70km of darkness, sunrise, and sunset (with Sam)

2302 愉景灣 

2328  迪士尼

2345 青州仔

0004  岩口石

0019  汲水門

0030  拐石

0108  長索咀  * * * took a long break, drifted half way back to Kwai Shek by 0127, made it back to 長索咀 by 0135

0324  東湧 green buoy ... held onto the buoy with my towline to prevent drift and rested until 0358

0428 東湧<-- landed to stretch and eat ... got very cold x_x  launched again at 0532

???  沙螺灣 * * * sunrise shortly after we left SLW

0745- 0858  Tai O  <--had breakfast and replenished  our sport drinks supply

0925  牙鷹角  * * * stopped for a long time to wash off the slime we picked up in Tai O

0945  青林角  

0959- 1008  雞翼角  <-- we stopped here for our final break before Lo Kei Wan

????  分流 

1200 - 1635  籮箕灣  <-- landed to sleep... z z zzzz

1821 - 1830  二浪  Drifted back rapidly as we stopped to bail water @_@

1918 Nav Beacon 177

1924  蝦鬚排

1955  萬角咀

2059-2110  愉景灣 * * * I lost Sam as I entered the "pincher" of DB O_O  Good thing I am not a coach, I do have a habit of coming back with one less kayak, or one less paddler... @_@

We were sitting for so long, my but seriously ached by the time I reached Nav Beacon 177.  Also took me a long time to get into a comfortable cadence, but once I get it going, I feel like I can paddle forever.

The one thing I'm majorly impressed with is my cache memory ...  I don't believe it, but I forgot to bring a pencil and a clipboard, so I had to memorize our arrival times at each of the checkpoints, and I have to say, I didn't do too badly (despite being so sleep-deprived yesterday.)  Can't remember what time we arrived Sha Lo Wan and DB Marina though.

The biggest challenge for me this time is lack of sleep, as opposed to the brazen    sunshine in August (we slept through the hottest hours: 1200-1630).  Meant to get some sleep before we depart in the afternoon, but I had to clean up Taurus (another ant infestation, this time in the front hatch, which is nearly impossible to clean out), and I hardly get any sleep on Thursday night. 

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.