August 18

After a productive day off sitting out the wind in our Microtel room answering email and writing I felt well rested and the winds were “light and variable”.  I haven’t really figured out what that really means but it definitely varied from dead calm to 6” chop. I started rowing across the bay from Plattsburgh at 8:30 a.m.  I did not stop rowing until 11:00 when Heather said I had been 9.2 miles. I think that was probably the longest stretch I have rowed without stopping. The first 3 miles I was rowing across a North wind. When I turned into it but it was not bad at all. A light headwind is cooling and pleasant.

One stretch of coast after another passed by and faded into the haze. Intriguing reflections from the water astern made islands and points of land seem to be floating above the horizon before they set like the sun. I am convinced that the world is round!

We had planned to stop at a beach near the campsite we had reserved for the night. I saw it come up and rowed by since it was not even noon and I felt stronger than ever. The next boat ramp about seven miles further up the coast also passed by off the port side. It was an obvious choice that we should keep going and finish the trip at the Quebec border.

I watched the Adirondack Mountains on the right and the Green Mountains on my left now in one frame of vision. This was a satisfying view. I was north of both headed for Canada. Some day I will return to continue from the border and row to Quebec City. Perhaps I will see them drop below the horizon as they rose from the horizon on the way north.

We reached Rouses Point, NY at about 3:30 p.m. and looked north into Canada and the beginning of the Richelieu River that leads down to the St. Lawrence. We were tempted to spend the next three days continuing our march northward. We even bought the Canadian chart for the Richelieu. But after having to hire a taxi to get back to our car and hearing the long term forecast for rain, we decided that reaching our planned destination a week earlier than expected was good enough for this trip. Again I am frustrated because I feel like rowing more and just keeping up the process of getting stronger and healthier.  I feel much stronger now and Heather says I am “buff”, whatever that means!

So this trip ends with a record day, 25.5 miles into the wind with no assisting currents or tides.  I actually feel like I could have gone further.  I don’t want to sound like a commercial but the effects of the Red Bull I had downed at lunch seemed to have given me another burst of energy!  If I ever go in a race again I think it would be worth drinking one before I leave the dock!

We went back to the campsite we had reserved after having a nice dinner at the northernmost restaurant in New York. It turned out to be a near sleepless night because of the smell of the place that obviously had a major sewage treatment problem.  I was starkly reminded of the need to get back on my Water Efficiency pulpit. The place had a recently renovated rest room/shower building but was using old-fashioned five gallon toilets!