L O S T A T S E A


Left: Cameras and other gear on deck made for “gnarly” self-rescues. Right: “Casper” the cockpit canopy,


stowed behind McAuley on the rear deck, provided self-righting capability and protection from storms. PHOTOS BY ANDREW MCAULEY


earning him Australian Geographic’s 2005 Adventurer of the Year Award. On the surface, McAuley, a 39-year-old IT con- sultant from suburban Sydney, seemed an unlikely candidate for the award. Scratch deeper, however, and you would find a determined and diversified adventurer. Prior to catching the kayaking bug on a late-1990s trip in the Chilean fjords, McAuley devoted his considerable energies to mountaineer- ing, making first ascents in Pakistan, Patagonia and Australia. McAuley was not without his critics. Tasmanian police


and Australia’s search and rescue service cautioned against the trip. Said an AusSAR spokesperson: “We had strongly advised against the trip to start with because we believed it was inherently dangerous.” Authorities went so far as to test McAuley’s equipment, capsizing his kayak and assessing its self-righting properties; they ultimately concluded that the boat was seaworthy. The vessel was a standard touring kayak, a 19-foot Mirage, modified for sleeping inside the cockpit. A yellow fibreglass canopy carried on the back deck—whimsically painted with a cartoon face and nicknamed “Casper”—could be clamped down onto the cockpit for sleeping, providing self-righting capability and protection from the roughest storms. A yacht ventilator atop the canopy breathed when upright and kept water out when submerged. The fact that McAuley was permitted on the water at all


speaks volumes of his preparedness. Paul Caffyn’s late-‘80s attempt was summarily prohibited before his kayak even touched Australian waters. Well aware of his critics, McAuley told the Sydney Morning Herald, “When you do [a trip like this], you are exposing yourself to criticism. I take risks, but they are calculated risks, and I want to be beyond criticism.” McAuley’s January departure from Tasmania was his sec-


ond attempt. He set out in December but turned back after just 48 hours when he found his sleeping arrangement to be too cold. “Responsible adventure is character-building and


42 | | ADVENTURE KAYAK early summer 2007


good for people, but I felt that to continue on this occasion was not on,” McAuley wrote on his blog. “Without wanting to sound too melodramatic... making the right decisions in situ- ations like this can save your life.” After some modifications, he launched a second time. McAuley’s entire route travelled below the 40th paral-


lel, the heart of the Roaring Forties feared by sailors for its treacherous weather and unforgiving storms. Two-thirds into his voyage, McAuley endured a 40-knot gale that knocked out his spare satellite phone and tracking beacon. The condi- tions were possibly the worst experienced in the region since the storm that decimated the 1998 Sydney to Hobart regatta, sinking five yachts and killing six crewmen. Enclosed in the cockpit as the kayak plunged nine metres (30 feet) between waves, McAuley had already endured two stomach-churning barrel rolls. The sea anchor he deployed at the approach of the storm kept the kayak’s bow into the weather most of the time, but in seas this large, even this was not always effective. For a third time, the kayak slid up the face of a monstrous wave, perched perilously on edge, then inverted and slowly righted once more. He survived the storm and travelled several hundred more


kilometres to within sight of his destination. On Thursday, February 8, with only 120 kilometres (100 miles) to go, he sent a triumphant text message to his wife, Vicki, and three- year-old son, Finlay, who were already waiting in New Zea- land: “See you 9 a.m. Sunday!” The weather forecast prom- ised a benign end to a harrowing journey. Vicki and Finlay gathered with friends and family in Mil-


ford Sound to celebrate. The legendary sea kayaker Paul Caf- fyn would be there in person to congratulate the man who accomplished what he’d failed to do. Caffyn told ABC radio, “We were planning to paddle out ... and wait there until An- drew came in ... with a bottle of whisky and ginger beer.” At 7 p.m. on Friday, February 9, New Zealand Coast


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