ROCKING AND THE
What was your challenge ?
Words & pics : James Fletcher Ever keen to use his prone paddleboard skills for good use , James Fletcher took on a new challenge last year to raise money for the Highland Hospice charity . Over to James for the lowdown .
In August 2021 , I took on a prone paddleboard crossing of the North Channel ( or ‘ Sheuch ’) to raise funds for the palliative care charity Highland Hospice . This narrow sea strait is sandwiched between Northern Ireland and Scotland , where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Irish Sea .
I ’ m no stranger to prone endurance adventures , but this was my first open sea crossing . I hoped for idyllic , calm and pristine waters . Or good downwind conditions . But I ’ ve done enough sea paddles to know perfect conditions are rarely the reality .
My route would take me over 35km of open sea from Donaghadee to Portpatrick and present some challenges . Namely , strong tides were squeezing huge volumes of water through the narrow gap . It ’ s well known for erratic , unpredictable waters with endless combinations of the tide , currents , swell , and Atlantic weather systems what endurance adventure paddles are made of !
In the words of Jacqueline of Infinity Support Boats , “ We have every app going , and none of them tells us the same story !” Even for experts , conditions are notoriously difficult to predict . We gambled on a potential downwind day in an otherwise adverse weather week . My prep had gone as well , but deep down , you know the sea is in charge !
How did the paddle go ?
Initially , very well ! The first hour from Donaghadee was quick and reasonably calm with an easterly pushing cur-rent . Alas , I was lulled into a false of security !
The North Channel bit back . The following six hours were my toughest ever on a prone board . Strong winds south-east of us turned the sea into a washing machine – waves at all angles with no consistency of direction . I ’ d liken it to paddling over the surface of boiling water for several hours minus the warmth ! In summary , nothing to ride or use in our favour .
s t a n d u p p a d d l e m a g u k 10