Kayakers mark 20th anniversary with Strait paddle

On the 20th anniversary of the Gibraltar Canoeing Association’s first supported crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar, three kayakers recently undertook the same journey, arriving safe and well seven hours later.

The kayakers had hoped to complete the journey in around five hours but tidal conditions slowed them down during the middle section of the trip.

“Having set off at a faster pace than we expected we were ahead of time,” said Nigel Jeffries from the Association.

“But in the second third of the journey, we were met with considerable eastbound currents which took us slightly off course. This meant that the overall time and distance was increased.”

The kayakers took on the challenge for personal reasons and as tough as the crossing was, another challenge they faced was finding the window of opportunity with tidal planning, wind speeds and sea state, in conjunction with their individual availability and commitments.

They also needed the support boat for safety reasons.

Training for the event included meeting at the Canoeing Association’s premises at the Victoria Stadium twice a week to paddle long distances, especially on Sundays where they would cover between 15 and 25km.

But the training meant the three were ready for the conditions they would meet.

“We are used to paddling in open water, so no issues,” said Mr Jeffries.

However, “on occasion our minds played tricks on us, thinking we’ve seen a shadow under our kayak….”

He added that the kayakers said it felt great to be back on land at the boat house after the gruelling challenge.

“The kayaks seemed curiously heavier when lifting them from the water and preparing them for storage ready for our next paddle out at sea,” Mr Jeffries said.