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Sea Kayak Expeditions - Coggle Diagram
Sea Kayak Expeditions
Challenges of Sea Kayak Expeditions
Over long expeditions, the primary challenge is always going to be keeping yourself supplied. For long crossings, that challenge is how will you be able to carry all of the food and water that you require to survive. The longest crossings have taken over 60 days, and everything needs to be carried on the boat.
You can drink salt water, no matter what kind of sea kayak expedition you will be carrying your water with you. Some of the most extreme crossings have carried with them solar panels and a desalination unit to create drinkable water from the ocean.
For crossings, navigation must be extremely precise in order to stay on course.
All large expeditions require a huge network of support to make happen. for circumnavigations there must be a a team organizing re-supplies along the way.
No matter the type of expedition, you will eventually have to spend long stretches of time alone or with just your partner. If you are committed to your goal and can stay focused on that you'll make it out the other side. In the past, many have lost their way within their own head, and failed to complete their expedition.
Kayaking expeditions also provide some challenge in the fact that your kayak itself is absolutely critical to your survival. If your boat breaks and you are unable to repair it, you are more than likely dead.
Wind and weather are often strong and unpredictable on the ocean. With expeditions that go on for months at a time, it is inevitable that they will encounter not just bad weather, but also a fair share of absolutely devastating weather.
Being in your kayak out on the ocean, there is not really anywhere to stop and get out and sort out problems, pretty much all of the time, you are exposed to the elements and restricted to your cockpit.
Circumnavigation of South America by Freya Hoffmeister
Freya circumnavigated Iceland in the fastest time ever in 2007, finishing a solo unassisted circumnavigation of the South Island of New Zealand 6 days faster than the previous record in 2008, and circumnavigating Australia in 2009. Next, she set her eyes on South America.
27,000 km long, Freya planned to split the circumnavigation into 3 8-month stages. In between each stage she would return home to Germany, rest up and go back to work for a bit. in total, the journey took 44 months.
Starting in Buenos Aires in August of 2011 she began the first leg. On her way around Cape Horn she was caught in 60 knot winds damaging her kayak and paddle. The same storm killed a friend of her who was on a separate journey nearby. After 7,641 km she was done with the first third.
The next 7,659 km section took her North up the western coast. Throughout the Columbian section, she had a naval escort due to criminal activity. She continued on through the Panama Canal to Guyana where she would finish this leg
She finished the last section on May 10th 2015
Challenges
While near the Amazon, a tidal bore dragged her 9 kilometers up a shallow river at speeds of nearly 30 km/h. She escaped shaken but un hurt.
Wind in some sections forced her to drive to the opposite side of a section and paddle it in reverse with the wind at her back.
Some criticized her for her use of various assistance. She challenges anyone who criticizes her to go try and do it better themselves.
Sources
Freya Hoffmeister: Kayak Adventure Around South America.
https://www.ispo.com/en/people/id_78991000/freya-hoffmeister-kayak-adventure-around-south-america.html
. Accessed 18 Dec. 2021.
Orkneyjar - The Development of the Selkie Folk Legends.
http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/selkiefolk/origins/origin5.htm
. Accessed 18 Dec. 2021.
says, Alisha Ross. “The History of The Kayak.” Ocean River, 15 June 2017,
https://oceanriver.com/kayaking-history/
.
“The History of Sea Kayaking – Sea Quest Kayak Tours/San Juan Islands.” Sea Quest Kayak Tours, 13 Aug. 2013,
https://www.sea-quest-kayak.com/information-kayaking/history-sea-kayaking/
.
“Top Expeditions 1970-2020, #9: Hoffmeister Circumnavigates South America.” Explorersweb, 23 Dec. 2020,
https://explorersweb.com/top-expeditions-1970-2020-9-hoffmeister-circumnavigates-south-america/
.
A summary of sea kayaking over time
Origins of kayak design
Sea kayaking began to develop over 4,000 years ago in northern latitudes with boats framed with wood or whale bones covered tightly with seal skin to make them waterproof. There are arguments as to who built the first kayaks.
Early kayaks were only fit for calm water. Developments in both paddling skills and kayak construction were required before they were fit for the open ocean.
These early kayaks were used to maneuver quickly on the ocean and hunt all sorts of animals from caribou to seals to whales to walruses.
Being small and quiet they provided a stealth hunting method
In the 1800's the kayak arrived in Europe and was adopted for sport and fitness, bringing a dramatic change to the development of the kayak
For the majority of their time, European boat makers completely failed to improve the kayak, and actually produced worse kayaks than the native designers
Without the need for survival behind your paddling skills, these also developed poorly in Europe
Still poorly mimicking the native kayaks, kayaking became part of the Olympics in 1936 and were used by militaries throughout WWII. In a way twisted way, they returned to their roots as stealth hunting vessels.
In the 1950's fiberglass was the first revolution in kayak design. Interestingly, this modern development in materials was followed by a return to traditional kayak designs. This was the right combination to advance the sport, the wisdom of old combined with modern materials created revolutionary boats.
To this day, modern kayaks still display design concepts based on original native designs, just with even more advanced modern materials such as carbon fiber composites
Development of expeditions
Prior to the 1900's it is possible that Inuit paddlers made trans-atlantic crossings, but the evidence is contoversial.
Some associate these early kayakers with legends of mermaids, finnfolk, or selkie-folk created by the Vikings in the 12th to 13th century. With how small and light these early kayaks were, there was no chance of anyone catching these stray paddlers. With the small kayaks being nearly submerged in the water when wetted out, it becomes easy to mistake a kayak for a tail.
In 1928, Franz Romer crossed the Atlantic solo in a kayak, it took him 58 days
Between 1932 and 1939 Oskar Speck kayaked from Germany all the way to Australia
In the 1970s, circumnavigations became more prevalent. The first circumnavigations of Iceland, Cape Horn, both islands of New Zealand, and Tasmania all happened in the later half of 1970
In the 80s more circumnavigations are completed such as Australia, along with crossings of things like the Hudson Strait, Bass Strait, and a crossing from California to Hawaii
In the 2000s crossings were made across the Bering Strait, from Canada to Ireland, and Australia to New Zealand. Others began to race to be the fastest to circumnavigate Great Britain, bringing the time to just 80 days.
In the 2010s the record for the circumnavigation of Britain was beaten first with 72 days, then with 67 days. A crossing was made from Africa to South America, ad South America was Circumnavigated.