I lead my first trip this season. Actually all the actual doing and leading is done by the 2 assistants, Mat and John and the drill sergeant, Ed, who is a school teacher in real life. Ed is a short, purry man who like to give commands. He was at the club already when I arrived on Saturday morning, and put himself in charge of the Sea Kayak containers. He explained to me what he want to do and asked if I am ok with it since I am boss for the day, but there is no to turn down the offer. So Ed handle handing out boats. Mat, an experience trip leader end up doing the introduction to paddling. When everyone gets boats, lifejackets, and introduction to basic introductions witht he help of Mat and Ed, I step in to do a bit of introduction, our plan for for the trip and off we went.
I assigned each of the trip leads their rolls, John Wright, a moderate speed paddler get the lead to keep pace, Matt will be mixing with the newbies to help them along, and I would be doing the sweep making sure no one get left behind.
I asked John to get into the water first before everyone else launched while Matt helped the newsbies into their kayaks. Matt end up launch two paddlers before John as ready. I gentlely remind Matt that John is not ready yet on the other side.
The water in the inlet on Saturday morning was disgusting to put it nicely. It had been raining the last couple of night so there were overflow from the water treatment plants at the head of the inlet. It have a very milky green color to it and smell really bad. Normally I would try to get out of the inlet as soon as possible by leading everyone toward the bridge and into the bay for cleaner water but procedure now call for us to head closer to the water treatment plant to see who would have problem paddle before actually starting the trip.
So we paddled three quarter of a miles up the inlets in the foul smelling water before I called a stop, and asked how everyone is feeling. Surprisingly noone complain about the foul smelling water. Everyone feel good, even thought a couple of paddler have problem with control and maintaining speed. Since noone want to go back to the dock we make our way down the inlet to the bridge.
The water only get marginally better when we get into the Bay. I find out that my VHF radio did not work (I was using a club radio b/c I left mine on all week and it dead.) I end up having to relay my instruction to John in the front by yelling up to the nearest kayak in front of me and he/she would send it up to the next kayaker till it reach John at the front. Usually it would a request to stopped so the rest of the pack can catch up. The group tend to get separated out into three subgroup, the front - all the younger or more experience people, the middle, and then me with two ladies all the way in the back. One of the woman paddle with us before, I think she is a conditional member, and her friend, who have never paddle before but is very atletic. They have two problems, the boat that the second woman is in is not design for long straigh trip, it tend to turn a lot even for experience paddler, and the two women are simply having too much fun yakking and stopping to yak. Since I am the sweep, I can't go any faster then the slowest paddlers so I end up falling behind.
And since we left on time and the weather condition is perfect for a lazy paddle, I made a lot of stop to let everyone regroup and rests. It take all of 1 hours to get to our turn around point. We usually go into the shallow salt marsh right before Mill Basin Bridge but on this Saturday there weren't enough water to form the marsh. It was only 10:45 AM when we get to our turn around point, so I decided to continue to the Mill Basin Bridge. I asked Mat to take the sweep so I can get some exercise in. We paddled to the bridge but did not go into Mill Basin.
The trip back is always the part I hate the most when I was a newby. It tend to turn into a free for all. The fast paddlers just want to get home leaving everying behind, abandoned. I decided to make sure that this would not happen on my trip. I take sweep again on the way back, giving encouragement as needed. I have John stopped a couple of time so everyone can regroup and rest. I was happy that the group did not get spread out on the way back. We get back just after 12 O'clock, everyone help washing the boats, equipments and puting everything always. Ed again coordinated the tasks.
I promised on of the conditional members, Scott, that I would go out kayak with him after the official trip so he can try out a surf ski kayak. I did get a bit of rest stand around watching the group clean up before getting into my boat again. The worst part is the foul smelling water. Scott capsized right before the bridge where the water is still murky. I did not envy him his swim. I come along side his surfski and stablized it while he get back on top. That is the only time that I have to assist him get back into his boat. He did capside thrice afterward, twice in the bay, and once again inside the inlet. I hoped he washed himself with lot of soap when he get home.
Well that my first trip as trip leader. Wasn't bad at all.
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