Hi, folks,

Today, I took James (10 YO) out in the bright yellow Cruiser II on the
Carquinez Strait from Benicia. The conditions were rather nice, warm
(75F or so), sunny, with a bit of wind (NOAA said 15 MPH and that seems
about right). The strait, for those who don't know it, is the narrow
(about 1 mile wide) neck that separates the Sacramento River from SF
Bay. It is an interesting stretch of water, running east/west, with
strong currents, lots of wind, and conditions that vary significantly
when the tides change.

We left on a rising tide and headed with the current and the wind. The
following seas made the cruiser lift and wallow a bit (since I did most
of the paddling). James was laughing and chortling with each swell that
broke over the stern and surfed us forward. The kid obviously enjoys a
hint of danger in his paddling. We stopped after going about 1/4 mile to
do some rescues. The water is about 62F, cool enough that wearing a
wetsuit is prudent, but not necessary. James hopped overboard and tried
to re-enter the boat while I stabilized it. He eventually made it by
hopping off the bottom. I showed him how to lie on his stomach and kick
to keep his feet up and his body perpendicular to the boat and he
eventually got back in.

We paddled over to the first street beach. It being a weekday, there was
very little boat traffic on the water and James was pleased to have "all
this to ourselves." Along the way, the wind picked up a bit and we had
some nice following seas to ride into shore. We bailed from the boat,
swam a bit in the water (not the cleanest stuff in the world, but it can
still be called water). I brought the boat out to practice re-entries. I
showed James how to re-enter more easily and he was able to get in on
his first try. Satisfied, he decided to head back to the dock where we
launched. Considering we were paddling into a headwind and against the
tide (though it was near peak), it was a long slog, with me doing most
of the engine work. James, however, loved the bouncy ride as the boat
crashed into the troughs of the swells. My sea lion would had cut
through these easily, but the Cruiser is a beamy boat and is a tough
paddle into a headwind. We made great progress with James joined in, but
when I was paddling alone, it was clear that we were making slow progress.

As we headed west, a barge and oil tanker came toward us. A tug, with
engines in reverse, was attached to the tanker so that it had steerage
as it ran with the current. It seemed to be making about as much
progress as we were. If you've never paddled close to one of these large
ships, you get an appreciation for how small a kayak really is in
commercial waters. Still, the gulls, cormorants, and pelicans (yes,
they've returned to the area after a 40 year hiatus, suggesting,
perhaps, that the waters are cleaner than they've been in recent
history) made the wildlife viewing interesting. The brown pelicans,
skimming the water, rising just high enough to flap their wings and gain
speed before returning to the wavetops, are always fun to watch.

I took advantage of the current on the way back. The main channel is
less than 60 feet deep (the deep draft ships can't come in here), but
the edges of the strait are really shallow (2-5 feet) and pitted with
small, shallow, bays. When the tide is racing, you can easily see where
the moving water hits the shallows. I followed the eddy back to the dock
(James described it as a kayaker's highway), using the confused currents
to mitigate the wind.

A good paddle with a great kid is a joy. I need to do this more often.

Rick