Shellharbour to Gerroa

On Saturday (14 November) I headed down to Shellharbour for a NSWSKC trip to Gerroa. Due to Keith Oakford’s experienced leadership this trip was open to Grade 2 paddlers.

We set off from Shellharbour around 8am after shuffling the cars to Gerroa. Wind was light in the morning with just the 1m swell and some reflective waves off the cliffs to worry about.

After lunch at Kiama we set off again and the wind was now from the NE which would eventually reach 10-12 knots. This added some wind chop to the swell and rebound waves and there were some times I felt nervrous rounding some of the headlands. I felt more comfortable as the afternoon went on so I think my nervousness was mostly unfounded (I need to trust my boat more).

We arrived at Gerroa around 3:30pm by which time I was very weary. The GPS in my phone said we had travelled 38km!

This trip was a great opportunity to do coastal trip with the safety of an experienced leader and I am sure the experience has improved my kayaking.

First Roll

Did my first two rolls today. Even if they were only Palwatta rolls its a good feeling to get all the way around! Its remarkably easy when you get it right!

Cockpit Fitout

I finally got around to replacing the foam seat and braces I installed when I first built the kayak. The original seat did not give sufficient support for long trips and consequently resulted in dead legs. Also the thigh pads were under my knees making bracking for edging etc painful.

The original closed cell foam I used was soft and hard to work. Fortunately this time I was able to find some harder stuff at Clark Rubber. It was only available in 16mm sheets so I had to glue to sheets together with contact cement. I cut the sheets for the seat large enough to reach halfway down the back of my thighs.

I carved the foam using an steak knife (don’t tell my wife), a wire brush wheel on a cordless drill and an orbital sander. Using an angle grinder would have given a smoother finish than the wire wheel but I did have one at the time. To get the required finish more.

I tapered my hip braces so they are tighter up the top and are loose in the normal seated position to prevent chafing on the forward stroke. This gives my something to hook my hip under when bracing (or rolling). The thigh braces are moved back so they contact on the inside of my thighs just below the knee. This allows me to apply more strength to the braces and is less painful than when contact was on the boney part of my knees.

I have know paddled with the new cockpit a few times and it is much more confortable over a long time due to the support under my thighs. I can also apply more positive force to the bracings.

More details on how to do a similar cockpit makeover can be found on the following sites. I think that this would be worth doing for any kayak (not just a home built one)

One Ocean Kayaks

Orca Boats

NSWSKC Sea Skills Training 24 October 2009

I headed down for the NSWSKC Sea Skills training day at Bundeena on 24 October. To ensure I had plenty for rest I camped at Bonnie Vale on the Friday night.

With only a 200m drive I was the first to arrive on the Saturday morning but it wasn’t long before the cars with kayaks on the roof began arriving. As we lined our boats up on the beach, I noticed the wide variety of boats (and only two mirages!!). After introductions, our instructors (Stuart Truman and Steve Bell) went over our kayaks and ruthlessly commented on any item of kit that was not up to standard or poorly stowed. This was good for me as I have recently got by boat to Grade 3 standard and was struggling with how to stow all the gear (spare paddle, helmet etc). We were split into two groups and Selim and I headed off the beach led by Steve Bell. As we paddled across to Cronulla and around to Bate Bay, Steve watched our forward stroke and gave us tips to improve speed and efficiency. 

Once in the middle of Bate Bay, Steve started us paddling in circles to practice edging in the moderate swell. We then paddled further north and closer to the beach where the swell was slightly larger. While surfing on a small wave and using stern rudder I lost control of my paddle blade and my body followed it as it dove under the boat. This would be the first of many wet exits. Steve performed the T- Rescue himself which varied to what I had seen before. Instead of the paddler being rescued swimming onto the stern of their boat, Steve got me to right the kayak and then lifted the bow onto his front deck and then turned and lifted it to drain the water. This allowed me to hang onto the back of Steve’s boat out of the way. Rather than re-entering my kayak from the back deck, Steve got me to do a leg hook re-entry. I found this entry easier than climbing over the back deck and means I don’t need to worry about gear on my back deck. Once back in the boat we continued edging and turning and I once again found the point of no return. I was rescued by the same technique as before. The leg hook re-entry is no definitely my preferred method means I don’t need to worry about gear on my back deck.

With high tide approaching, we headed towards the beach for a surf landing. I was third to head in and as I moved towards the beach, I let the big waves go under me and paddled hard on the back. As I entered the surf zone, a big wave stood up behind me and the inevitable broach started. I low braced into the wave and began to side surf. For a moment I thought I was Ok and just had to slide into the beach. Suddenly there was a load roaring of water and the wave crashed into me and I was rolled down the face of the wave. This all happened so fast I’m not sure what happened but those on the beach said as I side surfed my bow turned into the wave and I started surf backwards and the stern dug in as the wave rolled the bow over. Once over I had no difficulty wet exiting and chasing my kayak and paddle to the beach.

After a short rest, I was sent out into the inshore break to practice sidesurfing. I must give credit to the patience of Steve Bell who must have emptied my kayak and sent me back out at least 6-8 times. The last few times, I was starting to get it (if a little weary). After lunch we headed back out to open water. As I broke out through the surf zone, I mistimed one wave which broke one me. I must have had my body leaned forward (as instructed) as I felt the pressure of the wave on the top of the helmet (if my helmet wasn’t on properly, it was now!). By the time I got through the surf zone (maybe 10m) I was sucking in the big breaths (need to improve my fitness). Once in open water we did some towing practice and I am pleased I was able to get my towline out and back in and out for a second tow. At this stage after the towing and getting slammed in the surf I was starting to get a bit weary and my edging was noticeably weaker. 

On the southern side of the entrance to Port Hacking we did some more rescues and turning stroke practice. Our weary group then headed back to Bundeena and finished off the day with some sculling braces. I packed my gear back into my car and made the long drive back home. This was a great day and I learnt heaps. As I have come to expect from the club the instructors were skilled and patient. I can’t believe these training days are part of the small annual club fee!!!