2013: Post 7 – Hiatus over

St. Philips is very close to home; only about a fifteen minute drive for me.  It has the slipway for launching convenience, has a little river there for a quick freshwater rinse, and the nearby restaurant for a coffee afterwards (and on occasion a feed of fish and chips)...

Once there you have the choice of paddling towards Topsail Beach in one direction, Portugal Cove in the other direction, or paddle straight out of the cove over to Bell Island.  Or if conditions aren't fit for a paddle you can can always paddle in and out, back and forth, and around the cove.   With a good wind blowing into the cove it makes for a bit of fun to paddle against the wind and then surf back in.  It's one of those little gem-of-a-places that is just so convenient for a kayaker that allows you to get on the water most any day.

And so, after getting away from paddling out of St. Philips last weekend we ended right back there again today.  The  different forecasts we looked at were calling for wind of varying speeds.  When we get differing forecasts like that the tendency is to err on the side of caution and paddle in more familiar surroundings. So we decided to go to St. Philips again today and make paddle plans depending on the conditions we found once there.  

When we arrived the wind was a little less than expected and the swell was coming in from the north...  The conversation went sort of like this:

"Should be interesting paddling up to Portugal Cove..."
"Likely no going through the channel at Sailing Point though..."
"I brought my throw bag this time... you never know..."
"We'll see what's it's like when we get there..."

Anyway, off we went to Portugal Cove.  I did not take many pictures though, as it was a pretty bouncy ride in a lot of places on the way....  But here's some I did take...

Neither of us paddled inside any rocks today... and so the throw bag stayed stowed away.... but was it ever a lot of fun paddling in the clapitus...