2013: Post 19 – A first ‘real’ ocean paddle

After spending all winter going to the pool sessions, young Jacob has been faithfully coming to the St. Philips Thursday evening practices for the last month or so.  He’s got his first salt water roll (and subsequent ones) out of the way.  He’s been doing assisted rescues and practicing his forward stroke, and paddling into the wind and waves.  Brian had him on a paddle from St. Philips to Topsail beach a couple weeks ago (about a 13 km paddle).  About a week ago Jacob showed up with his very own brand new drysuit.  The next logical step seemed to be to bring him on a ‘real’ ocean paddle when the conditions were right.  Today the conditions were right enough and so Brian picked him up and four more of us met up in Bay Bulls.  Off we went to Tors Cove.

Map of the area of today's paddle

 Pictures to share…

  

The put-in at Tors Cove

We decided to paddle outside Fox Island, then over to, and outside Ship Island... 

Peter and Jacob

Looking down the outside of Ship Island

Gary

When we arrived at Southern Head we crossed over to Great Island....

Jacob

 Soon we arrived at Cribby Rocks...

Tony

We paddled on the outside of Great Island and checked out the caves along the way... 

A view from inside one of the caves on the outside of Great Island

Brian heading into one of the other caves at Great Island

Before Southern Cove, at the end of Great Island, there is a tunnel.  The couple other times I have been here the conditions did not allow safe passage.... but today Poseidon must have been in a good mood... for we were able to paddle through.  I cannot speak for the other guys, but paddling through this tunnel was a first for both myself and Jacob... 

Peter lead the way, followed by Gary, Jacob, Brian, me, and then Tony...

The guys paddling along Southern Cove

I knew Tony was behind me so I tried a behind-the-shoulder-shot...
It turned out well enough to post...

We rounded the end of Great Island and crossed over toward Bauline South, and then headed along the shoreline toward LaManche...

Tony, Gary, and Peter

Brian and Jacob

We took out for lunch at Lamanche...

It was warm in LaManche, up above the
water, and my camera had fogged up...

Looking out toward LaManche Bay

After lunch we followed the shoreline back to Tors Cove.  I must have been too full from lunch or was enjoying the paddling because I didn't take any more pictures until we arrived back in Tors Cove...

Thanks to all hands for today's paddle... be sure to check out Tony's entry of today's paddle... And happy Mother's Day to all the mother's out there - those who paddle and those who do not... 

Jacob, if you are reading this, my first 'real' ocean paddle was also to LaManche, although it was a shorter and more direct route getting there… and I was about two and a half decades older than you are now!!!  You did well today, Jake.  Keep up the practicing and the paddling.  Keep safety a priority when your out there, and you'll go a long way in your kayak...