Happy Mothers Day
Staying put one more night. Marine forecast said fog which is not condusive to spotting a white kayak.
Waiting for Lasagna order from local pizza place.
lasagna wasn’t bad.
Iui have decided rain or shine it is s time to get going. Tomorrow is Monday so the weekend boaters won’t be out and if it rains the fair weather boys won’t be out eirher.
My camping neighbors across the street provided dinner tonight.
There are different types of kayaking, fishing, recreational, sea, and expedition.
One thing they all have in common is safety gear.
Proper clothing for water immersion and sun protection are paramount.
A good PFD.
A spare paddle, you don’t want to be caught up the proverbial creek without it.
A marine radio if you are in the ocean or large lakes with a marine patrol. Also know the rules of use and how to properly use it.
Food and plenty of water. Dry clothes in a dry bag along witha first aid kit.
Above all weather forecast and know your limits.
Have fun and enjoy
cold rainy day. going to stay put for tonight. weather may be good enough to move tomorrow.
Talked to a neighbor who is a big water kayaker. We talked about gear where I was headed and how I was going. He gave me great information on currents tides, where i could encounter problems. I am good now to New Jersey.
walked into Greenport looking for boat ramp. I finally found one at Nathan Klipp Marine Park.
Met two great guys there who informed me that there were ramps much closer to camp then went out of their way to show me. Thank you Bob and John.
They gave me a ride back to camp.
I contacted my friend in MA who comes from Long Island and she is reaching out to people she knows here for help for in the morning hopefully.
Now to relax for awhile
left guilford ct at 11 am after fog lifted for what should have been a 2 hr paddle to get to long island. it took 6 hrs fighting tide change and currents. then it was another 10 mile paddle to get closer to campground.
then a 6 mile portage to camp. i made 2 miles and was exhausted. a local stopped to help me. eventually the local PD assisted got me a flatbed tow for $50 to camp at 1 am.
waiting for office to open to see if o have a site.
good news i have a site unti sat morning.
contacted channel 12 on long island and sent emails to cbs nbc, and fox in NYC. Let’s see if I get coverage.
Thanks to Bill we portage the kayak on his trailer to the water.
Left East Lyme by 9 am
Crossing the mouth of the Connecticut River was interesting. Most of the mouth is shallow water with a narrow deep water channel on the west side.
I found most of the shoreline rather shallow even out 1/2 -3/4 of a mile.
Stopped at Westbrook and met George a retired firefighter who is a wealth of history about the town.
When i made Guilford i first met a guy with his three sons at Pa’s place. Had great conversations.
Then i met Phil and his wife who are watching over my kayak tonight. Phil gave me a ride to hotel and is picking me up in the morning.
One of my fellow ambassadors who met me in person for the first time the other day called me a hero for what I am doing.
What I am doing is expedition kayaking a great distance. That is what expedition kayakers do.
It takes training, knowledge of your boat and its capabilities, the water and how best to get from point a to b, the equipment you need, and safety.
There is no hero in that. The real heros are the men women we sent in harms way who witnessed things our minds can’t grasp. Things they wish they never saw or experienced but did and forever changed who they are.
These brave souls who fight these demons everyday. Who have friends and family turning away which makes it worse.
I have ptsd and i have lost friends, but my family still supports me. I am one of the lucky ones in that sense. Recenrly I found a woman who accepts my ptsd and still loves me and i love her. I hope she understands the void she has filled in my life.
A hero is ambassador Chris Cooper who even while battling his demons and even when having a bad day will still reach out to help someone who is having a worse day.
I live in fear everyday that someone will trigger me but i have to carry on everyday trying to stay positive.
I have a hard time falling asleep unless i do a lot of hard physical work then i am exhausted and will sleep as soon as i am horizontal. Most days it takes hours to get to sleep then I wake up a few times and go back to sleep.
My girlfriend started sleeping up against me which helped me fine peace and I could sleep better longer.
She is a great person and I love her.
So is it amazing what i am doing? Of course it is an adventure. Am I a hero for doing this? No I am just someone who is good at kayaking doing what he thinks is the best way he can spread the word.
Rained last night. Tent n tarp wet. Will stay one more day marine forecast better tomorrow.
Will get chance to do laundry.😁
Got a bigger discount on another night here at East Lyme CT KOA. Great staff of people here.
Chris one of the campers here invited me for steak dinner tonight. Life is good.
The mission continues.
Thought i could make a good run down the coast today.
Made over half the run, when the wind and weather turned and kicked the seas up.
I came ashore at Ocean Park 8 miles from my destination.
I called the campground and asked if someone could come get me.
Luckily they did and he showed up with an 18 ft flat trailer for my 17’7″ kayak.
What great service.
Its raining so i can hear the pitter patter on the tarp over the tent.
Its a little chilly so i have a hairdryer running to warm the tent
3 hours of paddling 15 knott head winds i made it from Watch Hill, RI to Schooner warf Mystic Ct.
Received a great warm welcome from my girlfriend and the Mission22 team and Jeff from Adventure Mystic.
Glad we raised some money for the Mission22.
acske2017 