Day 58: Today Jordan had 8 hours of good weather, before a week of bad weather starts with yet another storm, arrrrrgh! Jordan paddled just short of 50KM today and finished somewhere around the middle of the Irish Sea. His support boat “Spirit of St George II” has picked him up and taken him into Ireland this evening where he will wait for a weather window but sadly it could be a while away. The new captain and crew have settled in well and morale is good onboard the support vessel. Hopefully they can pick up a bit of luck from the Irish and start making more progress soon.
Day 60, so many hours at sea and Jordan made less than 5 kilometres in progress (but progress all the same…). We really are being made to pay for some internal communications confusions that we experienced early this week in the mist of a very complex handover and full crew change, we have took the associated lessons though, improved our internal processes and continue to push forward stronger than ever as a team. The storm is here now until the weekend and Jordan really wanted to get across the Irish Sea before it hit but sadly and very frustratingly he’s still stuck in the middle of it which means we have an 8 hour sail to shore (and back again when the storm passes) and Jordan has been throwing up sick 
most of the way as the storm 
starts to set it. One thing you learn about the ocean is just like life, sometimes it can be calm, peaceful and tranquil and some days it can be rough, brutal and relentless. In the last 48 hours I’ve experienced both gifts from Mother Nature. Promoting safety and responsible paddling though was one of the key objectives of this expedition and we will continue to do the right thing despite the frustrations, temptations and lengthy time delays the adverse weather is causing…
No movement today for Jordan due to Storm Aiden that is currently crashing into parts of England and Wales with some Artic temperatures alongside it. The weather hasn’t been kind to The Great British Paddle at all with the Met Office reporting today that the Atlantic Ocean in 2020 has featured a total of 24 tropical or subtropical cyclones, 23 named storms, 8 small hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes. It seems it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better too and Jordan is heading for Scotland for the winter too 
– We would like to say a big thank you to so many lovely people in South Wales including Milford Marina, Spot On Dry Cleaners, The Spinnaker Cafe and everyone who is been so kind to help Jordan and the crew in the last few days. We would also like to give a huge shout out for Gareth from Dale Sailing who has kindly picked up and fixed / patched up Jordan’s paddlebord (Caroline) today after it had taken a few hits from 61 days of relentless British weather. Gareth is also going to be rowing across the Altlantic in this years Talisker Challenge, please do give him a follow and show your support (@_atlanticdragon) – there are so many incredibly kind people out there are we are truly grateful for your support. It looks like Jordan’s next chance to get across to Ireland from the middle of the Irish Sea will come in the early hours of Sunday morning. Tonight Captain Darren has cooked up the crew a delicious spicy bolognese dish 
No movement again today which is very frustrating for Jordan and the team who are very anxious to get moving across to Ireland as soon as the opportunity presents itself (hopefully in next 48 hours). Jordan’s board has been fixed by Gareth and the awesome team at Dale Sailing and will be delivered back to him tomorrow morning. Jordan also did some interviews with the BBC this morning and local press in South Wales. The team are currently looking for an experienced Coastal Skipper / Yacht Master to volunteer to Captain the support boat. Please do get in touch if you can help. This is an unpaid position as all members of the charity expedition are kind volunteers. Thank you to all of you who keep donating too, it really does sour Jordan on in some very challenging times. He posted on his own social media today that he has to remind himself daily to “STAY IN THE GAME” which is probably a reflection of the emotions of where he is at right now physically and mentally. Please donate if you can and make a difference to children’s lives:
Today has been spent getting Jordan’s paddleboard patched up, it’s currently still drying out at Dale Sailing who have kindly done the repair work and provided a free mooring and fuel for the support boat for the night. Jordan will be up at 01.30am to sand it down and get on the move. The team have met some incredibly kind people and companies in the South West Wales, the very best of British in fact. The long awaited trio to get back across to Ireland seems to be showing as tomorrow. Jordan is determined to get across the Irish Sea tomorrow and will do everything he can to make it happen. We hope by tomorrow evenings daily post we can give you all some good news. The water is getting colder and the winds are getting stronger but morale remains high throughout the team despite the daily challenges.
Today was an interesting day for Jordan and the team which was also the day they had their first shark encounter, it wasn’t exactly “Jaws” but it did come from the same family (a cousin in fact), a Porbeagle Shark that was roaming the southern area of the Irish Sea in the afternoon came to surface off the support boat, to wish Jordan well. It’s distinctive fin slashed through the water at pace and Jordan said “given the danger most species of shark find themselves in these days, to see our first shark at sea during The Great British Paddle was more of a moment for celebration than a cause for concern. There are many types of shark in UK waters and this was a pleasant surprise for myself and the crew”. Jordan added another 37 kilometres plus to his tally today and said it was good to get back on the water and start making progress again. As the winter weather draws closer the team will need to take every opportunity they can get as paddle progress will start to get tougher and tougher as the string winds, tides and storms continue. Jordan has currently still not quite made it to Ireland yet although he is now well into Irish waters, his next paddle should see him reach the Arklow area of Ireland with a bit of luck 
Day 65 – No move for Jordan today for safety reasons after gale force warnings across the Irish coast line. The Met Office also report we are to see at least 5 more named storms this autumn and winter with another huge one coming across the Atlantic this week. The battle for a Jordan is not only a physical one but the uncertainty makes this a real test of metal endurance which is why this has not been achieved previously, despite several attempts.
Day 66 – He’s made it to Ireland at last! It’s been an extremely challenging week fighting the perilous Irish Sea but today Jordan finally paddled across to Ireland from mainland Great Britain (South Wales) and became one of only an elite select few people in the world to have achieved this amazing feat. This means Jordan has paddled in 3 countries so far (England, Wales, Ireland) and will now head north towards Northern Ireland for his 4th. Jordan was welcomed into Irish waters by a pod of 8 dolphins that joined him for nearly an hour after sunset. Today has been a long day on the water with a 03:30am start in the darkness and it looks like he will have tomorrow to recover whilst waiting for the storm to pass before a double session on Thursday before another gale force weekend across the U.K.
A well deserved recovery day for Jordan after making it to Ireland yesterday. Fortunately for him a storm is currently running wild down the East Irish coast so his body can get some rest for 24 hours (well maybe not quite that long). He will be doing some media interviews today with Irish radio and tv stations. Every day the expedition provides new challenges both on and off the water that the public don’t really see. At present the COVID issues and challenges are really compromising The Great British Paddle as movements are restricted for crew changes, there are quarantine regulations and laws to adhere to and today we have just found out that our next 3 Harbour and Marina stops for support boat fuel, water and facilities are closed until further notice. We have some big decisions or solutions to find in the coming week or two, one of which could see Jordan having to go solo again unfortunately with his sleeping bag and small tent. We will update you when we know more and a huge thank you to everyone who continues to support. Don’t forget also that if we can hit £20,000 in funds raised for charity before 31st October, Jordan has pledged to paddle dressed as a witch on Halloween for 24 hours! 
Today good progress was made by Jordan as he made 37.79KM further north up the Irish cost to the town of Wicklow. Once again we have a storm in the Irish Sea so the support boat has headed to Malahide Marina in the Dublin area to take shelter. In the next 24 hours we will also lose Captain Darren Cox who has skippered the boat for the last couple of weeks. This means Jordan is currently looking for solutions locally in Ireland such as a support driver with a van for a few days next week (on the days when it’s paddleable) or a skipper than join the team for a day here and there. Darren has done a great job and been an integral team member and will be missed by the onboard crew. A huge thank you must also be given to Sean Hall, a director from Manguard Plus Security who has donated €500 euros towards support boat food for the next couple of weeks, what a legend, thank you Sean!
No movement today for Jordan but lots of great relationships built locally with RNLI and Manguard Plus, Ireland’s premier security and risk management services provider and also a bunch of legends who have provided the crew food for the next few weeks. It looks like Monday will be the first chance for a paddle so lots of admin being caught up on from Jordan and the crew. Watch out for some special signed limited editions prints being launched in the next few days to help raise funds, these are super special and not to be missed.
“Great Britain looked so much smaller on the map in my bedroom”
No movement for Jordan after a day speaking with local fisherman to try and get a ride back out to his checkpoint at sea. It looks like we have a break through though, stay tuned….
Big progress made today thanks to Ideal Capital Distribution in Ireland who have provided a van for Jordan with insurance. This allows him to go solo for a week or two whilst we await a new skipper. Jordan will start moving up the Irish coast from tomorrow morning at last. Thank you to Darren from ICD and also to sponsors Eton Harris and Chartercross for helping make it happen through their global network.
This little sea dog led the team to the beach where Jordan started his last leg of the paddle. It took all of Tori’s strength not to smuggle little ‘Elfie’ under her jacket to take her back to be a new member of the support crew team… 
Blue Therapy 
No movement today for Jordan however he’s in one of the deepest mines in the world and about to run a marathon in a world record attempt.
After an incredible weekend raising awareness of mental health and well-being with the Army Cadets, our paddleboarder is back on board the support boat in the Irish Sea, with a bit of extra baggage. Jordan helped write history with the Army Cadets who now have 2 new world records to their name!
No weather window means it’s a well deserved recovery day as Jordan is in the hurt locker from the marathon still…
Episode 13 – Below the Surface – is now live!! Another video by our very talented Filmmaker @alfiemarshfilm! Watch to catch up on how we’re doing in Ireland and find out about the challenge Jordan took on for World Mental Health Day
Alarms set for an early rise! We’re excited for not only one but two paddle windows in the morning and evening tomorrow! So looking forward to getting back on the water!
First mate Tori cooking up a nutritious meal so that Jordan and the crew can fuel up and prepare for their big paddle day tomorrow! Positive vibes all round on the boat for lots of oncoming progress!
