Page 33 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

During the Intermediate Term of the Regular Commissioning Course we (the Officer Cadets), are given the opportunity to organise and con- duct a week’s Adventure Training during recess. Within my company, OCdt Chaplin (Expedi- tion Leader), along with four other OCdts and me, organised a sea kayaking expedition to Fuerteventura. Our aim was to develop our kay- aking ability and to conduct a four-day expedition covering 95km from Corralejo on the northern tip of the island, to the southern port of Morro Jable. With our plane tickets in hand and warmer cli- mates awaiting, we made the short flight from London Stansted down to the Canary Islands.
Upon our arrival in Fuerteventura we were met by our expedition host on the Island, Jorge. After settling into our accommodation, we spent the remainder of the evening experiencing the local cultural attractions in Corralejo, and seized the opportunity to sample some of the local restau- rants’ specialities.
Eager to get the kayaking underway, we made an early start and managed to collect our kit and be in the water before the sun came up. As we were all novice kayakers, we spent the morn- ing learning basic paddling drills; however, for some members of the group that consisted of
Scribe - OCdt McKenna Expedition Leader - OCdt Chaplin
more time in the water than in their kayak. After grasping the basics of kayaking, after lunch we embarked on a short 10km-round trip to a small island to the north of Corralejo, where we had our first experience of open water kayaking, and much to the surprise of our instructor we suc- cessfully navigated the journey without anyone capsizing.
The evening of day one marked the beginning of our expedition phase. Having stocked our kayaks with all the essential supplies to sustain ourselves for two nights, we began our jour- ney south. On what was a calm evening on the water, we enjoyed the beautiful coastal sights as we paddled 7km south, allowing us to familiar- ise ourselves with a weighted kayak. Upon the arrival at camp one we threw out our sleeping bags and Master Chef OCdt Chaplin cooked dinner before bed.
Day two was the first of our long days in the kayak, and with 22km to cover, we got on the water early. With the sea reaching sea state three, this most definitely raised concerns with our instructor; however, with further coaching we quickly began to progress towards our next destination of La lajita, witnessing the stunning sights of the Fuerteventura coastline. Even at
Exercise VIKING CADET
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