Lake Windermere

Lake Windermere

Friday 30 August 2013

CHANNEL SWIM NUMBER 2!


Yesterday, I swam across the Channel for the 2nd time this summer.

This was a brutal swim with the waves and wind rising by the hour. In fact of the 11 swimmers who set off, 8 had abandoned by the 5 hour mark. NOT David Donald Coleman!

Battling heavy seas and a rising force 5 wind I swam on for 14 hours powering here there and everywhere as the conditions worsened. Fear not for your intrepid hero, as I did get to the French coast. I could smell the garlic. Actually that is a pretty poor use of a sterotype, what I meant was that I could see French people waving baguettes.

By now, it was getting problematical as to whether I could land as we were now being blown towards Calais and heading towards high cliffs. With the worsening conditions my pilot and crew discussed the situation with me and I agreed that it was going to be impossible to land in the wind and heavy seas.

So I got all the way across the Channel but missed out on getting my 2nd shell from a French beach!

Another time I will tell you about my chafings, swollen tongue, constricted throat and the best part of the day, throwing up gallons of sea water on the return journey to Folkestone.

I am cream crackered. Good night.

 Photos to follow.

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Setting off. 7am. Only 13 and a half hours to go!