I thought that this was going to be smooth sailing, just follow the big S of Ngeruktabel Island. And it was lovely at the beginning. I was paddling away, enjoying the scenery, stopped for a lunch break at a lovely beach which according to my map is called Palm Bay. Though I felt very relaxed I did not take any detours or kayak close to Honeymoon Island to take a look. I felt that I should get myself to my goal. This was a excellent decision because I then passed the peninsula before Long Lake and everything changed. The water was churning. The waves of the water were going every which way. I was using all my strength to power through. Then just before the entrance to Long Lake a wave splashed horizontally right over my kayak and then another. "Shit! Surf!" I exclaimed. A totally unexpected and nasty surprise. I got myself to the Long Lake entrance and I was spent.
At the entrance to Long Lake there is a hut and supposedly water and bathrooms too. I did not stop to explore. Impac keeps kayaks there for its Long Lake tours. It was high tide, the only time when Long Lake is accessible. It's a mile long shallow (less than a foot deep) river. It was hard for me in my heavy kayak, I kept getting stuck. Finally I turned back as I did not know what was in store for me the rest of the way to Margie's and I didn't find it especially interesting or scenic. There were a number of large Japanese tour groups visiting.
It was scary leaving Long Lake. The tide was high and it was windy. I asked for advice from one of the tour boat drivers. He said that I should stick to the coast and not cross the open water. Continued on fighting the churning sea. Finally I got to a sheltered area behind some rock islands. It was wonderful. The lagoon was a still as glass and I could just guide across the water. I took me about 6 hours to reach Margie's.
