August 21st 2016
Tuckerton, NJ
Rutgers University Marine Field Station
I awoke early this morning to the sound of high tide coming in. I quickly checked on Lex-T-Sea and saw her moving in the water. Although she was tied off, I decided to pull her up out of high tide and then back to sleep I went.
I awoke again around 7am and set to breaking camp. I’d have a 16-mile push ahead of me today to make it to Brigatine, NJ. After breakfast, I said Good Bye to Dave and family and then went to hit the water. Even though I was up early, it was still almost 10am. I went to turn on my SPOT and it wouldn’t come on. I tried again and nothing. Figuring the batteries went dead overnight, I opened it up to find the battery compartment full of water and the contacts and batteries corroded. Dave came out and offered me some tools to clean it up, but it was no use. We were able to get it to light up, but the wrong lights were lighting up. The water must have gotten inside too. I just lost my first line of safety on the water. I’d no longer be able to summon help with just a touch of a button. While I still had my VHF, Cell Phone and Flares, I was not happy about losing the SPOT. I alerted my family and friends to the issue and I paddled off.
It would be a long 7-mile paddle straight across the large open bay to a water tower I could see in the distance. That would lead me down to the Great Bay where I would then pick up the New Jersey Intracoastal. I reached Beach Haven Marina at 12:30 pm. I had just paddled 7 miles in two and a half hours. At this rate I’d reach my destination in no time. I stopped for lunch at the Marina and once I re-launched, I found that I was fighting a heavy headwind and the current wasn’t helping.
By the time I reached the Rutgers Research Facility, I was struggling to hold my position, not to mention, make any forward progress. The waves were growing and a storm was moving in. I beached the kayak on the banks of the University and found a caretaker onsite. I told her I needed to find shelter and was unable to paddle further due to the current and weather. While she didn’t think that would be possible, she showed me were the docks were so I re-entered the water and struggled to paddle a couple of hundred feet into the protected dock area.
Once I docked, I got out and met Kim. She works for the University and offered me shelter for the night. I secured the kayak to the dock and unpacked my gear. Overhead, the storm clouds were pushing in. I cleaned up, cooked myself some dinner and then got to sit and take with Kim about the building and the university.
If one had to be stuck somewhere, this was the place to be. Sitting high above a salt-water marsh is this old Coast Guard Station turned research facility. The views here were amazing and the approaching storm seemed less threatening once I was off the water.
Tomorrow I have about 12 miles till I hit Atlantic City. If the tide rolls with me and the wind cooperates, I should make it with no problem. Then my only problem is finding someplace to stay.
Day 51 Done
