The Adventurous, the Brave, and the Stupid

Saturday was turning into a wash for windsurfing. Winds were light and I wasn't in the mood for yet another light-wind sail. So, I decided it's time for another standup paddle, Kona style. I strapped my Kona board onto the roof of my CRV, got my paddle, wetsuit, PFD, camel pack, booties, gloves and a cereal bar. Seems like a lot, but that's nothing compared to going windsurfing. I only forgot one thing -- to check the tide tables.

I headed to Annsville Circle, where there's a kayak launch. I've launched from there before, and it's a nice location. I like mingling with the kayakers and answering their questions about SUPing. Kayakers are people who like nature: my kind of people. When I arrived, there were no kayakers in the water. If my brain had been screwed on correctly I would have considered that a sign of something. But apparently I had left that portion of my brain at home. So I got ready, walked down the floating launch and placed my Kona board into the water.

The tail stuck up above the surface of the water. The water was too shallow to float the board. The fin was resting on the bottom. “No problem!” I thought. “I've been in this situation before. Just walk the board out until the water gets deeper.” So I did, but the only thing that got deeper was the mud. After I was about 100 feet from the launch, I was still in one foot one water but I was sinking knee-deep in the mud. I tried a little more to the east and sank even deeper. Several people watched me flounder. Walking through mud is really exhausting, especially in a wetsuit.

Annsville Circle is in the upper right portion of the photo. The kayak center is on the peninsula sticking out into the cove. The yellow arrow is my first expedition into the mud. The blue arrow is my second. Both were dismal failures.

I waited around for about twenty minutes, watching the time come in. This got boring quickly so I went back to Peekskill. I launched from my usual spot and poked around the coves south of me. Peekskill Landing is at the top of the map.

I saw some nice cormorants and seagulls. In Lents Cove, just north of Indian Point (at the bottom of the picture), were some neat paddlewheel ships. I want to go further down those waterways but I'll need a kayak with a shallower draft (and no fin). On my return I visited the navigational beacon on the upper left corner. I was hoping there might be some bird nests. Instead there were about six cormorants and a horrendous stench. There must be dozens of years of guano layered on that pile of rocks.

I need a good waterproof camera so I can take pictures on the go.