Re: [Paddlewise] Tradgedy Averted (add Chris Duff)

Melissa Reese wrote:

> On 03/25/2001, at 7:26 PM (GMT -08:00), Doug Lloyd wrote:
>
> >...my heavy Nordkapp, even heavier with the added water, narrowly
> missed my
> >wife's budding Tulips below. It was a very close call indeed.
>
> Ironic, isn't it Doug?  Your greatest danger yet w/sea kayak was
> averted by sheer luck - not by any of your skill and lovely redundant
> safety features.  Perhaps *they* will come in handy on another day.
> :-)
>
> Melissa

Actually, my rudderin this case, caught another bracket just below (for
my wify's wee boatie), thus twisting the Nordkapp and so preventing said
trashed tulips. I can finally say to the anti-rudder forces that
sometimes rudders can actually save a life (mine that is). Apparently,
gardens are sacrosanct you see.

Speaking of luck, I went to see Chris Duff's presentation to a pretty
much sold out crowd here in Victoria on Friday night. Very impressive
slides and narrative (though nothing like Paul Caffyn's Australian
mega-surf episodes); and I could see Chris's wheels going 'round and
'round as he inadvertently perplexed how best to adequately portray
sections of the trip and some of his incidents in his book he is
currently working on. As for the "luck" issue, he spoke with far less
insouciance than I do, with respect to the role and significance that
luck plays with challenging trips. I think the surf and wind really
spooked him, and he mentioned that he has now abandoned his plans to
paddle around Japan (more surf and lots of typhoons, you know), and
instead take it a bit easy and head to Norway next for a paddling
destination. It would seem he feels his luck is running out. He compared
New Zealand's south island trip as a game of  "Russian roulette." As the
coroner said in my recent interview over a kite sailing death, "the more
time you spend on the sea, the more chances you might be surprised by
something you can't handle; for that has always been the way of the sea."

Chris is a very down-to-earth bloke, and his revelations were
matter-of-fact, yet spoke volumes about the difficulties he faced on that
journey. His Ireland trip had some tense moments. This NZ trip had
intense weeks, in comparison. BTW, his "On Celtic Tides" won some kind of
outdoor writer's award, which isn't bad considering it was his first
book. I look forward to his second book (assuming it gets published,
which I'm sure it will), about NZ, and what is sure to be another
descriptive narrative that encompasses the full spectrum of what it is
like to paddle in real world conditions on the open seas, and sitting
behind a surf break, where you have no idea of what is on the other side.

He said he likes to paddle at about 85% of his maximum ability (physical,
mental, skill wise), but was literally pushing it some days at 110%
(sounds like fun).  His arrival near Paul Caffynn's west coast hometown
and its very dangerous river bar where Paul does his practice, was
priceless; and Paul was the first one he met on the trip that truly
understood where Chris was coming from, in terms of the inner journey and
challenges especially. Other highlights (for those who have not yet seen
the presentation) include his 'rounding of a headland around the
Fiordland area, where some fellow mariners (fishermen) cajoled him to
attempt the hazardous portion so as to clear the fjord and get on with
the trip. The forecast was for onshore winds to 15 knots max. He got
horrendous winds, offshore, that arrived in a band of fast moving mayhem.
He was unable to make the last few yards to safety, battling to be kept
from being blown out to open sea, while surfing down big swell into the
faces of the wind blown chop. This went on for many hours. The strain was
still in his voice, and I think the emotions and questions and post
stress after effects are still with him to this day. I have seen this
deep seated, acute reaction in another paddler. All this, and he hadn't
even got to the part where he broke his kayak up in the surf - though he
didn't have much in the way of redundant back-up safety gear :-)

Well, I gotta get back to some real writing. Here's to random occurrences
of goodness, and as Ralph once said, "Creating your own luck."

Doug Lloyd

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