Cancelled swim

My crew and I arrived at the boat dock early this morning and conditions were not favorable for a swim.  My swim was cancelled for today.  Hopefully the weather will improve for tomorrow.

North Channel swim .....It's a go!

It's a go for my swim attempt of the North Channel.  I will start my swim from Donaghadee, Ireland at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday.  With time zone change of five hours, my swim start Tuesday night at 11:30 p.m (Maine).  Water temperature is about 56 degrees with overcast skies.  Air temperature is about 60 degrees.  My boat pilot Quinton Nelson took a swimmer out today and stopped after seven hours of swimming due to hypothermia.  This swim will be my most difficult swim of the Ocean's Seven.  Tides are a major problem off the coast of Scotland.  I will need Mother Nature to be on my side to reach Scotland.  I would like to thank my crew David and Jeannie Gallant for everything they have done. It's a team effort for a swimmer to succeed.  Also, I would to thank my husband and children for being so supportive.  And, a special thank you to all my wonderful co-workers.  And finally, I want to thank everyone from my hometown of Westbrook and the people from Maine for sending words of encouragement. I greatly appreciate it.  My daughter will place posting on my blog with updates.  After completion of my swim, I will post an update within 24 hours.   Thank you again for your support.

North Channel swim

Today I spoke with my boat pilot Quinton Nelson and he said that weather and currents are looking good for a swim on Tuesday at 11:30 p.m (EST Maine).  With time zone change in Ireland, my swim will start at 4:30 a.m on Wednesday.   The water temperature is in the fifties and I feel comfortable with that temperature.  My biggest concern is the problem with Lion's Mane jellyfish.  I have seen several during my swim training but I have not been stung.  I hope they stay their distance.  I will post an update tomorrow after I receive final confirmation on the weather report. Keeping my fingers crossed for perfect conditions.

Message in a Bottle....love, hope, and happiness.

In my final preparation for my swim of the North Channel in Ireland, I went for a two hour swim here in Maine with my good friend Yoko.  As we swam parallel to the shoreline, I suddenly noticed something bobbing in the water.  I was intrigued.  As I swam, my curiosity peaked. It was a bottle....not just any bottle. There was a message in this bottle. Suddenly I felt like a young child finding a hidden treasure.  I was so excited to see a paper scroll with a tiny purple ribbon carefully placed inside this bottle.  Yoko and I looked in amazement and wondered where did this special bottle travel from.  We joked that maybe someone threw it off the Old Orchard Beach Pier only a half-mile away.  Then, we though it may have traveled from a distant shore. The bottle was tightly sealed with cork and wax.   As we reached the beach, many beach goers were intrigued, too.  Many children were guessing what the message said.  I decided to contact my local newspaper so they could enjoy sharing this heart warming treasure with their readers.  Little did we know, the message we were about to read was not from a tourist, or a young school-age child, or someone from a far-away land.  As I removed the scroll from the bottle, I was surrounded by many tourist and beach goers.  Many parents and their children stood nearby as I began to read this message:   "To our Baby Bear,   We are finding it very difficult to put into words our hopes and dreams for you.  But even harder to imagine the person you will grow up to become.  All we can really wish for is that you are born into this world healthy, strong and that we are well enough equipped to guide you throughout your life, in every way you may need us as parents. You are sure to teach us as much about this world as we teach you.  We promise to be patient and kind when you hit the many rough patches you are sure to have to endure when reaching for your goals; supportive when we may not see eye to eye; because you will always be our baby boy.  There is always something special about a first in life, and you will always be our first child, our first real learning experience, our first priority, and our first reason to want to be the best parents we could ever be.  But in the end our biggest wish is that you find all the happiness in your own life, as much you have brought to ours.    Love always, your parents "
   I omitted the name of the parents.  Their message to their son is sincere and heartfelt. I don't know who they are or where they live but they have deeply touched me with their profoud message to their son.  I will always treasure finding their "message in a bottle" as one of the most cherished moments in my marathon swim career.
I hope one day to meet them and let them know how much they touched my life.   I hope they read this posting and  contact me.  Thank you.   email:  patgallant.charette@gmail.com

North Channel Swim....Here we come!

My crew and I will be heading to Ireland in two weeks to attempt my fifth swim of the Oceans Seven Challenge. I've already completed four of the solo swims:  English Channel (England to France), Strait of Gibraltar (Spain to Africa), Catalina Channel (California) and the Tsugaru Strait (Japan). For the North Channel swim, I will have a one week slot with my boat pilot Quinton Nelson. I will start my swim from Donaghadee, Ireland and swim 21 miles to Portpatrick, Scotland.  My slot is from August 27 to September 2, 2013.  The North Channel will be my most difficult swim so far.  The Irish Sea is known for their heavy seas, very cold water temperatures, and marine life.  My biggest concern is the growing problem of jellyfish in the North Channel.  Lion's mane jellyfish is the largest known species of jellyfish.  Their body can be up to eight feet in diameter with tentacles over 120 feet long.  These jelly fish are known to travel in large numbers. Their stings are extremely painful but usually not fatal.  My crew (brother David and his wife Jeannie) are both in the medical field and they are well trained to deal with any crisis that may arise.  During this swim there will be a unique set of challenges----- possible hypothermia and severe jellyfish stings.  We have carefully planned a detailed response to each potential problem.  At the age of 62, I feel strong and healthy. I continue to work 32 hours a week as a nurse and help care for my young grandchildren 40+ hours per week (ages 5, 2, and 1).  I am very fortunate to have a great husband who supports my dream of completing the Ocean's Seven Challenge.  Also, my children, Sarah and Tom, continue with their ongoing love and support.  I want to thank my swim training partner, Yoko Aoshima, for her dedication to the sport of open water swimming.  She has inspired me with her determination and great love of open water swimming. Yoko did not know how to swim five years ago.  Now, she's a fast and talented open water swimmer. She's an amazing athlete!
 If mother nature is on my side, I feel very confident that I have the ability to reach Scotland in approximately 18 hours. It is possible that I may set a record for the oldest swimmer.  Crew member Jeannie will send text messages from the boat to my daughter Sarah who will place updated postings on my blog "Pat's Channel Swim". This swim will be an adventure of a lifetime...I'm greatly looking forward to it.