Monday, Wednesday and Friday I attend a plate tectonics class at Memorial University's Earth Sciences Department. Therefore, I initially passed on joining Dean and Julie on a paddle today, Monday.
They were paddling south from St Philips, leaving at 1:00 pm. I decided I'd paddle anyway, put-in late and catch them somewhere between St Philips and Topsail.
I caught them only 2.5 kms into my paddle. They were returning to St. Philips so at that point it would only net me 5 kms. Hardly worth getting the hull wet.
A sizable swell caused havoc along the shore. As we neared St. Philips I decided I'd paddle by myself up to Portugal Cove to make the paddle worthwhile. Dean and Julie went home.
At the G-Spot (so named because this is the spot a few years ago Gerard had a swim) the swell went skywards when it hit the rocks and ...
... carried on into the cliffs. Caught inside there today would mean a side surf up onto the rocks and possibly a holing and swim. The decision to bypass was an easy one.
At Sailing Point I surveyed the situation. This is where I had an eight minute swim last Christmas Eve in conditions similar to today. The tide was falling exposing rocks in the center of the channel when the water sucked out ...
... and substantially more when the water surged in. Another opportunity to exercise good judgement.
Near Portugal Cove I sat and observed another spot that in safer conditions we scoot through. Now you see the exposed rocks and ...
... now you don't. Trying that today was going to put anyone in a serious spot of bother. Awe inspiring the power of moving water.
I reached Portugal Cove, did a calculation of the distance I would end the day with when I returned to St. Philips and decided it would do. Arriving back at St. Philips I clocked 12.7 kms. It was foggy and it rained intermittently but it was worth the effort on a day I didn't plan to paddle. A bonus so to speak.
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