We cleverly picked two Fire Ant TKs from the boatshed cos they were such pretty colours—I took a pink one while Eddie took the red—without reading this sign first:
(Specific words we should've taken note of : UNSTABLE, FRAGILE, and FOR EXPERIENCED FLATWATER PADDLERS!!!)
These TKs were narrower and so much lighter than the ones we normally use, but it didn't really occur to us that this would have its consequences...
It didn't take long before we realized that aesthetics was a price not worth paying for. As soon as I got onto my little pink floating slipper, I immediately panicked because it felt like tipping over. I couldn't control it at all! And then, to make matters worse, a CityCat roared past and big treacherous waves started rolling in.
Which was when I heard a big *SPLOOOOOOOOSH* and I knew Eddie had capsized. He was yelling at me to come back and help him cos he couldn't get out of the water and his yak was sinking, but I was drifting off and struggling so hard to keep my balance I could not even turn my head around to look at him.
So I grit my teeth and clenched my paddle as I bobbed along with the precarious swells from the CityCat, fervently praying that I wouldn't hit the rocky bank and capsize too.
As soon as the waves passed, I painstakingly manouvered my wobbly yak around and fought my way against the current towards the jetty. My heart was racing at 1000000 beats/second as I reached out and grabbed onto the pontoon and held on for dear life. Thankfully, Eddie had already (somehow) managed to hoist himself and his yak up; he helped me up too and flipped his flooded yak on its side to drain.
I wasn't getting into my Fire Ant again. No way. It was time to change boats.
We were lugging my pink yak up the ramp back to the boatshed when *SPLASH*.. we looked down and to our horror, saw the red FireAnt drifting merrily away from the jetty. We dropped the pink yak and bolted back down the ramp at lighting speed, but we were too late- The boat was already beyond reach. I was about to dive in when I heard Eddie yell at me not to. Seconds later, he was in the water again, towing the yak back to the jetty.
FULL ON DRAMA, can.
After cleaning the TKs and sticking them back into the boatshed, we decided we'd stick to our sea kayaks. This time I didn't complain about how heavy they were; I now know that I would choose these big sturdy yaks anytime over those light skinny ones that tried to drown us! NEVER AGAIN!!
It wasn't over yet.
My pedals had to be adjusted. It took Eddie nearly half an hour to undo and re-tie all the knots on the cord connected to the rudder. Then on the water, one of the knots slipped!!! My boat kept spinning to the left and I almost died trying to get it straight.
Eddie got behind me and propped my rudder up. It made life a lot easier, but it was still extremely strenuous fighting the outgoing tide without a rudder as we were heading upstream.
I was so exhausted, my left arm was falling off and I almost gave up.
We had to park at someone's jetty so that Eddie could have another attempt at my rudder.
And so I had some time to whip out my camera and take pictures lalala...
After about five or ten minutes, the darling had fixed my rudder! OH the RELIEF of finally having my boat go where I want it to go was UNBELIEVABLE :D
:) We paddled on and decided to turn back at the Eleanor Schonell Bridge.
A bit of trivia about this bridge: "The Eleanor Schonell Bridge, also known as the Green Bridge... is the first bridge in Australia exclusively designed for buses, cyclists and pedestrians, as well as the first public transport bridge built in Australia since the early 1900s."
(- Wikipedia)
Also, barely three months ago, some drunk UQ student had jumped off the bridge and killed himself because he wanted to be on YouTube -____________-"
Going in the opposite direction was such a breeze because we just relaxed and drifted along with the tide instead of fighting it.
UQ CityCat stop from the river...
Okay blogged too much, time to eat. Eddie has cooked kangaroo roast for dinner YUM.
Possibly going fishing tonight too, excitingness ! :D
