Yesterday morning the Fahrenheit temperature was in the mid 60s, rising toward a high in the high 70s. I decided it was a good day for a lap around the Loosahatchie Bar. In general, completing this course (starting and finishing at Harbortown Marina) in less than two hours is a solid effort. I did it yesterday in one hour, 55 minutes, 37 seconds. That includes a couple of lost minutes right at the beginning when I got a stick caught in my rudder and had to return to the dock to remove it. With the river flowing at 30.3 feet on the Memphis gauge, the course was a bit shorter than it was three weeks ago when I made the circumnavigation at 19.1 feet: the distance averages around 20.4 kilometers (12.65 miles), but yesterday I measured it at 19.7 km (12.24 mi.). So that could be the reason for my faster time, but an offsetting factor was a strong south wind that slowed me down as I paddled downriver. The Mississippi's water is cold this time of year, and I paddled defensively in the bumpy conditions to avoid icy splashes and especially a swim.
It was warm and windy again this morning, and after taking a lot of tense, choppy strokes yesterday I elected to stay mostly in the harbor today and concentrate on paddling smooth and relaxed for 60 minutes. This weekend I've continued to feel a bit more pep in my step than I had earlier in the week.
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