You have been thinking about us haven’t you?
Well, actually we have been watching the grass grow because our lawn mower is broken. I have also been meditating, mostly on how to do the crane yoga arm balance and a chin up. But not at the same time. And yes, we have also been renovating: we have a driveway.
Perhaps the last bit has been the most exciting, as we’ll never get bogged in our own driveway again. Really, the first time we got stuck, with mud splattered all over the car, it was funny.
When a cement truck got bogged in the same spot a couple of weeks later and needed a second truck it get him out it was a hoot. Plus, while he waited for his mate to come get him out, the cement truck driver showed us how to finish our concrete slab properly. Very helpful.
But when we managed to get two vehicles stuck on the same night, two days before we left on our three and a half month trip, the joke had worn thin.
But I digress and not simply to distract you from the fact that it looks like we haven’t done anything in over two months. Actually, since the end of winter we have been busy scheming and planning new adventures, this time in sea kayaks. We’ve had a double boat for a long time now - actually it was our very first joint purchase - but it wasn’t suited for the ocean, which we’ve always wanted to explore.
So after years of putting off doing anything about it, we finally bought to two single Wilderness Systems Tempest 170’s. Initially we’d planned to go with another double, since our first kayak had never lived up to its reputation of being a divorce boat. Arguably that could be because we bought it well before we were married, but in any case the reason for buying two singles over a double boiled down to safety. If one of us fell out, it would be easier to do an assisted rescue than having two swimmers and a double kayak full of water.
Kayaking 101
Next up, I decided we needed some lessons. When we’d first bought the double we’d done pretty much what everyone else does when they start kayaking, namely jump into the boat, paddle a bit and call yourself proficient. But as with everything else in life, you don’t know what you don’t know until someone more qualified than you points out that you know nothing.
So despite kayaking for around 9 years we had to start at the very beginning of kayaking 101: learning to do the basic stroke properly. Which is to say that the lesson was a huge success. The highlight was probably when we tipped the kayak over, ending up hanging in the water up side down and calmly tapping the hull three times with our hands before getting out.
Where is my kayaking going!?!
A few weeks later, now knowing that we had an awful lot to learn, we took delivery of our brand new boats.
The first paddle was scheduled for The Spit at the Gold Coast and unfortunately my kayak and I did not bond very well.
When we had trailed a few kayaks before buying, the Tempest 170 had handled beautifully and we’d both decided pretty quickly that this was the boat for both of us. There was just one little catch: the steering system. There are two types in kayaks; a rudder or a skeg and it’s an issue that seems to divide kayakers all around the world almost to the extent of religion or politics (or maybe that's just internet forums for you!). Technically neither is actually for steering though. They are used to counter weathercocking, which is a boat's natural tendency to turn into the wind.
The way I see it is that anyone can paddle a kayak with a rudder. Hey we did for 9 years in complete oblivion of the fact that there are other ways to make a kayak go the way you want it to! Skegs on the other hand require actual paddling technique. And while the Tempest is really awesome anyway, I couldn't help but relish the "little" challenge thrown in by way of mastering skeg boat handling. Apparently, stupid challenges are right up my alley. Just ask Jeff about cycling over the Crown Range in New Zealand.
Unfortunately, on our first outing, skill was something I was clearly lacking. While the natural-at-all-things-physical mastered the art of going in a straight line, all I could do was go left, regardless of the wind or current and I hadn’t even discussed politics with my kayak yet!
Mind you, tracking in a straight line didn’t manage to save Jeff from being soaked by a jet skier in the middle of the channel. Thanks Gold Coast.
Great Summer Paddles Ahead
Luckily the following day, I managed to sort my left veer out – in the kayak not politics – in a much calmer environment and it’s been more or less smooth paddling since.
We had another lesson in perfect conditions at Caloundra, probably spending more time in the water than in the kayaks while attempting to surf the waves into shore.
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| Yeah, I know those waves look small.... |
And with more perfect conditions, we did a quick early morning paddle from Woody Point up to Redcliffe.
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| See the conditions were really calm to get this rare on water photo. Interestingly, non waterproof cameras and water don't mix. |
You know, with so many islands to explore in Moreton Bay, I doubt our grass will get mowed at all this summer!
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| Source: Google Maps |
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