Sorry to hear the weather didn't cooperate. It was definitely a cold and wet few days in there. I, somewhat magically, seemed to miss much of the wet stuff even while being told by others I passed how incredibly hard it rained. I mean I still got plenty, but it mostly happened while I was fast asleep.
On the topic of staying near shore: I always swear I'm going to, and about half an hour into a trip I give up on that plan. As you wrote, following the edge of a lake adds an incredible amount of time to the journey - although of course it's also the smart thing to do. I do wear a wetsuit, which might prolong my death somewhat if I ever dump in the middle of a lake.
