2011 - the year for Rescues

Carnage on the Mulgrave

A few weekends ago, a crew of unknowns hired the Adventure Equipment Boats, 4 canoes, 2 sit-on-tops, and the 2 Bass kayaks. Staff at Adventure Equipment understood that the trip leader was fairly equipped in knowledge about river travel. Unfortunately, this leader did not have the adequate skills to take people on the watercourse of where heand their crew should have been.

The watercourse was the top track of the Mulgrave. Unfortunately, the river level was at maximum....of which the S-Teem crew would not even take canoes. To make matters worse, he had a couple of 4-5 year old kids with them.

To make matters EVEN worse, he supposedly accessed a locked gate. The gate at Arnolds was locked by QPWS Staff earlier during flood and cyclone clean-ups.

The end result ????? Wrapped canoes and people in the water at dangerous places such as the culverts at Arnolds Bridge. Lucky in this case , no one lost their lives. However, 2 canoes and 4 paddles were lost.

A week later, the S-Teem crew offered their services to search for and recover the lost Canoes and equipment. We had accessed a key from the QPWS Rangers. It was interesting to note, that when we were accessing the lock, we were told of a couple of unknown 4WD vehicles accessed the gate with an illegal key. The crew had set about "Operation Ham and Lettuce Wrap".


Joining us for the first time was very competant kayakers, Gunny and Craig. These guys are part of the gun crew that paddle high water.


Gunny had the recovery gear in his arsenal.


He also looked after Mobbsy , who after a 2 year absence, had resumed her love of kayaking. As a matter of course, Mobbsy was rusty and showed first up on the S-Bend Rapid. However, all been good, she survived and we continued on our way. The other rusty beginner was Beefy. Although....he had paddled really well throughout the day.

So whilst the search went on and on throughout the morning, it was evident that the crew was also out for an enjoyable paddle. So it cames as a surprise that a rock we had always surpassed and paddled by unknowingly, Gunny and Craig illuminated our thinking towards updating skils for seal launching.


Seal Launching is a skill to "launch" off a height above the water....whether it be a ledge, a bridge, or creekbank.



Gunny had asked for a couple of volunteers and of course, the two resident crazies stepped forward.....Adro and Tarzan.

Both had successful seal launches.





Although, Adro , when he had plunged into the cool waters, proceeded to come straight back the way he entered.

Both had completed the launch successful pulling off a combat role to the applause of the rest of the crew.

All ready to go for a swim at the Eddy Trap, crew had spied the first of the canoes . It was wrapped on the prominent formation at the top tier of the Waterfall rapid.

Gunny assumed command and got about the recovery operation.

The boat was well and trully wrapped. A wrapped canoe is where the canoe comes in flat contact with a rock or obstacle with the cockpit open up-river. The force of the water then holds the boat in place and "wrapping" around the obstacle, sometimes breaking it's back.

Boats do become wrapped around obstacles with the cockpit facing downriver and these are easier to dislodge.

Craig and Adro had gone out to inspect and find out the best angle for leverage of the rock.

Ropes and Pully systems were put into place. Crew were placed in various locations for situation changes.

Once the boat was levered succesfully off the rock, we transported the boat to a stable platform to hopefully be able to push the dents out of the hull. The hull seemed to be intact and no cracks appeared. Thank god for plastic.

The boat then was refloated and Gunny used his cowtail hitch to tow the boat downriver. He would be the best qualified to do such a manouvre. We still had one major rapid to go through until our exit point at Arnold's bridge.

Once the crew was successfully eddyed out at Arnolds Bridge, the canoe was secured in a safe spot, to allow the rest of the crew to have a bit more fun paddling through the Shark's Tooth. This was another fantastic level for paddling this Grade 2+ rapid.

All in all, the crew had a great day.....1 out of the 2 canoes was recovered, along with three paddles and a PFD. A successful day.

Remember, when paddling the fabulous watercourses of this great country of ours, please do not leave anything behind other than a ripple in the water, and footprints in the sand, and do not take anything away except for photographs and memories.

Blue Skies

Flounder



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