October 21: A wild ride this morning. Put in at Coxsacki in the dark a litle after 6am. I decided to go downriver but it was blowing 12-15mph from the south and I decided to head up and go around Coxsacki Island since that would be more protected. Going with the wind I was surfing a big swell and was very busy keeping the boat straight. Between the island and the shore was no problem, but once I cleared the bottom of the island and headed out into the river things really got rough. There was blue sky and white clouds with an orange sunrise on one side and purple clouds with horizontal lightning displays on the other, and it was now blowing 25! There was no way I could make headway in the main channel. I went back into the lee of the island and had all I could do to get back to the landing against the wind. Wouldn't have missed it for the world. best, Ed A Albany NY

-- Ed Atkeson (edatkeson@earthlink.net), October 21, 2003