Enjoy the CDU Newsletter
Published: Fri, 11/27/15
Issue
486
27th November 2015
Message Bank
Paddlers are arriving from all parts of Australia and the
world to participate in this week's Rottnest to Sorrento Downwind
Surfski Championships - the Epic Kayaks Doctor Race so it's
an exciting time for the downwind paddlers. There will be
hundreds of surf ski paddlers lined up at Rottnest, including
the World Champion and several other champion paddlers who
are wanting to take his crown.
You can be part of this great event by being at the Sorrento
finish line on Saturday afternoon.
I have about $40,000 worth of skis heading to Rottnest on
the barge tomorrow for Epic sponsored paddlers to use, so
I'm just praying the barge stays afloat or it could be a costly
weekend for me!
Epic and Vaikobi are two of the sponsors of the Doctor Race
and we sell all their products.
******************************************
I got a bit of a shock last Saturday morning when I arrived
at Sandy Beach for our normal fitness training session. The
area was chock-a-block with rowers. Oh s..t I thought. When
you have 30 odd paddlers coming down and a few other paddlers
to do a come & try session how do you let all the paddlers
know that we have to change venues. In the past we have got
to know when the rowers are going to use the area and have
changed venues before hand but this mornings gathering was
quite a surprise.
Doug volunteered to stay at Sandy Beach and divert the paddlers
driving there and Hugh volunteered to paddle up to Ascot to
let the paddlers know who put in there, and Alaine called
the 'come & try' people to tell them that we had relocated
to Claughton Reserve. That solved it I thought. Everything
was back in hand we were away from the rowers and all was
honky-dory, but just as I was about to start the race two
ladies on the Claughton Reserve jetty said the rowers were
racing down to Claughton Reserve. Usually rowers race towards
Guildford Grammer so we were sprung with another surprise!
Apparently the rowers were supposed to be at Champion Lakes
but it was too windy on the rowing course so they decided
to hit the river. Why they picked a section of river that
passes through Sandy Beach and Ascot Kayak Club where there
are about 100 paddlers using that section of river on a Saturday
morning had me baffled. I was just hoping that we wouldn't
clash as some rowers and paddlers don't get on at the best
on times.
Alaine was busy so I was doing the timing and soon after
our race had started I saw rowers coming down the river. I
thought 'oh bloody hell', rowers and paddlers are going to
be on the same stretch of river, both in a racing mode. That
can't be good, one lot going backwards and can't see what
is ahead and the other can see what is ahead but forgetting
the rowers are faster and that at one point in the race the
rowers will be coming from behind.
So my question is why have a surprise rowing event in a kayaking
area - surely there are other venues they can use? There is
a special rowing course at Champion Lakes, and there is the
Canning Rowing Course at Canning Bridge. They were doing a
5km Time Trial and going off one at a time at intervals so
if they had used Champion Lakes and kept close to the shelter
of the island and used the wind to their advantage, surely
they could have worked out a course! And why choose Sandy
Beach which is a very tight area to get big trailers and huge
buses in and out. Buses have to go over the gardens to turn
around. If they wanted to use the river why didn't they choose
Claughton Reserve which has a huge parking lot with enough
room for 30 buses and trailers and easy in and easy out. And
it has a much bigger sandy beach than what Sandy Beach has?.
Having a Time Trial on a busy Saturday morning in a kayaking
area wouldn't have helped to build good relations between
rowers and kayakers. You have several fitness groups paddling
from the kayak club, you have the new paddlers learning to
paddle and you have the social paddlers just wandering up
the river chatting and taking in the peace and quiet. I'm
not quite sure how we are going to solve the clashes between
rowers and paddlers but rowers know there has been a kayak
club at Garvey Park since the 1970s and most know our group
use Sandy Beach 700 metres further upstream on a Saturday
morning so they should expect that there will be lots of kayakers
in the area. Then there are the kayak fisherman and other
users. It's a pretty simple thing to work out.
The problem is when paddlers keep to the right and follow
the rules of the river they get mowed down as paddlers can't
see behind them and rowers can't see in front of them, and
if paddlers keep to the left so they can see the rowers coming
and can avoid them they still get abused because they are
told they are on the wrong side of the river. Admittedly some
paddlers don't do the right thing.
Somehow we all have to work together. We all have the responsibility
to try to keep away from each other. One day someone is going
to get hurt and restrictions may be put on the river use.
******************************************
Alaine and I went for our usual long
6km training run on Sunday to get some real fitness up but
as luck should have it the pair of Ospreys on Ron Courtney
Island at Ashfield were pretty active and gave us a chance
to have a bit of a rest. One bird always seems to be in the
nest whilst the other goes on a hunting spree, although sometimes
bringing back nothing. Ravens and even smaller birds are always
pestering the Ospreys but today the Osprey was getting his
own back. See photos further below.
The dolphins have been more active lately. I have seen a
pair of dolphins around Sandy Beach, Claughton Reserve area
3 times this week but on other weeks I haven't seen them at
all. I wonder if it has something to do with the tide. They
must be out there but not always between 7.00am - 9.00am.
******************************************
Get ready for the Epic Doctor
Race
This Saturday
The West Coast Downwinder
Jasper Mocke just ahead of Cory Hill. Photo
John O'Sullivan
Jasper crosses the line first in a Canoeing
Down Under Epic V14. Photo John O'Sullivan
In the female section Rachel Clarke crosses
the line first in a Canoeing Down Under Epic V10L. Photo John
O'Sullivan
*************************************
Claisebrook Race - 13th December
There will be a Canoe Polo demonstration and short sprint
races after the main race.
*************************************
Training & Courses
Saturday Morning Fitness Training
7.30am start on the dot
Sandy Beach Reserve, West Road, Bassendean
PFD must be worn
$5.00 for paddlers who have bought a boat from CDU
$10.00 for other paddlers
Don't forget your PFD
Fun, fitness and a great group of people
Last week's times at the end of newsletter
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***********************************
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********************************
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*******************************
Epic and Vaikobi are sponsors of the Doctor Race and we sell
all their products
Stories
Lynn Paterson
Around New Zealand
Auckland woman Lynn Paterson is on a
mission to paddle New Zealand's entire coastline in 180 days.
Bad weather meant she had to stop over in Uawa-Tolaga Bay
for a couple of days though.
Rain and rough seas saw kayaker Lynn
Paterson stop over in Tolaga Bay 16 days into her solo circumnavigation
of New Zealand’s more than 5000-kilometre coastline.
Having set off from Takapuna on October
27, Ms Paterson expects her voyage to take 180 days at 30
kilometres a day. Faced with 20 to 30 knot winds and waves,
the 50-year-old athlete joined her support crew Natalie Frew
at Tolaga Bay Holiday Park.
“You need to have huge respect
for nature. That’s why I’m sitting on the beach
and not leaving yet.”
As she paddled down East Cape, the coastline
brought to mind the movie Jurassic Park, she says.
“There are trees right down to
the beach. Mountains fall into the ocean.”
Part of Ms Paterson’s motivation
to take on the epic challenge was to raise awareness of people
affected by loved ones who live with depression. Her son’s
depression, exacerbated by drugs and alcohol, moved her to
take the cause on board. She aims to raise money for the Mental
Health Foundation along the way.
“I want to show you have to find
inner strength. It all comes from inside. I’ve had to
dig deep.”
• To make a $3 donation to the
Mental Health Foundation, text REDZNZ to 2446. To follow Lynn
“Red” Paterson’s journey go to www.facebook.com/REDzNZJourney
and www.redznzjourney.com
November 25,
2015
DAY 30...Awesome Day
Phone reset, food eaten and kayak all
packed for a 65km day of paddling. Alice gets up as well to
say goodbye, looking at me as if to say, yep you are mad,
but for me there is something really magical about being on
the water in the dark. I find it very soothing and when it
is a calm, flat sea you just get into the zone really quickly
in the cool of the morning.
Soon enough I start to see whispers
of pink in the sky from the sun starting its new day. I can
see the gannets and the seagulls on the move across the ocean
and the gentle swell lifts and drops as I slip quietly along
the peninsula towards the gannet colonies. As the sun continues
to rise the sky becomes an intense orange and red, this sunrise
is going to be amazing. Timing was everything today as I got
to the tip of the Cape at the best moment, and the sunrise
just intensified as I rounded the head point.
Amazing, spectular, one of the best
so far, this sunrise sure did not disappoint! Again I smiled,
this is the reason everyone should get up early, pre sunrise,
too sit and see the sun come up is something special. To see
the colours and feel the warmth of a new day seems to give
me a special lift, it is as if someone has turned on a new
and amazing day and this will always stay with me and I will
always get up early before the sun, it is my happy time..
Well the plan today was mapped out.
When I do these big long paddles Nat and I break down the
paddle legs and it makes it achievable. Far better on my brain
this way to have small achievable legs, so it was as follows:
Leg 1: 22km.. checkpoint...VHF../ Mbl
– Ocean Beach..
Leg 2: 8.5km.. checkpoint.. VHF/ Mbl- Waimoiara
Leg 3: 15km... checkpoint.. VHF/ Mbl - Kairakau
Leg 4: 20km... campsite...Pourerere
Total.. 65km approx...
As the wind dropped I had a totally
flat, oil like sea to paddle along. A small tail wind, but
nothing to get excited about. There where numerous fish on
the surface and also the early morning boil ups that have
become common place. Sorry Jase, I did not have my pre made
lure and line on board to catch any, maybe tomorrow.
Every checkpoint I was on time for and
where there was no coverage of mobile the VHF seemed to work.
Well mine was great, but the support crew's unit needs to
be upgraded, seems that the cheap unit just broke down too
quickly, so a new one has been purchased. Cobra is a winner,
the Uniden is not so great, sorry to say.
Today I have to say thank you to Mother
Nature, she was being wonderful to me. Stunning sunrise, amazing
weather, little to no wind, a little bit of cloud cover and
I was off and racing. I drank my fluids as instructed (3+
litres today a vast improvement on earlier long trips). I
also made sure I ate at each stop, rested and hydrated. As
the weather was being kind I too had time to relax and be
kind to my body as well.
Today was a goodie, the last 20kms I
had a tail wind and a small swell, yippee! I didn't dare say
this out loud, as I thought any minute it would change. Fortune
was on my side and the weather stayed great. We paddlers love
days like this, I even managed to be 30 mins ahead of schedule
arriving at the designation campsite. I spotted the camper
van and was surprised to see it parked at the middle of the
bay as normally Nat goes to the southern most point. I landed
on the beach, yelled out to them and Nat was "SHIT, the
campsite is at the end of the bay, you are way to early we
were not even expecting you yet, do you mind jumping back
in the kayak and heading down to the end of the beach to the
campsite?" Today I did not mind at all, the ocean was
being nice and it was joyous to paddle another couple of kms.
On the beach and relaxing, I had a coffee
on arrival, with my hew found sweet treat, dark chocolate
covered ginger. We are all really excited, there are Paua
on the rocks at low tide! We have a cunning plan, tomorrow
afternoon we are back to join some locals to go Paua hunting,
we have now just found a crayfish man as well, so tomorrow
is going to be a celebration! We are hoping to hit 1000km
target and we are going to try to have Paua andcrayfish for
dinner. The news is that a storm and gale force winds are
coming on Friday so this cool campsite may become our home
for a bit. Colin is a great caretaker and has made us feel
so welcome. I will paddle in the morning to Porangahau then
we will back track to this campsite to stay, join the locals
for seafood foraging and drink a little LP Rose champagne
to say congrats on the first 1000 Km.
******************************
Sandy in Indonesia
Tanjung Kopondai Cliffs
Nov 17th, Watowara to Tanjung Kopondai
cliffs, 44km, in the morning I paddled the 14kms across Teluk
Hading to the northern peninsula of Flores. Here I think must
be an undiscovered area for rock climbing on sea cliffs. From
Tanjung Watupaying, it is a magic coastline to explore. Amazing
limestone formations, old stalactites now exposed to the outside
world, crevices, bats, caves… I thought that if you want
to be a hermit living in a cave, you might find a nice spot
here somewhere! After many happy kilometers of exploring I
found a great beach to have exclusively for myself for the
night. No hello mistering would happen below the cliffs on
the pebble stone shore. I didn’t even put up a tent.
It was million star hotel at it’s finest. The beach reminded
me of Turkey and Greece. At first you might think pebbles
uncomfortable to sleep on, but they mould to you so it is
nice.
Nov 18th, Tanjung Kopondai to Larantuka,
36km. I seemed to get winds and currents pushing me nicely
today. I had a drift snorkel and pulled the kayak along for
a while. Later my rudder cable snapped out of the foot peg
and I had to paddle rudderless until I found a suitable beach
where I could stop and fix it. Sailing with no rudder is not
so fun, so I was glad rectifying the problem was not a drama.
In the early afternoon I spotted a great place to stay with
the kayak. It was much easier to stop here than dragging my
boat through the middle of town to a central hotel. Sleeping
in a boat, renovated as a room, well that was fun. Chris bought
the boat to use for dive trips, but then had trouble finding
a good second-hand engine, so the boat became a funky place
to stay. The couple running this place, Maria and Chris, are
lovely. They drove me to the shops for the supplies I needed.
You can book a room here direct or by air bnb.
Boat Hotel
Sandy still has a few
kilometres to go to finish stage 4
Race of the Week
The Epic Kayaks
Doctor Race
28th November 2015
The Epic Kayaks Doctor in Perth, WA is Australia's most exciting
ocean paddling event from Rottnest Island to Sorrento Beach
covering 27kms (or vice versa depending on wind conditions).
This year The Epic Kayaks Doctor will also feature as the
Australian Canoeing Ocean Racing Ski National Championships
for 2015. Please see information below.
The event is scheduled to race on Saturday 28th November 2015
starting at Rottnest Island and finishing at Sorrento Beach.
This will be reversed if strong off-shore conditions prevail.
In the advent of dangerous conditions on Saturday the event
will move to Sunday 29th November.
Events Program
The following events will also take place around the same
time as The Doctor. Take advantage of travelling to WA by
competing in all these events.
Saturday 21st November 2015 - Fenn West
Coast Downwind
Thursday 26th November 2015 - Statewide Oil Sunset Surfski
Series Race #1 (evening race)
Saturday 28th November 2015 - The Epic Kayaks Doctor
Wednesday 2nd December 2015 - Statewide Oil Sunset Surfski
Series Race #2 (evening race)
***************************
2015/16 Marathon
Series Race Dates
13th December - Claisebrook
Race
28th December - Champion Lakes
14th Febuary - Canning River Race
12/13 March - State Champs
25/26/27 - National Champs QLD
24th April - Pinjarra-Ravenswood
29th May - Double Barkers
5th June - Perth Paddle 50
19th June - Middle Swan Race
*****************************
Race of the Week
Ron Courtney
Island Osprey
Alaine and I went for our usual long
6km training run on Sunday to get some real fitness up but
as luck should have it the pair of Ospreys on Ron Courtney
Island at Ashfield were pretty active and gave us a chance
to have a bit of a rest. One bird always seems to be in the
nest whilst the other goes on a hunting spree, although sometimes
bringing back nothing. Ravens and even smaller birds are always
pestering the Ospreys but today the Osprey was getting his
own back. See photos further below.
The pair seemed to have been nesting
for a very long time and we are yet to see any young birds
bob their heads above the branches of the deep nest.
Facts and Figures
Minimum Size: 50cm - Maximum Size: 65cm
Average size: 60cm - Average weight: 1 250g
Breeding season:
April to July in north, September to October in south, June
to August in southern Queensland.
Clutch Size: 2 to 3
Incubation: 40 days
Nestling Period: 42 days
First the Raven chases
the Osprey, then it was the Ospreys turn to give chase.
The Osprey comes into
land at the nest site.
Although it didn't appear to have any
breakfast in its claws or twigs to make the nest more substantial,
it decided to visit it's partner any way.
Map or Plans
Cabinet
Keep you maps or plans
without a fold mark.
1160mm x 800mm x 640mm.
With legs 1040mm high
Free to a good
home
If not claimed it will
be on the verge Sunday afternoon.
***********************
Race at Claughton
Reserve 4km 21/11/15