Youtube Channel

I've made a Youtube channel Anne Grace because videos uploaded are viewable on iPhones/iPads, unlike embedded ones in Blogger.

My latest ones are 

• Rolling Practice at the Pool 
• Down wind Run on the Derwent

"Circumnavigation" of The Nut, Stanley.

"Circumnavigation" of The Nut, Stanley, Tasmania.

Video of Trip

The weather on the BOM was perfect so we checked out Google Maps and decided to paddle around The Nut. Now this isn't actually an island, but if you include the jog across the isthmus from the

parked car, then it was decided that it was a circumnavigation.

The afternoon before had a half moon on the Legend and the Force - all looking good!

An evening reconnaissance of the area showed a good entry point at Western Inlet,

and a motivating view of The Nut at the Eastern Inlet exit point. 

A quick visit into Stanley, itself and then to Smithton to stay the night at Tall Timbers. 

On the road by 7 am so that we could use the outgoing tide, before it exposed the sand flats and made our journey head further out to Robbins Island (well nearly anyway.)

Unloaded the kayaks and gear at Western Inlet, drove the car across to the Eastern, and got there just as the sun was rising. How stunning - got me pretty pumped for the jog back, especially as the tide was well on its way out. 

An overcast start with a bit of drizzle, but so calm and mild for winter; just perfect!

And then 360 degrees of The Nut as the sun came out!

Great rock formations and a few sea caves. The Nut is the remains of an ancient volcanic plug http://www.discovertasmania.com 

Some rock fisherman explained that the water was murky this side because of all the fresh water

coming out of the Black River after lots of recent rain. 

Lunch at Stanley. 

And then finish off around The Nut itself, and across the bay to the Eastern Inlet where the tide was still coming in, and there was just enough water to weave our way through a channel to near the cars. 

Randall's Bay to Arch Rock Return

Video Footage

The Lake St Claire club trip was canceled because of bad weather, so we headed south and did a short day trip, Randall's Bay to Arch Rock return.

How stunning was the water; despite the cold our winters can produce amazing conditions (no sea breeze!)

Can't view my videos?

If you are using iPhone 5 or iPad then the safari browser won't support flash (which is what Blogger has). So you probably can only view my pics but not play the videos. To view the videos you might like to download the free app, Puffin Web Browser. 

For more info 

http://forums.imore.com/iphone-5/242988-how-run-flash-player-iphone-5-video.html

NB when viewing the blog through Puffin Browser, make sure you select "view web version" otherwise the videos still won't play. 

Kayak Sault Re-entry

A Rolling Legend

Rolling a Nigel Foster Legend kayak. 

Tassie Tiger

Club paddle from Little Swanport to Mayfield Jetty return, 29th June, 2013.

Little Swanport boat ramp.

Seaford behind.

Leaving Little Swanport River.

Tassie Tiger watching us lunching on the beach, hoping to catch her own lunch.

She prowled around the old jetty. 

Evading the tiger, we launched back to sea. 

Trash or Treasure

A short paddle, in the middle of winter, to a great place to fossick - "China Bay" - part of Mortimer Bay. Lots of broken glass and pottery pieces from old Wapping, Hobart Town. In 1890 a fire burnt many of the homes and apparently the place was bulldozed and the debris put on barges and taken down the Derwent River and dumped at "China Bay". 

The beach has worn pieces of glass and pottery, but the bulk of it sits up in the paddocks behind. People have dug holes you can stand in to excavate for "treasure". The land owner isn't apparently keen for people to dig up his land so access is really only by beach (kayak).  Probably most useful for art work because it is quite unlikely to find anything in tact. 

Always the odd interesting item that reminds us of yesteryear - Cold Cream! 

Left from beach at end of Rifle Range Road- lol@low tide- a bit of walking kayak out to deeper water!  Stunning but cold day!

Scenery Snippets Swansea to Little Swanport

Some very brief snippets, of the shoreline from a paddle, Swansea to Little Swanport (maybe about 24 km). Easy paddle with the wind on our back and a very small following sea.

Inukshuk

Paddled from Swansea to Littleswanport. Stopped at Spikey Bridge where there are some great little rock statues. I wonder if they were inspired by Inuit inukshuks such as described by Nigel Foster http://bit.ly/16VibgG 

Rolling up the same side went down

Wondering when this skill might be useful? Maybe when doing a bow rudder and capsize? Maybe when doing side sculling and lose balance?

220cm Werner Camano paddle

I normally paddle with a Cyprus 205cm but tried my old, long 220cm Camano.

Zen of Gel Coat

Watched lots of Youtube videos and went shopping for the gear!

Selected a spot to trial.

This is what it ended up like; needed more black pigment to make it darker, remember to NOT let gel coat go over the masking tape edges, not paste the gel coat on too thickly, and start with the finer sandpaper much earlier.

Zen of Kayak Maintenance

Put reflective tape along the sides.

Then tried heavy duty velcro to get the hand pump off the deck; will see how this goes on my next trip.

2013 New Year Wish