Sea Kayak Townsville

Yanks Jetty is the name given to a floating pontoon positioned approximately 2km from the southern tip of Orpheus Island.   This area was the original site of an American WW2 Degaussing (demagnetising) Station for allied ships and submarines, hence the name.  It is located approximately 20.5 km from the Forrest  Beach Boat Ramp and has the following GPS coordinates  S18 39 04.2 E146 29 12.0  Google Maps Link. The pontoon consists of a 18 x 9 metre platform with an attached gangway connecting it to the beach.  There is a centrally shaded area containing several picnic tables and a snorkeling platform with easy access ladders.  The entire structure is moored approximately 55m from the shoreline on the edge of the surrounding reef.   There is a National Parks Camp Site located approximately 200m south of the pontoon where basic facilities such as a composting pit toilet and picnic tables are provided.  There used to be a gas BBQ at the c...

Despite their relatively small size, a sea kayak can carry an amazing amount of gear. One of the big draws of sea kayaking is that you can go and explore some of the most beautiful, wild and remote parts of the coast, for days or even weeks at a time and still live in relative comfort. The good thing about packing a sea kayak is that there are three hatches to stuff full of gear and there will usually be enough free space to pack a few luxuries (a little extra weight will still float just fine). The bad thing is the hatches are awkward shapes and nothing fits in them easily. Keeping Your Gear Dry The sealed hatches of a modern sea kayak are generally water-tight. However, leaks do happen. Your first line of defense against water ingress is to check that your kayak hatches are in good order and correctly fitted before setting off.  As a secondary precaution, dry bags or waterproof containers can be utilised to keep your gear dry. I use the general rule that if you ...

The Jet-Beam SRA40 is a stylish IPX8 rated waterproof torch powered by 4 x AA batteries.  The unit is capable of outputting 960 lumens of light and has three selectable light output levels along with a strobe, SOS sequence and a built in charging circuit. The overall build quality of the SRA40 is top-notch.  The body has been precision machined from cast aluminum and has an attractive dark gray anodized finish. Traditional knurling and four sided milling has been applied to the hand grip, while stylish cut-outs at the head of the torch serve as discrete heat dissipating fins and provide an effective anti-roll surface.  The tail cap has three slotted rim protrusions, perfect for attaching a lanyard. The tail cap is the only detachable part of the torch and it simply screws off providing access to the  battery compartment.  Inside the tail cap there is a rotary contact plate with two pin guides for proper contact alignment during installation.  The b...

The Black Diamond Storm Head Torch is a durable IP67 rated waterproof head torch with a maximum output of 350 lumens.  The unit incorporates five separate LED's to achieve its specific lighting profiles, which include a spotlight, proximity light and three different coloured night vision lights. The main LED delivers 250 lumens of light as a directed beam capable of reaching up to 80m on a clear night.  There is also a separately selectable  proximity beam which delivers an output of 100 lumens as a wide beam that reaches up to 10m.   Both beams are capable of being dimmed down to an output of 4 lumens and the proximity beam has a strobe function.  Both beams are only active simultaneously when the maximum power setting is selected (350 lumens). The head torch also has a night vision mode which allows you to toggle between red, blue and green light outputs.  The night vision mode also includes dimming and strobe settings for each colour. Br...