During the summer of 2004 Sue and I took three memorable paddles on the Chebogue River. This a great place for day or overnight sea kayak or canoe adventures and is accessible from Dunhams Landing or the Aquatic Club on the Yarmouth side of the river or from road ends on the Melbourne side.
The first trip was international in flavor when we took friends from Japan for a tour by sea kayak and canoe. This was a short afternoon trip on a beautiful sunny day. It was the first time either of the friends had been in small boats. It was an adventure for them and they were amazed at how quickly we could be out of sight of developed land watching the willets and great blue herons.
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Sue Hutchins and Atuko Hosaka, our friend from Japan, getting ready for trip on Chebogue River
The second trip was a planned four day trip down the river and out to Owls Head in the Tusket Islands. It started out foggy and windy and got foggier and
windier as the trip progressed. Near the mouth of the river we missed a turn in the fog and ended up in the marshes of Melbourne. Paddling out of there took an hour so we decided to stop for the night on Perrys Island where there is a good campsite. The night was uneventful except for the howling of the nearby
coyotes. In the morning the fog had cleared so we took off for Pinkney's Point. The fog came back in. We finally reached Little River Harbour at noon after a long detour around Reef Island. Its rocky bar forms quite a barrier at lower tide levels. By now, the fog was thick, there was a strong wind from the south, and the wind was predicted to shift to the north providing a head wind on the way back if we continued. We decided to call it a day, skip paddling to Owls Head, and head back home then. With the wind behind us, we put up our sail and were back at the dock in a few hours. Sue was in her nice warm bath with a glass of wine by six.
The third trip was a day trip with us and Kendrick. We hit one of those perfect paddling afternoons with no wind, clear
skies, and good tides. We paddled down the river with a side trip to the Melbourne lake Game Sanctuary. There is a fantastic whitewater run here each day as the tide falls. Great place for you river kayakers to get some practice on standing waves. We continued on down to Perrys Island for lunch and a break then headed back up the river to the Aquatic Club where we had put in.
Our experiences here illustrate that this is a paddling paradise. The trip does not have to be overnight, or long, or off into the depth of the wilderness. We have great places all along our coast and just inland on the lakes and rivers that make for wonderful get
away for a day or an afternoon paddle.
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