8th Mar, 2009
0100 / Low Tide (0500 fastest)
0830 / Meet and brief at Fred's
0900 / High Tide
1000 / 0.km: Fred's (launch)
1100 / 5km: Southern Tip of Grass Is.
*circumnavigate counterclockwise
1200 / low tide
1230 / 12km: Pier of Grass Is.
lunch break
1400 /12km depart from Grass Is.
1500 /17km: Fred's. Clean up, debrief in the Thai restaurant in Sai Kung?
2000 / high tide (1600 fastest)
* Tidal data is for Ko Lau Wan
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Simplified list of day trip gears
Gears on deck:
1) me, Kayak, paddle, PFD-aka-seat
2) Paddle leash/ lanyard
3) Water (Camel Pack?)
4) SPF lotion and lipstick.
5) sponge, mug, pump, or all of them.
6) Map
7) windbreaker
8) wrist watch
9) sugar bomb of some sort (M&M's, Mars Bar, Power Gel...)
10) protein powder as "backup meal."
11) Extral 2L of drinking water.
12) notepad and pencil
13) countless lanyards and floaties.
14) Paddle-float*
15) Tow Line
16) Sun glasses fastened with elastics
17) hat or cap fastened with lanyard.
18) Spraydeck
*you know, it feels foolish to bring paddle float, considering how little practice I have using it, and how little confidence I have for it. All in all, it adds up to little more than a false sense of security to me.
Things to keep in water-tight container:
1) Strobe Light
2) Space Blanket
3) Bivy
4) Lighter, candles.
5) FA kit.
6) windbreaker
7) dry clothes
8) Bugs repellents
9) Mosquito net
10) Cell Phone
11) Extra copy of map (murphy's law)
12) Extra batteries
13) Extra space blanket.
Things I can do without:
1) GPS
2) EPIRB
3) Compass......?
4) Camera
5) Survival Kit
6) Extra paddle...?
7) Pocket Knife...?
(to be edited)
1) me, Kayak, paddle, PFD-aka-seat
2) Paddle leash/ lanyard
3) Water (Camel Pack?)
4) SPF lotion and lipstick.
5) sponge, mug, pump, or all of them.
6) Map
7) windbreaker
8) wrist watch
9) sugar bomb of some sort (M&M's, Mars Bar, Power Gel...)
10) protein powder as "backup meal."
11) Extral 2L of drinking water.
12) notepad and pencil
13) countless lanyards and floaties.
14) Paddle-float*
15) Tow Line
16) Sun glasses fastened with elastics
17) hat or cap fastened with lanyard.
18) Spraydeck
*you know, it feels foolish to bring paddle float, considering how little practice I have using it, and how little confidence I have for it. All in all, it adds up to little more than a false sense of security to me.
Things to keep in water-tight container:
1) Strobe Light
2) Space Blanket
3) Bivy
4) Lighter, candles.
5) FA kit.
6) windbreaker
7) dry clothes
8) Bugs repellents
9) Mosquito net
10) Cell Phone
11) Extra copy of map (murphy's law)
12) Extra batteries
13) Extra space blanket.
Things I can do without:
1) GPS
2) EPIRB
3) Compass......?
4) Camera
5) Survival Kit
6) Extra paddle...?
7) Pocket Knife...?
(to be edited)
Action Plan
March:
1 -- final packing
2 -- clean apartment, sever hydro, pay bills, get my last pay check
3 -- leave for Narita early morning, arr. HK Airport 2250.
4 -- (W) see grandma, gather up necessary day-trips gears, call Clara, Mimi, Dennis and Fred. Check Sai Kung Bus schedule. Try to distribute a few souvenirs. Confirm weekend trip with either Cheung Chau or Dennis.
5 -- (R) Fred -> Wong Wan Chau (WWC) and back, bus to the city (got classes in the evening.)
If I do Cheung Chau:
6 -- (F) Pack for a long trip, paddle to Long Ke, camp.
7 -- (S) Long Ke to Lamma Power Plant Beach. (or die trying)
8 -- (S) leave for Cheung Chau early morning, paddle the circum-Cheung Chau competition, stay on Cheung Chau for the night.
9 -- Cheung Chau -> Disco Bay. Get a shower, go visit grandma with mom.
If I go with Dennis:
6 -- (F) Pack for long trip in the morning, make a light trip to WWC, circumnavigate it, visit grandma, then meet Dennis in the city for trip briefing at night.
7 -- (S) (w/ Dennis) Fred -> Wong Chuk Kok Tsui -> Grass Is., have lunch at Grass Is., head back to Fred's.
8 -- (Su) Fred's -> Tai Long Wan -> Fred (Got classes at night.)
... just some rough ideas... I still need to confirm the registration with Denny, or our short trip with Dennis. Actually, if I can have it my way, we will just paddle 15K to WWC, make camp, enjoy ourselves, and paddle back to Fred's the next day.
1 -- final packing
2 -- clean apartment, sever hydro, pay bills, get my last pay check
3 -- leave for Narita early morning, arr. HK Airport 2250.
4 -- (W) see grandma, gather up necessary day-trips gears, call Clara, Mimi, Dennis and Fred. Check Sai Kung Bus schedule. Try to distribute a few souvenirs. Confirm weekend trip with either Cheung Chau or Dennis.
5 -- (R) Fred -> Wong Wan Chau (WWC) and back, bus to the city (got classes in the evening.)
If I do Cheung Chau:
6 -- (F) Pack for a long trip, paddle to Long Ke, camp.
7 -- (S) Long Ke to Lamma Power Plant Beach. (or die trying)
8 -- (S) leave for Cheung Chau early morning, paddle the circum-Cheung Chau competition, stay on Cheung Chau for the night.
9 -- Cheung Chau -> Disco Bay. Get a shower, go visit grandma with mom.
If I go with Dennis:
6 -- (F) Pack for long trip in the morning, make a light trip to WWC, circumnavigate it, visit grandma, then meet Dennis in the city for trip briefing at night.
7 -- (S) (w/ Dennis) Fred -> Wong Chuk Kok Tsui -> Grass Is., have lunch at Grass Is., head back to Fred's.
8 -- (Su) Fred's -> Tai Long Wan -> Fred (Got classes at night.)
... just some rough ideas... I still need to confirm the registration with Denny, or our short trip with Dennis. Actually, if I can have it my way, we will just paddle 15K to WWC, make camp, enjoy ourselves, and paddle back to Fred's the next day.
Rules of Thumb
This is a list of things I shouldn't forget...
- the two-third rule: I should always cover >(2/3) of a day's journey before I stop for lunch. Or else the task will be so daunting; and my stomach so full, pressing on would seem impossible... (Remember the journey from DB Wildfire to the Spoon-Is.)
- paddles equal lifeline: if you are on a solo trip, make sure your paddle-leash is on.
- anything on deck top is fair game. If you need them often enough to put them on deck, protect them with a lanyard.
- 5pm is the absolute deadline for looking for landing site. When the sun begins to set, it sets fast.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Day Trips Destinations from Fred's
Departure from Fred's (Dai Tan) to...
Destination: Path distance (One Way) / Circumnavigation distance (around...)
Ko Lau Wan: 4.3Km
Grass Is. (塔門): 5Km(pier) / 7Km
Red Path. (赤徑): 9.1km / na
Red Is. (赤州): 8Km (Southern-Most Tip) / 4Km
Destination: Path distance (One Way) / Circumnavigation distance (around...)
Ko Lau Wan: 4.3Km
Grass Is. (塔門): 5Km(pier) / 7Km
Red Path. (赤徑): 9.1km / na
Red Is. (赤州): 8Km (Southern-Most Tip) / 4Km
Tai Mei Tuk: 19km
Nam She Wan (蚺蛇灣): 7.6Km
Mai Fan Tsui: 10Km
Ham Tin Wan (near Tai Long Wan): 17.5Km <---- this is where I finally got food and drinks after the disastrous T.P.Chau...
Tai Long Sai: 18.61Km
Long Ke (浪茄灣): 25.5 (if I were to paddle along the coastline.)
Long Ke (浪茄灣): 21.5 (If I skip all the inlets and bays)
BTW, it's tempting to keep paddling on past Long Ke, which the TMCC gangs chose not to do. I did exactly that, and ended up emergency-landed in the dark on one of the many rocks between Sai Kung and Cheung Kwan O [Bluff Island], and got my shin all cut up for that. So, if you are at Long Ke and it's sort of late (it was about 4:30pm when I got there,) do what the experienced folks do -- make camp at heavenly Long Ke and shelf your ego for the night.
Bluff Is. (沙塘口山): 27km (For old time sake...)
Tung Lung Is. (東龍洲, NE tip): 36km (Heh, if I am lucky, I might get replenishments here from Dennis)
Ninepin Group (果洲群島): (Northern most Tip) 32Km
Shek O: 43.26Km
St. Stephen WSC: 51.0Km (as if... ^_^;;)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lamma Is. (East-most point): 56Km
Pak Kok village: 63Km (Gosh, I'm feeling so nostalgic)
Dai Kau Ye Is. :69Km
Ping Chau: 71.5Km
Ping Chau Beach: 73Km
Disco Bay: 75.5Km
So it turns out Tai Tan to Disco Bay is only 75Km, I can comfortably do it in three days, or painfully do it in two. Wow, it's a small world afterall.
Two days plan: make sure to reach Long Ke before 1 pm, make camp at Shek O.
Three days plan: first stop at Long Ke, second stop at Lamma (replenish), third day arr. Disco Bay.
Other Areas to Explore:
Waglan Is.
Po Toi Is.
西貢 鎖匙門
...
Hoi Ha Wan (海下灣):
Yellow Bamboo Cape (黃竹角咀): 9km / na
Double Island (往灣洲): 10.5Km / 9km
Tung Ping Chau (東平洲): 17Km/ 6km
東心淇
西貢大浪灣
Nam She Wan (蚺蛇灣): 7.6Km
Mai Fan Tsui: 10Km
Ham Tin Wan (near Tai Long Wan): 17.5Km <---- this is where I finally got food and drinks after the disastrous T.P.Chau...
Tai Long Sai: 18.61Km
Long Ke (浪茄灣): 25.5 (if I were to paddle along the coastline.)
Long Ke (浪茄灣): 21.5 (If I skip all the inlets and bays)
BTW, it's tempting to keep paddling on past Long Ke, which the TMCC gangs chose not to do. I did exactly that, and ended up emergency-landed in the dark on one of the many rocks between Sai Kung and Cheung Kwan O [Bluff Island], and got my shin all cut up for that. So, if you are at Long Ke and it's sort of late (it was about 4:30pm when I got there,) do what the experienced folks do -- make camp at heavenly Long Ke and shelf your ego for the night.
Bluff Is. (沙塘口山): 27km (For old time sake...)
Tung Lung Is. (東龍洲, NE tip): 36km (Heh, if I am lucky, I might get replenishments here from Dennis)
Ninepin Group (果洲群島): (Northern most Tip) 32Km
Shek O: 43.26Km
St. Stephen WSC: 51.0Km (as if... ^_^;;)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lamma Is. (East-most point): 56Km
Pak Kok village: 63Km (Gosh, I'm feeling so nostalgic)
Dai Kau Ye Is. :69Km
Ping Chau: 71.5Km
Ping Chau Beach: 73Km
Disco Bay: 75.5Km
So it turns out Tai Tan to Disco Bay is only 75Km, I can comfortably do it in three days, or painfully do it in two. Wow, it's a small world afterall.
Two days plan: make sure to reach Long Ke before 1 pm, make camp at Shek O.
Three days plan: first stop at Long Ke, second stop at Lamma (replenish), third day arr. Disco Bay.
Other Areas to Explore:
Waglan Is.
Po Toi Is.
西貢 鎖匙門
...
Hoi Ha Wan (海下灣):
Yellow Bamboo Cape (黃竹角咀): 9km / na
Double Island (往灣洲): 10.5Km / 9km
Tung Ping Chau (東平洲): 17Km/ 6km
東心淇
西貢大浪灣
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Kayak Day Trip equipments
Notes on short trips
Homeworks before departures:
1) Tidal info
2) wind force
3) Sunset, Sunrise
4) Setup safe-calls
(you are supposed to fax a route plan to the coast guard, I mean, as if.)
Check on:
1) batteries
2) quick-access sugar-bomb
Must-haves:
1) bailing cup/ sponge
2) PFD
3) spray-deck
4) paddle with lanyard
5) paddle float
6) floatation aids
7) Sun screen, sun-glasses, SPF lipstick
8) first aid kit, especially sanitazation and blister treatment plus bandaids
9) space blanket
10) Drinking water (i.e. waterbag)
11) Cell phone or satellite phone
12) emergency food (carbs drink mix, mar bars, etc)
13) tow line
14) Strobe Light
15) Map with floaties
16) Flashlight with extra batteries
17) Matches or Lighter
ought to have:
1) spare paddle
2) EPIRB
3) Signal Flares
4) whistle (a useless piece of weight, in a sea rough enough to warrent emergency communications between paddlers, the small voice of a whistle usually cannot be heard.)
5) Solar panel for charging small units such as cell phones, reverse osm pumps, satellite phones, etc.
6) Shark repellents, even if it's only a tube of shampoo...
Things to work on:
1) sea-anchor
2) rolling
3) transporting casualties
4) re-entry
Luxuries:
1) electric water pump
2) reverse osmosis pump
Homeworks before departures:
1) Tidal info
2) wind force
3) Sunset, Sunrise
4) Setup safe-calls
(you are supposed to fax a route plan to the coast guard, I mean, as if.)
Check on:
1) batteries
2) quick-access sugar-bomb
Must-haves:
1) bailing cup/ sponge
2) PFD
3) spray-deck
4) paddle with lanyard
5) paddle float
6) floatation aids
7) Sun screen, sun-glasses, SPF lipstick
8) first aid kit, especially sanitazation and blister treatment plus bandaids
9) space blanket
10) Drinking water (i.e. waterbag)
11) Cell phone or satellite phone
12) emergency food (carbs drink mix, mar bars, etc)
13) tow line
14) Strobe Light
15) Map with floaties
16) Flashlight with extra batteries
17) Matches or Lighter
ought to have:
1) spare paddle
2) EPIRB
3) Signal Flares
4) whistle (a useless piece of weight, in a sea rough enough to warrent emergency communications between paddlers, the small voice of a whistle usually cannot be heard.)
5) Solar panel for charging small units such as cell phones, reverse osm pumps, satellite phones, etc.
6) Shark repellents, even if it's only a tube of shampoo...
Things to work on:
1) sea-anchor
2) rolling
3) transporting casualties
4) re-entry
Luxuries:
1) electric water pump
2) reverse osmosis pump
Books I have read/ am currently reading while in Japan:
1) The Old Man and the Sea
2) Les Miserables
3) Interpreter of Maladies
4) A Two Year's Vacation (Jules Verne) <--- now I feel like I have to reread Lord of the Flies...
5) The Call of the Wild
6) The Great Gastby
7) 笑傲江湖
8) Harry Potter Series
9) Aiding and Abetting (Muriel Spark) <-- not the best novel in the world...
10) Lost Japan
11) シーラと言う子 (One Child, Torey Hayden)
12) The Little Prince
13) Ender`s Game
14) 踊り男 （赤川次郎）
15) The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
16) A Christmas Carol
17) The Catcher in the Rye
18) A Wild Sheep Chase (Murakami Haruki) <--- currently
19) Bridget Jones's Diary (Helen Fielding, ridiculously funny)
20) Sixth Sense (Nice surprise towards the end.)
21) Anne of Green Gables
22) I Am a Cat (Natsume Soseki)
23) Breakfast At Tiffany's (Truman Capote)
(To be continued...)
2) Les Miserables
3) Interpreter of Maladies
4) A Two Year's Vacation (Jules Verne) <--- now I feel like I have to reread Lord of the Flies...
5) The Call of the Wild
6) The Great Gastby
7) 笑傲江湖
8) Harry Potter Series
9) Aiding and Abetting (Muriel Spark) <-- not the best novel in the world...
10) Lost Japan
11) シーラと言う子 (One Child, Torey Hayden)
12) The Little Prince
13) Ender`s Game
14) 踊り男 （赤川次郎）
15) The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
16) A Christmas Carol
17) The Catcher in the Rye
18) A Wild Sheep Chase (Murakami Haruki) <--- currently
19) Bridget Jones's Diary (Helen Fielding, ridiculously funny)
20) Sixth Sense (Nice surprise towards the end.)
21) Anne of Green Gables
22) I Am a Cat (Natsume Soseki)
23) Breakfast At Tiffany's (Truman Capote)
(To be continued...)
About this Blog
About this blog
Part of me is sick of moving around so much; having no place to call home. But then again, I kept moving around because I got sick of a place...
I will be on the move again, next date of departure is 3rd March 2009. Over the phone, I found out most of my sea-going gears and certificates are stashed in cardboard boxes somewhere over the rainbow, I may or maynot see them again.
Most of those things I can replace; what I cannot replace is my trip logs. I need them for future trip plannings.
I have lost too many personal information to relocations. It's about time I keep them online. So, the only intent and purpose of this blog is to keep personal list and logs and such.
Part of me is sick of moving around so much; having no place to call home. But then again, I kept moving around because I got sick of a place...
I will be on the move again, next date of departure is 3rd March 2009. Over the phone, I found out most of my sea-going gears and certificates are stashed in cardboard boxes somewhere over the rainbow, I may or maynot see them again.
Most of those things I can replace; what I cannot replace is my trip logs. I need them for future trip plannings.
I have lost too many personal information to relocations. It's about time I keep them online. So, the only intent and purpose of this blog is to keep personal list and logs and such.
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