Sea Canoeist Newsletter 68 ~ April – May 1997
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The Sea Canoeist Newsletter THE SEA CANOEIST NEWSLETTER Issue 68 April - May 1997 Editor: P Caffyn, RD 1, Runanga. West Coast .N.Z. Ph/Fax: (03) 7311806 E Mail address: [email protected] The Sea Canoeist Newsletter is published 6 times a year as the official newsletter of the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (N.Z.) Inc. Subscriptions are $20.00 per annum & should be made out to K.A.S.K. (NZ) Inc. & sent to the Treasurer: Phil Handford, 104 Lake Rd, Hamilton. Ph: (07) 834 3395 home Correspondence to the Secretary: Peter Sullivan, 7 Monowai Cres, North New Brighton, Christchurch. Ph.(03) 388 3380. INDEX KASK AGM At the debriefing on the Sunday, EDITORIAL p. 1 The 1997 KASK AGM was well at- Mapua was chosen as the site of the 1997 KASK AGM p. 1 tended with over 60 paddlers attend- 10th Anniversary KASKForum. ing - what a cunning plan to hold the Mapua, a clothing optional camping PRODUCT REVIEW AGM prior to the dinner - and the ground some 20 minutes drive west of Self Rescue Sponsons p.2 following committee was elected for Nelson is where Graham Eggar held reviewed by: Peter Sullivan the 1997/98 year: the first New Zealand sea kayak fo- President: Paul Caffyn rum back in 1988. And following pass- 1997 KASK FORUM Secretary: Peter Sullivan ing of the motion (3) relating to the Report by Paul Caffyn p. 4 Treasurer: Phil Handford position of forum organizer, John Kamikaze Kayaker Committee: Dobbie was accepted this role for the by Grant Rochfort p. 5 Glyn Dickson(Safety Officer) 1998 forum. Plans are already afoot Helen Woodward for an overnight paddle around Rab- KAYAK REVIEW (Conservation Officer) bit Island. 1997 Slingshot Conrad Edwards (Instruction Officer) review by Mike Hayes p. 6 Kerei Ruru (Publications Officer) Also arising from the Forum: Subscriptions - subs. will fall due at DISCUSSION PAPER Three pre-notified remits or motions the time of the KASK AGM, rather Psychological Aspects of Sea were passed unanimously: than from the time when you joined. Kayaking 1. That KASK applies for full mem- This falls into line with other NZ by Paul Caffyn p. 7 bership of the NZ Water Safety Coun- outdoor clubs, and a renewal form cil by 1st June 1997 will be sent out with the last newslet- BOOK REVIEW 2. That the KASK annual subscrip- ter of the financial year. This is a 'New York to Nome’ tion for members residing in New change to Sandy Ferguson's system of reviewed by Paul Caffyn p. 11 Zealand be raised from $10 to $20, numbers on the newsletter address and those residing overseas from $10 sticker. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR to $25. Subject: Sea Kayak Racing 3. That to the KASK Constitution, A Wellington paddler network ad- from: Peter Sullivan p.11 Clause 5 - Officers of the Association dress was listed at the Forum and from: Glyn Dickson p.12 - the office of Forum organizer be further details on the contacts etc. will added as category H. be provided in the next newsletter. EDITORIAL This issue is an effort to compensate Issues that cropped up in General Following the flare demonstration, for the scimpiness of No.67, and to Business were as follows: there was an offer from the local man- move the role of the newsletter back - KASK to write to the NZ Canoeing ager from RFD for bulk supply of to informing and educating the sea Association expressing willingness to flares and ancillary rescue items at kayak paddlers of New Zealand. accept responsibility for sea kayaking close to trade prices. More details on in New Zealand items and who to order from in the The Product Review of inflatable - KASK to send a sympathy card to next newsletter. sponsors and the Kayak Review of the Eric and Joce van Toor following the 1997 Slingshot, plus a lengthy epistle loss of their son on the Psychological Aspects of sea - a sometimes heated discussion on kayaking are a good start.. KASK being involved with sea kayak- (continued on page 3). ing racing in NZ 1 No. 68 April - May 1997 to the rear deck and then at the end of Assembly Instructions: Product Review it all having to take it all to pieces in a The kit includes a three page set of kayak with about 5% primary stabil- instructions which are reasonably easy ity scares the living daylights out of to understand. The diagrams leave a Sea Wing Self Rescue this ageing paddler. lot to be desired as some of the fine print is a way too small to be legible Sponsons I’d read about sponsons and Glen (a friend) gave me a heap of info with Assembly: Manufacturer: Georgian Bay Kayak product reviews and prices. I was Each piece of webbing is threaded Ltd. Penetanguishene, Ontario about to send an order overseas when through the eyelets at each end of the I spied some in Canoe and Outdoor sponsons. They are knotted in place Importers: Quality Kayaks World (which were cheaper than I so that the tubes when inflated are half could have imported them for) so I submerged. Part of the Fastex buckle Weight: approx 1kg purchased a set. is then threaded onto each end of the two pieces of webbing. The remain- Price: Approx $95.00 The Product: ing halves of the buckles are perma- Sponsons are two welded PVC vinyl nently tied to a deck line or cleat on Reviewer: Peter Sullivan tubes approx 950mm long by 150mm the kayak. These buckles are posi- diameter when inflated. Each bag has tioned so that when the sponsons are Preamble: a plastic eyelet fitted in each end so attached they lie in the correct posi- For a number of years I’ve been look- that they can be attached to the kayak tion as per the following diagrams ing for a self rescue system which in by the 25mm webbing and Fastex the event of missing a roll would buckles which are supplied. A length enable me to safely re-enter, drain my of thick cord is also supplied so that kayak, and be merrily on my way. the buckles can be attached to the (The diagrams below are scanned from kayak. The sponsons are inflated the supplied instruction pages) I’ve never been a fan of paddle floats. through screw valve ended tubes about The very thought of assembling, in- 500mm long set about mid way along flating the bag, attaching my paddle each bag. 2 The Sea Canoeist Newsletter Setting the system up on a kayak have the craft moving forward) as I EDITORIAL CONTINUED. I am not impressed with the recom- placed each leg and then myself into To keep the ‘Sea Canoeist Newsletter’ mended set-up one little bit. Trying to the cockpit. A hand pump made short moving in the right direction, requires tie knots in 25mm webbing and main- work of the water in the cockpit. input from all KASK members. Please tain a set distance between the keep the flow of reports, technical sponsons is an extremely frustrating I’m sure a wider craft would have articles, and trip reports coming, not task. Once the sponsons have been absolutely no problems if you de- to mention letters to the editor. And as fitted correctly to a particular width cided to stand up or even have a walk Peter Sullivan notes in his diatribe on kayak, they would have to be com- around the deck maybe? sea kayak racing (p.11), there has not pletely re set-up for another of a dif- been an issue that has caused such ferent width. I did about 8 fallouts from about every polarization of paddlers since Graham I intend fitting a series of brass eyelets angle I could imagine and the sponsons Egarr printed an article on the pros in the webbing so that with a carabiner performed perfectly every time. I and cons of unfeathered paddles. or something similar I will be able to tried to tip myself over with the attach the sponsons to all of my craft sponsons attached and had to literally A main focus for KASK this year is to both wide and narrow. It will mean crawl out of the cockpit before it would publish the ‘mother of all sea kayak purchasing some extra buckles. oblige. However I did notice that the manuals’. There are still 45 copies left knots worked loose so the craft was of the second printing. These are avail- Using the Sponsons in a practise tending to slip around a bit towards able from Peter Sullivan (see address self rescue: the end of the session. I think my on page 1.) Peter and I are planning a I have stored the sponsons in an old eyelets and clips idea already men- final editing and layout session in late leaky dry bag attached by a short cord tioned will solve this minor problem. May. Relevant maps, diagrams, fig- behind my seat. ures and sharp photographs are still One of the info sheets I read stated required to create the ‘mother’. Please It took a few shots on dry land (I sat something like, a kayak would lose send either scanned images on disc or the kayak on a couple of saw stools) to about 5% boat speed if they were left hard copy to me before May 20. get the hang of clipping the buckles attached whilst paddling - not on your Paul Caffyn. (on the webbing on one side of the nelly! - closer to 95% I think! I tried sponsons) to the deck half buckles to catch a wave (1m) with them at- and then passing the sponsons under- tached - definitely not advisable.