Back view of expedition newbie Elke with no turning back for her - not that she’s got much choice on this matter in this situation …
“Huey was delusional (still is) - and the rest of us were just plain stupid!”
FH2o laments in his blog … not!
I suspect that Huey is worried that instead of me doing him some bodily harm that I may instead choose to ‘demonize’ him in my blog; and that’s why he beats me to the punch quickly with his version of our ‘night paddling experience’! I am kidding. Taking on the thankless task of being our expedition leader we were in a sense putting on lives in his hand - leaving him to work out and plan the expedition routes and making the decisions with regards to our daily paddling distance, etc. I had paddled with Huey before together with JB on our Chiangmai Ping River Expedition and we trusted him implicitly although at times we doubt the state of our mental health.
“Do you know where the frankfurt are we heading?”, Chan asks Halim a nonsensical question in the middle of the lake in the midst of an approaching storm.
Even in the middle of the lake feeling wobbling from being bounced about by the waves in my lovely but delicate Cooper (and wondering which of the aluminum tubings would have been detached itself from the crossframes or ribs if I had forgotten to cable tie them down - Folbot are you listening?), blinded by the driving rain (we couldn’t really see in the pitch darkness anyway but the light sticks) and sitting on 2 or more inches of water swooshing about inside your folding kayak; and physically exhausted from not only trying to keep my balance but my kayak on course from the quartering waves after an entire day of paddling - I was at no time in any doubt that we would all make it across the lake and onto dry land that night. I just knew. And we did.
After 15hours of paddling - exhausted but elated at reaching Muara at last. Mindy, Lee Ali & Melvyn start searching for their dry gear and sanity. 21st March 2008
Here are Huey’s lucid accounts of our first night out on the lake in the middle of a storm which looking back now was the ‘highlight’ of our trip. I know - we are insane!
3. Muara
Note: All photos in this post are stolen from Huey’s blog - he deserves a greater punishment than this.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
spare me francis!
Really, I was amazed how a 50+ year old like you could endured it that day. It was one of the worst storms I had ever been in. It was dark and cold.
Your regular excercise and good health helps a lot. I don’t do as regular as you, and I am feeling a lot and slow to recover.
All I can say is WHOAAA! I would freak out, definitely especially in an unknown territory…er…full of water. I remembered one time many years ago I got lost in the jungle for almost four hours because the Penan had left me behind. That was scary and it was at night.
And of course, I absolutely love the photo at the top! It’s like everyone just froze, staring at the impending storm and silently mumble “Oooh…shiiiiiiiit..”
Glad that you’ll made it. 15 hours of paddling? You’re definitely on steroid lah, my friend…
Yes, Folbot is listening! Great blog… what a trip.
I saw your concern about the longerons coming out of the cross frames. Once the frame is in the skin, they should not come out of the frame — whether or not the longerons are strapped down. The velcro straps (or other ties that you may have added) just ensure that they stay in the cross frames during assembly. The skin itself holds them in place after that. If your experience is different, I would love to know.
Happy paddling.
David AvRutick
President, Folbot
How I wish I can experience kayaking too ONLY if I know how to swim…
fullmoon - Hey! Mel is a decade older than Geoff and me and he sets the pace! As long as you take reasonable care of yourself; its amazing what the human body is capable of. But as is with most thing - the demands are more mental than physically. Positive mindset and thinking helps too. So in the end it boils down to mind, body and spirit. It does.
langkau fiction - fear is a state of mind but at that moment I was so focussed on staying upright and on course to be fearful or thinking of anything else! Talk about living in the moment - we were on edge.
David AvRutik - Wow, Folbot is indeed listening! Most impressive and thanks.
I discovered that I lost a half-moon clip from the No.2 rib when I came back. During the trip the top longeron at the stern that connects to the aluminum washboards came off repeatedly and was cable tied. The two side longerons also came off from the smallest rib (crossframe) at the stern. I have ordered the stern stiffening kit from Wanda and awaiting her quote on the shipping to Malaysia. She has also kindly agreed to send me the half-moon clip (with bolt and nut) as well as the replacement for the bow bungee cord. Thanks Wanda!
It’s not everyday that a customer gets a reply from the President of a company. Appreciate that you take your customer’s feedback seriously.
Eileen - Anyone can experience the joys and pleasures of kayaking. Start on still sheltered water and start on the swimming lessons at the same time! A new world awaits you.
When I click on your RSS feed it looks like a ton of strange characters, is the issue on my reader?