Classic sea adventurer Pete Goss is abandoning sails for paddle power in his latest epic. He plans to con a sea kayak around Tasmania with friend and fellow adventurer Andy Warrender. Setting off on or after the 29th December 2012, the intrepid pair will paddle anticlockwise approximately 1500 kilometres around the island.

Starting from Devonport in Tasmania, the circumnavigation should take up to two months. Although Pete is a relative newcomer to kayaking, Andy has been undertaking kayaking adventures for years including being a member of the first team to paddle the return trip to St Kilda from the Outer Hebrides. He also joined Pete on previous escapades including a trip to the North Pole and the GORE-TEX® Arctic Challenge, when they drove two 6-metre RIBS from Scotland to the Arctic Circle.

That experience should stand them in good stead as they tackle some tricky conditions. The island state of Tasmania sits on the south east corner of Australia, with approximately a third of its coastline facing the notorious Bass Strait and another third directly exposed to the Southern Ocean.

The project is supported by the GORE-TEX® brand which has provided the very latest in high-tech breathable and protective clothing, including bespoke drysuits.

Asked if adding a sail to a kayak made it less authentic, Pete said: “We are making no claims and are not trying to break any records. Some of the earliest kayaks had sails and many sea-kayakers have experimented with adding them. We are just taking the design further, using Andy’s kayaking knowledge and my sailing experiences. If technology from other disciplines and innovation can improve a design and make life easier, I say ‘why not’?”

As with all Pete’s adventures, people can follow his progress on the website petegoss.com, where there will be live tracker, video posts and blog updates.

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