All Swell That Ends Well

The morning started with thunder somewhere over the Gulf Stream, which we hoped would clear up by the time we got to the beach. It was far enough to ignore, close enough to make things interesting. We loaded the kayaks at Eddie’s on the earlier side, around 10. Quick espresso and some sardines out the tin and we were off. As we drove north, the sky lightened up and the thunderclaps came further and further apart.

By the time we hit the beach, the wind was pushing small chop, enough to make the paddle out feel entirely like work. Halfway there, the sun fully broke through the clouds, turning the water from dusty slate to bright turquoise. Once we were on the spot, Eddie dropped in first. Billy and I kept the kayaks steady and hucked the lead lines over. It was hard to keep track of Eddie’s snorkel between the waves. With the currents it’s difficult to keep on our heading on a good day, but today took everything to keep from drifting as we waited for him to resurface.

We had a haul this time, two barrels of Seagroni, Mai Tai Blend, and a little liter barrel of Bourbon to try out. By the time we had gotten them all down, the storm line had drifted north. As we paddled in our shoulders were burning and salt crusted was all down our arms.