June 17, 2019 – The wind and rain were just too much to paddle today. I actually got everything loaded and launched at what should have been approaching high slack. I didn’t even get half a mile before the rain hitting my face like little stinging beads combined with more big rollers had me looking for a new beach. I parked and left everything packed on the kayak and just watched the water. The Canadian tide table for this part of the IP called for a high tide at 1:57 pm. High tide didn’t happen until 3:09 pm. That’s a big difference. I could understand if it was talking about current, which is sketchier, but I thought the tides were pretty straight forward. At least now I know that in reality it’s about an hour later here than what the tide tables indicate, which will be important when I enter Grenville Channel as it is best to do that at around slack. It also appears that, after watching the water movement, slack happens pretty soon after the tide turns, at least in the current channel I am paddling. Who knows what will happen in Grenville.
Tomorrow’s forecast for the area closest to me is for showers with winds 10-20 knots with fog patches in the morning. Not looking good for paddling. I am just not having luck with weather. I have had a total of seven paddle days of good to so-so to challenging conditions. The other eight have been too yucky or were great on the days I was waiting for or on the ferry. I know I just need to wait it out. Thursday and Friday are forecast to be sunny with wind at my back. Once things are nicer I can get more days in like yesterday. That would really catch me up. Otherwise I may need to modify again to be back home by September 1st. Tomorrow may just be a day to nap and read, again.
I like how the vhf radio weather in Canada is done in both English and French. At least crummy weather still sounds pretty in French. Today the Canadian Coast Guard stopped at my beach to make sure I was ok. My new beach has a power pole with lines running into the island. I tried to see if I could follow the line to see where it leads but the salmonberry shrubs are just too thick. It’s hard to believe there is any human presence other than the occasional intrepid kayaker in this rugged, rocky place.
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