Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Spoke with Sean last night

     Spoke with Sean last night and he is beside himself.  He has been having headwinds the whole time so far up the East Coast.  His wind direction has been total opposite of what he has needed from the West coast to the East.  I said to him, "Oh!  Are you done today?  It does not look like you went very far?  I thought you would have made it to Cualicum Beach?  He said, "thanks!  I paddled straight for 9 hours against a strong headwind."
     The night before last...  He thought his tent was going to be blown away while he was in it.  Amazing winds he said...  
     Physically, he is doing okay.  He is having normal back aches and pains.  Mostly, his left heel is killing him.  He says it is from bracing so much during the choppy seas of the "Graveyard of the Pacific."  It is really bruised and difficult to paddle and walk on.  
     On the brighter side, I shared with Sean all of the blog inputs, emails, and phone calls that I have received.  He also shared a cute story with me once he arrived in Victoria.  He had a man greet him by kayak.  "Are you Sean Morley?"  Sean replied, "yes."  The nice French-Canadian man and his daughter took him out for dinner and let him stay in their home on the beach.  Another cute story was the next morning a group of school kids ran down to the beach and cheered him on.  They are following his progress from school.  
     My conclusion is although the weather and conditions have been challenging and unfavorable...  the people and scenery he has seen has been remarkable.  I mean how many times does somebody meet and greet you in the water, take you out for dinner, and provide a nice warm bed for you???!!!***  Not in my lifetime.  And I have been on some pretty extreme kayak trips.  
     Counting down the days Sean.  Get home soon!
gina and shea bella
     

17 comments:

grammygal said...

Sean, we are amazed at your fortitude, with the high winds and seas and soreness. You will reap a huge appreciation from all your fans as you make it through to Port Hardy in remarkable time! We are proud!!!

Jonathan Reggler said...

Sean has reached Comox, where I (another Brit kayaker) live, and I found him on the beach at Point Holmes having checked his progress via Spot.

He was looking tired but in pretty good shape. We chatted for a quarter of an hour or so. He is missing family lots, of course.

What a remarkable achievement he is headed towards. I paddled around the Island earlier this year with a friend. It took us 9 weeks (though we did tend to stop to smell the cedar and examine nooks, crannies and caves). I am full of admiration for what Sean is doing, and was knocked out by how quiet and unassuming he is. He is a fantastic ambassador for our sport.

I hope he sleeps well tonight - he is right under the flightpath of our local airport as you can see from the satellite view on his Spot page. Fortunately it is a pretty sleepy little airport so there won't be many flights after it is dark.

The forecast here is for northwesterlies tomorrow, getting up to 15-25 knots in the afternoon. Fingers crossed that they are not that strong.

Jonathan Reggler

Corinne Kane said...

We are amazed that Sean is so close to the finish with all the wind and weather he has had to deal with. 18 days, 19 days, etc. whatever the final time is, we are so proud of you!

Jonathan Reggler said...

Now Sean is north of Campbell River. I'm sure the Home team know this, but according to Bluechart calculations, Sean did 38 miles today and has 95 to go.

Looking good windwise, too, with lighter northwesterlies tomorrow then 20 knot following southwesterlies along Johnstone and Queen Charlotte Strait for two days.

Good luck to him for the final push.

Jonathan Reggler

Whaleman said...

Sean, too bad I didn't hear about you until after you'd left Comox as I live on the bluff almost above where you camped at Pt. Holmes. I still have my Nordkapp that I ordered from VCP in '76 which enabled much exploring of the west coast of VI in the 70's & 80's so 'twould have been good to talk for awhile (I'm from the UK originally too) though it sounded like you were ready for rest that day.

Here's hoping you beat the record.

Malcolm Jolly

Pat said...

Hi Sean,
The class has been following your progress. The students are cheering you on. You are almost there! We've have some problems with getting onto this Blog with their questions. Nevertheless, all the students are keenly interested in your determination and bravery.
Pat and the gang from Div. 14 :)

grammygal said...

Hurrah Sean!!! You have pushed through today and we are cheering you on to Port Hardy tomorrow! Winds look favorable and knowing how you have pushed on under inclement conditions, we are positive we will see you finish this journey in your timeline. Carry on!!!

Your cheering family from Oregon,
Fred & Carolyn

Corinne Kane said...

We are heading out for the marathon and won't have internet access. Please call and tell me if Sean made it! Love to you both.
James and Corinne

Anonymous said...

Sean, this is a little premature, but Congratulations! I know you will land tonight at Port Hardy by candle light. How sweet a good meal, shower, clean bed and, of course, hugs, will feel.
Greg (Arcata)

Joe O' said...

Congratulations Sean. I know you are now in Port Hardy! Way to go, very impressive. Hope you have a good celebration. Sleep well afterwards friend!

cheers...Joe O'

grammygal said...

CONGRATULATIONS SEAN!!! We see you at Port Hardy--bet land never looked so good! We are so happy and excited for your accomplishment.

Love and welcome back!

California Kayaker Magazine said...

Congrads! Checked spot and it looks like you do a 60ish mile day to complete the run! Amazing.

Jonathan Reggler said...

Well done, Sean. Yours is an extraordinary accomplishment which leaves me awestruck. I'm particularly pleased that I was able to meet you in person on your way to the Record.

Jonathan Reggler
Comox
jreggler@shaw.ca

Pat said...

Congratulations Sean, from Grade 6, Div. 14 at Silver Star School. What an incredible accomplishment under such adverse conditions! You are a great role model for the students.
Pat and the gang from Div. 14

Anonymous said...

Way to go!

Congrats!
My husband and I would like to circumnavigate the island (slowly)and would love to hear your story once you have time to reflect on your accomplishment.

Rest, relax and take in the beauty of the island!

WestCoastPaddler said...

Awesome achievement Sean. We've all been enjoying tracking and discussing your progress on westcoastpaddler.com

Thanks for your efforts -- it shows what can be done. Congratulations!

Robin (Atlantis Kayaks) said...

Congratulations from everyone here on beautiful Vancouver Island!!! We've been following your progress and rooting for your safe success.

Cheers,
The gang at Atlantis Kayaks, Inc.