evening trip: 20.5km from Fred's

Decided to launch after all - no rest for the wicked!

Fred's 0km 1635

Sze Tei (the rock outside Tai Tan) 1639

Nam Fung Kok 3.4km 1701

Ocean Point 5.3km 1714

Bluff Head 8.5km 1740 (following sea/starboard side wind up to this point) 

Chek Chau NE 11.5km  1812  (strong head wind heading towards CC)

Kung Chau 14.13km   1847 (even stronger port wind with long whitecaps)

Ko Lau Wan 17km  1917 (same as above)

* * * headed towards Nam Fung Wan until I couldn't see the WS Pier light to make sure I stay well away from the ferry lanes, because it was getting dark.)  

Sze Tei 20km  1946  (following sea up till NFW, then flat water towards Sze Tei.)

Fred's 20.5

The whitecaps East of Chek Chau took me by surprise; my seahorse took in quite a bit of water, I'm not sure what the observatory is playing at, but the wind certainly didn't feel like a BF 2 (and the whitecaps agreed with me!)

Got stopped by the police patrol boat just before I reached Nam Fung Kok, they questioned me for a bit (are you alone?  are you really paddling alone?  Where are you going?  When are you coming back...) and then let me go.  

Managed over 8km/hr in the first hr due to a mild, following sea.  Then struggled against the head wind -- what with the choppy waves, I started zoning out.  No point thinking about posture and movement efficiency, I just had to react to each wave, one at a time.  

Got quite nervous, because I didn't expect the sea to be choppy.  I launched without a PFD (not even in the boat!), paddle float, drinking water, and spraydeck; I wasn't sure whether Dennis got my message for safe-call either (he didn't.  Duh!) It was also very very foggy (especially towards the north)... I kept thinking I should turn around, but at the same time I also felt I need to push myself to learn to handle the unexpected.

Glad I finished the trip, but need to commit to pack better next time. (had trouble getting the head light out of the dry box, didn't use it at all in the end.  So it's like I didn't pack it in the first place.)  Also need to confirm safety calls before I launch.

Oh ya. My new year resolution, to "never land in the dark again," ha!  so much for that.  I suppose I could modify it into never "accidentally" land in the dark again, ever.