An Afternoon on the Estuary

Northern California has recently enjoyed a spell of exceptional weather which I took full advantage of by going for a paddle on Saturday afternoon. The current heading out to the bay was fairly strong that afternoon so the kayak guy and I decided to head out to the estuary mouth. It would be a fast trip out but a hard paddle back. I really enjoy paddling out to the mouth, you go buy all the big ships and get nice views of the bay on a clear day, which Saturday was. There was only one big cargo ship docked at the cranes, in the midst of unloading. Many smaller boats passed us some motoring, some by sail. This included two heavy tug boats and some speedy boats which create a fairly large wake. The kayak guy enjoys the wake and likes to try to catch a ride on the wave, I get a little seasick from the up and down motion. After a few minutes the boat traffic calmed down and the estuary returned to its usual quiet state. I heard a boat coming up behind us, and when I turned to look I it was a friend's boat the Pasatiempo. He stopped to chat for a few minutes, very excited to run into someone familiar out on the water. His friend snapped a photo and off they went, headed back to the Alameda Marina.

The kayak guy and I continued on to Middle Harbor Park. The tide was getting low so we paddled way out around the jetty, then back to the estuary through the protected water of the park. The bufflehead, goldeneye, widgeon and grebes were out in force. As were many other ducks and shorebirds that remain a mystery. Unfortunately I cannot take my binoculars in the kayak so many birds go unidentified. Another cargo ship was coming into port behind us as we paddled back toward Jack London Square. The tugs we had seen on the way out were guiding the ship into the dock. It appeared the ship may have stopped and waited for us to clear the turning basin. Even though we were going against the tide we made pretty good time on the way back. A thoroughly wonderful way to spend a sunny Saturday in January!