Progress Report 10/31/07 Wednesday - updated by Freya 04.11.07

Progress Report 10/30/07 Tuesday - updated by Freya 04.11.07

 

 

 

Satellite message from Freya Tuesday 30.10.07:
42.26 173.41 Kaikoura South Beach 12.5hrs 70km no break dead calm fighting only my aching body with closed eyes paddel, plenty seals & dolphins on a sunny day.

 

Forecast by Karel Vissel:
Tues mrng nw 4bft noon nw 3bft aft nw 3bft seas 1.60 to 1.20 mtr from se

Progress Report 10/29/07 Monday - updated by Freya 04.11.07

Satellite Messages Received from Freya Today, Monday 29.10.07:

Message 1: Rounded the Cape in rough conditions landed to find a way to launch without this f*&%^% skeg becoming stuck and climbing out in rough seas

Message 2: 41.55 174.06 35km only skeg problem wore me a bit, but rope trick works now ugly dumping stuff to launch tomorrow dolphin played with me

Progress Report 10/28/07 Sunday - updated by Freya 28.10.+ 04.11.07

Updated weather from Karel Vissel:
Mon mrng nw 4bft noon nw 3bft aft nw 4 bft seas 1.90 mrng south of cape campell seas 2.90mtr from s and se
Tues mrng nw 4bft noon nw 3bft aft nw 3bft seas 1.60 to 1.20 mtr from se

Progress Report 10/27/07 Saturday - updated by Freya 28.10.07

Forecasted weather from Karel Vissel:
Sat mrng s 4bft noon s 4 to5 bft aft s 4 to5bft seas 2.90mtr from se
Sun mrng s 3bft noon e 2bft aft e 2 to3bft seas going down to 2mtr from se dir
mon tru thu looks good nw winds 3bft seas around 1mtr

Satellite text message from Freya 10/27/07:
It’s going to be a rest day which I don’t mind…I feel good, have pumped up shoulders like bodybuilder :-))

Progress Report 10/26/07 Friday - updated by Freya 27.10.07

Satellite text message from Freya 10/26/07: (Updated by Freya 27.10.07)

S41.12 E174.18 Okukari Bay near entrance of Tory Channel. Started paddling 7.40 am, smoking catabatic SW following winds off French Pass/ Admirality Bay, pretty rough stuff! Tide was turnig to follow at 8.30am that day.

Not much "real" surfing, as the boat is heavy and I wanted to save energy for the day. On passing an oil platform halfway to Clay point, the workers on deck probably guessed what is that crazy lonely kayaker doing out there…

Freya is on her way!

 

Freya has started her circumnaviation of the South Island of New Zealand.

 

I’ll provide some of the satellite phone text messages received from Freya during her travels, to keep you informed of her progress.

 

Thanks, Greg! I am missing you on this trip…but I will do my way solo this time. We had a good time around Iceland! Freya

 

 

 

 

 

Karel Vissel, who provided weather tracking during our Iceland trip, will be helping Freya with weather information and forecasts for her New Zealand trek.

 

 

Thanks, Karel!!! Good job already in Iceland, looking forward to work with you in these treacherous waters ! Freya

 

Recovering at Paul Caffyn’s house

Paul Caffyn, myself, Paul’s trip partner for Greenland,Conrad, and Greg Stamer on Paul’s lecture in Reijkjavik/Iceland, one day before Greg and I finished our Iceland circumnavigation

 

My shoulder and therefore the spirit to get going is getting better day by day, but the weather isn’t quite following up…last night Paul’s house was shaking in a gale to the ground, and down in the South of the Island houses roofs were flying off.

 

 

The view of the surf through Paul’s window got quite impressive, but you don’t want to be out there at the West Coast right now…at least it was somehow modest the first two hours of my arrival :-), but the next front arrived quickly.

 

 

I spent my time looking with Paul at maps, contctas, gear and books, and he gave me lots of good ideas what to do in which corner of the island.

 

 

I decided to give it an early start as soon as possible anyway (maybe Thursday looks reasonable for some days…), as once I’m recovered I just don’t want to be sittin’ there and waiting for better and best times…then I shouldn’t have flewn in that early. But I took my available time window and my chance…

 

 

This means I probably won’t put in an impressive overall time around the island, not to speak about a great daily average km, as sometimes you might only be able to paddle for a few hours a day and then have to take a break again for days…patience is required.

 

But as that wasn’t the goal of this trip, who cares. Last Icelandic summer conditions are far away…this here won’t be a picnic anyway, earlier or later. So let’s just take it in small bites and just start swallowing early :-))

Btw., Justine Curgenven and Barry Shaw, who will give it a go around the South Island, too, starting next January, have put up a professional website about the trip, talking about recent and upcoming expeditions as well as about what kind of conditions probably to expect. Please have a look at http://www.cackletv.com/new-zealand.html

I’m in New Zealand!

Ok, I’m here.

33 exhausting hrs of a quiet flight, but two hours before I touched base with NZ territory in Auckland first, I was grounded already for some days… :-((

Two more last minute sponsors

Thanks to Thomas Lindner from Aquaman Deutschland to help me on my New Zealand trip with his famous waterproof Aquapack-cases for my GPS, mobile phone, camera, PDA, VHF, Sat-phone and maps and charts - let’s stay dry - at least with those precious items! I’ll be happy to write after my trip about how they held up in those tough conditions.