It was in the high 30's and pretty windy at the put in Saturday. A dry suit seemed like the key to comfort even before we launched. Once paddling though, combined with a tuiliq, it was pretty hot.
We started with about 2 hours straight into the wind. A low volume boat with just a smidge of rocker is not in it's prime here as oncoming waves tend to wash over the bow and scrub off speed. It still seemed plenty stable, so the only problem was the speed.. oh, and the heat from exertion, so there were a few rolling and back brace breaks.
We then headed cross wind out into the lake, the best leg of the trip for this boat. The waves just rolled under the hull, not costing any momentum or causing any tip.
Downwind to home I was getting some boost from the surf, but again the low volume and no rocker worked against me. I spent a considerable amount of time with the boat completely under water, but always upright, pointed pretty much in the direction I wanted to go, and still pretty dry inside after playing submarine. All grist for what I might want the same or different in a future boat.
We stopped for lunch at the Basin Harbour Club.
In season, that would run about $25, and they probably take kindlier to folks flying into their private air strip than kayakers washing up on shore in dripping tuiliqs. But this was the off season, we brought our own lunches, and no paying guests were around to be put off.
The last couple of miles were pretty uneventful. Since I wasn't driving on the way home I could just wallow in the tired all over feeling.
The season is progressing... Killington ski area opened Sunday!
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