The Trip
This was a nice afternoon paddle where we launched about 2pm and came in some time before 5 or 6. We spend most of the time goofing off by floating around and watching fish and crabs, or by stopping at Davis Beach to walk around and use the facilities. We rented a tandem kayak from Bass River Kayak (Howie's Kayaks) next to the launch so that we could paddle together and fit our dog in comfortably. The rates were the same as they were when we rented about ten years ago, so we thought it was a pretty good deal still.
We started off by turning left and went under the Route 28 bridge towards Wrinkle Point. The only challenge was avoiding kids fishing off of docks along the edges. It was a pretty short distance before we started to hug the corner of Wrinkle Point, missing the "island" that had all of the little pathways through it and ended up at Davis Beach. It was really nice there and we saw a plover and some other birds, and we got out and walked around a bit and played with the dog and used the facilities before we headed off again to find the island that we seemed to have missed.
There was a point that we were able to go into that had a little pond inside where we found a blue crab and lots of fish that were fun to watch. Like the rest of the area, the water was really shallow and we could have walked most of what we paddled, which we find to be a lot of fun for watching sea life.
We came around the bend and finally realized the little island was actually a lot smaller than we thought it was supposed to be, and only realized it was an island because we saw boats traveling on the other side to get out to sea. We paddled in and out of the little nooks and crannies and were able to get a closer look at a windmill before we decided to head back up the river.
The return trip was pretty quick now that we knew where we were and where we were going, but near the end, a motor boat did not mind the speed limit and made a huge wake that swamped us, reminding us to remind you to bring a change of clothes next time. It was very unpleasant. But not to put a damper on the day, we really enjoyed the beauty and interest of the place and wish to return again to do other parts of the river like we have done in the past.
Getting There
Finding the launch is not too hard. We launch on the other side of the bridge in Dennis on Route 28 from The Jolly Captain. He is a big statue thing by a fake lighthouse right next to the little bridge that crosses the Bass River. He has been there as long as I can remember. When we got to the other side of the bridge, we were in for a big surprise. The kayak rental place was replaced by a huge dirt lot, but we found the rental shop across the road temporarily. We went in at the public launch that is still there despite the construction. Parking is free and open to the public. It is limited.
