AMC Paddle: Three Lighthouses, RI

We have been so busy this summer that it's actually been a little hard getting out for a
paddling adventure.  But today I have a real good reason to get out:  I want to try out my new boat.  After my last paddle with AMC, I decided I shouldn't have to work so hard just to keep up.  I reasoned that better equipment (i.e. a new boat) should help improve my situation, and indeed it did.

The map at right gives a little perspective on today's paddle.  The objective of the route was to visit three lighthouses in the upper Narragansett Bay, just south of Providence.  The Wickford Paddle back in June was done much further south near the Jamestown Bridge.  As you can see, there is a lot to paddle in Narragansett Bay.

The forecast for the day was for temperatures in the mid-90's with possible afternoon thundershowers.  "Possible" became reality for us later in the day.

My new boat is a Current Designs Gulfstream designed by sea kayaking pioneer Derek Hutchinson.  It's 16'10" long, fiberglass, and only weighs 50 lbs (8 pounds lighter than my 15'6" Wilderness Systems Cape Horn).  Now that there are 4 boats in the "Fiedler Fleet", I think I've earned a promotion from Captain to Commodore.

My new Gulfstream.  I love the color, too.

The first lighthouse we paddle to is the Conimicut Lighthouse, south from our put-in and out in the middle of the bay.  The water was amazingly placid.

From there, it was a quick paddle to our second lighthouse at Nyatt Point.

After 2 hours of paddling, it was time for a lunch break.  The skies were still blue and the weather off the water was very hot and humid.  But I got to pose with my new boat.

At Haines Memorial State Park, we beached the kayaks and found some picnic tables in the shade.

There were seven of us paddling today:  Bill, Mike, Bill, Anne, Larry, Marie, and me.

Soon after we got into the water, this thunderstorm seemed to pop up out of nowhere. 
We pulled over at Sabin Point Park to keep an eye on the sky and make sure the storm passed us by.

Back on the water, we finally made it to our third light house.  Pomham Rocks Light sits on an island, so we  circumnavigated it to see it all.

Weather clouds continued to threaten from the west, so after crossing the channel, we decided to make another stop at Save the Bay

We got off the water just in time.  You can see in this enlarged photo how hard the rain is coming down on the water.  We still got really wet, but far less so standing under the pier than if we were on the water.

Here's the summary for today's paddle. 

• 3 lighthouses
• 3 stops
• 13.87 miles
• 6:22 on the water
• 4:36 paddling time
• 3.0 mph average speed