demonstrate two other ways to right a tipped over kayak."
They got into their boats, and we paddled into mildly deeper water. I slipped mine up to Elisabeth. "How good are you?"
"Probably not as experienced as you are, but good enough."
"We're going to demonstrate an assisted righting first," I said. She nodded. "You first." I raised my voice. "Now, Elisabeth is going to tip over."
She promptly flipped her boat. Then her hand came up out of the water, and she tapped the bottom of the boat. I paddled up next to her on the opposite side, grabbed her arm, and she flipped back right side up. There was sarcastic applause. I immediately flipped my boat, then while hanging upside down in the water, reached up and tapped on the bottom. I felt Elisabeth grab my wrist and pull.
She almost pulled my arm out of the socket, and I popped back out of the water. I worked the shoulder and turned to her. "Gently next time."
"Sorry."
I made everyone practice that, both tipping their kayaks and helping someone right theirs. Only two people let go of their paddles, but they floated and were quickly retrieved.
"You guys can try this next one if you want," I said. "But it takes practice." I nodded to Elisabeth. She paddled a short distance away, flipped her kayak, and then attempted to right it herself. It took her three attempts, but she got it. "Nice job, Elisabeth." I waited for her to pump out her kayak. "Help me with this now if you would, Elisabeth." I flipped and immediately exited, popping to the surface. Elisabeth paddled over and I explained what we were doing.
I righted my kayak in the water, and Elisabeth paddled to the front end, her kayak forming a T against mine. I swam to the front of her kayak and steadied it. Elisabeth reached down, grabbed my kayak by the handle, and pulled it across hers. She flipped it over, tipping the water out of it, then set it back in the water.
"Lara, go to the other side and stead Elisabeth's kayak." I waited until she was in place, then with Elisabeth steadying mine, and Lara steadying Elisabeth's, I climbed back in, slipping into the cockpit.
"We're not going to practice that," I said. They laughed. I told them to wait where they were, bringing Elisabeth with me. We retrieved the fishing gear and food from shore, storing everything in our kayaks. And then we began our tour of the waterfront.
We paddled around in front of Bayfield for a half hour before I was sure everyone knew how to paddle properly and they could be trusted not to screw around. After that, we left the harbor. There was only a light breeze, and this portion of the lake was sheltered. Everyone rode the very light waves very well. We pointed our kayaks north and proceeded up the shore.
At first, everyone stayed clustered together, but the further we paddled, the more obvious it became the wolves were bored with the pace one little fox was setting. As a were, even as small as I was, I was strong compared to a human, but tiny, so my speed over the water was significant. We had traveled much further than a human would have paddled. But I was close compared to the wolves, and they were growing bored. They began screwing around. I sighed.
Lara looked over at me. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"Probably." I looked at Elisabeth. "Paddle ahead of us, two hundred yards, and stop. Everyone else stay here."
She nodded and really set her paddle into the water, shooting ahead of us. When I deemed the distance was good, I told Lara, "That's far enough." She whistled loudly, and Elisabeth came to a stop, turning around to face us.
"All right, time to race." Four wolf ears perked right up. "From here, past Elisabeth, and back here. Contact with Elisabeth's boat is a forfeit. Two at a time."
"Me and June," Rory said immediately. I looked at her and she nodded.
We got them lined up and I said, "The alpha will call the start and the winner."
"Three, two, one, go!" Lara said immediately. Both of them dug their paddles in and set
They got into their boats, and we paddled into mildly deeper water. I slipped mine up to Elisabeth. "How good are you?"
"Probably not as experienced as you are, but good enough."
"We're going to demonstrate an assisted righting first," I said. She nodded. "You first." I raised my voice. "Now, Elisabeth is going to tip over."
She promptly flipped her boat. Then her hand came up out of the water, and she tapped the bottom of the boat. I paddled up next to her on the opposite side, grabbed her arm, and she flipped back right side up. There was sarcastic applause. I immediately flipped my boat, then while hanging upside down in the water, reached up and tapped on the bottom. I felt Elisabeth grab my wrist and pull.
She almost pulled my arm out of the socket, and I popped back out of the water. I worked the shoulder and turned to her. "Gently next time."
"Sorry."
I made everyone practice that, both tipping their kayaks and helping someone right theirs. Only two people let go of their paddles, but they floated and were quickly retrieved.
"You guys can try this next one if you want," I said. "But it takes practice." I nodded to Elisabeth. She paddled a short distance away, flipped her kayak, and then attempted to right it herself. It took her three attempts, but she got it. "Nice job, Elisabeth." I waited for her to pump out her kayak. "Help me with this now if you would, Elisabeth." I flipped and immediately exited, popping to the surface. Elisabeth paddled over and I explained what we were doing.
I righted my kayak in the water, and Elisabeth paddled to the front end, her kayak forming a T against mine. I swam to the front of her kayak and steadied it. Elisabeth reached down, grabbed my kayak by the handle, and pulled it across hers. She flipped it over, tipping the water out of it, then set it back in the water.
"Lara, go to the other side and stead Elisabeth's kayak." I waited until she was in place, then with Elisabeth steadying mine, and Lara steadying Elisabeth's, I climbed back in, slipping into the cockpit.
"We're not going to practice that," I said. They laughed. I told them to wait where they were, bringing Elisabeth with me. We retrieved the fishing gear and food from shore, storing everything in our kayaks. And then we began our tour of the waterfront.
We paddled around in front of Bayfield for a half hour before I was sure everyone knew how to paddle properly and they could be trusted not to screw around. After that, we left the harbor. There was only a light breeze, and this portion of the lake was sheltered. Everyone rode the very light waves very well. We pointed our kayaks north and proceeded up the shore.
At first, everyone stayed clustered together, but the further we paddled, the more obvious it became the wolves were bored with the pace one little fox was setting. As a were, even as small as I was, I was strong compared to a human, but tiny, so my speed over the water was significant. We had traveled much further than a human would have paddled. But I was close compared to the wolves, and they were growing bored. They began screwing around. I sighed.
Lara looked over at me. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"Probably." I looked at Elisabeth. "Paddle ahead of us, two hundred yards, and stop. Everyone else stay here."
She nodded and really set her paddle into the water, shooting ahead of us. When I deemed the distance was good, I told Lara, "That's far enough." She whistled loudly, and Elisabeth came to a stop, turning around to face us.
"All right, time to race." Four wolf ears perked right up. "From here, past Elisabeth, and back here. Contact with Elisabeth's boat is a forfeit. Two at a time."
"Me and June," Rory said immediately. I looked at her and she nodded.
We got them lined up and I said, "The alpha will call the start and the winner."
"Three, two, one, go!" Lara said immediately. Both of them dug their paddles in and set
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