Day 23, Monday, 09.02.2009

The look of the day – anti-seasickness clothpegs on both earlobes – they work! Plus PFD for warmth and security…

 

The forecast looked like a whole bunch of days off in a row – winds over 25-35 kn didn’t sound too inviting, though following…

I already started to feel at home in my lovely appartement in the basement of Judy’s and Shayne’s house, got my boat cleaned and fixed little stuff here and there in the equipment. Then it was office work time…I got through my e-mails, and updated the last paddling day.

I was waking at five as usual to check the forecast again – still the same, strongest following winds…and it was raining…though I was sticking my nose out and didn’t feel it was too strong around the house up the hill…but I decided I go back to sleep again and get another two hours of rest or so…getting out of the rest time and comfort zone is sometimes a hard thing to do!

 

At 7 am I stuck my nose out again, went upstairs and Shayne offered me to give me a lift out to the lighthouse for a lookout to the sea. This was the best thing to do! The sea didn’t look like too rough at all, no whitecaps – yet…but foggy and drizzly ugly cool weather. I felt I had to go…no comfortable 4-5 days in a lovely dry appartment, but rainy, drizzly, foggy, cool and ugly weather with no view…not really what I experienced so far in Australia!

I had my gearbags packed yesterday already, just in case…and the case was there! Late decision though…

Of we went, loaded the kayak and my bags, down to the harbour, having breakfast in the van…launching at 8.30am!

Shayne Larsen (plus his wife Judy), my hosts from last night in Ulladulla

 

It was blowing, but not really rough the first hour…I paddled in thick fog, cutting straight across the bay to Cape St. George, way offshore. But, as expected, the following wind lifted quite a bit in the second hour, but it was not too uncomfortable, though there were quite BIG seas now! Some breakers started to develop on top of the swellcrests…but still ok stuff for my gut feeling. No choice anyway, havig made the decision to cut across…  But I knew the rebound of the high cliffs of St. Georges head were coming soon.

 

The seasickness-prevention hint from Hillary on the website was the look of the day – two clothpegs pinched from Judy’s clothline, decorating my earlobes nicely! They *did* work! I neither got seasick in the rough no vision-paddle in the fog nor in the extreme rebound of the cliffs, where the up-and down distance is more than the forward distance…!

Just – taking them *off* again hurt like hell for a minute, as the blood started to circulate again…but it was worth the pain not being sick! Two cloth pegs will be my standard equipment now, and I threw the chemical seasickness tablets overboard, not having touched them at all. Thanks for the hint, Hillary!

 

A Katamaran yacht appeared out of the sudden in the fog besides me, watching my efforts for about an hour…I almost felt like a surfski paddler in the Molokai Race, having an escort boat besides me watching me…but they obviously got bored after a while seeing me simply *paddling* with obvious fun and making good distance in the rough stuff…I was even pulling out an apple and eating whilest paddling – so nothing seemed to be wrong with me! And they disappeared in the fog again.

 

An then St. Georges Head came nearer…this is the kind of water I already hate already in “regular” conditions, not to talk about what a 3 meter swell creates on pure vertical cliffs above and under the waterline! The ride was just ugly, and I’m really convinced I made more distance vertically than horizontally.

But amazingly the wind and waves calmed down again coming up to Cape St. George, as the wind changed from SE to SW, and I was able to relax a bit, eat something and do “household chores”. Before it calmed down I was already up to pulling into Jervis Bay on this rollercoaster ride…

 

But I decided to keep on going, getting “all” cliffs behind me. Though starting late it was still too ealy in the day to pull into Jervis Bay. I knew there would be some more rebound passing Beecroft Peninsula, perfectly named with “Point Perpendicular”…but this ride turned out just to be great! I paddled like finishing my Molokai Race at the Chinaman’s wall! It was just a bit longer…

Point Perpendicular

 

I really enjoyed Beecroft Penisula, Point Perpendicular looked amazing! Then the funny rock of “Drum and Drumstick”, and the cliffs bocoming walkable ledges around Beecroft Head. There were some fishemen out there…just take care a BIG wave doesn’t wash you off those ledges!

Beecroft Head

 

The beaches around Beecroft Head looked lovely remote, but they were all reef-fringed…nothing for my fragile kayak! So I kept paddling around the Head, eventually landing on a quiet flat beach aptly named “Abraham’s Bosssom”…

It was still raining…and my campsite on the beach was about 100 m off the spot I landed. I put up tent first, then quickliy brought my gearbags in. But the best luxury was again the (cold…) fresh water shower on the parking lot, plus a dry and sandfree changing spot in the toilet building…little things make a sea kayaker happy…

 

Message via satellite phone:

35.00 150.49 Currarong, Abrahams Bossom Beach. That was a ride! Nothing for the faint hearted…Beecroft Peninsula is awesome. First Bluebottle* wrap, but ok

*stinging jellyfish

2 comments on “Day 23, Monday, 09.02.2009

Hillary

Freya, I like the clothespins, it’s an interesting look for you. More importantly though, it does work, and leaves your hands free and your mind clear. I am following your progress avidly, and am always available for such issues! I am so glad I was able to help! They are standard in my kit as well!

peter fahrenkrog

hallo freya,lange her, ja,aber doch nicht vergessen,wie es aussieht?
ist auch schwer bei jemand der mit 19 schon so war wie du…
kenne bis heute niemand der sein leben so konsequent lebt wie du
alles liebe,peter

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