found here

For further information on the above either follow the links or email me direct at roger@coastalspirit.com

I hope to see you on the water

Thanks, 

Roger

Storms and Winter Sea Kayaking, a Reflection ...

Nine Storms have impacted the UK this Winter, with three of those in 2016 - Gertrude, Henry and Imogen.  Yet in between these storms theres been time and space for some super Winter Sea Kayaking this January 2016.

The course I want to draw attention to is the Advanced course and this one in particular was the 2nd, 5* Leader preparation course I had run over the Winter.  The course was aimed at those who had done the 5* Leader training and wanted to work in 5* assessment conditions.  This was in a work shop format on specific skills and tasks or areas each person felt supported their individual action plan.  

From the forecast we had the perfect weekend with Penrhyn Mawr working for some tide race action, some swell, wind picking up from the NW for the night navigation in Trearddur Bay and then a Skerries open water crossing on the Sunday with remnants of the wind.  It had been a long weekend with conformations, further learning and further action plans created ...

A Leadership model I have used over the years which I feel really works and may help to provide a useful structure is by John Adair and is called Action Centred Leadership (ACL) and works around three circles - Task, Team and Individual.  You may have a main Task for example of leading an Advanced journey involving a couple of tide races and then sub tasks.  A sub task could be getting the team of the beach, through the surf at the start of the day.  If we consider the Task: Whats the strategy to achieve the task most effectively? How are you going to work the team, team functions, giving purpose, buddy system, sub leader/No2?  and do any of the individuals need specific attention, encouragement, how can I use individuals so there work contributes over all to the team objective?  

Generally its difficult, if not imposable to manage all three areas at once, so time is given to one of the three areas and once thats been achieved, attention needs to be given to the other areas.  If for example only the Task is focused on, one can probably see the job gets down, at the expense of the Team and the Individual!

So why not explore and experiment using the model below and enhance your leadership abilities and skills, as well as surfing that tide race wave!

Action Centred Leadership - John Adair

Tavi getting a good hit and looking solid ...

Zoe working with Debs in Buddy Leadership

The main race, with Zoe up flow, Julie centre and just the head of Debs (on the right)

Leaving The Skerries on a flood tide

Thanks to Tavi Murray for originally contacting me about the weekends and the idea.  And Julie Jones, Debs Heldon and Zoe Robinson for making the weekend work.  As for me, my personal learning was when you get a new paddle, remember to put reflective tape on it, just like you have on the other one.  So if you ever loose a black paddle at night it may then just have a greater chance of seeing it!!

Roger

PS:  Thanks to Zoe for finding my paddle, some 30+ minutes later!

www.coastalspirit.com

info@coastalspirit.com

explore. dream. discover