Preparation

In about a week or so I'll be heading out for several month road trip to BC. It's a sea kayaking trip and I've started making the transition from river paddling to the ocean. While all the paddling I've been doing has gotten into good condition it isn't the same as spending several hours in your boat riding the swells and fighting the wind. So I spent a couple days paddling down in the Bay - including a 25 mile day on Tomales Bay and a paddle out under the Golden Gate.

On Tomales I got the opportunity to paddle with my buddy Frank while exploring the Pt. Reyes shore and wildlife. There were a number of elk walking along shore and lots of birds on the water and in the air, as well as people out clamming. Then I continued down the Bay solo for a good workout paddle and was happy to realize that it wasn't much of a strain. I guess the hours in a little boat do transfer over.

I have one project left to get my boat ready for BC: I am installing an automatic electric bilge pump. It's the type of thing I don't expect to ever need but might make all the difference if things really go south. It goes along with my SPOT, VHF, manual pump, paddlefloat, flares and more. You can't have too much safety equipment, right?