The Challenge

	Reproduced with permission of the HMSO and UKHO. Do not reproduce.

Starting at Easter, 2004 from the National Maritime Museum, Falmouth, I will paddle clock-wise around the coastline. I estimate it will take me 6 months to complete the journey. Whenever possible I will keep the land on my right. I will attempt to circumnavigate the whole of the United Kingdom and Ireland, including every inhabited offshore island.

This has never been done before, let alone solo.

It is an ambitious project. The weather conditions may make it impossible for me to complete the full route in six months. In which case I will abort the crossings to the offshore islands and concentrate on the main challenge: completing the first solo circumnavigation of the mainland of the U.K. and Ireland.

A brief description of the route: From Falmouth, along the south coast of Cornwall to Land’s End and Sennen Cove. From there, a 28mile crossing out to the Isles of Scilly.

A circumnavigation of the Isles of Scilly returning to the mainland. Up the north coast of Cornwall and Devon to Hartland Point, crossing to 15miles to Lundy and then 30miles to St. Govan’s Head, Pembrokeshire. Following the Irish Sea coast of Wales up to Anglesey and around into Liverpool Bay. North towards the Solway Firth then out and around the Isle of Man and back to the Mull of Galloway and mainland Scotland. A short hop via the Isle of Arran to the Mull of Kintyre then the 13mile crossing of the North Channel of the Irish Sea to County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Down the east and south coast of Ireland to Cape Clear then north west to the Dingle Peninsular. North across the mouth of the Shannon to the Aran Islands and the coast of Galway. Island hopping around Mayo and Donegal to Malin Head. From Fair Head back across the North Channel to the Mull of Kintyre and mainland Scotland.

Several big crossings up the west coast of Scotland and the Inner Hebrides to the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. Up the west coast of the Outer Hebrides then a 44mile crossing out to St Kilda and back again. Up to the Butt of Lewis then south to Stornaway before a 28mile crossing back to the Scottish mainland.

North to Cape Wrath and a traverse of the north coast of Scotland to Dunnet Head. Over to the Orkney Islands and a 35mile crossing from North Ronaldsay to Fair Isle. A further 27mile crossing to and a circumnavigation of the Shetland Islands returning via Fair Isle and the Orkneys to John O’Groats and the Scottish mainland. Down the North Sea coast of Scotland and England to the Straits of Dover and the English Channel. Around the Isle of Wight to Weymouth. From Portland Bill a 65mile crossing to Alderney and the Channel Islands. A circumnavigation of the Channel Islands and return to Weymouth. From there a gentle paddle along the Dorset and South Devon and Cornwall coast back to Falmouth!

The total distance is in excess of 4,200 miles.
I have six months (or 183 days) to complete the challenge.
This requires an average of 23 miles per day.

During his 9,420 mile circumnavigation of Australia in 1981/82,
New Zealander Paul Caffyn averaged 26 miles per day.

In 1986, a team of three; Bill Taylor, Mick Wibrew and Richard Elliott completed the first circumnavigation of the mainland of the U.K. and Ireland in 155 days averaging 17 miles a day.