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    Event organizer Jody Himango (left) helped Patty Constanzo carry her stand-up paddleboard to the put-in location at the Eureka Boat Basin Public boat launch site, despite misgivings about the high winds at the time.
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    Jane Cipra (left) and Lorna Kidd, both of Eureka, paused in the wind for a photo op before unloading their kayaks at the put-in location.
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    Ellen McLaughlin, of McKinleyville, let her hair fly in the wind as she unloaded her stand-up paddleboard and then awaited the news about whether the event would go on or be canceled due to the weather.
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    Given the windy conditions, a canoe offered a little more stability for this group of participants departing from the Eureka Boat Basin Public boat launch site.
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    Organizer Jody Himango was all smiles as the gathering of witches finally got underway for their paddle on Humboldt Bay.
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    Humboldt Bay had little traffic during the event due to the weather conditions and tide except for the tug “Renegade” and one fishing boat.
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    The wind created an interesting twist to the shape of this witch’s long, peaked hat.
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    Alyssa Goforth, of Petrolia, made her way across Humboldt Bay on her stand-up paddleboard.
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    Ahead of the pack and finally in quieter wind conditions, Ellen McLaughlin, of McKinleyville, made a large loop near the Woodley Island Marina as the group paused to make a decision about how much further to go before looping back to the put-in site. They stopped at the foot of F Street.
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    Luckily the services of the U.S. Coast Guard was not needed to rescue any of the Witches Paddle participants, as they hugged the shoreline out of the wind and weather conditions subsided.
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    Observers on the end of the Eureka Boardwalk at the foot of F Street watched the participants in the Witches Paddle pause to make a decision about where to turn around and head back to the put-in site. “This is the place” was the group consensus.
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    The stop in paddling by participants of the Witches Paddle at the foot of F Street along the Eureka Boardwalk provided Eureka city council member Natalie Arroyo with the inspiration to go ashore and order two ice cream cones to go.
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    Witches Paddle participant Eureka city council member Natalie Arroyo went ashore to order two ice cream cones to go and shared one with kayak paddler Tanya Parker, of Eureka..
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    Participants in the Witches Paddle paused at the foot of F Street along the Eureka Boardwalk to enjoy being out of the wind before turning back to their put-in site at the Eureka Boat Basin Public boat launch dock.