Staypuff

[bob budd]

Arrived at 11AM at the Swampscott Fish House. Being a weekday, the parking was plentiful at the little park. Jason arrived while the engine was still making its last revolutions. Having spent several months with his boat seeing only scant duty, and that on fresh water, today's main goal was to get the self-proclaimed couch potato/marshmallow into the sea. After exchanging the customary pleasantries we set out for Egg Rock.

A nice bit of granite that, and once around we set out around "main" Nahant's many gunkholes, several beaches, and those peculiar towers. The Graves lighthouse beckoned from what appeared a stone's throw, though we knew better. The trip is neither trivial nor overwhelming but we hoped to join with others later in the day and retraced to a nearby beach and took a lunch.

After three fluffernutters, apparently the preferred monster food, we returned to the rising tide. We followed "main" Nahant to the opening of the cove between the two, crossed in the modest chop created by the wind, and continued along the second to the popular surfing beach. As we neared the ample supply of swimmers, we veered towards Swampscott and sailed roughly 1/2 way across the harbour.

Returning to paddle powered travel we crossed to Dread Ledge and began the familiar path along the coast. Soon after I was not looking forward to the slog that the building wind would mean so we circled a large rock and returned to the harbour.

Heading down the north side we found moderate chop from the water driven across the harbour but nothing to speak of at the ledge or striking the rock. Nothing to challenge the skills, we maintained a leisurely pace and feel the sea beneath the boat.

Once among the moored boats, we heard from our third briefly on the radio. After several futile attempts to make contact, we continued to the beach. While packing up we saw two emerge from the Lynn end of the beach. As I later learned, we had missed each other by mere minutes. What's more, we would probably have been in range of Walter.