Help for Heroes

A little over a month ago I was contacted by Sam Stuthridge, who lives in Germany. Sam and Colin Appleby were planning a charity challenge to sea kayak, unsupported, from Nijmegen (Holland) along the Waal River to Rotterdam, along the coast of Holland, Belgium and France before crossing the Channel at Calais/Dover and finally making their way up the Thames estuary to finish at the Tower of London.

Sam was in need of a suitable sea kayak for this expedition and had arranged with Nigel Dennis that he could borrow an Explorer. Only how to get a sea kayak from Anglesey at this short notice? Yes, the challenge was planned for mid October!

The equipment solution was simple, I would lend-out my Explorer.

But planning this kind of trip in October is a challenge in itself. Moreover Autumn solidly kicked-in early October with unrelenting strong winds.

They made it! Although it meant some adjustments to the planned route, they didn't give up. And they never lost focus on their charity for what it was all about in the first place.