One of the great rows around Port Lincoln is to Circumnavigate Boston Island. Boston Island provides the eastern protection for Port Lincoln’s beautiful natural harbour.

To row from Lincoln Cove Marina, around the island and back is roughly 13 nautical miles. As with any row it’s best to do the upwind legs first and be left with an easy wind assisted return leg.  One of my most pleasant Boston Island loops was with a light north westerly and doing it anticlockwise. Launching in the Lincoln Cove Marina, its a clear row across to Point Fanny – that’s a bit under three miles (5km) so about 40 minutes. From Fanny, to Hayden takes you across the bight of Rotten Bay! It’s an unfortunate name for an inoffensive bay that these days hosts two “Swim with Tuna” tourism ventures as well as a number of commercial Tuna farm feedlots. I generally don’t dally here – not through any expectation of offense commensurate with its name but because there’s a gem to behold just around the corner from Hayden point. Rounding Hayden this particular trip I was escorted by a curious sea lion who had several good looks from close astern before becoming bored and going back to his own business! Now from Hayden at the south eastern corner to Point Maria at the north eastern corner is about four miles (7 km) and with a north west-er it’s all forming a lee so the rowing was beautiful – a blissful hour with only the honking of Cape Baron Geese and the gentle wash of a remnant SE sea upon the mostly rocky shore to impinge the aural senses! But there are gems to behold at either end! First is Picnic beach, about a mile along from Hayden this is a gorgeous cove in these conditions – brilliant white sand and crystal water – it’s a good spot to have a spell from rowing, take a swig of fluid, perhaps a chobble of chocolate,  even a walk on the beach or swim in that turquoise crystal water! Similarly at the other end of the hour is Squeaky Beach where you can succumb to temptations all over again! Kangaroo Reef runs off to the north east of Maria but it’s no concern for skiffs! You can slip inside the obvious exposed lumps of rock and head sou-south west, again inside house reef to run along the beach  in front of the homestead. If you’re especially fortunate, as I was that morning, you may have a chat to Pete (Peter Davis, the erstwhile Mayor of Port Lincoln). It’s his island that we’re about to circumscribe in this wee tale so we should stop and exchange a few philosophical thoughts! Its also another chance to take on chocolate and fluid, the last in fact, for the next stretch takes us back to where we began! Its roughly another hour to home and with the north wester on the starboard bow and not too fresh it’s a pleasant three and a half hour jaunt and a good physical work out completed!