(no subject)

While ago, got a nth hand Perception Dagger white water kayak. Kinda didn't say anything about it at least in part because a lot was going on and I didn't really get to use it. The terrible paddles it came with, I lent out and then they wound up stolen off of the boat they were on so I got more mediocre folding paddles. Compared to the sea kayaks, this has been a challenge, and that's kept me from going far, that and lack of free time, but I think I've cracked the larger part of the code... the thing spins around because it falls off of its own bow wave. Care and force are needed to keep it on its bow wave or it suddenly hooks a hard turn. The hull was designed for going with the current and just generally bumping over rocks, not operating at any speed relative the water, so tooling around in this tiny thing is not the design case. The cockpit is tiny so it cannot be entered with knees bent but after several tries, I think I've mastered jumping in and out from the docks, which are much higher. Despite not tracking worth a damn, stability is excellent so I think I could survive Rebecca ramming me. Was intending to paddle out to swim spot and swim today, but apparently there was an extra low tide that was also extra long and I became fascinated with exploring east on the San Joaquin then up around the bend in to N Mokelumne River, past Pirate's Cove and Willow Berm, Moore's Riverboat [Bar], and Lighthouse Bar and Grill, to the swivel bridge, and back. From when I left to when I got back, tide was extra low, but it had gone from early evening to nearly sunset, and there was no wind or current at any point, making the whole affair eerie. A huge ridge around the shoals I swim from was just thick weeds at the surface so instead I kept paddling. Gawking at shit is one of my favorite things and there's so much to look at up here. I'd sailed part way up the Mokelumne before but that kept me busy. Willow Berm has a a single long dock outside the expansive boat sheds just for border-line mega-yachts that was full of border-line mega-yachts with ports of call as far as St. James, Virgin Islands, with only one of the dozen odd a sailboat. One was maybe a fishing vessel but was a salty steel hulled thing. Some houses up near the bridge on the east side of the island have private beaches, which I hadn't noticed from biking the loop on land. Getting to Isleton (town of) going east would be long and indirect, going way up through Walnut Grove on the way, so there's no real utility there.

Bonus edit: Tweaker neighbor with two boats in here was watching a friends boat who went to rehab. Tweaker's friend reportedly went to rehab and left his boat in the care of tweaker but anchored out after failing to get it in here. It's something like a 35' wooden sailboat that was dismasted. So that's been anchored out for a while. Paddled by her and she definitely has a tow notice but also was hit by another boat and her port bows are smashed about a foot above the water line. Not good. Tweaker who is supposed to be watching the boat and clearing weeds in exchange for free berthing for the two boats he's hoarding has been around less and less.