Crossing:
Isle of Man - England

Route Distance: ~27 nm / 50 km
Prevailing direction: E >> W
Record: 2014 - 04:41:22
Solo: 5
Team: 4

Records

John Willacy
K1M04:41:222014
John Willacy
K1M05:46:142014
Sean Jesson
Jim Krawiecki
K206:15:002008

Image
Image: Jim Krawiecki

Situated in the centre of the Irish Sea the Isle of Man is a perfect draw for many a sea kayaker. It's positioning means it can often be seen from many places on the surrounding mainland on a clear day. It also means that the tidal flows from both north and south meet around the island, requiring some good planning to make the trip. The island also provides fantastic coastline, demanding tide races and plenty of wildlife, including Basking Sharks.
The route from England is usually started from St Bees in Cumbria.

Crossing: Isle of Man - England

Solo

Click column header to sort.
Posn.K1WCatPaddlerElapsedDateStartFinishBoatVerifiedNoteLink1
1K1MJohn Willacy04:41:2211-Jul-14Point of AyreSt BeesRockpool Taran 18
Yes
2K1MJohn Willacy05:46:1410-Jul-14St BeesPoint of AyreRockpool Taran 18
Yes
3K1MTim Haines07:39:0622-Jul-22St BeesMaughold HeadNDK Romany Excel
Yes
4K1MMike Conroy09:37:0124-Aug-23Dhoon BayCouldertonTiderace Pace 17
Yes
5K1MMartin Whitmill10:00:00?15-Aug-10St Bees?P+H Capella
--Link1

5 solo paddlers



Teams

Click column header to sort.
Posn.CatPaddlerElapsedDateStartFinishBoatVerifiedNoteLink1
1K2Sean Jesson /
Jim Krawiecki
06:15:0010-May-08St BeesMaughold Head

--Blog
2TeamAndy Merrick
George Shaw
Daniel Shimmin
06:47:0004-Jun-18Point of AyreSt BeesSKUK Explorer
SKUK Explorer

--
3TeamAlistair Hornsby
Brennan Waller
07:33:0103-Jul-18St BeesRamseyZegul Velocity
Rockpool Taran 18
--
4TeamMike Douglas
Rob Hitchmough
09:15:0025-Jun-10St BeesMaughold HeadTiderace Xcite
P+H Quest LV
--

4 Teams -- 9 Paddlers


Notes

Mike Douglas / Rob Hitchmough (25-Jun-10)
Rob mentions that he and Mike had always fancied paddling to the I.O.M. This was their first major crossing and "we wanted the paddle to be as enjoyable as possible so we stopped after every 50 minutes for 10 minutes to have a brew and check our course".

Sean Jesson / Jim Krawiecki (10-May-08)
From Jim: "Sean J + Pie + Chips + Beers = Unstoppable 10 horsepower boat engine!") whilst Jim (in the back) took all the pictures and "got awfully tired" watching life go by.

Martin Whitmill (15-Aug-10)
Martin made the crossing from St Bees with his dog Charlie perched on the front deck of his kayak - surely a first! Perhaps should be in K9 category?

Summary:

Crossing: Isle of Man - England

Solo paddlers: 5
Team paddlers: 9
Teams: 4

Recorded Start Points:
    • Dhoon Bay (1)
    • Point of Ayre (2)
    • St Bees (6)

How To Submit A Time/Paddle.

SAFETY