Cape to Cape in 13:29, Gloucester to Provincetown Options

[sxkayaker]

After 20+ years of talking about it I can now cross it of the list of paddling desires. On Saturday (06-Oct-07) four of us launched from Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, MA at 3:15 in the morning. Thirteen and a half hours later the four of us, Doug Millen, Nick Nagel, Will Means and myself, were climbing out of the boats at Race Point.

Over the last few months we had been training for the trip under a variety of conditions. We spent many an evening over the last couple of months heading straight out to sea 10+ miles and back to feel out the ocean and boats. One of the most important realizations we made was trying to attempt such a long crossing in single kayaks wasn’t going to be the most practical plan. Rafting up 4 boats each time anyone need hydration or access under their skirt left us subject to wind and currents which at times had the raft moving in any given direction at speeds up to 2 knots.

We opted for tandem kayaks as the vessels of choice. We borrowed two Seda Tango doubles. One from Bob Hicks, publisher of Messin About in Boats magazine, and the other from New England Small Craft. This gave us the option to keep the boats moving and still allow each paddler to break when needed. The stability of the boats when rafted also gave us a high level of confidence in our ability to ride out bigger seas with longer breaks.

Having reduced the variables in the boats, the weather was the last consideration and we waited it out. After two “We go tomorrow” false starts we were able to see a window that would hold. With predictions of light winds and calm seas we called it for Saturday. Meeting in Gloucester at 2:00 am we setup on the beach and looked to the ocean, got in the boats and started paddling. The rest, as they say, is history.

I’ll post a more detailed trip report in the proper forum in the next couple of days. We were lucky enough to come across a pod of Humpback whales which felt they needed to be closer to us, and then there were the shark sightings. For the most part it just isn’t the kind of trip for a slide show. I could show the same picture over and over and it would pretty much cover 10 of the 13 hours we put in.

[Guest_mike_crouse_*]

Holy crap and congratulations!!!!!!
I know you were talking about doing this and I was wondering if it was going to happen or if the plans got scrubbed.
Do you know if anyone has done this before?
Again congrats and wow!

[bob budd]

I was at NESC this summer and Chris was talking about doing this with someone else who looked about half his age. I believe they were going to begin in Provincetown. Does anyone know if they went through with it?

[Guest_mike_crouse_*]

sxkayak = Essex Kayaker = Chris Thomas

[JohnHuth]

I'm really looking forward to this report. That's quite a feat. Congratulations.

Don't forget details like "the sunrise looked like..." "we first saw the tip of the Cape ...." "currents were..."

Way cool - !!

[Ken C]

Congrats! Wow, Looking forward to the report.

[djlewis]

40+ nm, right?

[NEice]

40.4 nm.

Photos and maps can be found at www.NEkayaking.com

[KayakDan]

40.4 nm.

Photos and maps can be found at www.NEkayaking.com

Not surprised to hear that Doug would do this one,'cause he's an"out there" kinda guy!

Doug, are you ready for winter camping season?? No frozen pot roast this time!!

[jonsprag1]

Impressive, very very impressive! Just one question though---how did your butts feel when you got out of the boats?

[Walter]

40.4 nm.

Photos and maps can be found at www.NEkayaking.com
o t

Great report and great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Congratulations on pulling it off.

Looks as though the waiting payed off.

Walter
Impex Assateague

[rick stoehrer]

nice crossing