The Cumbrae Blog

West Coast Kayak Challenge

Bruce Jollife, one of Cumbraes Instructors, has been spending a lot of time on the sea lately and making it into the press for all the right reasons!......Bruce takes up his own the story

4 years ago I had an idea on the ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool. It was to paddle to Stornoway from Largs in a sea kayak in memory of a pal, Andy Edwards

Sadly Andy lost out to a rare bone cancer at the age of 33. He was from Stornoway originally, became a good pal of mine in Glasgow, when we were allegedly studying, and several years later offered me digs in London..

The paddlers amongst you will have an idea of what it is I'm undertaking, but just to clarify its a journey of 313 miles, across open stretches of sea and around exposed and committing headlands with some very well respected areas of tidal movement. I'm doing this in March, when its cold and there are the biggest tides of the year. Its a proper expedition and I'll be doing it all myself with no 'safety boat'

The beneficiaries of this expedition are all of us. I am doing a big thing because I am hoping to raise a big heap of money (£10,000) for two cancer hospitals and the lifeboats.The Royal Marsden in London where Andy received a lot of treatment and the Beatson in Glasgow where he was in line for trial drugs. Anyone in the UK who receives treatment for cancer will likely receive expertise that has been through their doors. 10% of the donations will go to the lifeboats because we live on an island and boats sink. Not mine though, its got special powers!

You can follow my adventures on http://westcoastkayakchallenge.co.uk/, and sponsor me at http://www.charitygiving.co.uk/westcoastpaddle, every penny goes to the charities!

Most important of all, don't stop there, tell more people. I'm regularly updating what I've been up to on my website with stories, photos and video clips. Its going to be a hoot, there's already a sweepstake on me holding back the tears. Spread the word, get people following and sponsoring. It's a stupidly big target I've set but although it's in Andy's memory, its for all of us and the many we know who haven't been as lucky as us.

.....if I spend anymore time at sea I might find a taste for neat rum.... Har har me hearties!...."
 

By David