You've gotta time the tide right if you're going to kayak in Plum Island Sound, and I pretty much did yesterday. I put in at the Ipswich Town Landing, which was already almost full of cars (one was stuck on the launch ramp) by 11:00. Had an excellent trip out the river, though some of the roaring motorboats had no clue about staying in the channel. [Overheard from one boat, "It gets shallow on the edges here." "Then stay in the middle." Did they ever wonder what those red and black buoys were for?]
By the time I got to the mouth of the river though, I had to really fight the tide to get out into the bay. The shore South of the river was filled with beach-goers, many of whom had arrived there by boat. It was a glorious day to be at the beach or on the water and the whole area was a mess of boats and chop, particularly with the current stirring up the water.
And it *was* water! The drought we've been living through lately has been depressing and I've hesitated to go kayaking on the rivers, since they're so low. My heart rises when I see full bodies of water, or high tide. It was wonderful to be out on the ocean and to be reminded that water is neither created nor destroyed, to see the blue goodness flooding the salt marsh.
After struggling out past Castle Hill I turned around and let the tide rip me back to the North, and then, assisted with a few strokes of the paddle, back into the maw of the river. Made it back to the landing with the tide a little bit before full flood. Put up quickly and not only were there cars waiting to take my parking place, people with trailers had parked all over the road around there by that point, some in people's yards. Full day at the shore!
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