The Class 12 (year 13) project

The school website describes the projects much better than I could: "The Class 12 projects are a genuine preparation for life and have several major components: the practical exploration of a topic, the theoretical research and written thesis, plus crucial visual and spoken presentation skills; all of which demand intellectual rigor and hours of dedication to a single theme."

As a student of the school you attend the project presentations along with a packed house at the Little Theater in Lower Hutt in September year after year, and always in the back of your mind thinking what you might do when the time comes. 

I had lots of thoughts about other things I could do but when it came to the crunch I just wanted to "kayak my heart out!".  And now I am certainly doing that, 6 days a week no less :)

My expert/mentor for the project is Conrad Evans.  He is very knowledgeable about quite alot!, including everything sea kayaking, and in particular crossing the Strait having done it several times.  His experience includes 21 crossings, most of them solo double crossings, and "as importantly many aborted crossings, and prolonged Strait watching." He says "the trouble with kayak crossings of the Cook Strait is not the distance itself but the Strait's notorious tides and winds, and the interplay of the two."

Check out his website where he has published his years of wisdom of all things to do with the Cook Strait.  I am hugely grateful to Conrad and if you checked out his website you can see I am very lucky.

CONRAD'S GOLDEN RULES

• Don't underestimate Cook Strait
• Be prepared to cancel before
• Be prepared to abort during
• Plan to cross at neaps
• Plan for slack water in the western strait
• Cross with a high after a southerly or a trough between lows
• Don't trust the weather forecast
• Enjoy

A FEW STOLEN SNIPPETS (THANKS CONRAD):

The tidal streams rarely run in the same direction as the kayaker wants to. In the narrows they run along the length of the strait while the kayaker is trying to cross it (and avoid being swept out of it), and inshore they cause strong tide rips: it is a question of avoiding the stronger tidal streams rather than using them....

Given the variability, it may be unwise to venture into the Strait shortly after (or before) a storm, or the passage or approach of a significant depression, even if the forecast tides and weather are promising. All the more reason to plan for minimum tides, develop a keen weather eye, be prepared to cancel or abort, and have a reserve of fitness....Choosing a day to minimise likely tides is simply a question of choosing one as close as possible to neaps and ideally, if you have a large enough window to cross in, choosing a day (see below) with particularly shallow neap tides....

The tides can be bad, but the wind can be worse. It is more variable and, around Cook Strait, has practically no upper limit on ferocity... The forecast wind speed is for an average, and is made on the basis that winds will gust up to 50% over the stated average wind speed. I find it salutary to remember that the force of wind goes up as the cube of its speed; and so you can expect to experience gusts exceeding three times the force of the average wind...

The best time to cross, therefore, is at the tail end of a southerly (those calm, blue days) to give the maximum leeway before the nor'westers get too strong. The late and greatly missed Dave Herrington, who survived more Cook Strait kayak crossings than anyone (at least until my crossing count got to current levels), recommended crossing on the trough between two stationary depressions (those silvery grey misty days). At neaps, of course....

Above all, do not venture out if there is any risk of a strong southerly arriving. Anyone who has seen these pass over central New Zealand waters will appreciate this. The late Russel Ginn, a Cook Strait watcher for many decades, cautioned that a strong and unexpected southerly would often come through in February. My rule is that I'll never venture out if there's any hint of a southerly front north of Christchurch: I plan to be an ancient mariner. Be warned!...

WHY?

In Cook Strait I've been airborne in rips, spun around in swirls, swept off by tidal streams. I've stared down into dark holes in the water, stared up at breaking crests, stared across at working rips. I've paddled in grey, glassy calms, seen meteorites, surfed with dolphins, paddled to Picton for tea, and all the time admired the stark beauty. Why not?

Training started in earnest in late January but I had to fix up the training boat (pic above) first.  Dad found it in the dark recesses of a second-hand store in Masterton on the recommendation of Conrad.  It looks like it has done a few good miles, and has a large Sisson Kayak sticker on it so handmade in New Zealand.  The model is Pepin "The SAFER budget sea-kayak for all paddlers".  I am on a mission for a newer boat now.

Training is almost daily at the moment and you can follow that on my blog.  I am getting fit and up to speed quickly.  The biggest challenge at the moment is some hand cramping over the longer distances.

The best days for crossing is two or three days after a neap tide as this means there is less discrepancy between high and low tides - less tidal currents to contend with.  If the moon is in apogee (greatest distance from the earth) it has less pull too.  I want to do the double crossing, so the best possible conditions for the crossing is really important.  Based on the phases of the moon, the best days to cross are:

• Saturday 2 April to Monday, 4 April
• Saturday 16 April to Monday 18 April
• Monday 2 May to Wednesday 4 May
• Sunday 15 May to Tuesday 17 May
• Tuesday 14 June to Thursday 16 June
• Wednesday 29 June to Friday 1 July

The moon is in apogee on May 18 and June 15 so if the weather is calm, either of those days would likely be excellent for the double.  The June and July dates will be getting a bit cold and are a much less likely proposition.

Also very important is water safety. You will see by my blog that I have a few safety concerns.  I dropped my paddle once, finding myself very quickly a long way away from it.  Especially while I am training alone, I don't want to be a statistic - another male drowning. I need to know more about how to stay safe and would like to be a part of helping others to do the same.