280 days rowing across the Atlantic Ocean; over 20 tours Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan combined, plus
various different tours and operations around the globe.
They have almost 100 years of military service between
them.   

This fascinating team set out to bring awareness of the
brilliant charity and the fantastic work that it does and the
ongoing, critical need for support for ex-servicemen and
women in the UK.

Most importantly of all, through comradeship to challenge,
they will inspire wounded veterans everywhere and
prove there is life after injury.

The team will set off in early May 2022 from Olympia in Washington State. This will allow time for the northern part of the route to thaw out from the winter freeze by the time they get there. This route will be heavily governed by the tides which have a substantial range of 30ft. That is a lot of moving water to contend with in any vessel, let alone a small sea kayak. The huge volume of moving water creates rapids, falls and whirlpools throughout the routes length and will require thorough planning to avoid being caught out. Therefore, a lot of the teams time will be spent reading tide tables and charts, waiting for the opportunity to move with the current and the weather. Although the weather should be relatively benign during the spring and summer months, there is always the risk of storms, strong winds and low visibility due to fog. The rainfall in the area is extremely high between May and August with an average of between 6.6 and 9.8 inches per month meaning that the crew are in for a very damp expedition. 

The team will be entirely self-supported and need to carry everything they need for up to a few weeks at a time. Resupply will be arranged before departure by shipping supplies to key points along the route. The team will be camping throughout. Not all of the islands along the route are particularly hospitable due to dense forests and rocky shores and could prove quite a challenge to find somewhere suitable before the tide changes or weather deteriorates. In some cases, long portages will be necessary in order to reach an area far enough away from the rising tide.

Wildlife thrives along this coast with black and brown bears, wolves, otters, seals, humpback whales and orca likely to be sighted regularly. The team are rehearsing their camp drills and will ensure food is hoisted high into the trees in order to avoid a midnight visit from a hungry bear. This is also the salmon capital of the world and more than one or two of the crew have already hinted at their fishing gear being prepared as we speak.

As you can see, there are many challenges and dangers that the team will have to face in order to achieve their ultimate goal of reaching Skagway, Alaska. But these are all challenges that can be trained for and care taken to avoid putting themselves at unnecessary risk. This is one of the most pristine wilderness areas left on earth and the team feel privileged to be planning this trip and looking forward to enjoying its incredible beauty, working together to ensure each other’s safety and ultimately having a positive experience for all team members.