I picked up a coffee on the drive out Thorburn Road. The further I drove the foggier it became.
I sat in St. Phillips waiting, sipping, and thinking it's been a long time since I paddled on a foggy day and looked forward to it.
It wasn't long and the three of us were on the water. Shane suggested a run to Portugal Cove as they were a limited on time... It was a good plan.
Further along the shore we had a little swell, just enough to have a little fun here and there.
Ashleigh is a newer paddler and asked for some guidance on her forward stroke... Well now, Shane and I don't need much persuading to help out any paddler that asks... and often, perhaps too often, we offer help without any occurrence of an ask...
At Portugal Cove, we pulled up on the closest beach for a little stretch and snack. I watched Ashleigh drag her kayak up the beach when she landed and I knew she had rocks in the skeg box... the beach was full of little stones. I got my knife out and went to work, but once we had it freed up we discovered she likely has a kinked cable. I suggested she drill a hole and put a pull-line on her skeg. Then Shane said he still hadn't put one on his. I thought Shane was fully trained by now!!
Shane has the newer version of the Nordkapp and I spent a litle time looking at the differences between his and mine, seeing as they were side-by-side. Then I discovered his deck line was pinched under his front hatch cover. Yep. The training isn't quite over. In truth, it never is for any of us.
Somewhere on the way back Shane went inside a rock. The water sucked out and the wave rushed in. It knocked him over, with his beam transverse to the water, and he executed a textbook high brace, hung there for a partial second, righted himself, and paddled on. I wish I would of had it on video.
By the time we got back to St. Phillips the fog was starting to dissipate.
It was short paddle, but it was a great day on the water. We had a good bit of fun. Thanks Ashleigh and Shane for sharing the foggy paddle with me.
