Tusket Islands Kayak Trip

Off the water - Art, Bruce, Shelley, Mike, me, Joanne, Dan, Rich - a great paddling follow-up to our 2018 kayaking excursion - check that one out here: https://outsideways.com/journals/kayak-and-hike-cape-chignecto/.

Close to our 'finish line' (the parking lot and our vehicles), paddling through 'The Sluice', we passed these two hard-working men, harvesting rockweed seaweed. (Commercial uses: packed with live organisms during shipping, i.e. lobsters or marine bait worms; added to gardens as fertilizer and mulch. After processing used for nutritional additives - and contains a compound used as a thickening agent in food, cosmetics, and some paints.)

The timing was perfect for: appreciation for all that these waters offer and supply to people; a strong nudge of gratitude for the privilege I'd had to be here for adventure and exercise and fun; gratitude to be with friends, for our safety and lessons learned.

We didn't want to leave the islands without paddling through 'Hell's Gate' (of course!) and following the locals' warnings, ensured we went at high tide. Navigating through the two cement bulwarks to get to the Sheep Islands and back was uneventful but fun 'just because.'

Gear discussions are interesting and often very helpful. This tape got a lot of press time from Richard for 'invisible' repairs from clothing to plastic mats. Another thing for my MEC list?

Happy to see the sun and a view of Eagle Island - breaking camp and anticipating another paddle before going back to our vehicles, leaving the islands.

Joanne and Shelley: two energetic, fun women I'd cycle, kayak, hike (and share a bottle of wine with) any time I can .

I got disoriented paddling in fog once on the river where I live - this unsettling feeling was one I didn't want to repeat on the ocean. And thankfully it didn't here: we were committed to staying in sight of each other, several paddlers had compasses, and this group had an overall sense of calmness.

Day 4: hiked up the hill and read a memorial of a young islander's death - and got a foggy view of 'where we were going' for the day's paddle.

Full moon shot viewed through the wharf's line-up of lobster pots and rusty anchors.

To the left of the kayaks you can see 4 of the 6 six tents - the other two opted for elsewhere on site.