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Policeman up the creek with a paddle 22/4/2004
Traffic cop Sean Morley hopes to be paddling up a creek near you soon as he continues on his record breaking attempt to be the first man to paddle solo and unsupported around the British Isles and Ireland - by sea kayak.
Having set out on April 3rd from the National Maritime Museum in Cornwall he is competing not so much against the clock as against the calendar. He has six months to complete the challenge - a total of 4,200 miles, an average of 23 miles a day. He is currently in Anglesey, and hopes to set out for the Isle of Man tomorrow - weather permitting. From there Sean should be leaving from Holyhead on Saturday, and aims to be at the Fleetwood RNLI station on Sunday.
So far Sean has totalled 545 miles in the last three weeks - some of it in some very inclement conditions. His route is taking him on the seaward side of every inhabited island that makes up Great Britain and Ireland, including the Isles of Scilly, the Channel Islands and the Orkneys and Shetlands - not forgetting the remotest corner of the British Isles, St Kilda, the isolated Atlantic outpost 41 miles west of Benbecula in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.
38-year-old Sean, a Devon and Cornwall Police traffic officer based at Camborne, said "I am nearly three weeks into the expedition now and only a day behind schedule, which I am very pleased with taking into consideration some of the inclement weather we have had recently.
The highlight of my journey so far has to be the day spent circumnavigating the Isles of Scilly. The weather was perfect and I saw the islands at their very best. The Welsh coast has been challenging, with some strong tidal streams and even stronger winds. Some areas are incredibly remote and beautiful including the island of Bardsey off the tip of the Lleyn peninsula, which proved to be well worth the effort of making the crossing in difficult conditions.
My body seems to be holding up well and my spirits are high. If I need motivating I only have to read the numerous of message of support I am receiving daily on my website - www.expeditionkayak.com - I read them all and they are really appreciated. I have also received tremendous support from local people along the way with offers of food and accommodation, most of which I have had to regrettably turn down but again the support is really appreciated"
Anyone who wishes to support the expedition can do so by downloading a sponsorship form off the website with ALL the monies raised going towards the two charities, the RNLI crew training programme and the Marine Conservation Society.
You can also monitor Sean's progress over the coming months at www.expeditionkayak.com
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