How My Husband Almost Killed Me and Other Nautical (mis)Adventures

My husband bought me beautiful blue kayak. His is yellow. Yellow being an easier color to spot on the water I am already at a disadvantage.
We loaded up the kayaks, or I should say Steve loaded up the kayaks in the back of the pick up and we headed over the Manns Harbor Bridge. Steve had suggested maybe a quiet paddle on the Manteo Waterfront but I knew the chance of getting out and searching for sea glass was nil downtown so I suggested going to the sound. Steve was the one who picked the west side of the bridge and that is why this (mis)adventure is solely credited to his decision thus making him fully responsible for nearly drowning me.
When we unloaded...ok..he unloaded the kayaks I searched the sand for my treasured seaglass. In fact I was so intent on my search that I nearly stepped on a bloated rotting carcass of a deer who was partically buried in the sand. But that is a different blog...
Steve helped me in to my blue (not yellow) kayak and I paddled out. He told me to go under the dock so I would not get snared by a fishing line. Good idea if you are good a steering a blue kayak. Bump...I paddled around to try again..made it!
We paddled out for a little while with a fare wind of about 5 knots from the NE. (I know that cause Steve told me not because I know anything about knots.) We were headed out for the point. The sun was getting lower and the moon was starting to rise. Our plan was to get to the point, turn back, take a nice seaglass search walk on the beach and then head back. As the moon began to rise it called to the north wind and we quickly went from a calm sea to waves and white caps pounding over the hull of the kayaks and drenching us from head to toe. I knew only enough about kayaking to not take the waves over the side of my boat but to ride them as much as possible. That was a problem. As I paddled harder and the waves got bigger and I remembered my co-worker Patty (who is pretty much the queen of kayaking in my book) telling me that it is important to use your core body strength to move the kayak. I am pretty sure every muscle in my body was present and accounted for and no doubt will remind me of that in the morning. Finally we were closing back in on the dock. A big wave broke over the cockpit..I wondered if I might not die right then and there. The dock loomed just ahead..when the water was calm I had bumped the piling how could I possibly get through the opening now with the kayak being driven by the surf??? I lined up the shot the best I could and let the current do the rest. Made it!! Finally the kayak rushed up on the sand!! I was alive! Steve who knows about knots and nautical things said that the wind was now about 10-15 knots. I think that's a lot. We were both drenched and cold and glad to not have been swallowed by the sea. Of course I reminded myself that should the very worst have happened that most likely I could have gotten out of the blue kayak and walked to the shore.