We started our adventure at near high tide
and finished at closer to low tide, when there was much more mud around the dock we launch from:
Two paddlers in one of the kayaks got a bit away from where they should have been, in very shallow water, and had to paddle back out into the bay sliding through the mud. At the end of our paddle we spotted these tracks from the bottom of their kayak in the mud:
First step is to unload the kayaks from the trailer:
We put the paddles together, got the proper size of life jacket on, took keys out of pockets and put them into dry bags, carried the boats down the ramp to the dock and practiced paddling motions a bit before putting the boats in the water.
Here, kayakers are departing the dock:
The section of the bay we paddle in is away from boat traffic, and wide enough at high tide for plenty of space to paddle.
People got accomplished at two two paddlers matching their paddling strokes, tried paddling backwards, tried fast paddling, tried a figure eight, experimented with one person paddling right and left and the other paddling only on one side get a feel for handing this type of kayak.
Then we set up a race.
At the start of the race, (and even into the race) not everyone paddled straight:
The two tandem kayaks that were first (on the right below) and second (on the left below) in the race paddled fast enough to make a bow wave and a wake in the water behind them:
after kayaking, everyone got various jobs to get gear back up to the trailer,
the paddles transport easier if they are all put into one boat to be taken up the ramp:
then paddles are hosed off
kayaks are loaded onto the trailer, cables are put through to lock them,
straps need to be untangled before the kayaks can be strapped on:
The main trip webpage is: Baylands kayaking