bbjorn Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 We ended up with five guys for the Crane Beach circumnavigation - Bill G., Bob C., Tom H., Dana ?, and Blaine B. Near launch time, it was getting decidedly warm, and we all opted for lighter clothing than might normally have been prudent for that water temp, reasoning that, in addition to hypothermia, heat exhaustion and heat stroke were also real dangers to be considered on this day where the high was predicted to reach 93 degrees. After a 100 yd. carry to the water we launched from Pavilion Beach at 10:45 AM just past low tide, crossed the boat channel toward Plum Island, then headed over to Crane, crowded with hundreds of very pink sunbathers. Halfway down the beach, we came upon a stretch of irresistable 2-4 foot surf breaking over sandbars. A delightful half hour was spent honing surf skills. A couple of us opted to practice swimming (actually, wading) skills as well. And Bill and Bob put on an instructive demo of surf rescue technique enjoyed by the rest of us. Reluctantly, we left the surf behind and continued around the tip of the beach to the back side, right smack into a swarm of growling, hulking powerboats. We hurried on to a grassy spot out of smell- and ear-shot of the boats where we took a 20 min. snack and water break. Only a brief, minor problem was had finding Fox Creek. Tom's GPS showed is up a dead-end alley, confirmed some folks on a nearby dock, who pointed to the right way a short distance back. The paddle up the creek was pretty, uneventful, and much warmer -- confirming the wisdom of our clothing choices. After emerging from the narrow creek into the wider estuary, we were treated to a brief encounter with a young powerboater who did not comprehend the "No Wake" sign, and when we pointed that out, gunned it to show us what a real wake looked like. Emerging from the estuary into the sound between Little Neck and Castle Neck, we hit a fairly strong tidal flow requiring some ferrying and digging in of paddles. Ten minutes later we arrived back at Pavilion, at 2:45 PM. A beautiful day with great companions! Blaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roclough Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 It was a great trip. Good company. First time in the surf and glad to accomodate an impromptu rescue demo. The workout was excellent, made my three mile practice swim this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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