Two weeks ago, at my local boat ramp, I met a female kayaker and I marvelled that she paddled 9.5k downstream to the W bridge and back. It took her four hours and she timed the turn around with a change in tidal flows on the river.
This chance encounter did two things; it made me think more about tides on the river, and it challenged me to do the same paddle.
Last Sunday I fronted up to do that paddle, but the tide flow was exactly opposite to what I needed. But as it was going upstream for two hours, that's what I did. And after four hours I'd paddled about 20 kilometres in total to the river's navigational head. Basically, I ran out of water for my kayak, right on the peak of high tide.
So today, I checked the tides before leaving home. If I left at 11:00 it would give me two and a bit hours to reach the W bridge, and paddle back on the flood tide, just as the lady kayaker did. So, although I guessed last week's distance, i know for sure that today i paddled just under 20 kilometres in just under four hours. I set and met my first paddling goal.
Over the past week or so I've been reading "Crazy Winds" by Alexis Right. Ms Right, a thirty-something Canadian sets out to paddle alone in a plastic kayak, halfway around Lake Ontario. She notes how different, how exposed, she and he kayak are on this vast lake when compared to rover paddling. The s water and air temperature too, are vastly different, and equally lethal. AR is an experienced kayaker, she knows how to self rescue and co. But still finds herself in an ambulance suffering delusional hypothermia, twice. On both occasions she resumed paddling without delay. Tough, and she paddles 40 + k each day, tv day after day.
I still have room for improvement.
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