Fowling Boats

Craft for big water, small and in between

Rivulets of cold Atlantic water rolled down my face and into my "waterproof'" clothing, sending a chill to my core. Every time the boat pitched into a trough, the blistering 30-knot headwind covered it with freezing spray from bow to stern. The calm winds had changed for the worse, but calling an end to the hunt while flocks of eiders and brant continued to stream in had been difficult. In the ensuing minutes it took to load our gear, the strong east winds had whipped the water into a frenzy. The half-hour ride back to the Rhode Island mainland was hairy, but the ice-covered boat safely coasted to the sandy shore.

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