Jim Moy

Decided to go paddling on a weekend, something the last time I tried to do I ended up just turning back because of weather. My thinking goes, “okay, it’s not such a nice time to be out in the crowd, but at least I get my workout and out on the water.”

And so it was crowded at the boat ramp, since Heron Cove is where the jetskiers go (and was actually funded partially by a local watersports business), I paddled out in-between them and continued on my usual path.

But surprise, once I got past the north-most no-wake buoys, there was nobody there! Well, a couple of fishing bloats floating around, but nobody moving around except me. And the farther in I got, the more secluded it seemed, with nobody else there. The North end of Boyd Lake is a calm, serene place to paddle. Even on weekends. I’m going to bring my lunch some weekend and just float around.

Time: 39:08

Took my Mom with me Kayaking a couple of times last week. She tried it out too, but didn’t get enough practice to really get into the rhythm of the paddling.

Yesterday there were waves! In the past, I haven’t been quite sure when to classify a ripple as a wave. Now I have a definition – if I’m just sitting there, not paddling or otherwise maneuvering around, and water sloshes up over the bow and into the cockpit, it’s a wave. In this case, the wind gusts were the primary cause, and I’d say peak to valley the waves were about a foot high at the most.

And it was fun. A face full of water as you’re paddling about is quite invogorating, and there wasn’t so much as to swamp me so I was happy. More waves!

Cooler today, but the sun was out. Water very calm, a few people out on the beach. One boat was toodling along, fishing, with a couple of people sunning. I paddled close enough to them to say hi.

I’m going to start doing some timing, from the first buoy closest to the Heron Cove boat ramp, out around the next two buoys, far enough North to sight down the side of the foundation of an unfinished building on the West shore, and back.

Today’s time: 42 min.

Friday’s paddle was cut short by thunder. I didn’t see any lightning, but hearing thunder is enough for me. I cut back to about a 30 min. paddle instead of my usual 40 min. Was out of the water while the sun was still shining, but clouds and rain took over very quickly after I drove out the parking lot.

Last Tuesday was as busy as I’ve seen it at the Heron Cove boat ramp, there were 8-10 jet-skis and a few boats. Everyone was courteous, going out of their way to not leave big wakes when I was nearby, I’ve been impressed by my fellow water-sporters at Boyd.

The water level’s been going up the last few times I’ve been out. There’s a pipe feeding Boyd from Horseshoe on the other side of the road, it’s been going every time I’ve driven in. One side effect is the sandbar sticking out right near the no-wake boundary on the North has been submerged, so there are no Herons sitting around. It makes it a bit easier for me to pass, but I miss the birds.