The alarm went off at 6am. The day we had been waiting and training for, for so long had finally arrived. After a rushed breakfast and a few last minute alterations to the kayak we set off to Wilsons Prom to begin what was to potentially be the most challenging and difficult couple of weeks of our lives.
We arrived at Wilsons Prom at about 10:30. We pulled into the carpark and met Nick and his family who had come to wave us off and wish us well. The weather for our 1st day of paddling was looking good with the sun shining and blue skies.With the tide a long way out, we were able to drive the cars along the beach right out to the mouth of the river. This was a huge advantage as neither of us particularly fancied dragging the fully laden kayak along the beach.
After a lengthy photo shoot and the final goodbyes, the trip was underway. It was just after 11am that we negotiated our way out through the breakers at Tidal River. I turned around to wave goodbye to the small group of family and friends that had assembled on the beach to wish us well and realised that the hole we had cut in the kayak for the bilge pump was taking on water. This was to be the first of many problems we would encounter throughout the day. The added weight of the fully packed kayak meant that we were sitting very low in the water and taking on board. Nick suggested that whilst we would probably make it to Refuge Cove, the leaking boat would need to be addressed before our first extended open water crossing to Hogan Island.
When we dropped the rudder, we realised that our problems had only just begun. The attempted fix to the rear foot pedal the night before had caused the rudder to jam and the boat to veer left. At length we discussed the possibility of returning to the beach to address the rudder and bilge pump, but concern about the ridicule, humiliation and the accusations of lack of preparedness got the better of us.
We pressed on into a mild headwind, but as went round the point, the wind shifted and we enjoyed a temporary tail wind. The sail went up and for a short while, we made good progress. When the wind picked up the sail collapsed. A poorly tied stay rope had given way under the increasing winds. A need to constantly correct the kayak as it veered left made the going difficult and without the added pace enjoyed by the sail, progress was slow. With the distribution of weight towards the back of the boat, Nick was now sitting in a good two inches of water. The water around the lighthouse resembled a washing machine as the waves refracted off the rocks - adding to our list of concerns. However, with less than an hour to paddle however, the end was in sight.Even though this leg of the journey had been done before as part of the countless hours spent on the water in training for the crossing, it was with tremendous relief that we pulled onto the beach at Refuge Cove just before 4pm. Nick wound in the fishing line that had been trawled behind since we left Tidal River only to find a reasonably sized Barracuda on the end. Who knows how long it had been on there. After a quick assessment of the state of the boat and the realisation that one of our water bladders had burst, later to be attributed to a poorly placed fishing hook, the fish was cleaned and filleted and we prepared for dinner.
The rudder, sail and bilge pump were fixed without any major issues as we turned to see a flock of albatross (Diomeda Cauta) enjoying last of the bite size pieces of seasoned barracuda. The pasta just wasn’t the same, especially when eaten with hands due to an oversight in packing cutlery. Determined to catch a fish, Nick spent the next two and a half hours trying in vane to bring in the big one. With the next three days forecasting fleeting heavy rain and strong winds, tired and exhausted, we retired to bed. We were to be here for three days.