SUP Sections 1-4

 

2020 Vision

On May 5th of 2020, four months after my breast cancer diagnosis, I celebrated being cancer free on Cinco de Mayo.  With a margarita in hand, friends and family came together on Zoom to toast my completion of 16 rounds of radiation treatment.  These were Covid times, so my experience with breast cancer revolved around a new set of circumstances and medical protocol.  In addition, I had to lower my expectations of connecting with people who were not able to help out in the traditional way after someone is diagnosed with breast cancer.  I remember thinking how much I wanted my life to get back to normal after going through a lumpectomy and lymph node biopsy surgery, then radiation.  Instead, I had to create new activities for a more active lifestyle that I had vowed to implement.  Thanks to my brilliant husband Brendan, we decided to purchase from Costco two Body Glove inflatable stand up paddle boards, otherwise known as SUPs!  His thinking was that we could get out on the water to exercise during Covid, and easily social distance from others.  I loved this idea since I grew up on the water at the head of Hidden Cove Bay on Bainbridge Island, where I spent many summers on boats and various floatation devices.  I also knew that the paddling would be a great way to rehab my left shoulder and chest area from the scar tissue I had developed after surgery and radiation.   

Let the Adventure Begin!

Introducing... SUP1 and SUP2.  These two inflatable stand up paddle boards are filled with 15psi of air pressure to insure maximum floatation stability.  Inflated, each board weighs approximately 25 pounds, and are easy to carry with a padded handle in the center of the board.  They perform very well in open water, and come equipped with an ankle leash; cording in the front of the board for securing items, and a triple zip loc velcro clear plastic waterproof bag for protecting your phone and keys.  I must admit, I have not put these features to the test yet by falling into the water to see how well they work!  Incidentally, my brother who is a surfer tells me that I shouldn't use the leash, because it makes me look like an amateur!  Also included is a stand up pump and a large canvas back pack that the board fits into when deflated and folded up for easy transport to areas that require longer walks to put in the water.  Hey, maybe Body Glove should hire me for their marketing!

After taking these out in Eagle Harbor a couple times, I found myself thinking out loud to Brendan while on a late evening paddle,  "What if I set out to circumnavigate the island on my SUP this summer?  I could do it in sections, beginning each paddle at the location where I ended after the last paddle."  In order to do this, I would want to have a SUP companion with me, perhaps someone different for each section.  I knew a few friends and family members who I thought would be up for this, but I wasn't sure how I would organize it.  This would require a lot of coordination to bring the SUPs to each location on the water for launching, in addition to having a vehicle or someone to pick us up at the landing destination.   Additionally, I also knew that the tides, wind and weather would play a factor in determining the timing for each section.  Not to mention I would need to find at least two to three hours per section where both my SUP companion and I, and in some cases someone for drop off/pick up support who were available on any given day!    

Despite all these obstacles, I decided to throw caution to the wind!  I found a paper map of Bainbridge Island and began to plot my 27 nautical mile circumnavigation.  I added up 15 sections, using shore access areas around the perimeter of the island, as well as some waterfront properties of friends and family to use as launching and landing points.  Each section consisted of 1 to 2 mile stretches.  In a clockwise direction, I planned to hug the shoreline, going in and out of all the bays and inlets.  This meant that the tides needed to be high enough in order to go into some of the shallower bays.   I also wanted the tides to be in my favor, with an incoming tide moving me South on the east side of the island, and an outgoing tide moving me North on the west side of the island.  The ideal wind conditions were 0 to 4 knots, although this was never too predictable, as I would discover on a few of the sections!  I studied this information on an app called Tides, which I became very good at reading.   

The Launch with Kevin Curran

June 4th, 2020 at 6pm

Strawberry Plant Park to Pritchard Park, 2 hours

My son Kevin enthusiastically agreed to accompany me on the maiden voyage of my SUP circumnavigation around Bainbridge Island.  We launched on a high tide, with my husband Brendan snapping a photo, which I decided would happen on the launch of each section.  We began paddling to our right, hugging the shoreline which led us into the head of Eagle Harbor Bay.  As we rounded the corner heading toward the end of the bay, we were startled by a huge splash from behind us.  I turned quickly to see a blur of grey speckled blubber disappear under the water.  The cool thing about a SUP is that you have a great view standing above the water looking down onto what is swimming below.  In this case, a resident harbor seal whom I believe happens to be very territorial had decided to swim under my board!  After convincing myself that this seal was not planning to bump my board and capsize me, I decided that this was a good omen at the start of my SUP journey.  I felt honored that this seal would put on such a show for me!  I believe that the harbor seal, whom I now call 'my friend' was also honored to be serenaded by Kevin as I paddled quickly around the head of the bay!  Paddling toward Pritchard Park, I encountered large schools of silver herring under my board, a sign of a good marine ecosystem and plenty of food for my friend the harbor seal!  As we approached the first 'take out' destination at Pritchard Park, I heard people calling my name from a motor boat anchored near the shore.   Upon closer inspection, I was greeted by our friends the Connors and Tschidas enjoying a cocktail on their boat, waiting for the sun to set and the full moon to rise that evening.  I enthusiastically told them what I was setting out to do this summer, as we held onto the side of their boat, standing on our paddle boards. Then my friend Karen Connors asked me how this was going to work, and if I had others who were planning join me on each section.  I told her I had not gotten that for along in my planning, which is very unusual for me, btw!  I asked her if she wanted to join me sometime, and she said yes of course :).  This chance encounter was foretelling as to how this journey with others accompanying me would magically come together over the course of a three month long paddle during the summer of 2020.  Running into friends and telling them about my adventure would spark their interest.  This would be all it took for me to get others to join me for a section, or sometimes two! 

Section #2 with Brendan Curran

June 19th, 2020 at 3:30pm

Pritchard Park to Head of Blakely Harbor Park, 2 hours

For this next section, my husband Brendan and I put in our SUPs at Prichard Park, at the same location where I ended two weeks prior with Kevin.  We picked an unusually sunny warm and windless day for June in the NW for our venture outside of the protection of Eagle Harbor.  We set off, carefully maneuvering around kids, adults and pets on floatation devices in the water enjoying a day at the beach.    Clearly, folks on Bainbridge were taking advantage of the first warm day of the year to get outside after being held up for the past three months of Covid!  Both Brendan and I commented on how this beach scene looked more like somewhere on Cape Cod, with the exception of the pale NW skin of those donning swimsuits!  As we made our way around Wyckoff Point and down Rockaway Beach, we noticed the distinct smell of creosote emanating off the sun heated pilings.  Waves from passing boats caught us off guard and we quickly fell to our knees to avoid falling off our boards.  Wow, the open water was sure different than the calm bay, which was something I would have to develop my sea legs for quickly!  As we rounded the bend to the wide opening of Blakely Harbor, we rode the swells developing off the headland that pushed us into the bay.  Approaching the head of the bay, we encountered more beach goers and water play with families picnicing on the sandy area of both sides of the new foot bridge, built over the opening to the cove.  The long walk out with our SUPs to where our kids had left us the truck took some time to find, but we are grateful to have it waiting there for us! 

Section #3 with Julie Marler 

July 5th, 2020 at 3:45

Blakely Harbor Park to Fort Ward Park boat launch, 2.5 hours

       

 

                                                 

At last another decent day had arrived after waiting the entire month of June to paddle again, this time with my bestie Julie, dating back to our middle school days together on Bainbridge!  I knew that this next section would be the longest and potentially the most dicy part of my circumnavigation around Restoration Point on the Southern tip of the Island.  Fortunately, I picked Julie to accompany me on this next section of my paddle, since she always comes prepared for an adventure!  This time with 2 icy cold hard ciders in hand, along with string she had tied around the tops to pull along in the water behind the SUPs. This way, Julie proclaimed they would stay cold for our reward at the end!  After closer inspection of this questionable rigging however, we decided not to take our chances of loosing our cold beverages somewhere along the way!  Instead we secured them onto the front end of my SUP under the hold down cords.  Paddling out of Blakely Harbor together with a strong wind at our face, Julie quickly pulled out in front of me.  This probably had to do with the design/weight of her fiberglass board she was on, and if Im honest, the fact that she has been doing this sport for longer than me!   At any rate, I felt safe with her taking the lead over rocky portions near the beach along the Country Club, not knowing when or where a seal from Blakely Rock might decide to join us!  Fortunately we never saw one, since these are not favored sea mammal encounters for Julie :).  

After navigating our way around Restoration Point, being propelled by the point break waves toward Bean's Bite, we decided to stop and drift while enjoying our hard cider.  Although they had cooled down considerably on the bow of my SUP, it still hit the spot after paddling for over an hour and a half!  If you have ever been curious about all the waterfront residents surrounding Bainbridge Island, paddling by these homes will give you an upfront and sometimes personal look into their back yards!  So many of the small shingle sided family summer cabins dating back to over a hundred years ago, have been demolished and replaced by larger eclectic, modern and NW style waterfront homes. 

The remainder of our paddle brought Julie and I around to South Beach and underneath the dock at the salmon farm, then along the Fort Ward Park shoreline to where we landed at the boat launch.  We were greeted by our neighbors Julie and Steve Matthews who happened to be having a picnic at the park, along with my husband Brendan taking this video, and Olivia, Julie's daughter who was her ride home.  

Section #4 with Ann Ellis

July 11th, 2020 at 10:25am

Fort Ward Park boat launch to the Ellis', 1.25 hours

How lucky am I to have two besties, both living on Bainbridge and able and willing to accompany me on my SUP journey?!  This time, Ann who Ive known since the 3rd grade joined me on my fourth section that would end at she and her husband John's waterfront home on Point White.  We launched from Fort Ward on an overcast morning with John assisting with the transportation logistics.  Although the sky was grey, the water was calm and clear giving us a great view into the deep blue water below our boards.  Much of Pleasant Beach is actually quite pleasant, with a mixture of pebbles and sand!  We talked the entire way, catching up and reminiscing about the good old days and our water ski adventures.  Ann reminded me of how she did not know to let go of the ski tow rope when she fell the first time she got up on water skis.  Instead, she held onto the rope being dragged over the water because know one had bothered to tell her to let go when she fell!  Our short paddle had ended too soon as we landed on the beach in front of Ann's house, imagining how my next section would go around Point White and through Rich Passage.