Man paddleboarding across New York and Canada makes pit stop in Buffalo

He’d planned to paddle west along the lake’s southern shore and spend the night at a Cornell University research station before continuing to the western edge of the lake. But a “crazy strong west wind” wasn’t going to make it easy.

“(It) would have been right in my face,” Rubinstein said. “And I don’t mind waves, but when the wind is that strong, you can’t make any progress.”

So Rubinstein did what he always does in a new place – talk to the locals. Eventually, an “ex-Navy guy” with a “big boat” offered to give him a ride most of the way there.

The first half of the ride made for smooth sailing.

Then, halfway to Rubinstein’s destination, the boat’s motor died.

“He wasn’t the least bit concerned even though it was really rocking in the wind and the waves,” Rubinstein said of his new friend. “He just dropped the anchor and called his son to come with the other boat to give him a tow.”

Rubinstein didn’t stick around to see what happened next. He got on his paddleboard, fought against the wind to reach the shoreline, and followed it to his destination.

“And then the next day, the stars aligned,” Rubinstein said. “It was a calm day. There was a bit of an east wind, so it was pretty easy to get off the lake.

Rubinstein, an Ottawan and writer for Carleton University’s communications department, has spent the last seven weeks travelling across New York and Ontario – on an inflatable paddleboard. His route has taken down the Ottawa, St. Lawrence and Hudson Rivers with stops in Montreal, New York City and Albany.

And after two weeks on the Erie Canal, Rubinstein arrived in Buffalo on Thursday. He spent his time in the City of Good Neighbors exploring the waterfront and meeting the staff of the Buffalo Maritime Center as they build a full-sized replica of the boat that opened the…