Well that was a weird summer like no other. All my plans for rounding 86 islands in 2020 were blown out of the water as coronavirus swept everything before it. I’m sure all of you will have been affected by it in some way and I know that everyone is praying that we can return to some form of normality in 2021. For me on a personal note, the hardest thing has been the diagnosis of a very close friend with a brain tumour during the lockdown. It completely knocked me sideways and reminded me just why its so important to help raise money for these amazing charities. The lockdown has really hit charities as their income from sponsored events and charity shops has been slashed. Whilst their world has changed, the need for their services and support remains in constant demand and that’s the big driver for not letting 2020 slip by without making some progress on the Yodare adventure and most importantly raising funds for these life changing charities.
So with children heading back to school there is at last the chance to get in to previously busy campsites and to find space to park and launch Yoda from the varying beaches that make up this adventure. The plan is to be on the water from the 8th September with a fairly “flexible” itinerary which hopefully lets me get some islands done in South Wales followed by a trip to Lundy (weather permitting) and maybe the odd island in the South West. It sounds a bit vague, but I have to go with where the weather allows me to sail. However rest assured that I’ll be out there as much as possible over a 9 day period and hopefully get a bit closer to the magic 100 islands sailed mark. The tracker will be active throughout thanks to the kind support of YB Tracking, so don’t forget to follow the adventure live using the “Where’s Ken” option on the website. Earl is coming along as my support team on this trip as Ian and Jane are now full on busy grandparents. So keep an eye on Facebook/Instagram and here on the website for updates on the adventure. There’s going to be some amazing islands on this trip and returning to Lundy will be an emotional experience after my RNLI rescue from north of there in 2017. Hopefully we will be able to pay a visit to thank the Tenby lifeboat team for their assistance that day. So enjoy following the adventure and don’t forget to donate at www.yodare.co.uk – the BIG YELLOW DONATE BUTTON.
Cheers Ken