QSKC Australia Day Paddle - On Water

Some photos taken from the QSKC Australia Day Paddle - on the water.

QSKC - Australia Day Off Water Photos

The following photos were taken at the QSKC Australia Day Paddle (pre-paddle).  It was great to see so many people in attendance and thanks to the volunteers who made the day possible.

Peel Island Mangroves

After a few days of rain, I was keen to get out of the house and on the water.  With a neap high tide just after lunch, we took off at 12:30 pm to paddle around Peel Island and explore the mangroves on the northern side of the island.

The wind was light with around 15 knots of SSE wind, dropping off later in the afternoon.  The wind kept conditions relatively cool, or at least the humidity down.  The mangroves were teaming with fish and the usual predators shooting through the shadows, including one large shovel nose shark which we disturbed finding our way through the mangroves to short-cut out way out to the eastern side of the island.

We stopped off at Platypus Bay which was supposedly booked out on the Australia Day long weekend but not a tent in site - obviously the rain keeping people indoors!

The following are some photos of the quarantine station ruins on the South-Eastern corner of Peel Island.

The tide was still up so I couldn't get around the rocks to Horseshoe Bay, but I took a couple of shots of the sandstone sculptures on the Platypus Bay side.

A pleasant way to spend a summer afternoon!

Smart Track Rudder Fixing

Fixing the Smart Track Rudder system was as simple as destroying it!  One of the benefits of this system from my perspective is that you can easily replace the various components that make up the assembly.

I rang up Rob from Expedition Kayaks last weekend and explained that I had destroyed my current housing and by Monday, Mark had the replacement kit on the way and in my hands by the end of the week.

The kit itself doesn't contain a rudder or the spring which is the fundamental piece in the jigsaw puzzle, but for just over $100 AU, this kit would be worth while tucking away in your toolbox for longer trips.

The whole rudder assembly is held on by a single pin which is very simple to detach.  All the major components are held on by split pins or equivalent and you don't need a degree in engineering to workout what goes where and how to replace it.  A small pair of pliers would be useful.

This piece is critical for your repair kit.  It is the spring which fits inside the rudder and is under tension at all times.  Some duct tape or  a zip tie would get you out of trouble if you broke one of these on an expedition - but they weigh nothing and would make life a lot easier if you had a replacement on hand!

Rudder installed and ready to go for an afternoon paddle.  I shouldn't forget to mention my shed helper who likes to stick her nose in to see what I am up to whenever I am working in the shed.