Hail people of Iceland Journey of a land anew Ram as our liaison Vision inspire and move – mastodon

Can I use the “A” word in this blog??

In the vernacular of the day. . Let’s send some love out to Sean Morley! Yeah even police sergeants need lovin too!! Especially if they use the term “constabulary” in a sentence. Here in the states we don’t use words like “constabulary”. Gee, makes me want to watch Thin Blue Line. . .I’d been working on this post for what seems like a month. Sometimes I just can’t get my brain to work! Then, since odd minds think alike, Wenley beat me to the punch. That’s ok though, Sean just get’s some extra “air play” round the ‘blogosphere’ this week.

Anyone who plans to paddle around Iceland solo deserves it. Many of us may have had our first introduction to Sean Morley from Justine Curgenven’s video “This is the Sea II“. In it we see Sean paddling ridiculously close to some rocky cliffs in some pretty active water. Yikes! It’s also at this point that a whole new group of paddlers start asking about wing paddles, but that’s a whole other story!

After seeing Sean’s skills along those cliffs it’s not too surprising that he completed the first solo circumnavigation of the UK and Ireland in 2004, the first ever to include all of the inhabited islands. This comes down to doing about 4500 miles in six months through all the wonderful conditions that the UK has to offer. May of this year Sean intends to circumnavigate Iceland which will total around 1500 miles and take 10 to 12 weeks to complete.

You may remember that Shawna Franklin, Leon Somme, & Chris Duff did this trip in 2003 and had some very interesting moments along the way. One can only guess at the sanity of doing it solo! (Don’t tell his wife I said that. . . It’s very safe. . really. . verrrrrrrry safe!) The mix of warm and cold ocean currents around Iceland produce a climate that is mild for its latitude but with a tendency to get a little nasty. Even in summer he can expect some fun in the snow and fog as well as occasional gales to keep the ride exciting. . . or give him a reason lay round in a tent and catch up on a good book. It should be an epic adventure! In addition to his personal paddling goals, Sean intends to raise funds for charity, aiming to top the £10,000 he collected for the RNLI and the Marine Conservation Society during his 2004 expedition. So this would be a great time to mention that Sean is still seeking corporate sponsorship. In return he guarantees maximum exposure through the various media and a commitment to raise money for your chosen charity both through his website (www.expeditionkayak.com), the DVD and through a series of lectures upon his return. So. . . Mr. Gates. . . now would be the time to call Sean. If you were to advertise the Xbox360 on his expedition, he should be hitting the water just about the time you can get the Xbox back on the shelves! Hey, you could also get a new game out by then. We’re all looking for a kayak video game after all. I’d call it, “Sean Morley’s Bad Ass Ride!”. EA sports, are you listening?? In it, our simulated Sean would paddle all the worlds great sea kayak destinations in absolutely atrocious conditions. (except the ‘Bitches’ as we don’t want to offend US sensibilities.) Of course we would want to select top sea kayaks and a variety of paddles as well. You could also include practice sessions where he tries to perform maneuvers like a side scull with a wing paddle while avoiding great white sharks and monstrous Japanese jelly fish. How cool would that be!? XBox360 Sean Morley Edition anyone??

Sean also has one of the better sea kayaking websites out there. I think one of the unique things he offers online is a free members area with message board, lots of video, a newsletter and more. I spent a good amount of time watching his video clips and interviews. I was also very impressed by a page on his site about Risk Assessment. Specifically related to his UK expedition, this section gives anyone who fancies themselves a sea kayaker a lot of information about the risks you face, how to analyze and mitigate them before you slide off the beach. Very good stuff! Sean provides a sort of sample Risk Assessment chart (both generic and specific risks) that is worth taking time to study.

One thing I learned was to always go to the dentist before I head out for more than a day or two. I don’t know why I never thought of that!! It seems like MY dentist should have our spare room. . Ok Sean, better get that book done soon or I’ll be forced to re-read Harpo Speaks!

*Photo provided by Sean Morley. Used by Kind Permission.

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