Thursday, May 31, 2012

Where is Bart now, June 1 st 2012, 5:30am

Bart left TheSpot and is at his father's house in Maarn right now, sound asleep. From tomorrow afternoon on he will be starting to post on his blog again and for sure will share his adventure with you. MauiNews will cover his crossing tomorrow and I will post a picture of it on the blog. After that it's all Bart's turn again.

I really would like to Thank everybody out there for being that amazingly supportive, family and friends around the world, TheSpot Watersport Center, all the photographers and our daughter Soleil with being that patient with her Mom over the past days.

Aloha and have a good night.

Bart back on land, June 1st 2012, 1am

Here are pictures from Bart's arrival in Zandvoort at TheSpot Watersport Center.
Photos by Nancy Wesselsz and Gerhard Messink.




Bart's 1. photo after arrival, June 1st 2012, 1:15am






Bart's 1. photo by Floris Jan after paddling for 37.5h from Lowestoft in England to Zandvoort in Holland, the 1. ever SUP Crossing of the North Sea. Bart is wearing a Dutch lei with tulips. What a great blending of Maui and Holland.










Bart just came in, June 1st 2012, 1am

I am so very very much relieved. Our Dutch friend Dennis van der Panne just sent a txt that he reached the shore of the Duch coast in Zandvoort!!
Photo coverage will follow!

TheSpot is getting ready for Bart's arrival, may 31st 2012, Midnight

Even if it is midnight in Holland TheSpot Watersport Center still going strong, writing press releases, taking photos and waiting for Bart! It's busy at TheSpot Watersport Ready for a massive welcome party!

www.gotothespot.com













View from TheSpot towards England.





















The press center at TheSpot.























A Duch lei with tulips is waiting for Bart!!























Family and friends are gathering for the Welcome Party.










Bart's father Ernst is giving interviews!

Bart has 11miles to go, May 31st 2012 10pm

TheSpot Watersport Center in Zandvoort/Holland got a call from Bart that he has 11 miles to go!!
He is ok and they expect him around midnight. They are very happy. A big crowd is waiting on the beach for him. Go Bart Go, your so close!!!

Finally a ship spotted him out there, May 31st 2012 9pm

TheSpot WaterSport Center in Zandvoort/Holland just got a call from the Dutch coast guard that a ship spotted Bart 25km outside Zandvoort. I don't know if he is still paddling, but he is out there. I am sooooo relieved, but I always believe in him. Now he puts all his strength in getting there. Keep you posted.

Still no news from Bart, May 31st 2012 5:20pm

Still we haven't heart from Bart. To all of you out there: think positive. He will make it. There will be still daylight for more then 5h. I know and you know that he can do it. He can pull it off. We start to worry when it gets dark. We have to be strong for him. I know him so well. He tries whatever he has left to make it there before the sun sets. I can imagine how you all feel, out there on the beach in Zandvoort. How you look for every sign of a paddler out there in the distance. Go Bart Go!

Waiting, waiting...., May 31st 2012 1:30pm in Holland

Everybody is waiting in Zandvoort and around the world to hear something from Bart, to see him popping out of the mist and paddle towards TheSpot Watersport Center. During the last hours mist and wind came up. That was not expected. It's blowing now 15kn from the side, will turn to southsouthwest during the next hours. We can only wish and hope that he is close to the coast and not far out there. Bart's father Ernst is there on the beach, looking out for him. Here on Maui we are 12h behind. It's 1:30am in the night. I am relieved that our daughter Soleil is sleeping and she doesn't have to worry right now. But Bart said himself that he will at least need 24h-30h for the crossing.

Bart's Crossing departure in Dutch newspaper, May 30th 2012

The Dutch newspaper Leeuwarder Courant covered his departure from England:

http://www.lc.nl/friesland/regio/article14929703.ece/SUP-elfstedenwinaar-waagt-oversteek-Kanaal-?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Preparing for Bart's arrival, May 31st 2012

TheSpot Watersport Center on Zandvoort Beach in Holland is preparing for Bart's arrival. The owners Nancy and Maurice just talked to Bart's father on the phone, who just came back by ferry from England. He dropped off Bart in Lowestoft/Suffolk for his crossing.
Bart's father Ernst said that the paddle condition are very clean, only some rain, slightly southwest wind. His approximate arrival could be around noon in Europe, what would be midnight Maui time. He better be close to the Dutch coast by then, as the wind will increase and slighly change direction.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Anita's pictures from Bart's departure in England, May 30th 2012










Thank you so much to Anita and her husband Dave for driving all the way out there.
Anita, awesome coverage. I am very happy to see some picture of my man!
I can't tell you how grateful I am that you did that!

Please have a look at Anita's website: www.anitaharris.com

Enjoy!



Thank you to family and friends for all the support, Maui, May 30th 2012

I am really touched by all the messages, txts and all the e-mails I am getting from around the World concerning Bart Kanaha Kai Maui SUP crossing from England to Holland, which he started solo, unsupported and nonstop 13h ago. A lot of you are asking, if I have news, more pictures, more coverage of the whole crossing.

Anita Harris, the English photographer is working on the pictures from hi
s start.
But this time we have to be patient. Bart can't send out position reports in the English Channel. It can be still 10-12h more. until he will call me when he is closer to the coast of Holland.

Lokker Maurice and Nancy Wesselsz, the owners of TheSpot Watersport in Zandvoort/Holland are preparing his reception. And they for sure are eager to know his arrival time as soon as possible.

Sure, I am nervous. It's nervewrecking to wait that long, for somebody who is that close, my husband, best friend and Soleil's dad. So let us all think positiv. We know he is a very determind and great waterman and tries his best to reach his goal. Thank you again for all your warmhearted and very touching support. We feel honored to have so many family and friends supporting his adventures.

Go Bart Go!!!
 




Call from Bart, May 30th 2012, 1:15pm

On Maui it's 5am now, Wednesday morning. Holland is 12h ahead of time. Bart called me 3 hours into his crossing and said the conditions are good, he is doing fine, still paddling strong. He was almost out of reach for cellular reception.
From now on we have to wait until he comes close to the Dutch coast to get a position from him. He has GPS and emergency equipment on board, but he can't send position reports. 
The photographer Anita Harris is working on sending out the foto coverage from the Start in England.
I will keep you posted.
Go Bart Go and be safe out there. All our Love, Dagmar and Soleil

1. Picture of his start, May 30th 2012, 9:15am

Bart's father Ernst sent out a picture from bart's start. More pictures from Anita Harris will follow. He started in misty conditions, but quickly the sun came up and started to warm the day.

Picture and phone call, May 30th 2012, 10:20am

Photographer Anita Harris just sent out this picture from Bart preparing for his start in England. More pictures will follow.
He just called me as well and said that it's warm, he is paddling in board shorts, it's good weather. He is already 5miles out the coast and the English coastline is slowly vanishing in the distance.



Bart started his crossing from England to Holland, May 30th 2012, 9:15am

Bart just started his solo, unsupported and nonstop crossing from England to Holland. The weather conditions are looking good. I hope that he will call me during the next 3-4 hours to give an update on his position and the conditions out in the channel. Go Bart Go and be safe out there!


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Bart arrived in England, May 30th 2012

It's early morning, May 30th, 6:30am, and Bart just arrived in Harwich/England, coming by ferry from Hoek van Holland. He is joined by his father Ernst who will drop him off at the starting point in Lowestoft/Suffolk. I just talked to him. He is in great spirit. Conditions are looking very good. He will meet the photographer Anita Harris and her husband Dave, who arrived in Lowestoft yesterday evening, ready to shoot the departure of Bart towards Holland. Approximate time for that will be 8am, in 1.5 hours. I will keep you posted. Go Bart Go!  Aloha from Maui, Dagmar and Soleil

Photocoverage in England for departure on May 30th 2012

On Wednesday morning, the English photographer Anita Harris will cover Bart's departure from Lowestoft/Suffolk in England. We are very lucky that she lives kind of close by in Godalmin/Surrey, 172 miles from Bart's starting position. Thank you so much, Anita, for driving all the way out there! Check out Anita's website   http://www.anitaharris.com/

Bart is on his way to England, May 29th 2012

Bart and his father Ernst are on their way to board the Superferry from Hoek van Holland/NL (engl. the Hook of Holland) to Harwich in England. Over there they are 12h ahead of our time. So right now it's 9:45pm in Holland. The ferry will leave in a little bit more then 1h, arriving Harwich Wednesday morning 6:30am England time.

SUP Crossing England - Holland, 185 kilometers

The plan is to cross on a SUP Stand Up Paddle Board (STARBOARD 14' Open Ocean) from England to Holland, solo, non stop and unsupported.
I will be starting near Lowestoft and arrive in Holland in Zandvoort at THE SPOT. It is about a 100 miles (182 KM), which is . This is the first attempt of this crossing by Stand Up paddle board.
I was waiting for a break in  the Easterly winds Holland has had for the last weeks. Suddenly a window of 48 hours appeared enough to get this adventure going.



Today I am arranging all my gear and getting ready.  It will be a 20-30 hours paddle. Weather looks very good right now.
Safety
I have an Eprib, a personal locator beacon with GPS position, this device has two purposes, one; in case of a life threatening situation (only then) it will sent a signal via Satellite to a rescue coordination center, second with this particular device I can send a limited amount of messages to friends and family on shore to let them know my GPS position.
2 GPS’s and maps to make sure where I am.
Navigation lights on a little mast (only at night)
Flares, Smoke signals and hand flares
2 Compasses, charts/ maps
VHF radio
Cell phone

Back up paddle and extra shaft

Clothing
Warm clothing in dry and wet circumstances. (1 mil short wetsuit and a 5 mil full wetsuit) Wet shoes, beanie rain trouses and softshell DAKINE jacket against the wind and cold.
Food
A mixture of dryfreezed food, nuts, dry fruits, granola bars, chocolate, perpetuem (liquid sports food and recoverite (liquid recover drink) and electrolyte drinking powder.
I will be looking forward to fruits and veggies when I get there.


Water

I will be taking enough water with me for the whole trip and 2 days extra in acse of emergency.

There will be regular updates on this blog.

ALOHA,

Bart