Reader Questions

The Lap no. 47 - D-Day - 15 Days

Jun 01, 2023

This will be my second to last post before I sign off to take some quiet time ahead of the trip. I’ll be back with updates when I’m on my way.

But first, I want to answer some questions from readers. Hearing from you guys is one of my favorite things about this newsletter.

Your questions always make me think more deeply about the trip and my preparation, and your words of encouragement have kept me going through tough training.

Thank you!

Note: Portions of this post are taken from the FAQ section on my Team Fox fundraising page.

Why Ireland?

There’s something primal about living on an island that makes you want to recce the entire coastline and see what’s around the corner. I would probably feel the same way if I was vacationing on a little cay in the tropics I could circumnavigate in a day.

But Ireland isn’t just another island. It’s home. My father was born here and brought our family back every summer when I was growing up. On my April shakedown trip, I paddled across Courtmacsherry Bay, where he would have seen the ocean for the first time as a boy--the beginning of a lifelong fascination for him.

My mother is a Sullivan, from an Irish-American neighborhood in Boston. We have a wooden lunch pail her great-grandmother carried on her voyage to America, with what must have been a meager supply of food. Somewhere on my route is the last piece of Irish land my mother’s ancestors would have seen on their one-way crossing.

Now, I’m making a life in Ireland, with Dominique and Serge the cat. This trip is about connecting with this coastline, the people who live here, and the best sea kayaking community anywhere.

What made you want to take this trip? When did you first hear about it?

A family friend left a copy of Chris Duff’s On Celtic Tides when they visited us in Ireland one summer. I was about 10 or 11 at the time and had recently taken up kayaking. So, I knew this trip existed.

Over the years, books and documentaries stoked my interest. When we moved to Ireland, I had the opportunity to learn from Ireland circumnavigators and start training up to 20 hours/ week for my own attempt.

Will you have a support boat following you or a van meeting you on land?

This is the number one question I get asked. It’s often phrased like this, “but you’ll have a support boat with you…right?”

No. This trip is unsupported.

I'm responsible for my own safety on the water, and I'm carrying everything I will need on land. Every week or so, I'll resupply with food I'll mail ahead of time to friends along the coast. I may stay at the occasional B&B and stop for some pub food.

Some friends are going to paddle sections with me. But other than that, I'm on my own.

How long does it take to kayak around Ireland?

That totally depends on the weather. I just want to finish. If I could do it in 40 days, I’d be delighted. The record is 23 days.

How much water and food are you going to carry?

Seven days of food. Two or three days of water, depending on when I can expect to find a tap to refill. I’m carrying a water filter in case I need to refill from a stream or some sketchy water source.

What’s your go-to snack/ meal?

Resilient Nutrition’s Long Range Fuel, Tayto crisps, and Firepot’s Posh Baked Beans. No idea what makes them “posh,” but they’re so good.

Are you going to use electronics for navigation?

As little as possible. I’ll mostly be using dead reckoning and pilotage--using a compass and charts in a waterproof map case--with a backup GPS in case of fog.

Do you Listen to music/podcasts on the water, if so, what?

Silence will be a constant on this trip, but it’s good to break the monotony with music, podcasts, and audiobooks.

I listen to everything from The Pogues to Wu-Tang to Rachmaninoff. In rough water, I like to put on silly stuff like ABBA and 90s R&B.

How do you keep your devices charged?

I have some large power banks which I can recharge when I get to a town. A local guide is lending me his solar panel.

Do you go clockwise or counterclockwise?

Clockwise. Going that way, the prevailing winds push you up the west coast (in theory), and strong tidal currents put you on a conveyor belt going around the North and down the east coast. That is if you get the timing right and the wind cooperates...

Do you stop at every town along the way?

No, that would take forever. The fastest route around the island often takes you many miles from shore as you cut across bays from one headland to the next. I'm training to get comfortable in committing situations where the only safe landing takes hours of paddling to get to.

The water must be so cold! Do you have to wear a wetsuit?

The water temperature around Ireland in July averages 15C (59F). That means hypothermia is a real risk on this trip. No matter how warm the air gets, I have to dress for the possibility of ending up in the water.

Wetsuits are more for sports where you expect to be in the water most of the time, like surfing and snorkeling. Sea kayakers wear lightweight dry tops or drysuits over thermals. I'm going with a 2-piece bib and cag combo that's lighter and more versatile than a drysuit.

What’s your biggest fear about the trip?

So many…

The worst fears happen on shore, anticipating conditions. I’ve done a lot of mental training and breathwork to prepare for that.

Fear of failure is the big one. A major symptom of which is an attachment to the outcome (getting around Ireland) over the process (taking it one day at a time). I can remedy this fear by breaking down each day into manageable chunks.

I try to practice what round-the-world sailor Jerome Rand calls “intentionally short-sighted thinking,” and never think of the whole trip.

Just enjoy the adventure. This is supposed to be fun.

The only way to completely protect myself from the possibility of this trip not working out is to not try in the first place. And that would be real failure.