| Start: | Havre De Grace |
| End: | Miami Beach Park |
| Estimate Leg: | 29 miles |
| Actual Leg: | 29.9 miles |
| Estimate Cumulative: | 240 miles |
| Actual Cumulative: | 254.1 miles |
Today was the longest of the trip - close to 30 miles. But the weather forecast was really good, and I knew that I would have the current with me coming out of the Susquehanna, and high tide about 10. Plan was to follow the channel back out of Havre De Grace until I passed Sandy Point on the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, then follow the profile of the APG down south (as this was a Sunday, I didn’t have to stay outside the restricted area - see Day 12 for a description of the regulations).
What I realized after making the turn at Sandy Point was that, with the Susqeuhanna current traveling across to the southeast, the waters next to APG collected all of the junk from the river flow as it was outside of the main current. There was still a pretty decent outflow due to an ebb tide, but I was hitting all kinds of grasses and branches etc. A better strategy for this would’ve been to follow the channel back out towards Howell Point and then begin a slow crossing towards Pooles Island. As it was, I worked my was out further into the main flow of the bay to try to get cleaner water.
The current was somewhere around 1–2 MPH, which was ripping by my standards: to go along at 6.5–7 MPH was flat flying. I had given Ruth a conservative estimate of 7 hours, but finished up right at about 6 hours - with clearing the grass off my rudder being much of the “rest time”. I know how much “pull” is required on my paddle, and when my speed would drop about 0.5 MPH and I was pulling hard, I knew that I had some hitchhikers. After a while I tried to spread the rudder-clearing interruptions and just live with the extra drag for another 100 strokes or so, as the rudder clearing sessions were becoming way too frequent.
I took the time to head over to the southwest tip of Pooles Island to get a shot of the lighthouse (will post when able). Pooles was the target for the big gun testing out of APG, so it is strictly off limits for landing, with lots of very old unexploded ordinance. I was also told (didn’t check the regulations to verify) that there is no mooring off the island either, as an unfortunately placed anchor may drop onto a live ordinance. Pretty place, with lots of war-time history.
Headed in to Miami Beach - unaware that the gate was closed during the weekend. Had to carry my boat up to the fence and Ruth helped me set it outside, then I had to hop the fence. Should be an easier go in the morning to come back to launch.
Dinner with Greg and Rissa Karpoff - friends from Morgantown WV days. Great to catch up.
Tomorrow, this trip finishes up at the Key Bridge outside of Baltimore on the Patapsco river. Fifteen miles to go!