Sunday, October 11, 2015

Solo trip to Kelly's Island

This year I have paddle a lot with PNL, and with our regular group that gets together on Wednesdays and weekends.  I've gained a lot of confidence and learned so much so I decided it was time for me to do my first solo trip.
I left from Long Pond, CBS and made my way over to Kelly's Island.  Not an overly long trip but on the Ocean and solo all the same.

Here is Long Pond and the island you see out past the ship is Kelly's Island

 Got the kayak unloaded and geared up and made my way out.

Here is the end of Long Pond and where the Ocean starts.

 I'm out in the open sea here now and I have to admit being my first solo trip I was a little nervous but very determined to get to Kelly's Island.

Here is a shot of CBS from about ⅓ of the way across.

I'm getting close to the Island here as you can see.  I like how you can see the different layers of rock in the cliff face.

And here we are, the beach where I'll stop for my snack and some rest.

Got a decent panoramic shot of the beach and CBS in the back.

 I knew there was a small beach where I could get out and rest for a minute from some pictures I've seen of Kelly's Island.  As you can see most of this island is cliff so its a good idea to make sure there is a place you can get out of your boat.  Especially going solo.

I took the day off work to go do this, so after I had a snack I relaxed for a while and took in the scenery.  Perfect day off!

 Time to head back.  There was a little bit of waves so I paddled out around the end of the island for a bit before I headed back. 

 Kelly's Island in my rear view.

Ship Docked in Long Pond.

This trip took me about 2 ½ hours, but I was taking my time and a lot of pictures along the way.
Feels good to do a trip alone.  I think my next solo trip will be an over nighter somewhere.

The Paddle season is slowing down now with PNL done for the year and Wednesday evening paddles all finishes BUT I will be paddling all winter long and I will post new pictures of different trips every chance I get

Thanks a lot to all the guys that helped me grow my skills throughout the year, you guys all know who you are and I appreciate all the help.  Great group of guys to learn from.  I love the sport more than ever and can't wait to get back on the water.






2 comments:

  1. Hey Shane, good for you. It shows your development as a paddler to do a solo trip... you've decided to trust in your skills to get you there and back. Kelly's Island is not a long distance to go and you didn't paddle in big waves and wind, but that first solo paddle is still a big trip. It causes you to grow as a paddler...

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  2. I'll echo Dean's comments. Learn incrementally, build on your skills and rely on good judgement.

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