Sea Canoeist Newsletter
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ISSN 1177-4177 THE SEA CANOEIST NEWSLETTER The Journal of the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (NZ) Inc - KASK No. 131 October - November 2007 The Sea Canoeist Newsletter INDEX EDITORIAL dumpers. As of today (19 December) EDITORIAL p. 3 So much to write about and so little Freya has completed what I view as space this editorial. the crucial stage around Fiordland, KASK & NETWORK REPORTS and as long as the brilliant La Nina National Pleasure Boat Forum Best wishes from Linda Ingram (photo summer continues, she should fi nish by Julie Reynolds p. 8 below) our very effi cient KASK ad- her South Island circuit by at Okiwi ministrator, and myself, for the Festive Bay (south-west of French Pass) in SAFETY Season and the New Year. early 2008. Maritime Draft Kayak Strategy by John Marshall p. 4 Keep safe on the seas, keep your SAFETY Too Much Safety - ‘Opinion’ emergency communication equipment Thanks to committee member Julie by Colin Quilter p. 4 either on your PFD or very handy in Reynolds for attending the National Andrew McAuley. After the Inquest a bail-out bag, and please remember Pleasure Boat Forum, recently held in by Paul Caffyn p.13 if you start out as a paddling pod, to Auckland. Her report and the overview fi nish paddling in that pod. by John Marshall on a draft kayaking THE ‘BUGGER!’ FILE strategy are worth seriously consider- One Lemon Missing ANDREW MCAULEY ing. Colin Quilter, whose ‘opinion’ by Bill Anderson p. 6 Martin Fraser and myself attended piece is reprinted from the Auckland the Invercargill coroner’s inquest for Canoe Club newsletter, poses a future NZ TRIP REPORTS Andrew. I have tried to picture the most possible scenario if draconian rules The 2007 Pilgrimage likely scenario for what transpired on and regulations were imposed by by Diana Parr p. 8 that Friday night in February, and made kayakers. As long as New Zealand The Pilgrimage 2007 suggestions as to how emergency recreational paddlers and KASK by Max Grant p. 9 communication equipment should be continue to promote, publicize and South Island Circumnavigation carried by paddlers. push a safe kayaking message, we Freya Hoffmeister should keep the rules etc. at bay. It is by Martin Fraser p.11 RAKE25VSKC far better to liaise and educate than I have to hand it to the Victorian Sea to regulate. CONSERVATION Kayak Club. To mark 25 years since Ridding Rats & Restoring Birdsong the fi nish of the Round Australia THANKS in the Bay of Islands Kayak Expedition, they organized a Big mobs of thanks to all the photog- by Pauline Moretti p.15 superb day at Queenscliff, with a pad- raphers and writers who have contrib- dle in by Andy and myself, speeches, uted to the newsletter this year. HISTORY a plaque opening, and a procession Xmas elf, Linda Ingram RAKE25VSKC Queenscliff, led by a bagpiper to the Queenscliff Victoria, 1 December 2007 Maritime Museum where Lalaguli, the by Paul Caffyn p.16 kayak used for the Australian trip, will now go on permanent display. With my MY FIRST KAYAK TRIP report on page 16, and a few photos, I by Peter Van Kuyk p. 7 have tried to convey the setting for the day and how moving the anniversary HUMOUR p.20 was at times. CALENDAR P.20 FREYA HOFFMEISTER Photos at left: A wait for big bumper dumpers at Bir- by Mary Kirk-Anderson, of Freya dlings Flat by Freya, and her time with Hoffmeister launching from Birdlings Martin and Martin Fraser is described Flat, by the outlet of Lake Ellesmere, by Martin. The inside cover photos into rather violent bumper dumpers. show clearly the violence of those big Top: Martin Fraser in the red shirt & John Kirk-Anderson with red helmet and yellow PFD, after launching Thanks to all the contributors. Freya. Contributions of articles and photos are requested for the next newsletter. Bottom: JKA looks like he is saying, “Come on Freya, I know you are in Cocer Photo: Max Grant arriving at Ratimera Bay in the Marlborough there somewhere!” Although Freya Sounds for the annual pilgrimage, in his brand new, home built wooden and her black kayak are completely strip kayak. The apprehensive look on his face is the impending threat of engulfed in the bumper dumper, she his kayak being used as a log on the sacrifi cal fi re. managed to reach the safety of the open sea without breaking body or NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE kayak. 20 January 2008 3 No. 131 October - November 2007 SAFETY OPINION Is Too Much Safety Overview of Maritime New Zealand Bad for Kayakers? Presentation on Safety in Kayaking byColin Quilter ONZ Forum 14 September 2007 by John Marshall Auckland Canoe Club members re- cently assisted in trials on the water Colin Sonneveld and John Marshall of MNZ outlined the background to involving Coastguard and the Har- and process followed in developing the draft MNZ strategy on safety in bourmaster to fi nd ways of making kayaking, and summarised the key initiatives under the draft. kayaks more easily seen. I was invited to join the trials but declined because The strategy, it was noted: I am philosophically opposed to too • refl ected the MNZ view that the stringency of a legislated rules- much safety for kayakers. This might seem a curious position. How could based approach was not justifi ed any reasonable person be opposed • recognised and supported industry-led developments to: to safety? o strengthen provision of entry level qualifi cations o bring greater structure and coherence to outdoor My fear is that kayakers might in fu- qualifi cations ture have their freedom curtailed by regulations which are unnecessarily o extend safety management systems through third party restrictive, or might even be there audited quality brands for another purpose. Pressure for • covered both commercial and recreational kayaking. regulation might come, for example, from the owners of powerboats who The next steps were described: MNZ to refl ect on comments to date and would prefer kayaks to be restricted then circulate a formal draft for submissions and fi nalisation by the end of to the fringes of the harbour so that 2007. The various projects, as amended and prioritised in consequence of high-speed boats can travel with the consultation, would be rolled out over the next 18 months to 2 years. maximal speed and minimal lookout. Such regulations will no doubt be As to the draft MNZ guidelines for commercial kayaking operations, introduced on the grounds that, “they circulated with the draft strategy, it was noted that MNZ’s intended to are there for the safety of kayakers” fi nalise and publish these in the near future. but they actually serve more powerful vested interests. In discussion with forum participants, a number of concerns, observations and proposals were raised, including: Some years ago I wrote a fi ctional short story for the Auckland Canoe Club newsletter exploring what an • the proposal that the key representatives organisations should over-regulated future might hold. It engage with MNZ in a roundtable discussion, using, possibly, is reprinted here. Naturally, this story the WSNZ-convened non-powered craft forum, and including, is told from my personal view, and possibly, representatives of secondary schools, which, it was noted, might not refl ect the opinion of the had not been consulted in the fi rst round ACC committee. • a provider of kayaking instruction concerned that the strategy did not address MNZ’s responsibility to regulate and enforce It was a summer afternoon in February, minimum industry agreed (and coronially-endorsed) standards for 2020. Since global warming had accel- commercial kayaking, noting, in particular, kayaking activities erated these days of late summer had associated with commercial rafting operations and raft guides become hotter than ever, and now the paddocks on the far side of the creek shimmered with heat. The brown water • a number of participants observed that MNZ should do more to fl owed slowly upstream; I guessed the support, promote and endorse the standards for kayaking developed tide must still be rising on the coast a by national bodies. few miles away. We had dragged our kayaks through the blackberry and - John Marshall is Manager for Environmental Research and Analysis, MNZ long grass to the riverbank; or rather I had dragged them, since my grand- - ONZ is Outdoors New Zealand daughter Laura and her friend Hine, 4 The Sea Canoeist Newsletter both aged twelve, were too small for “She means you’re exceeding your instead. There’s a cool disk called the task. The three of us stowed the jurisdiction,” I added. “Deliverance” which has got lots of sandwiches, the drinks and the tad- canoes in it, plus a guy who gets shot pole net and were about to slide the He ignored me, and spoke to Laura. right through with an arrow, and there’s boats into the water when the crunch “Well young lady, if you look at what sodomy in it as well.” of tires on gravel made us look back you call the creek, you’ll notice that the “What on earth do you know about towards the roadside. A man of about current is actually fl owing up the river, sodomy?” my age, casually dressed, stood beside not down it. That means the current “We learned about it in sex educa- his bicycle. is affected by the tide, and according tion at school. Miss Jones told us it’s to Paragraph 3, Regulation 39 in the when....” “Hello. Going for a paddle, are you?” SMERSH Safety Manual, that means “Never mind!” His question didn’t seem to need a this creek, as you call it, is legally part reply, so I nodded and turned back of the sea!” The Safety Inspector was fi dgeting; to the boats.