Start: 6:30 AM- Oyster, VA
Finish: 4:00 PM - South end of Cedar Island
Time: 9:30 hours
Daily dist: 30 miles
Total dist: 3000+ miles
Companions: Vic paddled with me for the first hour
Weather: Mostly cloudy and warm w/ ESE wind at 5-10mph
Notes: An off day for me for some reason
Everyone is entitled to have an off day now and then and for me today was one of those days. The day started out great with an on time launch at the Oyster boat ramp accompanied by Vic who paddled with me for the first hour toward the open coast. After we parted ways things seemed to go downhill for me and the day turned out to be more of a struggle than it needed to be.
With a sore back and waves constantly slopping over my boat I took advantage of a quick route back inside and ran the back side of the islands for the second half of the day. I had hoped to find my way along a secondary (unmarked) channel that would have cut a corner and shortened my inside route. Unfortunately, the featureless grass flats hid the route and I ended up running a couple miles west to get back onto the marked channel. My back felt some relief from being out of the constant motion of the bouncy ocean and I made good time heading north until I was slowed by the incoming tide. By the time I made it to the first unrestricted spot on the south end of Cedar Island I was very ready to pull in and set up camp. However, the beach there was crawling with people. I didn’t know if they had boated over and were going to leave or if they were staying in the nearby stilt houses on the remote island just that there was at least a dozen people hanging out on the beach.

There is rain in the forecast tomorrow but the winds are predicted to be calm so I’m hoping to make good time toward Assateague Island.