Products from Johnson Outdoors UK were the first choice for film maker Patrick Winterton for his latest documentary at sea. The Chatham 17 touring kayak built by Necky proved to be the ideal craft when Patrick recently completed a major voyage exploring lighthouses in the Outer Hebrides.
Patrick had to negotiate some notorious stretches of open water during filming and the durability of this Necky polyethylene kayak came into its own when he was literally on the rocks. He comments: “The beauty of the Chatham 17 is when you’ve got a dangerous landing you can jump out, grab it and drag it up anything where a composite boat would just smash up. It got me out of trouble many times. The handling was also fantastic and it’s a very manoeuvrable boat at sea. ”
Patrick, a former Marine and Olympic skier, has a passion for sea kayaking and last year undertook an 870-mile paddling trip from Glasgow to the most northerly point of the British Isles, Muckle Flugga. He is also a TV commentator and recently featured in the programme Ultimate Wild Water for BBC1. During the programme he trained TV reporter and presenter Kate Silverton to undertake some tough kayaking challenges.
Patrick filming in the Chatham 17
Crucial to Kate’s success when taking on wild waters and tidal rips was the Lendal paddle in her hands and Patrick has been sponsored by Lendal for many years. Lendal, like Necky, is also a Johnson Outdoors company and Patrick adds: “I use Lendal paddles on all my adventure trips. They incorporate a Kinetik wing which is just fantastic whether you’re in a performance kayak or toddling along in a touring boat. It copes with all styles of paddling – it’s just beautiful and makes all the difference.”
Patrick also praises the Varilok feature of the Lendal Paddlok System: “The big danger when doing crossings on your own is that if you get injured there’s no-one there to help you. The key thing is not to get hurt or get tendonitis but the Varilok system enables you to switch from left to right handed paddling and can save the day. The Lendal paddle is my most valuable bit of kit this year.” The sport of sea kayaking is becoming increasingly popular and Patrick says it’s a great way to explore our waters: “My message is that if you get the right training you can go and do some amazing trips.”
