Top 10 paddles of 2010 - #4

Crossing St. John's Bay

On December 8th Malcolm invited me along on a paddle out to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America. It was a beautiful December day. The water at the Cape if often big and in constant motion. Coupled with wind its not always accessible, especially in the last throes of fall. This particular Wednesday we were granted passage.

At the Cape

The Cape was shrouded in a bit of fog and low laying clouds. The sun trying to burn through the cover reflected on the steel-gray waters heaving up and down in the undulating swell. It was as Malcolm would say "magic".

The return

Leaving the Cape we had swell on our port rear quarter. It took me few minutes to adjust to the new rhythm as I followed Malcolm to our target, a notch in the cliffs in the distance.

Arriving back in the boat basin

Negotiating the Narrows (entrance to St. John's harbour) and evading the departing Coast Guard ship Sir Wilfred Grenfell we were back at Prosser's Rock boat basin. The smell of diesel oil on the water hung heavy in the air amidst the moored fishing boats. My hip hurt like hell and the smell of diesel had me wondering if I had blown a gasket. A couple of hours later I was fine and thinking about the great ride out to the Cape.

Any day out to the Cape, the end of the western world, is going to be on my list of top paddles.