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We´ve had a longer break from paddling than anticipated, due to the logistics of getting from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas (we needed to wait for a weekend as Marcelo and Moni were kindly driving us to the ferry), then we couldnt arrange a kit inspection until Monday. By the time we passed the inspection, it was too late to give us the written permission (zarpe) that we need before we can leave… but we have the precious piece of paper in our hands now and we are free to start paddling . At least we can start paddling if the wind drops enough that the Armada lift the ban on small craft leaving the port. The forecast is good for tomorrow morning so we are hopeful of being on the water by about 9.30pm and heading south down the coast.

We´ve had a fun few days with Kiko, Vero and their son Vincente including an amazing asado (a bbq like none Ive ever seen in the Uk with 2 whole chickens, and huge slabs of beef and pork being grilled above the flames). YUM! we´ve bought food for 3 weeks and hope to take our time to get back to Ushuaia. We may have to fight the urge to continue surfing waves if we get some good following seas on the long home stretch down the Beagle channel. Until we reach that we will be heading south and then east into the winds. I´m excited to get back on the water!

Sorry there is only 1 photo. I am having problems uploading any.

Finally… “This is the Roll” is edited! It’s taken myself, Cheri Perry & Turner months to put together – it’s been shot in the clear waters of Sicily, with the backdrop of Vancouver islands snow capped mountains, and in Wales & Scotland. We’ve worked hard to explain how to do the 3 most important Greenland style rolls – 3 rolls which work in real situations and will help you recover from a capsize, no matter how you capsize. Shown with both greenland paddles and ‘euroblades’, with plenty of examples of Cheri & Turner teaching students and correcting common mistakes. We really hope this will be a great tool for anyone wanting to get their first roll, improve their roll or learn forward finishing rolls.

Excitingly, the DVD will have French, Spanish & Italian subtitles.. we are very very grateful to Gianfranco Liotta and Ivan Lamas for doing the translating, and to Gianfranco for putting the subtitles in place. The DVD is long — two and a half hours packed with information, so it’s a big job. It means the DVD won’t be released until late March or early April, but it will make it a great tool for thousands more people by having these optional subtitles.

You can read more about the DVD here – and if you want to be sure of getting your DVD as soon as it’s out, then you can preorder.

Happy rolling!!

Are there any? Do we make them up to suit our purpose? Does anyone care?

 18 months ago, Barry and I decided to try to circumnavigate “Isla Grande”, Tierra del Fuego. We poured over Google earth, chatted to paddlers who knew something about the area, wrote letters for permission, told websites and magazines about our ‘world first’ attempt, sought sponsorship and booked our flights. After some delays, we launched full of hope, energy and excitement. But it wasn’t to be. We did paddle almost a third of the distance and made some good friends but tendonitis stopped us in our tracks & we returned home somewhat disheartened.

A year later, we are back to try to finish where we left off. This time, we left more quietly – not wanting to draw attention to ourselves in case there was some reason we wouldn’t be able to fulfil our dream again.  But equally hopeful of paddling alongside the beautiful and challenging coastline that we weren’t able to see last year.

Happily, we have already completed the next third of the trip from close to Rio Grande to Ushuaia. Now the most beautiful section is left – the 330 miles between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas where the tail end of the Andes Mountains pierce the sea, and glaciers carve blue ice into the narrow Beagle Channel.

And that brings us to our dilemma? We fly home from Ushuaia, so at some point we have to travel by road between Ushuaia and Punta Arenas. Do we continue to paddle clockwise around ‘Isla Grande’, which is mostly against the dominant westerly winds and currents and then travel back to Usuhaia by road, or do we drive up to Punta Arenas and kayak with the winds back to Ushuaia.

Barry and I have been pondering over this question for a few months and we keep changing our minds. Are we wimping out of a challenge if we don’t do the ‘circumnavigation’ clockwise? Will we be disappointed afterwards if we take the ‘relatively’ easy option? Are we feeling pressured to take the ‘tougher’ choice by being sponsored, or by what other people will think?

I still don’t know the answers, but we have decided to drive up to Punta Arenas and kayak back to Ushuaia. We think we will be able to enjoy the beauty of the area more by doing it this way. If we continue clockwise then we will need to get up in the dark for a week or more, and kayak hard from first light until the wind picks up. We have already done this for a week from the SE tip of ‘Isla Grande’, and it was quite tough, but satisfying. But if we continue paddling from Ushuaia we will feel pleased with ourselves afterwards, but we may feel compelled to make the most of any good weather which might mean keeping going past the beautiful glaciers (which are very close to Ushuaia). We may never paddle here again, so we’d like to spend some time enjoying it.

Monica & Marcelo will kindly drive us up to the ferry to Punta Arenas tomorrow (Saturday). We’ll spend a couple of days with Kiko and his family while we get permission to kayak in Chilean waters and buy the last few things we need, then we’ll be on our way to Ushuaia.

If we succeed in paddling back to Ushuaia we will have paddled the entire coastline around “Isla Grande”, over 2 separate trips, and not in the same direction. Can we then claim to be the ‘first people to circumnavigate Tierra del Fuego’… who knows? I guess if we cared enough about the answer then we’d continue clockwise! 

Resting has been keeping us busy for a few days in Ushuaia!

Aswell as eating & sleeping, Barry and I have been meeting people, being tourists & exercising! We went to an asado at one of the 2 kayak clubs here to celebrate Marcelo and his friends completing their paddle from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia. Barry was much braver than me and tried ‘tripa’ (tripe). The smell was bad enough to put me off, but Barry threw a chunk into his mouth without a sniff and spent the next 15 minutes trying to chew it. I think the words “never again” were uttered!

When we landed in Ushuaia we met 2 Swedish guys who left home 2 years ago to sail the world on their yacht Nemo. We walked down to the marina to take them up on their offer of a hot drink and spent a pleasant hour chatting. While in the harbour, I bizarrely spotted someone I know who had just been to Antarctica and climbed 9 unclimbed peaks! Phil Wickens was on the “Spirit of Sydney” yacht which goes to Antarctica several times a year – and took Andrew McCauley, Stu Trueman & Laurie Geoghean over when they kayaked down the Antarctic peninsula (buy the download of the award winning film of their journey here). Or buy it on This is the Sea 3.

Yesterday we went to Estancia Harberton – the first farm in Isla Grande, set up by Lucas Bridges. It was really interesting to look around the old buildings at the dated machinery they used to use to sheer the sheep, wash their clothes and cut the wood, and to learn a bit more about the history of the area.

Today, we took a walk with local teacher, climber and paddler Anna Tibaudin up to Le Martial glacier, which rests on the peaks above Ushuaia. Great to get the legs working again.

In a few more days, we’ll start paddling again… blog on that to follow.