Don't Tell Mom I'm Kayaking Around Ireland...

Next summer (2023), I will attempt to kayak solo around Ireland to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research.This is for my mom who’s in the early stage of the disease. She’s doing well, getting her steps in every day, and facing her diagnosis with courage and resilience. She signed me up for kayaking lessons when I was a hyper kid in need of an outlet. I owe her for introducing me to this sport and for putting up with my nerve-wracking adventures over the years.The kayakers who have taken this journey modestly refer to it as The Lap. It's a 1500KM (950 mile/ 800 nautical mile) voyage through some of the roughest water and most rugged coastline in the North Atlantic. Fewer than 100 people have completed a Lap, and only 30 or so have done it solo.Depending on the weather, it will take 4-6 weeks. I'll camp on beaches and islands every night and spend 10 to 12-hours per day in the boat, often many miles from shore. I will be unsupported, carrying all the gear I need and ten days of food at a time.I’ll be documenting my Lap in a newsletter. Every week, I’ll send out a short email about how my training, fundraising, and planning are going. I’ll also include photos and stories from life on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, where my wife, Dominique, and I are winterizing a pebbledash cottage.When I set off next June, this newsletter will become my daily “Captain’s Log” for the voyage.I’m looking forward to sharing this adventure with you!-Charlie