THE SEA CANOEIST NEWSLETTER No. 128 April - May 2007 The Journal of the Kiwi Association of Sea Kayakers (NZ) Inc - KASK No. 128 April - May 2007 Top: Paddlers on Lyttelton Harbour during the Nigel Foster training weekend. Photo: Susan Cade Bottom right: The Auckland training session. Photo: Susan Cade Bottom left: Sandy Ferguson with the Graham Egarr Pad- dle Trophy Award for 2007. Photo: John Kirk-Anderson 2 The Sea Canoeist Newsletter INDEX EDITORIAL SAFETY EDITORIAL p. 3 Calendar Marine Searches Dates have been set well in advance for KASK paddler and Nelson Police- KASK & NETWORK REPORTS three North Island sea kayak symposi- man Hamish Blanch has penned an BASK ums next year, Coastbusters, a kayak excellent article on how marine search by Evan Pugh p.4 builder’s get together and the KASK and rescue operations are conducted President’s AGM Report Forum (see p.19 for dates). KASK in New Zealand, with examples from by Susan Cade p.20 endeavours to alternate its forums searches Hamish has been involved Publication Officer’s Report in the North and South islands, and with. The advice he makes with re- by Paul Caffyn p.20 in some ways it is unfortunate that spect to improving visibility, bright Graham Eggar Paddle Trophy Coastbusters and the KASK Forum colours for clothing, paddles and a Awards will both be in the North Island the safety sausage should be seriously by Paul Caffyn p.21 same year, but almost two months will considered, just in case you ever have National Training with Nigel Foster elapse between the two, and I am sure an out of boat experience. And the last by Susan Cade p.21 there will be plenty to offer paddlers section of Hamish’s report focuses on at both gatherings. emergency communication equipment TECHNICAL to allow a call for rescue. Paddle Float Valves & Coastguard Home Study Courses Crossing Rudder Cables The recent development of home Mountain Radios by Evan Pugh p. 4 study courses by Coastguard Boat- Max and Melz Grant recently made Fibreglass Repairs ing Education (p. 6) offers an ideal a stunning trip in Fiordland, paddling by Dave Winkworth p. 5 way for paddlers to study the neces- south from Jackson Bay to Big Bay, sary material or text books at home, portage through to Pike Stream, then SAFETY prior to sitting course examinations; down the Hollyford River, out to sea Kayak Rib Collision, Westhaven in particular for paddlers who live and then a paddle south into Milford NZPA p. 5 outside of the major cities and towns Sound. Max hired a Mountain Radio Stuart Chrisp p. 6 where CGBE courses are offered. I set from the North Island, and he CGBE Home Study Packs have received both Day Skipper and now stresses that if you are planning CG Boating Education p.6 the GPS home study packs, and will a trip to Fiordland or Stewart Island, New Cold Water Boating Brochures offer further feedback on these courses you need to hire a Mountain Radio from Gerald Stover p.15 in the next newsletter. set from either the Invercargill or Te Marine Searches Anau radio base stations, as it is the by Hamish Blanch p.16 This is the Sea 3 locals who have ‘local knowledge.’ If The promised review of Justine Cur- you need the contact details, get in KASK FORUM FEEDBACK genven’s latest DVD, This is the Sea touch with the editor. Anakiwa Massage Workshop 3, has not arrived, however the DVD by Robyn Berthelsen p.11 is now available in New Zealand from Court Cases the North Island Canoe and Kayak The collision between the RNZYS TRAINING Stores, at a retail price of $49.95. For vessel and Auckland paddler Stuart Tauranga Training Report mail order, add $2.50 for up to two Chrisp led to a fine being imposed on by Wendon Hutchins p. 7 DVDs. Contact details: the boat driver. Details of the court email: info@canoe&kayak.co.nz judgement appear on page 5, and I NZ TRIP REPORTS website: www.canoe&kayak.co.nz sought a response from Stuart to the One Lake One Woman (in the products section) penalties. Also the jet boat driver who by Linda Pugh p. 9 Page 13 of the previous newsletter has was booked on Lake Te Anau at a Port Pegasus, Stewart Island a description of the content. speed of 144kmh has appeared in the by Chris Manuel p. 9 Invercargill District Court. A Magic Moment in the BoP by Robyn Berthelsen p.11 A big thanks to all the contributors. Contributions of articles photos are requested for the next newsletter OVERSEAS EXPEDITIONS - please. A paddling highlight such as Robyn’s orca encounter (p.11), a Mackenzie River July 2006 equipment review, trip report or your very first kayak adventure, such as by Bevan Walker p.12 Grahame Sisson’s first epic paddle (p.14), or an opinion piece on some Update on Round Aussie SLAP aspect of sea kayaking. from Sandy Robson p.12 Cover photo: Canadian paddler Maureen Beamish on Lake Brunner. MY FIRST KAYAK TRIP Photo: P. Caffyn by Grahame Sisson p.14 NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE HUMOUR 21st Cent. Rolling Comp. p.22 16 JULY 2007 3 No. 128 April - May 2007 energy left and sauntered along, total today 8kms. TECHNICAL NETWORK March 24-25: Matakana Island – six REPORTS of us left Tauranga, paddled 29kms up From Evan Pugh the outside coast, then over the bar to Paddle Float Valve BASK Network Report camp near Bowentown; no incidents A few months ago, when I used my on the bar but Neville fell off his paddle float during a rescue practice, by Evan Pugh sleeping mat during the night, which January 7: Four of us left Pilot Bay in the valve came off. Great, you need the was a bit of a scare for him and lucky valve to keep the air in. If had dropped Tauranga and, with the current, headed he wasn’t injured. 20kms up to the middle of the harbour, it, I would have been stuffed in a real situation, and not been able to blow to stop for lunch in the heat of the day The next morning, 4kms back to before heading back with the outgoing the darn thing up. All I had to do was Tauranga up the harbour and a bit glue it back on with good adhesive, tide. Unfortunately two of us stayed early reaching the middle before high near the Matakana shoreline and, even but it goes to show the need to check tide so fairly shallow, with a couple your gear from time to time. though the tide was nearly fully out, of stops we had a really good trip and we had a major struggle to pass across some nice weather. Matakana Island is the entrance and around the point, to long and thin, only about 2kms wide in Crossing Rudder Cables our finish spot, much to the joy of our most places with lovely sandy beaches by Evan Pugh wiser companions who took the inner but not advisable to use as a camp spot Also those that spent time learning harbour route. since it is private land. with Nigel Foster during the Forum or outside of it would have had the January 1: Only three of us, as the Easter: Steve, John, two Mikes and suggestion of reversing your rudder rest thought it was going to rain, I, a four day lap of Taupo in perfect cables from Nigel. The reason for this and pulled out of a leisurely trip on conditions; sunny no rain, hardly any is to turn left, you should lean the kayak lake Matahina, near Whakatane. Our wind - a really great trip. right and have you left knee up and progress was stopped by a rapid, as right leg flat. Right leg flat is good if the lake was very low and the river April 22: A shocker, so bad I had to you are depressing the foot pedal on the flow into it, created a rapid where in cancel surf training. The weather right side to turn left. Confused? Well past trips we had just kept on going. was so good there was no surf, not an John Kirk-Anderson had mentioned A scenic lake, we only managed 8kms ounce of the stuff. So instead six of us reversing cables in an earlier training each way, but with higher water levels, agreed to paddle the 12kms offshore session but I never did so many more kilometres of river can from Papamoa out to Motiti Island be paddled. then the 15kms around the island in After a couple of days with Nigel, really calm conditions, enjoying rock I swapped the cables over. Some The following weekend after the gardening and seals. 50kms later and a few wrong turns KASK Forum at Anakiwa, 12 of us at important times, as muscle memory took part in the Nigel Foster training Over Queens Birthday is hard to change after thousands of weekend at Tauranga, which was a Weekend (June 2-4) kilometres, but I had persevered until great two days with a great instructor I am organising a two nighter on last night, when I put them back to teaching the dynamics of some very Taupo, camping at Waihaha; leaving normal and paddled today. different strokes. from Kinloch anyone interested, get in touch with me (email below). You Whoa! I was all over the place to start March 10: Four of us decide to paddle must be of reasonable fitness and be with, as my automatic reflexes were upstream from Cambridge to Karapiro able to paddle 10kms without land- now used to the new system, but I on the Waikato River since the water ing.