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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>Doug > >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); ............. >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), When you consider Paul went on from the South Island trip to do the North Island with even more exposed beaches and eventually did Japan before Australia (read "Keep Australia on your Left" for someone else's bad surf experiences), he's got to rate reasonably highly in the skill department. The latest paddler doing the South Island managed to "crumple" his plastic kayak down on the south east corner of the island. > His arrival near Paul Caffynn's west coast hometown (Greymouth) >and its very dangerous river bar where Paul does his practice, They regularly drown fishing boat crews there - or more regularly than one would wish. Alex . . Alex (Sandy) Ferguson Chemistry Department University of Canterbury New Zealand *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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