[Paddlewise] Day #97, Glasnost

12/26/08

As is my usual custom, I seem to be letting my 100 day on the water come
down to the wire. I long ago learned to embrace my procrastinatious nature.
But I've been fighting a bad back for a month and our cold weather hasn't
been too inviting, so I had to force myself down to the water.

The Island seemed unusually busy for the day after Christmas, but I was able
to park right at the beach-well what there was of it! The tide was so low,
the water's edge fell between the public dock and a boat on the other side,
so I could barely scoot my way out. From the Coast Guard station, there was
a red flag flying, deservedly so. I had been thinking about sticking to the
harbor, but decided it was a good day for a channel buoy paddle.

I had to choke up on the RRidgback to counter the strong side wind and
finally gave in to the call of my rudder. I figure my next boat won't have
one, so I better get some use out of it while I can. The choppy wind swells
were kind of heading out the harbor, so I followed along. Before the
channel, I found an interesting sight. Anchored there was a red sloop with a
big hammer and sickle on the bow. The name of the boat was Age of Russia out
of one of the grads, either Lenin or Stalin. I'm not sure exactly what age
of Russia it was supposed to represent, but it looked a bit worse for where
although sea worth. They were flying a tattered American flag, though so
perhaps they've found a new home.

It's been a long while since I've paddle around the buoy, but today was a
good day for it. The swells got increasingly bigger the farther out I went
and when I turned to round the buoy, they were getting quite large! I hung
out just trying to keep my station against the wind and swells and found
myself plowing through the troughs of the swells. I was having fun, but
realized without radio or flares and with a sore back, I really wasn't
prepared for taking on tough conditions. With no one around, even this close
to the harbor it might take a while for any help to arrive should I find
myself swimming. So I decided to head back in.

I took my time heading back to deal with the large swells now almost
cresting on my beam. I started making a list of the stuff I should be
carrying now that the weather has started to change. Global warming aside,
I've been thinking it might finally be time to buy a paddling jacket,
although I never seem to be able to wear one for more than 15 minutes.
Mostly, I just want something to keep me warm till I get in the boat where I
don't usually get too cold. But still, I'm getting old and despite wearing
my wetsuit top, I was starting to feel a chill on the way home. The cold
water finding its way down the back of my spine didn't help.

I paddled home close to the sea wall to get out of the wind, but with the
low tide I was about ten feet down. As usual when I'm not always to
enthusiastic to start a paddle, something on the water always seems to make
me glad I did. With the boat still on the car, I'll gear up and hope some
nasty conditions hang around for tomorrow. With procrastination always come
the days of reckoning.

Mark Sanders

www.sandmarks.net

#
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