LAUNCH: DID I EVER!!
It was a Ripper of a Storm and I was absolutely determined that I would NOT be sending out an SOS on my very first day paddling. This tempest would pass, just like the other one. With complete 100% focus stabilising the kayak, I stabbed my paddle into the crest of each oncoming wave and slid down the other side. What there was to do was manage each forthcoming wave. I braced against every sideswiping wave. These conditions lasted for 30 minutes, then very slightly, the rain began to ease. The swells decreased, but the wind maintained southerly at 30+ knots. After about another 15 minutes, suddenly as if a switch had been flipped, the wind became light and variable and visibility was 15-20 kilometres. The bad news was THERE WAS CAIRNS AGAIN!
Cairns in Stormclouds; A Sight I Saw Five Times!
