Sea Canoeist Newsletter 129 ~ June
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No. 129 June - July 2007 ISSN 1177-4177 The Sea Canoeist Newsletter The Journal of the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (NZ) Inc - KASK THE SEA CANOEIST NEWSLETTER 1 Milford Sound. Photos Max Grant Top: Melanie approaching the entrance to Freshwater Basin, with Mitre Peak in the left background. Bottom: The only sandy beach on the south side of the sound; almost under Mitre Peak INDEX EDITORIAL offi cial cellphone bags for about $20. EDITORIAL p. 3 Late Newsletter Delivery Remember that fl ip-open phones will In 16 years of newsletter editing, require a large waterproof bag. CALENDAR I don’t think I have ever been this KASK 2008 Forum p.18 late. But, I have one of the fi nest Sandy Robson kind of excuses – a month kayaking Sandy was doing so well with her solo Coastbusters 2008 p.19 in the Angmagssalik region of East trip around Australia, but near Cape Greenland. In brief, Conrad Edwards Direction, a large crocodile attacked SAFETY and I fl ew via Iceland into Kulusuk the stern of her kayak. Sandy’s diary Dead Man Paddling with two kevlar take-apart Nordkapps. for the day is reproduced in full, as it by John Kirk-Anderson p.4 For the fi rst journey, we paddled north includes her thought process on what to Lake Fiord where Gino Watkins to do next. Sandy decided there was too Sea Kayaking for Disabled Paddlers drowned 75 years ago, the second much risk with crocodiles to continue by Beverley Burnett p.19 south to Isortoq with a side visit to solo around to Weipa, so pulled the pin the site of the 1930-31 BAARE base and headed over to Western Australia. NZ TRIP REPORTS and a climb onto the Greenland ice She has subsequently paddled from CSKN Queen’s Birthday Trip cap. There were more icebergs that Broome south to Exmouth. by Karen Dawson p.8 you could shake a stick at and it was as cold as a ‘titche’s wit’ but a cracker Anniversary Hell’s Portage of a trip. On Saturday 1 December 2007, the Jackson Bay to Milford May 2007 Victorian Sea Kayak Club is arranging by Max Grant p.9 KASK Subscription Renewals a plaque unveiling at Queenscliff, Subscription renewals were due as of marking the 25th anniversary of the OVERSEAS EXPEDITIONS 31 July. We are aiming to have renewal completion of RAKE, or the Round Andrew McAuley Fundraising Dinner forms with your name and newsletter Australian Kayak Expedition. Andy Sydney 7 June 2007 address details included as a separate Wood and Lesley Hadley are winging by Martin Fraser p. 6 sheet with the newsletter, but you can their way across the Tasman with the also renew via the KASK website, with editor for this salubrious occasion. A Crocodile Attack North Qld. internet banking. ceremonial paddle in, is planned and by Sandy Robson p.13 then pall bearers (wearing trusses) SAFETY will carry Paul and Lalaguli for Frequently Asked Questions Search & Rescue Exercise mounting at the Queenscliff Maritime by Sandy Robson p.19 1. John Kirk-Anderson took part in a Museum. Canterbury region search and rescue DVD REVIEW exercise as a diabetic paddler who was Hell’s Portage This is the Sea 3 overdue on a coastal paddle. His report The photos and words of Max and Review: Paul Hayward p.20 is sobering reading and highlights the Melanie Grant’s kayak and portage trip diffi culty of searching for a drifting from Jackson Bay to Milford showcase HUMOUR p.20 kayak. Take particular note of the some of NZ’s best scenery in what was communication gear that John carries quite an inspirational trip. on all his trips, especially the cellphone in a waterproof bag. DVD Review Paul Hayward has reviewed the third 2. Mobile phones volume of Justine Curgenven’s ‘This A fatality on Lake Rotorua in is the Sea’ series, which has New late May, and a recent near miss Zealand content. Justine and Freya north of Coromandel township have Hoffmeister (the German lady who highlighted the importance of ensuring does the headstand in her kayak) are A big thanks to all the contributors. paddlers do not take cellphones out of both looking at attempting to be the Contributions of articles and ziploc or waterproof bags before use fi rst woman to paddle around the South photos are requested for the next in an emergency. In both instances, Island this summer. Freya and Greg newsletter. cellphones became waterlogged Stamer, who were both at the 2006 and would not work. Maritime New Coastbusters in Auckland, completed Cover photo: Rohan Cordwell Zealand both supples and promotes a a quick circumnavigation of Iceland practicing a sculling support ‘Keep it on you, Keep it dry’ ziplock this northern summer. They were in stroke, in Titahi Bay. bag for cellphones, and an email from Reykjavik the night Paul and Conrad Photo: David Blake Jim Lott notes that no loss of signal is fl ew into Iceland and attended a slide NEXT NEWSLETTER noticed, but slight loss of clarity when show of the two Kiwis paddling in DEADLINE using them in the plastic ziplock bag. West Greenland. The bag label also notes ‘splash proof 20 September 2007 bag’. Jim also notes Telecom provides Paul Caffyn 3 No. 129 June - July 2007 The cunning plan that Jim and I cooked or I would have soon been out in up was that I had left Waikuku heading international waters! SAFETY south, but then had problems, possibly due to hypoglycaemia, and was pushed At 1220 my cell phone rang, and a off-shore by the outfl ow from the cheerful Jim Lilley asked if I was DEAD MAN PADDLING Waimakariri River. This would put ready as my ‘wife’ was about to raise me out into Pegasus Bay, and would the alarm. I gave him my position from by John Kirk-Anderson widen the search area considerably, the GPS and waited for the cavalry. requiring a bit of lateral thinking and Recently I took part in a Coastguard good control of limited resources. We Listening to the VHF, I soon heard Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) also expected that a shoreline search a call for two rescue vessels to head off the Canterbury coast in which I would take place, but this would be from Lyttelton at “best possible speed” played a kayaker missing off shore. hypothetical as land searchers were into Pegasus Bay and await further limited. instructions. They were soon on station It was interesting to be the subject of and wanted to know what to do. a search, especially following Hamish Rather than drive north to Waikuku and Blanch’s excellent article in the last paddle south, I left Sumner Beach at The message was passed that a solo KASK newsletter. 0900 and paddled north east, on a sea kayaker, in a yellow kayak and as fl at as a pancake. I was disappointed wearing a yellow jacket, paddling My part in the exercise was small, in by the conditions as I knew that the NORTH from Waikuku towards that I was one of more than a dozen Coastguard Air Patrol (CAP) aircraft Kaikoura, was overdue. They were scenarios that the SAREX dealt with, that were available would spot me sent directly towards Waikuku, before ranging from a collision between a jet easily in the fl at light and fl at sea. the message was updated to advise that ski and a mooring buoy (enough said!) I was heading SOUTH, from Waikuku to a fi re on a launch. Monitoring my VHF I heard other towards Lyttelton. This happened after scenarios unfolding, and as time wore Jim Lilley, who was sitting behind a I was the only person out on my on the voices of the radio operators controller, told them to check their own, and I also ended up furthest became tense as they dealt with greater information. off-shore. I was more than six nautical demands, both from the controllers miles into Pegasus Bay before I was and the Coastguard crews. As I knew The two vessels then headed along the recovered. all the scenarios, I chuckled at their coast, about one mile out and separated discomfort. by about 300 metres, at 20 knots. A Jim Lilley, of the Canterbury CAP aircraft was also involved, fl ying Coastguard, approached me months Making approximately three and a up with them and continuing past ago when he was planning the SAREX, half knots to the north east, I noticed Waikuku, before returning south in a as the search for trans-Tasman paddler a few lenticular clouds forming over creeping search. Andrew McCauley was still fresh the Southern Alps, a classic sign of in his mind. He wanted the search a nor-west wind. Sure enough an From my position, all I saw was an controllers to cope with looking for a off-shore started blowing, rising to aircraft fl ying down the coast, several very small target, with little knowledge about 10 knots. This was perfect for kilometres away. I didn’t know that of the craft’s speed and capabilities. the exercise, as the white caps and a second aircraft was also searching lumpy sea would add to the diffi culty offshore, but I heard and saw nothing. The scenario was that I was on a multi- for the searchers. I had four smoke fl ares ready to use, day trip, paddling from Kaikoura, and I had also hoped to use a signal south to Lyttelton, and that I was on Catching an occasional diagonal surf, mirror to see how effective it was.