Putzin' About

I returned to the Thames River to continue exploring new water.  I put in from a street end water access in the town of Gales Ferry.  The three immediate buildings appeared to belong to the Yale Rowing team.  One was a shell house, the other were people houses.  It doesn't look like any of them get much use.

I head down river toward the New London Sub Base, following the east shore in a broad section of the river until just before the base where I cross over to the west side. I'd heard that there would be Naval Security exercises at the New London Sub Base and was curious to see what type of action would be involved.  It was less interesting than I had hoped for, basically just two boats, one serving as a moving target for sailors on the other who were firing a .50 caliber machine gun (loaded with blanks) every once in awhile.  The highlight was the monstrously loud recorded message that boomed out over a loudspeaker when I got into that section of the river.  "NAVAL naval naval EXERCISES excercises excercises ARE are are TAKING taking taking......   At it a distance the echoes were garbling the message some, but it had a very Wizard of Oz effect.  Anyway, I hugged the far shore and no one bothered me.

So, I wandered into a few of the many coves on the river.  Railroad tracks run along both sides of the river, although they seemed to get limited use as I have yet to see a train.  So the coves are partially cut off by long causeways with narrow trestles that allow passage from the river.  It was a perfect activity for a canoe trip that had no destination.

I returned to my put in too early to call it a day, so I continued past with a gradually rising wind coming up the river.  I explored two more coves and located a better launch site directly across the river from where I started.  I finished with a long crossing in moderate waves.