By Terryl Asla
tasla@soundpublishing.com

BROWNSVILLE — The second Keys to Keyport fun paddle and drawing had almost three times as many boats, four times more prizes — and free ice cream cones for everyone.

The event was part of the Kitsap Water Trail Festival, a weekend celebration to get people out on the water to explore the peninsula’s federally-designated national water trail.

A water trail is defined by the National Water Trails System as “recreational routes on waterways with a network of public access points supported by broad-based community partnerships. Water trails provide both conservation and recreational opportunities.”

The first day of the festival was celebrated with events in Silverdale and Bremerton — cut short by thunder and lightning.

Father’s Day, June 19, dawned clear and sunny, and many families from Brownsville, Keyport and Poulsbo took advantage of the nice day by getting out on the water.

About 11 a.m., following registration and a mandatory safety briefing by Capt. John (J.B.) Morrison, 30 kayaks left the Port of Brownsville to make the 3.5-mile journey to Keyport. About a half-hour later, Poulsbo paddlers and rowers pushed off to make the shorter 2.5-mile journey down Liberty Bay. Making the most of the “anything human-powered is eligible” rule, creative Poulsbo paddlers entered a racing shell and a Viking longboat in addition to eight kayaks.

“Our first year, we only had 14 boats,” said Sally Hass, who organized the paddle portion of the event this year and in 2015. “This year, we had 40. And most of them were local folks out for a day of fun.”

It’s a great way for the ports to give back to the people in their port districts, she said.

Safety boats accompanied both flotillas. Pouslbo’s safety boat was crewed by the Agate Pass Power Squadron. Brownsville, under Morrison’s leadership, provided two safety boats for its flotilla: a high-speed rescue boat with a nurse aboard, and a barge for transporting the kayaks back afterward. The two boats were crewed by trained volunteers and port staff.

About two-thirds of the way from Brownsville to Keyport, two events took place — one was potentially serious, the other pretty funny.

Responding to a hail, Morrison in the rescue boat eased over to one of the paddlers. One of the blades on her kayak paddle “just broke off and sank,” she said. Since her two-bladed kayak paddle had just become an oar, she was paddling her kayak canoe-style.

Just as the rescue boat was preparing to assist her, an urgent radio call came in from the rear of the flotilla, a half- mile back.

“Capsize! Paddler in the water!”

Abandoning the one-bladed paddler with the promise to return, the high-speed rescue boat came about and raced back to help the paddler whose kayak had overturned.

“Fortunately, the paddler in the water had done everything right and was never in any imminent danger,” Morrison said afterward. “The individual was wearing a life jacket, traveling with others, was close to shore, and stayed calm,” he said. Even when you do everything right, however, you must always be aware that the tides, wind, and especially the wakes from large vessels — even over by the far shore — can result in two- and three-foot waves that can sneak up astern of an unwary paddler, Morrison said.

Meanwhile, the one-bladed paddler had kept on and finally reached the Keyport dock. Spying her mother who had loaned her the paddle, she lifted the broken paddle over her head and yelled, “You loaned me a defective paddle!” Then she put the paddle back in the water, paddled one more stroke — and the other blade fell off and sank.

Morrison, whose background includes serving as a safety captain on the movie “Master and Commander,” said the possibility of losing or breaking a paddle always exists.

“You should always carry a spare paddle when you go out,” he said. “But if you have to break or lose one, this is a pretty funny way to do it.”

Once all of the paddlers were safely ashore — having run the gauntlet of a exuberant group of Poulsbo Sons of Norway Vikings armed with water blasters — and had enjoyed free ice cream cones, courtesy of Keyport General Mercantile, it was time to draw for prizes. Each paddler (even the Vikings) received a ticket when they came ashore. Port of Keyport commissioners, along with Keys to Keyport chairwoman Margy Rowland, handled the drawing. Each winner had to choose a key that unlocked a prize.

Prizes donated by Keyport merchants included a free pizza party from Keyport Mercantile, an overnight stay at Grandview Gardens Bed and Breakfast, and dinners at Casa Mexico and Whiskey Creek.

Poulsbo merchants donating prizes included Sogno di Vino, Kitsap Mosaics, Cups, the Slippery Pig, Tizley’s, Hot Shots Java, Sluys Bakery, Bluewater Artworks, Blue Heron Jewelry Company, and Marina Market.

Brownsville donors included The Brownsville Deli and Sweeney’s Country Style Meat and Seafood.