Over the years we have done several sunrise paddles, but Friday night we did our first (that I can remember) sunset/moonlight paddle.   Now that the summers evenings are getting shorter, it’s easier to get on the water and enjoy night time paddling, and still get to bed at at decent time.  We had a great paddle with 10 other paddlers in the club.

We were on the water between 7:30 and 8:00 pm, under deepening pink skies.  We were not sure if the pinks were due to smoke in the area, but as the sunset continued we were wowed by the deeper shades of pinks and oranges.  The cloud shapes, as well, reminded us of the waves on the water, of which there were none; we were lucky to paddle on almost glass-smooth water.    

Looking the other way, we saw the moon rise.  One day off a full moon, it was large, and pinkish, as it rose above the horizon.  It was a harvest moon, and in the pictures, without a large zoom lens, it looks like a smoky sun, but it is the moon!  The reflections on the water, along with the light reflections of the ship moored in the bay, were gorgeous.  They were enhanced by the twinkling lights, of various colours, of our fellow paddlers.  Some had red, others had white and one person had a bright running vest on which the LED lights constantly changed colour.  It was awesome.

Once it got very dark, we turned off our lights and watched the bio-luminescence sparkling in the water.  

The paddle back was lovely on the smooth water, under twinkling stars.  Once our boats were put back on our cars, we had a short social time on shore, under the stars. 

All in all a perfect evening and one that we hope to repeat sometime in the future.  

And a bonus:  I got to see the sunrise the next morning as I took off for Orlando!