Trip of the Week in Southern New England

The first weekend in May always brings a lot of excitement to my paddling heart.  First off you have the great opportunities to take free classes and try a huge array of boats and gear at North Cove Outfitters and The Kayak Centre’s demo weekends.  Plus the chance to paddle some of southern New England’s most amazing coast lines is just too big a reason to not pack the car and head out. 

 

My trip of the week; the one I look forward to every year? The Thimble Islands in Branford CT.  It is so easily accessible to I-95 it is almost a sin to not pull off and get your boat wet.  My original reason for getting so excited about paddling the Thimbles this weekend dates back to when I worked with Impex Kayaks .  You see, there is a train trestle, 12’ of clearance, which guards the put in at Stony Creek. So with my truck loaded with sea kayaks, it was too tall to get under the tresel which did not allow me to get to the Thimbles.  However, after I unloaded at North Cove’s event I was stealth baby!  This allowed me to sneak away for a few hours after set up to enjoy some of my favorite paddling. 

 

The Thimble Islands are a picturesque spot on the Connecticut coast. It’s as though the pink-granite-ringed islands of the Maine coast migrated south just off the quiet town of Stony Creek and with a rough count of 365 small to large islands there is plenty to see.  Be respectful of the locals when you show up, both the local paddlers who always deal with the limited parking and of course to those who inhabit the islands.  If you are coming from the north and you are just going to be to far away to come see me on the water on Friday, call the staff at The Kayak Centre and be sure to ask about some local paddling in Wickford that will allow you to enjoy some paddling when you at their event learning about…well paddling.  Hope to see you on the water.