14 IS NOT THE NEW 20

This chart doesn't do quite the justice to the route Eileen and I rowed this AM but it comes close. With the WNW freshening breezes and the incoing tide, we had some serious conditions to contend with for what I had thought and hoped to be a nice 14 miler. The downwind leg from MHD Rock to Bakers proved to be too much for our fragile Alden Stars. Between the weather helming which pushed it off course and the low profile cockpit which was totally swamped for the first 5 miles, I have concluded that the Echo reigns supreme when it comes to rough water. Outside Bakers around House Island (off Manchester) brought us calmer seas but now we had the wind to deal with all the way down to Beverly Harbor. Waves subsided but the wind on our nose made for one great slog up the coastline. We were welcomes to a short but enjoyable crossing from B-Harbor to S-Harbor and then met with a nice downwind leg back to the club house. It total we were in the seats for over three hours. Eileen wanted a taste of a long distance row. I'm pleased to say she got her fair share.