What better way is there to start the new year than paddling? One of our local outfitters, California Canoe and Kayak (CCK), has a tradition of hosting a New Year’s Day paddle followed by a potluck lunch where they provide a huge pot of Turkey Chili. I signed up to reserve a boat since renting would save me loading and unloading. We launched from the CCK dock at Jack London Square.
Kieth, the owner of CCK, put me in a P&H Virgo LV. I’ve been admiring this boat for some time so today I get to give it a spin. The folks at CCK were quite well organized. Boats were already on the dock with names on them when I arrived at 9:30. Actually, the boat that had my name on it was not the boat I paddled. I swapped with another paddler who didn’t fit in the Virgo.
Shortly after 10:00 we were on the water. We had three pods of paddlers, an ambitious group heading for Treasure Island, a less ambitious group headed to Tidewater Boating Center, and an easy group headed for Coast Guard Island. Paddling on the Oakland Estuary is always an interesting experience. I opted for the paddle to Tidewater. As we made our way up the Estuary our first encounter was with several rowing shells. We hugged the shore to let them pass. Heading into Brooklyn Basin, we were serenaded by a DJ playing music and calling out dance steps to a bevy of dancers on the wharf. All the drawbridges (Park Street, Fruitvale and High Street) gave us a show as several fleets of sailboats hailed them to give way.
We arrived at Tidewater Boating Center about 11:30, and after a short break we were back in our boats. One of my challenges on this paddle was wondering if I could climb in and out of my boat at the dock, since I’m still a bit stiff following knee replacement surgery. I’m happy to report that I managed just fine. More photos are available in an online gallery.
