The Trip Curse — Kayak Crossing Raukawa Moana Cook Strait

My last few or some days have been a little bit of a downer. After I got back from Auckland I started preparing for trip up the coast. I went and picked up my Epirb (Emergency Position Indication Beacon), VHF radio and a couple of dry bags from Andy packed on the Tuesday, packed my gear and things up and the next day went out to Otaki way. I put everything in my boat and went across the small estuary to the water. However, as I was about to set off I realised I had forgotten a few things… I didn’t have my cap, a towel, really any warm sleeping gear, and not even any money. So quite a large mishap, on my part, just not being organised enough. We went home and I sorted that stuff out. But I ran out of space in the bags. Everything was pretty full to begin with and the extra gear was just not going to fit.

Even worse I have no pictures of this because mum didn’t bring her phone and wasn’t pushing the camera shutter hard enough, and all the pics she thought she took weren’t there.

So that was Wednesday, all in all, pretty disappointing.

Thursday came along and we set off again, this time quickly going into Hunting and Fishing in Otaki to grab a couple dry bags, one large one small. Then off we went, back to the beach. I packed up the kayak and set off into the surf. It was a cooler than the day before and I had my full gear on! Full Shark Skin set up, paddle jacket, booties, and lifejacket. With my phone and Epirb strapped to my side on the tightening strap of the life jacket and my hat on!

I had a huge smile on my face as I cleared the breakers. I turned North and started to head up t4he coast. But after just a few minutes I could already feel myself overheating. I decided the best thing to do was to lose the paddle jacket. I made sure my phone was secure and preceded to take off my PFD (life jacket) and paddle jacket, stow it in the day hatch in my boat and put my life jacket back on.

I paddled away.

I can’t remember what I was thinking about exactly, something about, when I got to my overnight stop I would hit the send message on the Epirb, letting all know I was well.

I realised a few seconds later.

In taking off my life jacket I had checked my phone would stay on, but not Andy’s $300 Eprib. It was a sickening realisation. It must have slipped into the water when I had taken my paddle jacket off. I called mum who was still on the beach, and told her what happened. I turned South and scouring the surface of the water all the way back paddled back to the car.

It sucked, I was pretty pissed. It was the second day in a row that things had seemed a little cursed one way or the other. I was so keen to go on this trip and it felt like I had been stymied at every turn. And what was worse, it wasn’t my equipment it is/was Andy’s so I had to tell him too.

When I arrived home I immediately got on the net and then the phone and sourced a replacement which is sitting next to me right now. So I will be getting it to Andy asap.

I wasn’t feeling particularly enamoured with kayaking the next day, but the waves picked up and Toby and I had a really good play in the waves in our Piranhas. And on Saturday I paddled from Paekak to the Pauatahunui Water Ski Club in the inlet. I didn’t have my tracker app on so just going to plot it on Google Earth.

Yesterday evening mum and I made a video for a crowd funding thing for a support boat. I have literally had to slim possibilities in the support boat realm so I have to raise the money I don’t really have another choice at the moment.

Anyway.

I have polo later, but right now I am going to post this and then go over the new pages and see if I can release them tonight. Maybe I will just chuck another blog up in a bit just saying they’re up, yes I will do that.

Here's some pics of the second attempt day and Saturday.

C