Author: jvmullin

Pucked up the skirt and cockpit cover today. Mounted the compass before going out. I am getti g ready to apply the keel tape i got from Keel Easy. I bought the 16 foot kayak kit.

Well I am in final prep stages ordering last minute items for the trip. Just received another shipment of freeze dried food to ensure I have enough for the first leg. I have 2 boxes at a friends house to restock me when I get back here. I have one more large order to go that will ship to my sisters house at the half way point.

I have large compass on order that will attach in its well near the bow.  I have ordered some Keel Tape to help protect the hull with all the landings I will be doing.

So my navigation gear will be redundant with charts, 2 compasses, electronic aids (Garminn GPS and Navioincs app on my phone).

3 sets of paddles, first aid kit with emergency blankets, fire starter, multiple knives, leatherman, repair kit, spare lines, water filtration unit, Biolite gear, stove with thermal generator, kettle pot,and grill, solar panel, waterproof case for laptop which has room for all the cables for cameras and radio. Spare batteries for lights and gps. Headlamp and minimag lights. Power strip and chargers for everything.

Splash pants dry top and drysuit, thermal layers and base layers, swimsuits, thin smart wool socks neoprene socks and kayak boots, water shoes to wear on land. boaters gloves, neoprene gloves and waterproof gloves.

Tent, footprint, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, pillow, sheet cover for pad. Tarp to cover site. Mess kit, cooking kit, small table and stool. crank/solar radio for entertainment at camp.

Baby wipes for hygiene and toilet kit to keep camps clean. Leave no trace behind!

Clothes for fundraisers and visiting family in Virginia Beach.

There is more but I think I have covered all my bases.

If you think of anything that I might need that I haven’t mentioned let me know.

 

Here is the link to the Mission22 youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyc5fZSTwR7ubWCIEkXBPSQ

There is allot of information in these videos please watch and support.

 

Well having put in the Smart Track rudder system was a big help. I am allot more stable than the last time I went out. Also tested out the new drysuit. Front entry expedition model. Kept me dry from the water but I still sweat like crazy. Saw a seal while i was out.

Getting use to toe control on the rudder and slowly get use to bracing. I will get gutsyier when water gets warmer.

Seal on rock might be better to zoom in.

My new drysuit arrived. It is a little loose but then i wasn’t wearing the base and thermal layers when i tried it on. 

First I would like to thank everyone that is following me now and those that will follow in the near future. By following it shows your support for what I am doing and it helps me stayed focused and motivated. It helps me more than you know.

Some particulars you need to know.

1.) I will be sending short blogs everyday as long as I have cell service. If the conditions allow I will take pictures with my phone so I can add them to the blog

2.) I will have 3 cameras with me 1 GOPRO 2 Nikon Coolpix S32and S33 . I will be taking video and pictures with these also. However I will need WIFI to transfer pics and vids to laptop and then to site(s) also AC power.

3.) I will have a laptop with me (see 2) so I will be able to see comments and respond when I have AC power and WIFI.

4.) for my friends on Facebook and WORDS I will seldom respond to facebook unless I think it is important, ie. when I am portaging the canal, and I am deleting WORDS until I reach my final destination. My phone has to be one of my safety devices per US Coast Guard rules for small boats. Therefore I have to minimize use to maintain battery.

5.) To the 6 people in my LIFE360 circle as long as my phone has power and knows its location you should be able to track my location at all times.

6.) Because the importance of my mission I will not take any unnecessary chances. This means if I have to hunker down for a day or more I will. It also means because of limited supplies that I can carry I will have to go on rations which I have no problem with. I know how to survive.  If the seas get rough and I can safely move inland I will move to find a protected area or the nearest island on the leeward side.

7.) If you have a kayak or any type of seaworthy boat and want to join me for a short while please do I will welcome the company. Bring chocolate milk and homemade peanut butter or oatmeal raisin cookies.

 

With the start of my trip getting closer, a little more than a month away, I am asked are you excited?.

As much as most people would be I am not.Yes, I am taking on a great adventure and yes I start to get excited but then I remember why I am doing this and the excitement subsides as quickly as it arose.

People must remember  and I tell them all the time that I am paddling for Mission22 to raise awareness about Veteran suicide and PTSD.

This cause drives me more than the excitement of doing this trip. The cause will be the focus of all my conversations for the next 8 months and maybe more. I will be trying hard to draw media attention to myself so that I can promote the cause.

The lives of my fellow veterans and the sanctity of their families are paramount so the cause outweighs the excitement and the exposure for myself.

I performed underwater recovery for 20 years to try to bring closure to families who lost their loved ones. We were not in it for the publicity or the glory. In fact the media referred to us as the phantom dive team. Because after the operation ended we would clean up and be gone. Poof one minute we are there the next we are gone disappeared.

S0 I carry that same attitude in my journey. I will promote the cause for the families and fellow veterans not for personal fame and glory.

I will stay focused in my mission, one man one mission to save thousands.

If you should happen to be at one of the events where I am speaking you can introduce yourself and say hi but I will talk to you about the mission and will deflect any conversation about myself unless it relates to the cause. This isn’t about me it is much bigger than me. This is about human life and how precious it is to try and save it.

I received a call from my contact at West Marine yesterday. I was told that they are use to working with organizations as far as sponsorships and donations, but when they read my request they became very interested. 

So after answering a number of questions and sending them a number of pictures, i will be the feature story on their website the month of April. 

This is awesome because it will get the word out about Mission22 and raise awareness about Veteran suicide and PTSD.  Where West Marine is a national company it certainly will help the cause.

Thank You West Marine for being the awesome company you are and I wish to thank all your employees for their great support on behalf of Mission22.

I get asked all the time if I am taking the intercoastal waterway. The answer is no as I feel it would be too dangerous for a kayaker.

Why do I say that? I deal with commercial boaters and private boaters all the time in open water. I see first hand how they ignore the rules of navigation and how they have a total disrespect for others not just kayakers.

Now there are a number of boaters out there who have taken boater courses and know what they are doing and I show my appreciation to them by thanking them for following the rules and showing respect.

That aside there is the logistics and physics involved with traveling a confined body of water. It will be less of an impact when the IC is wide and depending on the bottom topography the wakes will be manageable if you are a safe distance away. But, where the IC is narrow then your safety becomes a paramount concern. Not only do you have to contend with the wake close up but you have the residual wakes bouncing off the banks for some time after. Depending on your kayak and your abilities will govern how you handle it and how you come away from it.

I have to deal with this problem in Buzzards Bay where I am training. Buzzards Bay is like a bowl, in the early morning it is flat calm but once the boaters start it the wakes have a ripple effect and they bounce from one side to the other all day.So about noon time the Bay looks like a pot of boiling water.

I am out there trying to paddle a course and I have chop coming at  me from all directions. You just pick what looks like the path of least resistance while trying to stay on course. When trying to cross the mouth of the harbors I do well until l I reach the channels. While I am being respectful of the larger boats and waiting to cross I have had private yachts steer closer to me at speed to try and swamp me thinking they are funny. So you can see why I wish t avoid the IC at all costs.

Another safety concern I have is that the farther south down the IC you get you have natural hazards such as water snakes and alligators. I will take my chances with the sharks thank you.

So I think that I have a much better chance of making it safely down the coast if I staying the ocean where I have much more experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christeen Banana as named by my buddy.