If you just go for a paddle than you can stop thinking about wanting to go for a paddle.

Monday, May 21, 2012

2012: Post 16 – An afternoon in Bay Bulls

Clyde and I decided to head to Bay Bulls – no real paddling agenda, just one of those mucking about type paddles.  The wind was blowing a little into the bay when we pulled off the beach about noonish. 



We paddled down the south side staying close to shore. 



We stopped in a little spot along the way and had a little snack and Clyde decided he would seal launch backwards off the beach.  I thought that could just be a photo opportunity but he got on the water without incident…



We continued on enjoying the afternoon…



Then we came to a little cove that still had a lump of ice/snow still clinging to the rocks (sorry the pic is out of focus)…



The swell picked up as we got closer to South Head making things more interesting (Clyde is in the first picture below)… 




Then my camera said the battery was dead so I did not get any more pics from this point.  The wind had dropped and we wished we had the time to continue further into Witless Bay.  We kept going up past the spout (there are two of them there around the head) until my GPS read more than 9 kilometres before we turned back. The trip back was a little shorter as we did not get into the nooks and crannies along the shoreline.

Along the way back Clyde asked if he could use my spare GP.  Now, those who know me know I’m not going to argue with a fellow who wants to try a GP…  We rafted up, I pulled the spare GP off my foredeck and Clyde stored his nice, expensive, carbon-fibre Euro paddle on my foredeck (his spare was already on his own foredeck).  I thought to myself that since I now had his paddle he would have no choice but to use the GP until we got back to the take-out; he is a good paddler and does paddle a Nordcapp, but I do not think he is proficient enough with the GP to have caught me if he wanted his Euro back!!!

Clyde has used my GP in the past and seems to take to it naturally.  I think if he had one sized properly to fit him he might use it more often for touring.

I had my camera poked in my life jacket and just had to check it to see if there was any life left in it (often when the battery gets cold it loses its charge and then if you let it warm up it will still have some life in it.  I was very pleased when it turned on so I could get some photographic evidence of the GP event…




I even had enough charge to take a little video of Clyde on a rock with a GP… He didn’t seem to be distressed not having his Euro paddle (sorry, Clyde, I just couldn't resist)...



Well, we spent about 4 hours on the water, paddled over 16 kilometres, and had a good bit of fun.  Thanks Clyde.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

2012: Post 15 – Playing in St. Philips


Today the forecast was for a nice sunny day, but windy.  So Tony and I headed to St. Philips to try to catch some waves....





A couple hours on the water and then a coffee at the restaurant...  All good fun.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

2012: Post 14 – Little paddles are big fun

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day.  So there likely will not be any paddling happening.  Tony e-mailed to see if anybody wanted to meet at St. Philips for a little fun in the waves.  Sadly, there was just myself and Tony interested and so we met at 10:30 this morning at the slipway.

Tony hit the water first and headed out into the cove.  Just as I got on the water Sean showed up with his new Black Pearl! 



I missed the inaugural wetting of his new kayak on Thursday past and was very pleased to see him show up with it.  Except in pictures, this was the first time I have seen it in person.  Very nice looking piece of work…

I paddled out to let Tony know we had a third and he was as pleased as I was that Sean showed up with his new boat.  When Sean got on the water we decided to put our bows into the wind and waves and headed toward Topsail beach for a little paddle.

Most of my pictures taken were of Sean...










Okay, I guess I should at least add one of Tony…



And here are both the guys together...



We only paddled about four kilometres toward Topsail Beach.  But it was a really fun four kilometres with the wind and wave action we had.  It was really fun to watch Sean put his new kayak through some paces too. 

Sean and myself followed the shore back.  Tony opted to paddle out into the bay to take full advantage of the wind in his back.  Just amazing how fast he flew back to the cove… just might have to get me one of those Nordkapp’s one day!!

Monday, May 7, 2012

2012: Post 13 – Cape Broyle, again…

… after paddling in Cape Broyle just two and a half week ago with Tony on a beautiful sunny day, I paddled it again yesterday.  But this time there was no sun and I had different paddling partners for the day - Clyde, Hazen, and Gerard… 

The pics:
getting ready

you can see the blade of Clyde or Hazen's paddle over the swell....

We stopped in Lance Cove for a little break.
Gerard is always ready to help with landing...

Clyde is just fine....

... but Gerard helps out anyway.

the guys chatting on the beach in Lance Cove

Hazen getting off the beach

'Yee haw' conditions on the way to Church Cove

We had lunch in the fog in Church Cove
 
I'm sad to say there was a dead horse on the beach in
Church Cove... quite an odd thing to see when paddling

back at the starting point

Except for coming across the dead horse, it was a great paddle... Thanks guys