Portsmouth Man to Paddle Board to Isles of Shoals

If Chris Carragher hopes to raise $10,000 for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast by paddle boarding to the Isles of Shoals and back this summer, he needs all of the publicity he can get.

On Tuesday morning, Carragher's one-man crusade got a boost when he announced that the SUPConnect, one of the world's leading paddle board blogs, highlighted his quest.

According to SUPConnect's site, the paddle board blog is the number one ranked such blog in the world and has 10,000 members through its social networks. The paddle board blog also reaches 116 countries and Stand Up Paddle TV is embedded by 3,000 web sites.

Carragher announced in July he decided to paddle board to the Isles and Shoals and back later this summer to raise money and awareness for "Stand Up 4 Littles."

Carragher, 40, of Portsmouth said he wants to raise money for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast group after he and his wife, Diane, joined the group as mentor parents earlier this year.

“I would love to see us raise $10,000.” But he hopes to raise even more awareness about the group and get people to join the group to help the kids out there. There are 80 boys to be matched right now.

Carragher has been training for his 12-mile paddle board trip and hopes to do it in late August or by Sept. 21, the day of the Summer Solstice, at the latest.

He said he plans to set out from either Odiorne State Park in Rye or the Wentworth by the Sea Hotel in New Castle. He will wear a life vest and there will also be a support boat that will follow him for his safety.

Currently, Carragher said he has created a Facebook page for his fundraising effort and a website will soon follow.