Patrick, Justine and I on the shores of Loch Fyne
Just before March rolled over and let April run into the picture, Justine, Lucy and I spent a very interesting and tasty weekend in Scotland learning to forage from the seashore, hone our fishing skills and create fire using traditional methods with flints, sticks and bows. We were learning from bushcraft and survival expert Patrick MacGlinchy of Backwoods Survival School, using the beautiful birch-lined shores of Loch Fyne, Argyll for our classroom. Mind, body, soul and stomach loved the weekend of fresh air and fresh food and that happy chase of flame or the perfectly whittled stick for this and that.
Greens on the seashore and seaweeds will be good for minerals, vitamins and flavour
Having never done much fishing (in spite of my brothers’ best efforts) or really done much foraging beyond blackberrying in Autumn lanes, it felt like a window was opened into a whole new world, letting us glimpse the potential of nature’s larder. For Justine and I in the Aleutians Islands on our forthcoming paddle, the larder will be the sea and seashore as there won’t be much plant-life happening during the first months of the paddle. Hopefully, later on and further up the coast we will coincide with berrying season and other flowering plants which might make tasty additions to our food. And hopefully the bears will let us share their feasting!
A primal, satisfying sort of feeling to create fire without matches or lighters
Certainly in the first section, the additional calories and protein from fish and shelled edibles will be really important in supplementing our diet. It may even be a game changer if we run out of food before we reach the resupply points, but now with our trapping, spearing, line-setting and foraging skills, hopefully we shall enjoy sufficient fuel as we paddle.
Cockles, clams, crabs, limpets, whelks, periwinkles, mussels and seaweed…
We will be taking out food to the start of the row and shipping some back down the islands (along with some of the charts, extras if this and that and my supplies of medication). From all her expedition paddling experience, Justine reckons we can carry three weeks’ of food in the kayaks with us.
Krissy the kayak
I had my first paddles out in Krissy, my new 3-piece Rockpool Menai this week, and compared it to the piles of kit lying about the house as they get sorted, I am sure I will provide Justine with much entertainment and myself much frustration as I try and make the numbers match and fit it all inside. There’s a definite bonus to the rowing legs of this journey – once the boat is packed you don’t need to unpack it, unless to eat it. For this kayaking leg ahead we will come ashore every night and do the daily pack and repack and unpack dance.
Meanwhile, in this moment as I write from Notts-based Alpkit , I watch another packing dance of sorts. Here, the stitching wizards are whizzing up some padded bags for us to transport the kayaks out to Alaska.
T-3 weeks until that happens. Gulp and woop and woop, all at once. Justine and I are refreshing medical skills this week and getting some more paddling time together, including packing practice. Meanwhile, outside of the busy stuff, I am spending as much time as possible with Lucy, my fiancée. Let’s just say that being fianceed makes going away for months on end much harder than it was when I floated out under Tower Bridge on the start of this epic all those (3) years ago. I’m not moaning, just sharing. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Well, that’s a lie. If Luce could come along too, then that would be really ace. Maybe some time she will. Watch this space.
Until the next one,
Sarah & Krissy the kayak x
P.S Thanks to all who came to the Stamford Arts Centre talk last week and donated to the charities
P.P.S In other news, I tried out the Flat Earth sail on the kayak this last weekend, too. What a run! More on this and why we are taking a sail in another blog.
What weight of chocolate will you carry for three weeks?
Your kayak looks great. Show us some close up photos of the Flat Earth sail and especially the fittings for control lines.
Not sure of weight yet… We are having 200 bars of chocolate delivered to Anchorage so we’ll split that up between boats and send some down the islands to our couple of supply points. Hopefully one bar each per day, so I would guess 20 bars or so for each boat at a time. Photos on sails etc to follow. Best, Sarah
Looking good
Now all we need is some nice weather, please 🙂
Srah take along someplastic bags of the shopping sort a trick so you dont run out of water put a small branch of any of kind of bush and tie it to it wella fresh water and the shrub tree survives there are other ways but the branch dies in the others this is a trick is an australian trick you can get a mouthful of water in 20 minutes a whole lot more overnight we have tried it on eucalyptus and all sorts of unidentified plants and no one I know has got poisoned its better on a sunny day but the first time I tried it the sun was no where in site anyway good luck. Lesley
Wow. What a fab trick. Sadly there are no trees up that way so we shall have to hope we are lucky with streams, rain and if really stuck distilling sea water. Another time though!
I was so sorry not to be at the Stamford ‘do’ – I really missed it but was booked for soemthing else months before. If you are in Rutland and have a coffee-slot, that would be fab – otherwise go well and safely! Pam
Pity not to see you too. Hope the other gig was a good one! I’m not in Rutland any more before leaving unfortunately so until next time… Toot toot! Hope all at Team Stocker are well.
Your sound so alive, refreshed and in a great mindset…to continue this wonderful journey.
So glad for you.
~Ray Girard
Langley, BC
CANADA
Spot on. All of those things 🙂 Hope you are too!
sarah you dont need a tree for the water trick most of australia is desert and the nullabor plain means no trees but you can do it on small shrubs also another trick which would work on the ocean is to get a bowl metal preferably and cover tightlyu with cling wrap and leave out in the sun i havent tried this one but have been told it w3orks of course you keep recyling all plastic i would get a couple of kids to try it out especially the bag one a cub scout group are usually in for the challenge and get them to try all sorts of plants and conditions i hope it works less water to carry more room for chocolate im a diabetic and one bar a day would not be enoughh for me goodluck lesley
Sarah just found you on Facebook and want to wish you all the best in the world. What a strong women you are to take this on and I have no dout you will make it till the end. I love Nature and kayaking so I will be watching and praying for you from Illinois! GO SARAH follow your dreams : )
Oh-so-excited for this next chapter of the adventure!! Ready to cheer you on and read all about it!