2016: Post 20d – Tack's Beach - Day 4

During the night we had thunder, lightening, and rain.  By morning the rain had subsided, but it was foggy.  

We went about the morning  routine of breakfast and clean-up, and then proceeded to take down camp and pack up the kayaks.  The fog seemed to clear a little as we went about our business, but then it thickened up again.

Several of us took a bearing straight from Tack's Beach to Davis Cove.  We got on the water and aimed a little off to compensate for the south wind and tide, and we would use Gooseberry and Greens Islands as our midway checkpoint.  

I think for some paddlers it was the first time doing a crossing in fog and they must of had trust in the rest of us that we would not lead them astray because they willingly followed us away from Tack's Beach and into the fogginess of Western Channel.

It is often a difficult task to keep a large group of kayakers together on a crossing.  But we were intent on keeping the group together and I think for the most part we didn't string out too much.  We had our VHF's on and whenever those in front got too far ahead we closed up the gap.  

I watched the time and Gooseberry and Greens Islands came out of the fog just about when they were supposed to, but we were farther north of them than expected.  We were drifting with the wind and flood tide more than anticipated and so we corrected our heading again to compensate.

As we paddled closer to Davis Cove, we could make out Chambers Island, and then the fog cleared up and the sun broke through.  It became a very nice day on the water in Placentia Bay... 

We paddled past Chambers Island and on to Davis Cove... Cathy decided it would be a good time to do some rescue practice with a loaded kayak and talked Terry and Shane into helping out...

We all helped to carry the kayaks up the rock 'beach' and then all that was left to do was to unload them and stow the gear into the cars and the kayaks on the roof racks.  Except for the "great trip b'ys" and "thanks for the invite" and other such conversation this trip was done.  All that was left for us was the drive home, with some of us stopping along the way for coffee.

Big thanks to all those who came along...