I'm feeling very comfortable in this kayak and liking it more at
each outing.
On this day my wife and I returned to
Mystic Connecticut along with some fellow paddlers from our local
boathouse for a day-long paddling tour of the harbor.
As indicated on the map, we put in North of the seaport, paddled through the historic area, through downtown Mystic, out into the harbor and onto Sixpenny island (for a quick lunch stop) then rmade the return trip back to the launch area.
Here we are starting off at the launch site, getting organized and heading out one by one.
Crossing under the highway bridge, we're on our way!
It was beautful day — near 80° with a nice breeze — as we rounded the corner into historic Mystic Seaport.
Of course we saw a lot of spectacular boats along the way. I'm obviously attracted to the wooden variety.
Nice! A catboat about this size for some serious camp cruisng would be fun.
Another beauty.
Here we are patiently waiting while the heavy power boat traffic passes under the drawbridge.
It was the weekend of the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival and as we emerged from under a second bridge into the town of Mystic, the walkways along the river were lined with onlookers.
Leaving the downtown area we continued out into the harbor.
The wind was at our backs and thanks to the planning of our organizer Sean, we were paddling with the tide both now and on the return trip.
We pulled up at this little beach area on the first island we encounterd and took a lunch break.
Here's the skin-on-frame looking perfectly at home on it's first saltwater expedition. She handled beautifully all day and the new seat passed the test – 5 hours of padling and still comfortable.
Looking back in the direction of our return trip it was obvious the wind had picked up quite a bit and was blowing straight toward us. The choppy water along with the wind and endless intersecting powerboat wakes made the return paddle challenging but fun. All in all a great day!
A big thanks to Sean (left) and Peak Expeditions for putting the outing together.