After four days, 44 nautical miles and more than 22 hours of paddling, kayaker, diver and maritime heritage advocate Alex Denny successfully completed his epic South Coast Shipwreck Heritage Paddle, arriving at Fort Cumberland, near Portsmouth, on 9 July.
The expedition took Alex from his home in Brighton along one of Britain’s most historically significant stretches of coastline, covering the 50 miles (81 kilometres) entirely under his own power to raise awareness of the Nautical Archaeology Society and much-needed unrestricted funds for the charity.
Following a route steeped in maritime history, Alex paddled past some of England’s most vulnerable wreck sites, celebrating the nation’s underwater heritage while shining a spotlight on the work being done to protect it.
For Alex, who has served as a Trustee of the Nautical Archaeology Society for the past eight years, the challenge was about far more than physical endurance. His aim was to raise awareness of the Society’s work and the critical importance of unrestricted funding, which enables the charity to direct support wherever it is needed most and continue protecting maritime heritage for future generations.
“We’re very good at raising money for specific projects,” says Alex. “But actually raising funds just for the running and maintenance of the charity itself – unrestricted funds – is really hard.
“I thought by taking on a challenge like this I could galvanise people, get them thinking about the charity and encourage them to donate. Coming along the South Coast seemed the perfect fit because there’s so much maritime history here. I started along the coast from where the 17th century Dutch warship Klein Hollandia lies and passed so many historic wreck sites. I’ve basically been paddling past our maritime heritage.”
Despite completing the expedition successfully, the journey was far from straightforward.
The opening day proved the most demanding, with strong winds and difficult sea conditions making progress along the Sussex coast slow and physically exhausting.
“The first day was the really tough one,” Alex recalls. “There was one point where I’d stopped on the beach after taking a long time to get around Lancing Harbour and a coastguard came over to check I was OK. He wasn’t convinced it was a good day to be out there, but after seeing I had the right equipment I was able to carry on.”
As the weather improved, so too did the experience. The calmer conditions allowed Alex to appreciate the remarkable coastline he was following, encountering countless jellyfish, spotting flying fish and passing old wreck remains and exposed foreshore hulks that offered constant reminders of the region’s rich maritime past.
One of the challenge’s most memorable moments, however, came unexpectedly off East Preston.
Having kept all of his equipment securely tethered throughout the journey, Alex unclipped his underwater camera for the first and only time to photograph shallow reef pinnacles covered in soft corals. At that exact moment, the bow wave from a passing boat capsized his kayak.
“I’d had everything tethered to me for the whole trip,” he says. “The only time I unclipped the camera was to take a picture underwater. A bow wave from a boat I hadn’t even seen completely capsized me.
“I remember thinking that at least I’d have some incredible footage of the capsize from the video camera mounted on the bow of the kayak – but it had timed out three minutes earlier. So, rather disappointingly, I lost both the camera and the footage.”
Although the camera was never recovered, Alex safely completed the challenge, arriving at Fort Cumberland on schedule after an unforgettable four-day journey.
Funds raised through the South Coast Shipwreck Heritage Paddle will help the Nautical Archaeology Society continue its work protecting maritime heritage through archaeological research, education programmes, volunteer training, community outreach and conservation initiatives.
While Alex has successfully completed the challenge, there is still time to help him reach his £2000 fundraising goal. The Crowdfunder page remains open until the end of July, with every donation helping the Nautical Archaeology Society continue to discover, record and protect our shared maritime heritage.
To support Alex’s South Coast Shipwreck Heritage Paddle, visit:
