The importance of the competition

Jean-Pierre is helping us with the fundraising and is running the “WHERE MICHAL AND NATALIE ARE GOING TO BE” competition.

We love the competition for two reasons. The first one is obvious, it helps us to raise money for Shadwell Basin and Joshua’s Journey. Two causes that are very close to us. While the first round raised £5,-; the second one made an amazing £81.

The second reason is purely ego-centric one. Yes, I can admit this, it makes our paddle more interesting and motivating. Motivating as it let’s us know, that people are still interesting in our journey, watching us paddle day by day through the good and not so good, fighting or succumbing to the elements, our moods, other people’s moods, discovering, learning.
Interesting as often we don’t know what lies ahead, in a geographical sense. We only have the road map, not much detail there. For Scotland 70 kilometres fitted on page. Try coastal navigate with that.
So the last round was inspiring. Let me explain.
When I read that we would be on the 2nd of July in John O’ Groats, I was horrified (sorry Yali), but when I read we should be in Dundee, I was hoping. Please, yes, I would love that. We really wanted to be in Aberdeen at that time, thank you Tony. But we also read the name Lossiemouth, never heard of it, didn’t know where it was, had to find the relevant sheet. Yes, not far, sorry Ali & Nick, not you, I thought.
Then we were held in Wick, still chance for Lossiemouth then, or Dunbeath. And then we attempted the crossing, thinking sorry Ali & Nick, Fraserburgh it will be.
When we had to turn during that crossing due to the conditions and other circumstances, I thought, I wish we make it to Burghhead, at least.
Once we passed Lossiemouth on the 30th of June, yeah, sorry Lossiemouth. But the headwind had the last word and JP had to check the distances between Cullen – Fraserburgh – Lossiemouth carefully.

The third round has had one entry so far, but where is that? We don’t know yet.
But, please, we do need more entries, otherwise this round is going the fairly boring (no offence, Sarah), what lies ahead is mud and sand.

Can we have some fun, please?

6 responses

I will enter, but not until I understand how many days off you will have – like today… I guessed last night to myself on the basis of you paddling every day – I’d have been wrong!
By the way, I’ll be in Skegness on Monday, but I fear that you will have gone past there by then!

NAtalie

July 18, 2012 at 20:56 ∞

That’s part of the game, no one knows. When we started our crossing to Lossiemouth, we didn’t know we will have to turn 13NM west and stop at Tarbat point instead.
If we could tell the elements what we want, the competition would be pointless. Like that it’s interesting, we may have a plan, but the sea has the last word.

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