On Saturday morning, August 28th, Weston Moses and Kerry Alleyne paddled off of Soufriere’s waters as they had many times before. This time, however, would be different.
Moses and Alleyne, friends and business partners, were set to become the first people in modern history to circumnavigate Dominica in single sea touring kayaks.
Of course, they’re fully aware and humbled by the many natives such as the Kalinago and Arawaks who have paddled these waters before them. The Caribbean has a rich history of paddling. In the modern-day, however, the feat remains unrecorded.
On Tuesday morning, Moses and Alleyne paddled through the Atlantic south towards Rosalie Bay.
Fishermen from within and around the Kalinago territory fished from the tall, intimidating cliffs. It was a welcomed sight to have their company on a section that provided no safe harbour for the paddlers.
Though the wind and waves were uncharacteristically calm, the waves and swells near the shore remained a challenge. Here’s an edited version of how Moses described it:
“Heading into Rosalie, there was a very heavy shore break. It was a technical landing for both of us, but we managed to get through the heavy surf safely. It was not a landing for the faint-hearted as we both encountered some close calls.”
In all, the two courageous men covered a whopping 34 km in 6 hours and 38 minutes on day four. While they gained the most distance on this leg, they also, unfortunately, lost a camera in the surf.
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