A group of paddlers from the Rhode Island Canoe & Kayak Association and the Connecticut Sea Kayakers set out on Saturday, Sept 9th to paddle from Connecticut to New York to Rhode Island and back to Connecticut. Now, this sounds ambitious. But, there is a quirk in the boundaries of the states that makes this a good day paddle. All three states converge at a point just off of Stonington, CT. Most people aren't aware that New York extends all the way to Rhode Island off Connecticut's shore. So, my friend Alison and I led the group of 24 kayakers out of the Barn Island wildlife management area boat launch, and headed west towards Stonington Harbor. We rounded the northern point of Sandy Point, and set course for Fisher's Island, NY, about 3 miles distant. There was a haze on the water, but no wind or clouds. The sea state was calm. Looked like a nice day to paddle. I had instructed the group earlier that if the haze turned to fog, that we would abort. If that happened, everyone was to find a paddler with either a compass or a GPS, and head due north (15 degrees magnetic for those with compasses). There was a chance of showers later in the day, but the forecast said we had plenty of time to complete the paddle. We got to within a half mile of Fisher's Island, and we hit the rip current that follows the shore. It was still respectable, maybe 2 knots or so. So, we changed course into the current, with the intent to ferry the rest of the way to the island. A 42 foot cabin cruiser was running a parallel course to us about a quarter mile to our north, and they appeared to be heading across our bows at a safe distance, so we kept paddling. Then they changed course ----- right at us. Well, right at me. The boat accelerated, and went right through the middle of the group. The woman piloting the boat definitely saw us, but deliberately cut our group in half anyway. Idiot........ I had made a security announcement on the VHF before we crossed, so it was no secret that we were in the vicinity. As she went by I yelled that it was obvious that not all the people with more money than brains had gone home for the winter yet. Didn't phase her. I should have called the Coast Guard and reported her. They probably wouldn't have done a thing, but I would have felt better. I got over it quick enough. Anyway, we landed below the high tide line on the edge of the Fisher's Island country club for lunch. Not a bad spot ----- only one golf ball landed near us while we were eating, and it prompted a few recitiations of dialog from the movie Caddyshack. We stayed there for about 45 minutes, and launched again. We headed east this time to Wicopesset Island, which is actually a big rock just off East Point on Fisher's. We grouped up there, and then headed into the "fun area" between Wicopesset, and Napatree Point, RI. This area is only about a mile and a half across, but all of Fisher's Island Sound and Little Narragansett Bay drain and flood through this gut. Makes for some turbulent water, and some fun paddling when the power boat traffic is minimal. We hit it right after slack tide, so the largest waves were maybe 3 ½ feet until we reached Napatree Point --- then they became good sized surf. There's a shoal and some rocks right off the point, and it can be some fun surfing. We all got a ride or two into the point, and grouped up again. We decided by consensus that we should lengthen the paddle, and go into Watch Hill, RI for a while. It's only about a mile inside the point. We all went in, and landed on the beach at the edge of downtown. Most of the paddlers went into town for cappucino or ice cream, and a few of us stayed behind to watch the kayaks. A couple of paddlers decided they'd break off & head back because they were short on time. Just as they said that, we noticed that the sky was darkening fast to our west.....then we heard thunder. Great. I sent someone into town to round up all the paddlers, and got out my chart to plot a return course. Luckily, Barn Island is a straight shot from Watch Hill, about 2 miles across Little Narragansett Bay. Another of the group got out his weather radio, and gave me the bad news ---- a strong thunderstorm was approaching New London, CT, heading southeast at 25 knots. Basically right at us. We had just enough time to make it back if we launched now. I got people in the water, and instructed everyone to head zero degrees magnetic. That heading would put them right on the boat ramp. Just hold that course, sprint, and don't look back. I'll make sure we all get going. Ray volunteered to sweep, and keep in radio contact with myself and Alison, who was now leading. I got about halfway across when Ray called me on the radio, and told me he couldn't account for two of our group. But, he knew who they were, and they had been advised of the situation. The two in question are notorious dawdlers, and he told them to either get going or be left behind. They eventually caught up with Ray just as I had finished making sure everyone else was on shore. We all made it in safe, and the rain hit just as we were finishing loading up to go home. No lightning, just rain. Whew! The total mileage was 10.6 nautical miles, through three states beginning and ending in Stonington, CT. A good day of paddling. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wayne Smith wsmith16_at_snet.net Check out my sea kayaking & homebrewing page: http://pages.cthome.net/wsmith16/home.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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