During my first trip in 2005 I paddled into the St. Lawrence Seaway’s Lake St. Francis on the wrong day.  The lake is about 50 miles long and 20 wide.  At the east end of the lake from where I set out is a long narrow bay protected from east winds by high hills.  By the time I realized a too-strong wind was blowing I was into a bad situation where I couldn’t turn around safely.  The wind from the east rose to steady gale, a wind like I have never experienced before or since with no lulls but also thankfully no stronger gusts.  I spent the next two hours in four and five foot waves, wind behind me, using my paddle for a rudder to try to stay parallel to shore which was so far away I couldn’t see it except faintly, the wind so strong that when I got to shore I discovered my paddle shaft had begun to split from bending .. lesson here is buy paddles with grain running strictly parallel to the shaft.  I had my wannigan lid/sail up to keep momentum to prevent the waves coming from behind from loading into the canoe behind me, but as it was water often came over the gunwales at mid point, and I had to bail often to keep water from accumulating enough to slosh back and forth, which would have been the end of things.  Time of year was early June .. water temperature cold enough to cause death in about 20 minutes.  I broached twice but by miracle of God both times the two following waves were smaller and I had time to straighten out.  While I had gotten to a point early in the ride that I thought I might traverse the lake in one day for the fun of it, the waves rose higher and began breaking dangerously very often very close to me, I became very frightened and never prayed so hard in my life.  I had dressed very warmly as the day was overcase and cold, with waterproof lined gloves and two pair of pants, wool sweater and hoodie with rain jacket also .. staying warm I think also saved my life .. and not panicking.  My reading up on sailboating before the trip also went a long way in saving my life.