On Celtic Tides: One Man's Journey Around Ireland by Sea Kayak - Softcover

Duff, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312263686 ISBN 13: 9780312263683

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2000

Synopsis

A sea kayak battles the freezing Irish waters as the morning sun rises out of the countryside. On the western horizon is the pinnacle of Skellig Michael-700 feet of vertical rock rising out of exploding seas. Somewhere on the isolated island are sixth-century monastic ruins where the light of civilization was kept burning during the Dark Ages by early Christian Irish monks. Puffins surface a few yards from the boat, as hundreds of gannets wheel overhead on six foot wing spans. The ocean rises violently and tosses paddler and boat as if they were discarded flotsam. This is just one day of Chris Duff's incredible three month journey.

About this title

Review:

"Every time I thought I had reached the peak, that the passion for the journey must certainly begin to wane, I would stumble on another experience that pulled me onward," writes Chris Duff, recounting his solo circumnavigation of Ireland by sea kayak in the summer of 1996. "Stroke by stroke, four miles an hour, Ireland was filling me with its life blood." Beginning and ending in Dublin, Duff paddled 1,200 miles over the course of three months. Sometimes he piloted his frail craft through waters too tumultuous even for hardy local fisherman; other times he sought refuge in sixth-century monastic ruins on coastal islands or waited out storms for days on end in his tent. In this sense, Duff's journey is a study in contrasting worlds: land and sea; past and present; solitude and society. The story's suspense comes not from a questionable outcome but in the surprise of daily encounters. Who or what relic of the past will the author stumble upon next? Ultimately it is Duff's openness to ancient and elemental forces, expressed in starkly honest prose, that propels his narrative through the churning waters of Irish history and landscape. But this is also the story of a sea kayaker at the top of his game, dealing with nature's harsh blows and quiet caresses. --Kristopher Kaiyala

From the Publisher:

"Chris Duff's On Celtic Tides is a descriptively beautiful blend of adventure, brotherhood, mystery, philosophy, history and self-fulfillment. It is an anthem to life and life's rewarding pursuits among the waves, the heather, the country folk of Ireland...yet not just Ireland, but the world at large." --Larry Kaniut, Bestselling author of ALASKA BEAR TALES

"The power of this voyage is often tempered with remarkable intimacy. I recommend you take a ride at wave level with Chris Duff as he fights his way through ferocious seas, then brings you closer to a truly enchanted isle." --David Hays, Co-author of the New York Times bestseller MY OLD MAN AND THE SEA

"A tender and terrifying story. No one has written better of huge, cold seas in a very small boat, of self discovery in the face of fear, and of gentle moments with Irish people." --Audrey Sutherland, 10,000 mile solo world paddler and Author of PADDLING MY OWN CANOE and PADDLING HAWAII

"Chris Duff vividly evokes the experience of ocean kayaking, in all its extremes and subtleties. He captures the rhythms of a long journey by kayak, and his accounts of paddling the unpredictable seas around the coast of Ireland are absolutely gripping." --Maria Coffey, Author of A BOAT IN OUR BAGGAGE: Around the World With a Kayak

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0312263686
• ISBN 13: 9780312263683
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288