August 5, 2013
We get a good start but it only takes an hour and we can feel the wind & waves building. We’re trying to put some distance in, so not much stopping to explore. We get around Point Isacor, one of the obstacles we were worried about. It wasn’t bad-bad, but not a great place to stay either. We stop at a crummy little bay for a break, long rocky shoreline today and not many options for stopping. Chantal isn’t feeling good today, bad cramps. She’s done, won’t eat. But every little bit she does eat seems to perk her up and it’s “lets go”. Post trip we found out she needed some surgery. Hope she’s doing better.

Today the waves are a bit to our side and quartering in front of us. Martha’s had two weeks of tripping without any “Zen” paddling. There seems to be a challenge everyday. With Chantal not up to top form, the troops are ready to be done. We make it to the Dog River and its expansive camping area. We all take advantage of the relative warmth of the river water for a bath. Bruce is able to get a cell signal and calls to make arrangements for an early pickup tomorrow.

We meet Carl camping nearby. He’s tripping in a SeaWind canoe. So I chat him up about the pros and cons. He can carry more gear but there’s no self rescue if he flips like kayaks can. He also said he switches to a kayak paddle in following seas so he can react faster to broaching on a wave, since he never knows which way it’ll turn after his rudder lifts out of the water. The SeaWind can be hooked up tandem to another SeaWind like a catamaran, but Carl’s paddling solo. So tomorrow when we leave he’ll be waiting for better weather. No hurry, he’s done this before.