JOHNSON OUTDOORS CHOSEN BY DOCUMENTARY

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.

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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.”