As some of you are now aware I have called a stop to my paddle After having to deal with several issues, culminating in breaking my glasses, I decided it wouldn't be sensible to push on just for the sake of reaching some completely arbitrary objective. Although sad I feel comfortable with the decision several days later and content with what I achieved. There was some irony in the fact that while the weather conditions were a factor in my decision, on my last paddling day they were as near as perfect as could be with not a breath of wind or any swell and sunny conditions. I could easily have made my 50k target that I had not been able to attain consistently previously.
My last day saw me paddle 20 k to Geneva State Park Marina which is just short of Cleveland. I was prepared to paddle another 300 the next day to Fairport which was the last marina b/4 Cleveland and be retrieved from there. There was a small restaurant in the marina shop and I had a nice bacon and egg brunch to supplement my oatmeal breakfast of a few hours earlier. I spent the rest of the day reading 2 of the terrible cheap books I had purchased a few days earlier and resting on the park benches. I had been advised by the marina manager that while he had no problems with me putting my tent up for the night ,there was in fact a no camping allowed policy. He suggested a nice sandy beach on the approach to the marina which I had also picked as my plan B option.. I prefer not to camp on sand as it is hard to get a good purchase for tent pegs and is hard to sleep on (I don't use any form of mattress).I adjourned to the beach around 7.00pm and lay on my ground sheet ,not wanting to attract too much attention by putting the tent up before it got dark. The phone rang. It was my son in law saying he was on his way (a day early) and was about 350k away. I estimated his time of arrival at midnight so continued lying on the sand in the setting sun until dark. I then packed up, paddled back tot the boat ramp, and unpacked everything in anticipation of Matthew's arrival. Although I was warmly dressed with a merino underlay it soon got quite could so I slipped into my sleeping bag. I was sitting at the table with my head in my arms completely enclosed in and motionless in the sleeping bag when a passing young man decided to investigate the pile of dry bags. He just about had a heart attack when I sat up at his approach.
Matthew arrived just after midnight and we quickly loaded the boat and gear and checked into a Motel 6 he had seen out on the I 90. We were on the road again by 6.30 am for the long drive back to NY. It is a distance of at least 650k each way. (think Auckland to Wellington).I tell Matthew he is my favourite son in law (I only have one) but that he shouldn't rest on his laurels as there may be some competition one day and he might have to lift his game
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