Krazy Kayaks

Hi All

Kate and I have just returned from a week in Alcudia, Majorca (fantastic place, loved it) and what was the first thing I saw when I wandered on to the beach? You guessed it, a row of various pedalos! There were no canoes in sight though which was a dissapointment!

Now maybe it was the sun, or maybe it was because I was away from home, or maybe it was just the effect of the all inclusive San Miguel but as I stood there next to the pedalos I couldn't help but reflect on how far this charity project has come since Dave and I first came up with the idea earlier this year of pedalo-ing from London to Paris. When I think about it, quite a bit has happened since then.

Obviously our transport mode has changed from pedalos to hydrobikes and then to canoes, the route has also changed and we're now going from London to Sheffield and not Paris as first thought, we've tried various types of canoes out with some comical results, we've spoken to and visited various canoe outlets and made some decent progress in getting the kit we need as cheap as possible, Dave's learnt to capsize - a lot, we've spent hours on the water practicing, a start date and time for our journey has been decided (11th of July 2008, 06.43, London Bridge), a route has been finalised and we're near to deciding where the overnight stop points will be, this website has been set up by Cath and I'm blown away and really pleased that it's already received 200+ hits! It always makes me smile when someone tells me that they have been looking at the website, so thanks for that!

Dave and I have also become really good friends and there's a real determination to complete this journey and raise a shed load of money for BLISS.

As you know, the bit that worries me is the part that takes us up the coast to The Wash. And so to try to settle my 'sea nerves' a guy I met in Alcudia who'd been sailing all his life offered to take me out in a small 2 man catermaran that was for hire alongside the pedalos. It was all going well, despite a fairly choppy sea we were going very fast and in no time at all we were overtaking a huge container ship that had looked like a dot on the horizon from the beach. Thats when I heard the huge crack and we came to a stop rather rapidly. Shit. The 'front stay' cable that was holding up the mast had snapped and as such the sails were useless. I looked for comfort from my experienced sailor mate who told me we'd have to 'try to limp home'. Try? Limp? As luck would have it a very large and expensive yacht passed by after about ten minutes of us 'trying to limp home' and its captain agreed to tow us back to shore. Concern soon turned to embarrasment as our 25 euros an hour dinghy was pulled ashore by a £2million luxury boat to the amusement of everyone on the beach including Kate who was in fits. I'm sure it won't happen in a canoe though, will it?

As I write, Dave is on holiday in Ibiza so expect another 'pedalo/canoe on beach' type photo from another part of the Balearics next week!

Jonah