14 March Triple Header Monday

Up and at ‘em for an 0800 kayak session. Room service breakfast. I ordered hot chocolate and got the real thing. Thick hot cocoa, not quite Angelina’s from Paris, but a great way to warm your innards before starting out on a snowy, 27-degree day.

Karla passed on this opportunity (Yes, 4 loads of laundry had my attention), so I was paired with a woman from Central Florida. It took us most of the 70-minute excursion to really get coordinated in paddling and steering, but at the end we were pretty good. Kayaking is like golf or skiing, when done by an experienced person, it looks incredibly simple, but for us…. The suits kept us dry, but feet got incredibly cold even with two pairs of socks, the suit feet and neoprene booties. The paddling keeps the rest of you warm, even toasty.

We returned just in time for me to strip of the kayak suit, change into my Arctic gear and meet Karla for the Special Ops Boat tour. These million-dollar boats hold 15, have water jet propulsion systems, and some sophisticated navigation instrumentation. The goal is the same for Zodiac excursions, seek wildlife and interesting scenery, but do it faster and in a little more comfort. Although faster means a higher wind-chill effect. Thanks, Barons, for your ski googles. There are two of these boats on board loaded/unloaded via a powered on/off ramp. It’s a nice system since you get on/off in the sheltered hanger.

The “triple header” ended with me going on a Zodiac expedition. Pictures follow.

Spiny lobster for dinner tonight. No pictures I’m afraid, we dug right in.