Fifty-four-year-old sea kayaker Chris Duff has finished the first leg of a demanding, 450-mile voyage from Scotland to Iceland. He left the Scottish island of Lewis last Wednesday, rowed 40-50 miles a day and arrived Sunday in the Faroe Islands. This makes him one of the few travelers since St. Brendan to find the Faroe Islands a warm and inviting place.
In his blog update, Duff reported smooth seas for the first few days: “The sea was like a billowed silk sheet – just these smooth faced hills of water moving in opposite directions. Gannets and fulmars were overhead every day – swinging by to have a look at the tiny orange boat in their neighborhood.” He added that light winds meant he couldn’t rely on a small sail that he has on-board.
(And yes, this brings into question what we call this adventure. If a kayaker uses a modified rowboat—a 19-foot Wayland Marine Merry Wherry—with a sail and forward sleeping compartment, is he still a kayaker? We’re not quibbling with the achievement; we’re just wondering how to communicate it.)
The weather sea turned rough and foggy on the 59-mile fourth day, making it “one of the longest and hardest days of my life – 23 hours of near constant rowing.” The landing was particularly tough: “I have no wish to over dramatize what I experienced. I also have no wish to revisit it.”
Duff expects to rest up in the Faroes for a week or so before attempting the second leg, which is a 250-mile slog to Iceland.
For full details on his boat, his previous adventures, and the latest updates, visit his blog.
Photo of Chris Duff training in Scotland from his blog.
Fifty-four-year-old sea kayaker Chris Duff has finished the first leg of a demanding, 450-mile voyage from Scotland to Iceland. He left the Scottish island of Lewis last Wednesday, rowed 40-50 miles a day and arrived Sunday in the Faeroe Islands. This makes him one of the few travelers since St. Brendan to find the Faroe Islands a warm and inviting place.
In his blog update, Duff reported smooth seas for the first few days: “The sea was like a billowed silk sheet – just these smooth faced hills of water moving in opposite directions. Gannets and fulmars were overhead every day – swinging by to have a look at the tiny orange boat in their neighborhood.” He added that light winds meant he couldn’t rely on a small sail that he has onboard.
(And yes, this brings into question what we call this adventure. If a kayaker uses a modified rowboat—a 19-foot Wayland Marine Merry Wherry—with a sail and sleeping cuddy, is he still a kayaker? We’re not quibbling with the achievement; we’re just wondering how to communicate it.)
The weather sea turned rough and foggy on the 59-mile fourth day, making it “one of the longest and hardest days of my life – 23 hours of near constant rowing.” The landing was particularly tough: “I have no wish to over dramatize what I experienced. I also have no wish to revisit it.”
Duff expects to rest up in the Faeroes for a week or so before attempting the second leg, which is a 250-mile slog to Iceland.
For full details on his boat, his previous adventures, and the latest updates, visit his blog.
