TMT to Tai Tan with a violent squall hot on my heel (Aug 31)

Just a quick one before I catch the bus back into town.

TMTWSC 3:31

* * * stopped for 8 minutes to rearrange the floaties in/ on the kayak

Pak Sa Tau Tsui 4:11

Dam 4:35

Lo Fu Wat 4:50

* * * stopped for 5 minutes to talk to Sam on the phone.

Tolo Barrier 5:43

Ocean Point 6:15

Nam Fung Kok 6:43 

Sze Tei 7:11

Fred's 7:15

Tai Tan to TMT (CLG) back to Tai Tan (Aug 22-23)

Aug 22

Tai Tan to TMT

Decided to launch early to avoid the brazen sun.  The VERY HOT weather warning has been blasting continuously in the last few days. 

0451 Fred's (got my feet wet but had to fight my way out of the mud)

0454 Tai Tan (finally started paddling)

0519 Nam Fung Kok

0535 Ocean Point (Kwun Choi Kok)

0559 Flat Island (Ngan Chau)

0605 -00611 Police Barrier (BS, photos, water break)

0708 Dam

0731 Pak Sa Tau Tsui

0758 TMT Slipway (Yuck, yuck, yuck!  My boat is full of fire ants x_x  took me 45 minutes to clean most of them out ... and some of them point-blank refused to leave!)

Very very slow progress because I kept stopping to snap photos.    Besides, the mood of predawn SK is so tranquil and beautiful that it's a capital crime to spoil it with mundane, dreadful things like obsession over speed, postures, breathing, cadence ...

TMT to Tai Tan

1614 TMT (Boy Scout shore)

1636 Pak Sa Tau Tsui

1710 Lo Fu Wat

1745 Tolo Barrier

1831-1840 Ocean Point (mucked around waiting for the sun to set.)

1901 Nam Fung Kok

1923 Sze Tei

1928 Fred's

Aug 23

Tai Tan to TMT

0512 Fred's (Ouch!  Scraped my heel against the barnacles in the dark)

0538 Nam Fung Kok

0557 Ocean Point (Kwun Choi Kok)

061x Flat Island (Ngan Chau)

0645 Police Barrier (Funny, the officer said to me, "hmm, aren't you a little later than usual today?"  . . .  as though I paddle past his station every morning XD)

0732 the Dam

0751 - 0754 Pak Sa Tau Tsui (water break)

0817 TMT Slipway

Very very slow progress again because I kept stopping to snap photos.    This morning, I saw a big jellyfish with 3 fishes in its bell.

TMT to Tai Tan

Had to wait for the squall to pass.  My friends Sam, Esther, and Ling weren't impressed with my decision to paddle home, but I knew the squally thunder wasn't going to linger, so it's not so much that I was at risk of being struck by lightening; it's just a matter of finishing the Tolo Channel before total darkness.

Right, had to race against the sunset, so I snapped very few photos and otherwise tried to race home.  Funny how when you are in a hurry, everybody decides to call and SMS you ... (yes, YOU, kyocera, Cameron, and Carol!)

1703 TMT (Tai Po Boat Club Pontoon)

1723 Pak Sa Tau Tsui

1740 the Dam

1833 - 1835 Tolo Barrier (stopped to get my C-Strobe, and to bail water)

1844 Heung Lo Kok

1855 Flat Island

1858 Mo Chau

1908 Ocean Point (mucked around a little snapping pictures.)

1922 Nam Fung Kok

1947 Sze Tei

1953 Fred's

It's a calculated risk, but it still sucks to have to move my seahorse up the hill in the dark @_@

Tai Tan to TMT (CLG) to Tai Tan

Wed (19) - Lantau Peak Hike: 1006 (Pak Kung Au) - 1301 (Big Buddha) 

Thur(20) - KA -- rolling practice all day with Candy (Europa/ Master)

Fri   (21) - Gym with Carol

Saturday (22) trip plan

"Trip" as in commute, honestly.  It looks like the only environmental hazard is heat exhaustion/ heat stroke.  Will paddle with my MP3 and hopefully finish the morning leg before the sun rises.

Since my team cancelled our weekly night hike tomorrow, I might paddle the sea horse back to Tai Tan.  Will have to check to see if Fred is okay with that though.

Plan to finish before the temperature rises, so ... maybe launch at 0430 ish?

0430 Tai Tan

0500 Nam Fung Kok

0520 Ocean Point

0530 Flat Island 6.5km

0550 Police Check Point 8.5km

0640 Pak Sa Tau Tsui 16km

0710 TMT Slipway 19km

Very rapid flood tide before 0700 tomorrow, so the sooner I launch, the better I will be able to make use of the following tidal race, especially in Tolo Channel -- so, will try to launch by 0400 if I can wake up.  

Unfortunately, flood tide again after 1630, so either I leave early and get out of Tolo Channel before the tide changes, or I will have to paddle against the very rapid post-new moon tide.  The most likely scenario is that I will paddle against the very rapid flood tide; otherwise I will have to drag the sea horse through the mud when I land in Tai Tan in the dark.

Another issue is shorter day light ... believe it or not the day time is shortening, which means we are entering Autumn -- it certainly doesn't feel that way to me!!!  Anyway, sun going down around 1850, so I need to be at Ocean Point before that, which means I should launch from TMT no later than 1700.

1700 TMT

1740 Dam past Pak Sa Tau Chau

1830 Tolo Police Barrier

1900 Ocean Point

1930 Nam Fung Kok

2000 Tai Tan

Quick Update: 75k sea-trip Saturday, Sec 3 today, Lantau Peak tomorrow

Darn close to successfully killing myself last Saturday; I managed to fall asleep while crossing the ELC.  Between pulling an all-nighter on Friday night, food poisoning, v+/d+, electrolyte imbalance, no food, and heavy bleeding, I was a freaking mess.  I didn't realize how beaten I really was until I landed -- I could hardly walk a straight line, dragging Martlet up the beach was torturous.

So I rested on Sunday.  Did MacLehose Sec 3 again today, with Carol.  I was worried that I'm still in  very bad shape, because I am -- I was panting and wheezing just from running between Choi Hung station and the green top minibus, and my heart threatened to stop pumping.  But I did okay, we went very very slowly, so it wasn't particularly punishing.  Plus, I've hiked  this trail a few times now, so I'm getting comfortable with it. (1026 - 1429)

Will do Lantau Peak tomorrow ... finally.  I'm starting to think the trail is cursed, I've meant to hike it since I came back to HK, and every single time, it gets cancelled.

Will try to go to bed now.

DB to SSB to DB Trip Plan

Cancelled the hike with Carol today due to bad weather and also food poisoning on my part.

Hope I will be able to paddle out to SSB tomorrow.  It sucks when you are committed to something  when you're sick.  It double sucks when you don't even know if the trip is going to be cancelled due to something completely out of your hands -- such as bad weather (t-storms.)

But I think it's good training for the NZ trip -- there will always be discomforts and uncertainties; you still have to be prepared.

Right, tomorrow.  Expecting a lot of pain and discomfort to say the least.  >_<  I'm definitely not at my best right now...

I'll try to launch by no later than 0400, which means crossing the entire WLC in the heart of darkness...

The Plan 

0300 High Tide

going with the ebb tide eastward, but with have to work against the mild southerly wind.

0400 DB 

0432 Peng Chau NE 3.2k 

0513 Nav Beacon 132 13.3k

0532 Luk Chau 15.2k

0704 Wong Chuk Kok 18.4

0743 Chung Hum Kok 22.3

0800 SSBWSC 24

KAT 21km with SSB (Shek O?) 

0k   SSB 

0.23 Tong Yan Pai

2.5  Wong Mau Kok West

3.5  Wong Mau Kok East

7.5  Kau Pei Chau

8   Hok Tsui

10.6 Sheung Sz Mun

12.7  Shek O

---> Return Trip 25.4km

*** 1145 Low Tide ***

Will go with the ebb tide as well, but the flow is supposed to slow down after 1700.  s'okay though, still have the southerly wind behind me.

1530 SSB 

1547 CHK

1626 WCK

1758 LC

1817 NB 132

1858 Peng Chau *** Sun sets at 1856 ***

1930 DB 

Catch 2030 or 2050 bus to Tung Chung for Trailwalker. (Lantau Peak?)

Forecast: Cloudy with a few showers overnight. Mainly fine and hot tomorrow. Temperatures will range between 27 and 32 degrees. Light to moderate southerly winds. Mainly fine and hot in the following few days.

* * * supposed to be very hot tomorrow.  Will layer in case I need to strip to cool down... 

Lantau Circumnavigation in one day with Dennis

Sunset Peak Hike

Well, it was supposed to be a cross training day on Lantau, starting with a hike on Sunset Peak, then paddle around the island, then hike Lantau Peak after the sea trip.  But Dennis abused his power within our team and cancelled our Saturday hike!!!  I'm so mad!  Anyway, since I plan it to be a cross training with the intention to push myself a hair within my break-point, I think it's appropriate to put the Sunset Peak day hike on the same post.

0715 - met Carol at the NSW ferry pier, ate half a sub on the ferry.

0758 - started hiking Sunset Peak starting from Nam Shan

10:51 - exited into Pak Kung Au

Trip Log

Data: Westerly BF 4-5, * * * VERY HOT weather warning * * * (28-33C), HKO promised shower and squalls which never came.

Tide: (Fri) 2330 1.5m --> ebb --> 0356 1.1m  -->  flood -->  1013 2.2m --> ebb -->  1710 0.6m

0322 愉景灣 

0351  迪士尼

0403 青州仔

0419  岩口石

0430  草灣

0447  汲水門

0502  拐石

0536 - 0550 長索咀  <-- snacks break

Lia saw the first pink dolphin between Siu Ho Wan and the Brothers Islands.

0733 - 0818  東湧 <-- landed to stretch and have breakfast

0911  沙螺灣

0948 深屈灣

1030  寶珠潭  <-- We stopped just before we enter Tai O to admire a white and a pink dolphins, the pink one got closer and closer to us, that's when we realized how little it was.  It's probably a summer calf.

<-- Lia landed on Tai O to pick up water, sports drinks and popsicles 

1104  大街市

1118  牙鷹角  <-- Dennis started sulking ... O.O;;

1133  青林角  <-- Dennis saw more dolphins here, but didn't want to talk to me at the time!

1154- 1205  雞翼角  <-- we stopped here for food

1217 - 1238  分流 <-- we stopped to admire a pod of three pink dolphins and 2 gray ones.  They were so playful and acrobatic, even Dennis had to admit Lantau water is worth paddling.  Dennis got talkative again and asked rhetorically, "why must I torture myself like this??"

1335 - 1401  籮箕灣  <-- landed to play in the surfs, and to stretch a little.

1500  二浪

1553  蝦鬚排

1703  萬角咀

1730  Ｍarina

1756  愉景灣

Gear List for our Aug day trip (70k Lantau)

Gear List for Aug one-day Lantau trip

(A)  just before trip:

• Leave a route plan (Siu Ming)
• Contact info (Siu Ming)
• Arrange Safe-Calls (Siu Ming)
• Buy bread, bottled water (4L)
• Check weather FC + Tide

(B) Both (Personal Gears):

• Spray Skirt 
• Paddle 
• PFD 
• Cell Phone
• Whistle
• Cash, House Key, Octopus
• Partner's phone number and emergency contact number written down on a water-proof piece of paper in case of cellphone failure
• Space Blanket
• SPF lip balm
• Dry clothes
• Dry bag with lanyard
• Cap/ Hat with lanyard
• Sunglasses with lanyard
• headlight
• Insects (mosquito) repellent

(C) Cordelia's List:

• Kayaks ^_^;;;
• Pencil, clipboard
• 1x cup (for bailing)
• 1x sponge (for bailing)
• extra batteries
• paddle leashes x 2
• Tow Lines x 2 (installed onto bow)
• Granola Bars
• M&M's, nuts, cookies
• tubberware for electronics
• napkins
• First Aid Kit (bare minimum!)
• lighter

(D) Dennis's List:

• strobe light
• paddle float
• Map
• Compass
• Emergency Blanket (Orange Color)

Sea to Submit X-Training Plan

Friday 7th Sunset Peak Day Hike

Members: Carol K, Lia

Location: Sunset Peak

Time: Will take the 0715 ferry to Mui Wo and then share a Taxi to the beginning of the trail.

Gears: 4-5L water per person, trainers, phone, sun-protection gears, cash, sandwich for lunch, rain gears, space blanket, whistle, dry clothes

One-Day Lantau Circumnavigation on kayaks, Saturday the 8th:

Members: Dennis, Lia

Location: CCW circumnavigation of Lantau launching from DB

Time: Saturday (8th) 0330 - 1800 

Gears:  C-Strobes x 2, sea chart (navi beacon details), headlight, walkie talkie, loads of extra batteries, towline, 

Notes:

• NB:  In our April attempt, our average speed on Day 1 was 4.9km/hr, and 6.4km/hr on Day 3 (data on day 2 thrown out due to miscommunication and a long detour around the Sokos-garden.)  For this trip, I assume we'll paddle at 6km/hr.
  
• We are adamant about paddling into Tai O, so we need to arrive TO at high tide (it's post full moon again.)   Preferably we'll be in Tai O betwee 0900 and 1300, or around midnight.
• We wouldn't want to cross the airport passage at low tide, because we might run aground.

0330 Launch (DB) 

<- flood tide 

0730 Tung Chung  

<- flood tide

0930 Tai O

* * * half hour break at Tai O * * *

1000 Tai O

<- ebb tide

1130 Fan Lau

<- ebb tide

1430 Sui Pai

1 hr break at Yi Long Wan

1530 Yi Long Wan (against strong tidal race)

<- ebb tide

1800 DB

We hardly get any breaks in this 70km journey ... I wish we could start trailwalker later so that we don't have to be in such a hurry to come back to DB.  The last two to three hours are going to be tough, because we will have to paddle against the full moon rapid ebb tide in a narrow passage.

Nocturnal Trailwalker Team Hike (8th Saturday to 9th Sunday)

Members: Paul, Dennis, Yuki, Lia

Location: Lantau Peak

Time: Sat night 19:30 - ????

Take: 

1900 bus to Tung Chung 

Or 1815 Ferry to Mui Wo

to meet Paul and Yuki for Lantau Peak hike.

lantau SE run under T1 "Goni"

After the initial squall, the sky clears up, sunset near Cheung Chau was beautiful. 

Air was so heavy I could hardly breath.  I also drank too much water too fast before launching, I paddled dizzy with a bad stomach ache for 2 hrs.  Also had to climb onto the stern deck to pee a few times.

Landed on YKW to play with the surfs again, I did a little better this time, but paddle-leash is a "dammed if you do, dammed if you don't" kind of thing.  I kept Kiska leashed today, and when the second surf come crushing down, Martlet flipped again and bounced on the shaft of Kiska.  I righted the boat immediately and dragged both Martlet and Kiska clear off the waterline.  I was worried that Kiska might be damaged and I won't be able to paddle back.  But she seems okay. (it was dark so I couldn't inspect closely.)

Felt better on my way home, because I was paddling against strong but stead headwind and at least I can breath in the "breeze."

0452 DB (T-Squall, head wind, heavy rain, was nearly going backward.) 

??:?? Marina (wind died down a little, air very heavy, very low air pressure.)

0633 Ha So Pai

0637 N. Beacon 177 (strong following wind)

0707 Yi Long Wan (surfs lined both TL and YL)

0741 Yi Long Wan (Very strong, steady headwind.) 

0827 N. Beacon 177 (ditto)

0920 Mui Wo (Strong starboard beamwind.)

0958 Marina 

1017 DB