In September 2024, Johnny Coyne and Liam Cotter of Ireland, both 24, began an ambitious 5,000km kayaking journey from Dublin to Istanbul. Their route has taken them across the Irish Sea and the English Channel without support vessels, followed by tricky navigation through European rivers and canals. With 4,000km behind them, their finish line is now almost in sight.
Among the many challenges over the past seven months, their support vessel pulled out just hours before crossing the heavily trafficked English Channel, so they had to go it alone. They tried paddling the French canals but didn’t have a permit, so they were banned from the water. By the time their paperwork was in order and they could restart, the waterways were frozen.
Undeterred, they put their kayaks on wheels and dragged them for 350km cross-country. Then, more bureaucratic issues on Germany’s canals forced them to trek, kayaks and all, through the Black Forest to the source of the Danube.
Throughout it all, the Irish duo has shown relentless optimism, dismissing the many obstacles as just part of the experience. Coyne said the hardest parts have been the long sea crossings, particularly the 12-hour crossing of the Channel.
“We always say the hardest part is over, and then it just gets harder,” he told one interviewer.
The Irish trio. Photo: Johnny Coyne
Two become three, briefly
In Germany, the duo morphed into a trio. Fellow Irishman Ryan Fallow, 24, has joined the ranks and is sticking with them all the way to Istanbul.
By February, they had covered over 1,900km, reached the Danube River, and followed it into Austria. The first few days on the Danube were great fun, and with the current and occasional rapids, they covered around 50km a day. Then in some whitewater, a rock hit Cotter’s boat and put a hole in it.
Improbably, they found someone nearby who could fix it for them. When another man arrived to help with the repair, he offered Fallow another kayak to replace his old one with little storage. They took to the Danube again. Days later, during a long portage, Cotter fell and hurt his shoulder. He tried kayaking with his arm in a sling but it didn’t work so well and he had to drop out. Three were two again.
More bureaucratic mishaps
They followed the Danube through Austria, then kayaked through Slovakia and Hungary. Six months after setting off, they entered Croatia. More drama ensued almost as soon as they arrived in their ninth country.
During their first night in Croatia, they woke up to police around their kayaks. They had to convince them that they were not illegal immigrants. The boys were allowed to continue, but they were told that they had to get a Serbian passport stamp. This is because they were paddling past Liberland, a patch of disputed land between the two countries.
A police boat followed them the entire way. After coming back into Croatia, they went into town for lunch but were arrested. They had not stamped back into Croatia. After a few hours and a 130 euro fine each, they were released.
They kayak every day but also explore the towns and villages they pass. Often, local people offer them a place to stay. Sometimes, they crash in fire stations. Most of the time, they simply camp on the riverbank. With the coming of spring, this has become far more enjoyable, although the winds on the water have picked up.
Continuing down the Danube through Serbia, they woke up one morning to find the water level had risen far more than they expected, washing their kayaks away overnight. Luckily, they found them slightly further downriver. Someone had spotted the boats on the water and pulled them ashore.
Arrested again
Strong winds then forced them to pull up on the Romanian side of the river. Once again, they had not had their passports stamped and were arrested. After a night in jail, they were released.
Photo: Johnny Coyne
They will now paddle down the remainder of the river and then to the Black Sea, where they will follow the coast to Istanbul.
