We were not surprised there were no other taker’s for a Father’s Day paddle from Scarborough to Bribie and return. I probably wouldn’t have done it either if I had known what the return trip was going to turn into.
We headed across to Bribie on an ebb tide into a slight breeze. Along the distant shore an oyster lease morphed into moving sticks which evolved into people walking with their families and dogs. There was a constant string of leads pacing the southern beach. It was fine and warm and with no trees in sight, the beach shelter came into its own. After a leisurely lunch it was time to carry the abandoned boats back to the shallows. Shallows brimming with snot weed.
It didn’t take long to wash off the snot weed. The forecast NE blow was freshening and going to give us a good touch up the rear quarter. Puihi does not like a rear quarter, especially when she is not laden. With the sail up and taut, it turned into a fight to stop her slewing and broadsiding down the increasing swell. The best way to deal with it was to paddle assertively and ride the swell but with no weight on board it felt like a flippant option. There was a long way to go and just the two of us. Not a place to go broadside and belly up. Not a happy Puihi. Not happy at all. Crikey on the other hand was having a ball.
After a lot of steering braces a grumpy Puihi and relaxed Crikey eventually came into shore to dodge. the parasailers zinging and leaping across the muddy shallows. We were surprised that the signs were still out for the tandem parachutes. Since we landed the wind had ramped up another notch to a firm 20Knots. Definitely time to be back onshore and on ground.
