NEW ZEALAND SEA CANOEIST No. 179 ISSN 2253-3826 October - November 2015 The Journal of the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (NZ) Inc - KASK Those Waikato paddlers have it so good. A glorious day on Lake Whakamaru. Photo: Dennis Hynes A BASK paddle from Hahei on the Coromandel Coast. 30 October. Photo: Dennis Hynes New Zealand Sea Canoeist INDEX EDITORIAL misses in Wellington Harbour, with EDITORIAL p. 3 sit-on-top rescues, highlight the need 2016 KASK Forum for providing basic paddlecraft safe- KASK Don’t forget to register for the 2016 ty information to first time buyers. President’s Report Anakiwa KASK Forum, and book Sue and I agreed that there is far too by Tim Muhundan p. 4 ferry travel. Saturday night keynote much emphasis today on providing SAFETY speaker Larry Gray is not only a recreational boating safety informa- Safer Boating Week Wharf Jump skilled expedition paddler, but he tion by cyber-media and not enough by Sandy Winterton p. 4 makes films for a living and is a of visiting paddlecraft retailers and talented musician. See registration manufacturers, also any outfits that NEW ZEALAND TRIP REPORTS form on the KASK website, or as a rent or loan kayaks, and providing 27th Foxton Loop Race centrefold in the last KASK maga- print resources. I despair when see- by Sandy Winterton p. 6 zine. ing the cheap plastic sit-on-tops on Lynn Paterson’s Summer Mission display at our local red shed with Around New Zealand Lynn Paterson Attempts the Big bugger all basic safety information/ by Paul Caffyn p.14 Three Circumnavigation resources included. Known to her close friends as Red, THE ‘BUGGER!’ FILE Lynn Paterson has set herself the Anyway I dobbed in president Tim Marlborough Sounds (Unplanned) challenge of paddling around the as an ideal tutor, and the three hour Overnighter three islands of New Zealand in 100 courses are about to kick off: by John Gumbley p. 7 days. Launching from Auckland, - Tuesday 16 February 6 – 9 pm TECHNICAL and heading south down the east - Saturday 9 March 9 – 12 am Up-skilling Sea Kayaking Paddling coast of the North Island, Lynn is With his excellent AV and paddling Technique in Whitewater waiting for weather at Castle Point skills, Tim will make a ‘better than Intro: Paul Caffyn p. 9 today (1 December) and less than a average’ tutor. If you could recom- Playing in Rivers week’s paddling from Wellington. mend this course to first time buyers by Bev Thompson p. 9 Although Tara Mulvany is the first of paddlecraft or novice paddlers: Ferry Gliding - Working with Eddies lass to paddle around the three is- Enrol online, see: www.boatingedu- from Kayakarchy p.10 lands, if Lynn can complete her mis- cation.org.nz sion, she will be the first redhead to or phone: 0800 40 80 90 KIT REVIEW do so. Her blog provides entertaining Hutchwilco Phone Pouch reading. Apart from the hard graft of Thanks by John Kirk-Anderson p.11 paddling into headwinds and frustra- My thanks to all you paddlers who OVERSEAS TRIP REPORTS tions at bad weather days, she and have provided stories, rude jokes, re- Johnstone Strait, BC, Canada her support crew are having wonder- views and photographs over the past A tale of beauty and concern ful time, seeing new scenery each 12 months. by Susan Cade p.12 day and meeting wonderful coastal West Island Bits dwellers. See story drawn from her It’s a real love/hate relationship by Dave Winkworth p.16 blog on page 14. Follow her blog on: with putting the magazine together www.redznzjourney.com every two months. A pain in the der- MARINE FAUNA rière dredging for articles, doing the The Red-billed Gull CBES Sea Kayak Theory Course layout, editing and proofing, but so by Kerry-Jayne Wilson p.18 Coastguard Boating Education Na- good to see when the rural postie tional Education Coordinator Sue arrives with the box of ‘overs’. The BOOK REVIEWS Tucker, was in touch recently re ad- postie always gets the top copy! Nathan Fa’avae by Nathan Fa’avae vice on a tutor for a new sea kayak review: Paul Caffyn p.19 theory course to be run at Rutherford Keep safe on the water this festive sea- the Wild Coast 2 by John Kimantas College in Te Atatu, Auckland. Sue son, and please don’t hesitate to wind review: Paul Caffyn is really concerned, like myself, that up paddlers who you see on the water HUMOUR p.21 the basic safe sea kayaking message and who are likely to end up on the is not getting through to those folk KASK paddlecraft incident database. Next Magazine deadline: who have bought a recreational kay- Paul Caffyn 25 January 2016 ak for the first time. Two recent near COVER: Bev Thompson (red helmet) and Aiden Frew (yellow helmet) check out a small waterfall on a side stream (Otunui Stream) just above Ohinepane camp ground on the Whanganui river. One of the many hidden gems along the Whanganui River. Photo: Dennis Hynes. Bev has written an article on up-skilling paddling technique for sea kayakers in whitewater (see page 9). Special thanks to Dennis Hynes for his magic colour photos for this magazine, which first appeared in the latest BASK) Bay Association of Sea Kayakers newsletter (No.42) - nicely assembled by Evan Pugh. 3 No. 179 - October - November 2015 KASK SAFETY President’s Report by Tim Muhundan Safer Boating Week It is almost six months since the 2015 geted at the high-risk groups. The Wellington Wharf Jump Committee set the strategic goals first set will be delivered by KASK by Sandy Winterton for the year and we been working in Auckland in February 2016. through them. Top of our list was More around the country will be On 16 October I represented KASK to promote safety in sea kayaking. announced soon. They will be pro- at an event to mark the start of Safer We got right behind the Safe boat- moted through newspaper and radio Boating Week. Leaders and mem- ing week last month with our social in coming weeks and paddlers can bers from many organizations in- media and events with our partners. register for them via the Coastguard terested in promoting water safety Boating Education Web site and participated in a synchronised wharf Despite our best efforts, the message KASK Facebook page. jump in Wellington. is not getting through. Last week I had a long chat with Craig Lance- The other challenge we’ve been Maritime NZ, Water Safety NZ, Rep- let, the Carterton kayaker who was working on is retaining membership. resentatives form Wellington and winched to safety from Wellington Committee member Shawn Walsh Porirua Council, both National and Harbour after he fell off his sit-on- has been surveying the members Maritime Police, Search and Res- top kayak. Craig did not check the especially the ones who have not re- cue and other organizations backed forecast, had no communication de- newed membership, about how we the event to raise awareness of wa- vices to call for help, and after multi- can do things differently. We have ter safety. Everyone wore lifejack- ple failed attempts to get back in his been also talking to the community ets/PFDs and one of the main aims kayak, he decided to leave the kayak about how to stay relevant and how was to get boaties in general to wear and swim towards land, whilst hang- we can add value to local clubs. We theirs every time they venture out. ing on to an ill-fitting lifejacket that are always open to your comments was not buoyant enough to keep his and input; feel free to contact me any Officially there were 27 participants, head above water. time. but on the day I think more than 40 turned out. Why 27? It was the num- What could KASK do for paddlers There will be some changes com- ber of people who drowned last year like Craig? After being saved min- ing in the new year – including be- in boating accidents. utes before drowning he was pretty ing able to renew by credit card and clear about what he needs to do be- more interactions with members and Fergs Kayaks kitted out those who fore he goes out on the water again. local networks. More on that next had not brought their own life jack- Just putting on a life jacket alone is time. ets and we were told to tighten straps not enough – education about risk up, as jumping a couple of metres and mitigations and knowing what Happy paddling over the Christmas into the water can wrench a loose to do when things go wrong is just break and stay safe on the water. life jacket off – not a good look in an as important. event like this. TV news was there, Tim Muhundan various radio stations and photogra- So KASK has partnered with Coast- President, Kiwi Association of Sea phers from several publications and guard Boating Education to deliver Kayakers on-line news outlets were present a basic sea kayaking education tar- [email protected] jostling for position to get the best shots. I spoke with people from all sorts of organizations. One I had not expect- KASK Committee 2014 - 2015 ed was the Civil Aviation Author- ity. Apparently recovering aircraft Tim Muhundan - President email: [email protected] wreckage from water is fairly com- Ian McKenzie - Committee email: [email protected] mon for them and so water safety Sandy Ferguson - Webmaster email: [email protected] is an important part in their work.