Where did the wind go?

A bloody headwind slog today with the promise of a downwind paddle for the trip back that failed to deliver.

Winding the clock back to last Saturday, I stood on a razor clam when walking the kayak over a shallow weed bank.  These clams are well named and I ended up with a deep gash across the ball of my foot.  A doctor visit, some antibiotics and a taped foot saw me out of action for a week - for those who know me you should take pity on the people who have to put up with me when I am house-bound...

So I may have been a little stir crazy so didn't mind a slog into a 10 knot headwind for 17 kms with the promise of a 10 knot tailwind for the trip back.  It wasn't until I jumped in the boat and found I couldn't use any leg drive with my injured foot that a headwind slog started to look a lot more daunting.

Anyway, propped up on some caffeine and a mix of other sports additives I slowly made my way across to Mud Island where we found a shallow rock inlet which had a sand bottom surrounded by coral banks. There was a high sand bank in shade of some trees that we made our way towards before being monstered by a few thousand midges.  We beat a hasty retreat to the coral bank where we setup for morning tea in the sun, but with a lovely breeze blowing on our backs.

You can see the wind on the water in these photos - it was a 10 knot easterly which would have been a perfect tailwind back to the Yundah Street boat ramp.  We shortened our break so we could catch the wind.  The tide was on the way in and it has risen sufficiently so that we could paddle out over the coral bank which was now covered by a foot or so of water.

The wind was pushing our boats around as we got ready to depart, gusting in every now and then and filling our sails. 

So with this promise of a fun paddle/sail home we took off...and then the wind dropped away.  Our sails hung limp and dejected.  Jono took the direct line back whereas I went wide hoping to pick more wind and swell up.  We met back together near the airport on the other side of the shipping channel to have a depressing discussion on the lack of either wind or swell for the next 8 km slog back to our put in point.

Still, it was better than being house bound for another day!

34 kms.