August 23, 2010

We set out from Barker's Island, getting a close-up view of the DragonBoat practice going on in the harbor. We then headed around the island and formed a pod to help the Lake Superior traffic maneuver around us. There were a handful of speed boats sharing the water with us, and a barge crossed our path as we headed away from Barker's Island. We then got to witness a float plane practicing take-offs and landings from the water, feeling the plane's engines vibrate the hulls of our boats as we watched it go past. When we reached the other side of the bay, we stopped for a quick lesson on wet re-entries. After Shaun (Lynch) helped me demonstrate the T-rescue and the "Cowboy Scramble" techniques, we got a game of Sponge Tag started. We then pointed our boats back towards Barker's Island, leaving planes and barges behind us. We paddled through the marina, around DragonBoaters, and pulled up onto the beach. We paused for a couple of quick snapshots, which will be up online soon. Thank you all for a great paddle!

-Julia Johnson
 SOAP Trip Guide

Our paddles this year will be held every other week, the next one being on September 6th. We will be putting in at 6pm! If you have any ideas for landings we should use (local landings, without fees for manual boats), I am open to any new options. Again, boats are $5 for non-SOAP Members or non-UW-Superior Students (this is a $10 break from our regular fee, so don't hesitate to come!). If you aren't renting a boat, you don't need to pay to paddle with us.