SHK crew in happier days. 6m, 12 kayak capacity, custom made. And now stolen property
I can’t say I’ve ever met a paddler I didn’t like, it’s such a great community of people sharing a passion for the outdoors. So it is really saddening to hear of the theft of Sydney Harbour Kayaks‘ two custom made kayak trailers. Consider, you can’t really use them for anything other than boats, they are 6 metres long each, and they are custom made and easily recognizable. And yet someone has still seen fit to steal not one, but both of these trailers.
And consider also – whilst SHK uses these for commercial activities, they also support local schools and charities with the delivery and use of their kayaks for community projects and activities. With both trailers stolen, not only are they unable to continue their day to day commercial activities dependant on them, but the local community (and children) now have to go without kayaking activities until they can replace them.
So I’d like to ask our Aussie (and most probably, NSW-based) paddlers to keep an eye out for these trailers and let either myself, the police or Shannon at SHK know if a trailer or two suddenly turn up in your local area. Or, if you may have seen the thefts themselves (Kenneth Road Manly Vale) and can give some information on the thieves, we’d really appreciate it. If you provide information leading to the trailers recovery, we’ll put together a Fat Paddler and Sydney Harbour Kayaks merchandise pack full of goodies for you to say thanks.
Email Fat Paddler: FP [AT] fatpaddler.com
Email Shannon: Shannon [AT] sydneyharbourkayaks.com
Let’s not let thieves get away with this brazen theft. I’m sure between all of us paddlers we can track these down. Happy hunting! – FP
Trailer seen from the front
Tags: stolen trailers, Sydney Harbour Kayaks, theft, trailers
Rock Garden Series by Adanac Paddles
Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking out my new Adanac Paddles for their first trial on Sydney Harbour. This pair of paddles – a full length Greenland paddle and a shorter storm paddle – had been made especially to handle the rough treatment I give my paddles each week.
The quality is immediately apparent, with the paddles feeling thicker and stronger than my other Greenland paddles. The loom on the full length GP is quite different from my other paddles, in that not only is it considerably thicker, the cross-section is more of a round-shouldered square than the oval-shape I’m used to.
Trialling the paddles on Sydney Harbour
The paddles themselves are unshouldered and taper nicely to their tips, which are fashioned from the South American hardwood “Purple Heart”. The Fat Paddler logo has been etched into the tips for that personalised touch, but the tips are not there for looks alone. This became quite clear when I smashed the paddles into an oyster bed in the Harbour without leaving so much as a scratch. These babies are designed for tough work!
In terms of paddling, I initially found a bit of flutter, as my hand got used to the different loom cross-section (the oval looms orient your hands in the perfect position – the square looms need a little more skill in terms of paddle cant). However, it wasn’t long before I found the right position and rhythm and my fellow paddlers started to comment at how well the paddles seemed to be working.
Switching to the storm paddle was a real treat in itself. I like to use a sliding stroke with my full length GPs so the action required for the storm paddle was easy enough. But with the shorter storm paddle, the sliding stroke becomes even smoother, and to my fellow paddlers dismay, I found myself moving along even faster than with the full paddle!
Lastly, the end of the paddle came with a 15 knot head-wind, which made perfect conditions for testing the storm paddle in a blow. The idea of the shorter paddle is to not offer the blade out of the water any chance to catch the wind , reducing drag and making the stroke easier. And undoubtedly the storm did just that – it was easy to swing in the wind meaning far less energy expended.
The shorter storm-paddle fits nicely on deck as a spare
At the end of the day I was incredibly happy with these paddles. They are beautiful yet tough & effective – what more could a Fat paddler ask for!? Cheers – FP
Huge fun in a rare waterfall off the Roseville Bridge
It’s funny how some of the best paddling days start off with low expectations. With Sydney being deluged with water and hit by waves of big blowy storms, I really didn’t expect much from the day’s paddle other than a hard slog into chop and wind, but needed to get out and test the new “Rock Garden Series” by Adanac Paddles. Luckily on arrival at The Spit we were at least greeted with glassy conditions across the murky stirred-up water.
With half of Team Fat Paddler unable to make the day’s paddle, I hooked up with Alan Jones and Tim Kennings for a run up to the Roseville Bridge. But as we took off up into Middle Harbour, we were met with a floating raft of debris washed into the Harbour from the flooding rains, that stretched as far as the eye could see.
Debris packing the surface of Middle Harbour tangling our kayaks
Cutting through the debris proved annoying, although it did yield a treasure trove of tennis balls, which we promptly scooped up to throw at each as we made our way through the mess. Like ice-breakers in Antarctica, we smashed our way through, only needing to reverse back out of tangled timber on a few occassions.
Once in Bantry Bay we met the Coffee Boat for a quick coffee in the pouring rain, before making our way west to the Roseville Bridge. As we travelled, we started to discover waterfalls gushing through the hills and into the Harbour, which we promptly paddled over to for closer inspection. These falls were beautiful, slicing through the hills and amongst the trees, but I was bummed that I couldn’t get a decent shot from the kayaks. Still, we photographed a few as we went.
Rushing water and oyster beds
More rushing water
Waterfalls hidden in the green bushland, seen from the oyster beds
Once we turned the corner into the Roseville marina area, we could see the Roseville bridge a kilometre in the distance and could just make out a series of waterfalls cascading off the bridge, with one big central waterfall in the bridge’s centre. Alan immediately joked that he was going through it, despite our protests that the water would be dirty from the bridge above. We all paddled down to the Bridge to get a good position to see Alan go through, but seeing him laughing wildly as he ducked under the rushing water like the Solo Man, we all decided to get in on the fun.
Alan's first run through the waterfall
Timbo follows with a dash under the shower
Fat Paddler wants a turn with his new Adanac Paddles!
Alan runs through again, giving us his best "Solo Man" impression
This day of ordinary weather was turning into a heap of fun, as we mucked about in the waterfalls laughing and giggling like kids. Of course we needed to get Alan’s hire boat back to Sydney Harbour Kayaks before it got too late, so we turned around and made our way back through the debris to The Spit.
The Adanac paddles proved brilliant (full review coming soon) and the day proved that no matter how gray the weather may look, when you’re paddling with friends there’s always a heap of good times to be had. Get out there, get wet and have fun! Cheers – FP
More fun that Disneyland!
Tags: adanac paddles, kayaks, paddling fun, waterfalls
Rock Garden Series by Adanac Paddles
After a week in snowy Chicago (brrr!), I’ve finally arrived back home in Sydney, with my new custom made Adanac Paddles. I’ve had these for a week but hadn’t opened them properly until tonight, to get my first close look at them. And I must say, my first impressions are pretty good!
Travel tube, and Adanac paddles in their booties
Full-length and storm-length Greenland paddles
The initial thing I noticed was the incredible rich smell, no doubt owing to whatever secret treatment paddle-maker Jill Ellis has used to finish them off. The smell is mesmerising, as is the beauty of the matching paddles.
Then I noticed the pimped tips – Purple-Heart tips (an extremely hardy Sth American hardwood) with the Fat Paddler logo carved into them.
Pimped paddle tips!
The loom on these paddles is very different from my Aussie-made Greenland-style paddles, which tend to have a fairly small oval-shaped cross section. This feels lovely in the hand but may be a little weak. These Adanac Paddles however have a thick squared-off cross section with rounded corners and feel incredibly sturdy in the hand. I can’t wait to get them in the water tomorrow.
Paddles and paddle booties
Completed with a pair of “paddle booties”, this is the ultimate package for a rough paddle-abuser like myself. Called the “Rock Garden Series”, this new product set from Adanac Paddles looks to be the goods. Can’t wait to test them out whilst kayaking tomorrow! Cheers – FP
Tags: Adanac Greenland paddles, adanac paddles, greenland paddle, Jill Ellis
What a terrible spot to paddle! Bora Bora, South Pacific
Over dinner tonight Mark, a Chicago-based colleague of mine, mentioned to me that I’d inspired him to go paddling during a recent family vacation to the French island of Bora Bora in the South Pacific. He couldn’t talk highly enough about Bora Bora itself, the amazing snorkling he did with reef sharks and stingrays, and of course the paddling he got up to.
Bora Bora - a Pacific paradise!
Now I haven’t met anyone in Chicago who’s actually been kayaking, so this was great to hear. And by the sounds of it, Mark had numerous great paddles on the clear waters of this tropical paradise. So yet again, I have another paddling spot on my list of places to paddle – thanks Mark! Cheers – FP
The view from Mark's kayak at Bora Bora
Tags: Bora Bora
