In spite of the journey being put on hold until April or May, Skim Kayaks has generously offered to continue to sponsor me for the remainder of the journey.
I’ve paddled the Skim Distance in Sardinia for four weeks in different conditions, and it is a brilliant expedition kayak. It is stable, fast and spacious. I consider myself lucky to be able to finish my journey in such a boat.
Weather conditions in Sardinia are very changeable, and in a couple of occasions I paddled in winds up to force 6 and waves of several meters, which is more than I have tried before, but I never felt unsafe or unstable in the Skim Distance.
The speed of the Skim Distance is incredible. I’m not the racing type, and I was astonished to discover that I could get a fully loaded Skim Distance to go at 10-11 km/h, and at 7-8 km/h sustained. It would be very interesting to see what a competitive and dedicated race paddler could get out of a Skim Distance.
The Skim Distance is also a surprisingly agile boat when unloaded. I’ve paddled it for two weeks in Venice in September, and in spite of its notable length it was very easy to get around, both in the smaller channels of the city, between the other boats and outside the city, in the lagoon.
My thanks to Skim Kayaks and to Göran Pehrson for their continued trust in me.
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