Hi Dawid and Nikki,

Just want to thank you for lending me the surfski school Synergy for the race on Sunday. It was great to get back in a boat! Like getting back in the saddle.

I showed you my life jacket...here is my silly story that my friend's got some great amusement!



I woke up on Friday, 23rd Oct 09 intending to have a wicked day. I had taken leave to see a very good friend who was immigrating to Sydney. So I headed up to Plett. The aim for the day was a morning paddle followed by a discounted round of golf at Simola. TGIF.

Instead Walsh got caught coming in on a big set off Lookout Beach. A quick goof in the break zone and I did the straddle getting back into my boat. That's when the life jacket got caught on the downstay that holds the cable in cockpit of the ski. Needless to say, I was rolling with the boat in the surf trying to free my life jacket. Got unhooked but the process ripped my dry bag out that held my dry bag with car keys....Ski got washed into shore and snapped the back deck properly....Walsh spent 25mins doggy paddling / breast stroke onto the beach in full view of the Deck against the rip of the Keurbooms. To add insult to injury, NSRI rocked up as I was dragging my boat back up the beach....

*So no car keys - the replacements needed to come from Joburg if they had stock or France....21 working days
*No Simola golf.
*Needed 2 locksmiths to break into the car. 1st guy was no good and hence needed another locksmith to be called out from Knysna!
*Needed to tow the car to George. Not cheap like the budgie.
*Needed to hire a car to drive to Cape Town. No budgies here either.
*Needed to ask Albert at Knysna Racing Kayaks to look at my craft. At first he said no, but then to his regret he said yes, he could fix it. 3 full days later with 4 staff...
*Needed to courier the ski back to Cape Town.

Not pretty.

To add salt to the wounds, whilst waiting for the locksmiths to try and break into the car, the surf cleared up at Lookout and was the most perfect clean consistent swell....

Plus points:

*improved my doggy paddling skills
*will reduce my carbon footprint when I cycle round Cape Town for the next week waiting for my car
*fame in Flashback's: being recognised by the NSRI team and having beer bought for me
*Renault Megane's are tough to steal

The moral of the story: Do not take leave! Respect the ocean.

Thanks again,

James Walsh