363 Days to the Blackburn Challenge 2011

Yesterday was a nice day to go for a paddle. Down the Annisquam with over 250 other boats was amazing. These people were serious. The high performance kayaks blow by then those six man outriggers, hut!, Hut! Felt great past Andrews point and wife and daughter can’t hail me because I am ahead of my schedule and off into Sandy Bay when they spot me.

Then I started hitting the wall. Sandy Bay seemed to take a bit of time and the finger and toe muscles started getting all twitchy. Gap Cove, Whale Cove, Folly Cove and out into the chop. By this time the west wind had kicked up and in a kayak it seemed like a washing machine with the echoes of waves crossing the predominate swell. Milk Island on my left would not go away. Paddle paddle paddle, look over and I can still see the damn gulls sitting on their eggs. Am I stuck on a lobster pot? Nope, I’ve blown a seal. Have you ever been to the Boston Marathon around Heartbreak Hill and watched someone crash and burn? They look like they are moving right along but then go all twitchy, bounce around trying to get rid of a muscle spasm and end up splayed out on someone’s front lawn? That would be me off Cape Hedge but there was no lawn to flail around on.

Ellen Degeneres in “Finding Nemo” kept playing in my head, “just keep swimming, just keep swimming”. Turn the corner at the end of the breakwater I felt like I spent a day getting down Gloucester Harbor. The frozen pea plant refused to get bigger. From Good Harbor to Gloucester Harbor I passed three boats which I think each one bailed once I blew their doors off. DNFs. I did finish, the lovely ladies on the committee boat cheered me on and I could still paddle on to Pavillion Beach. Getting out of the boat was another story but by the time I got to the beer keg there was plenty left and a yummy pork sandwich to boot.

363 days until Blackburn 2011. Both my boat and the occupant are going to upgrade by losing a few pounds. And I might get out there more than once and kayak some distance. I made it in a tad less than 5 and 1/2 hours. I can beat that.

I thought I would wake up this morning and not be able to move. But I actually feel great except for the very tops of my thighs that got royally sunburned. One place I forgot to spray sunblock. Went down to Andrews Point and took a few casts at sunrise but nothing happening. Sandy Bay looked different though as I could connect it up to the shoreline of Cape Ann from Annisquam all the way around to Gloucester Harbor.