rylevine

Paddle is full. PM me for the waitlist. Thanks! - Bob

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on Sept 22, 2021 at Fishermans Beach in Swampscott. We will meet at 9:30 am. The goal will be to get on the water at 10:00am. Location: Fishermans Beach in Swampscott MA (https://goo.gl/maps/bebJoJ4ErWUnR9ns6). As you head east on Humphrey St out of the center of Swampscott with the ocean on your right, the parking lot will be on your right just before Puritan Road branches off (a traffic light and gas station will be directly ahead of you). The lot is free. Whether or not you see a space in the lot, go into it and drop your boat and gear on the beach there. If the lot is full there should be plenty of free 2-hour-limit parking spaces on Humphrey and the local knowledge is that this limit is never enforced — much less on a Wednesday morning. Do not park on Puritan Road. NOAA forecast for Nahant Bay: SSE wind 8 to 10 kt. Partly sunny. Seas around 1 ft. Magic seaweed is showing 2ft low period at the beach; 7mph sustained SE winds with gusting. Tentative Plan: Cross to Nahant Beach with possibility for practice landing and launching, and rescues in surf - depending on participant interest. Then proceed up the wind shadowed ledges to East Point. Depending on participant interest and conditions, we may return via Egg Rock. Please PM me to sign up.

Prudence, I copied the figure in. Thanks. Bob

9_15_2021: Cohasset Harbor to Little Harbor. NSPN WLP. 10:00am – 2:30pm. HT 6:52am 8:3ft, LT 12:45pm 1ft, tidal range 7.3ft, neaps - day past half moon. Participants: Bob L, Prudence B, Ricardo C, Jody H, Mike H, Jane C. 85F, 15kt SW winds, 1ft waves. This was a paddle to practice in the ebb current at Little Harbor. The ground track is shown in Figure 1. The plan to Little Harbor was to exploit the coastline shape and topography to stay as much as possible in the wind-lee. It was expected that because of the relatively small tidal range, the ebb current at the mouth of Little Harbor would be less than what Prudence and I experienced on an earlier springs WLP. The June 23rd trip started on the flood in the Little Harbor basin, and continued to the ebb with a tidal range of 9.2ft (Wed Lunch Paddle: 6/23/2021@ Cohasset - Trip Reports - NSPN Message Board). We carefully noted then that the Little Harbor ebb started an hour after HT in the outer ocean, and it was expected that today’s paddle would demonstrate the timing of slack before flood and ocean LT. I arrived at 8:30am to the Little Harbor bridge, and the ebb was already flowing weakly. I had hoped to make it by 8am to recheck the hour delay between slack before ebb and HT, but was caught in traffic. We launched at 10am and arrived to Little Harbor at about 10:30am to a surprisingly strong and still building ebb, as expected for a current that started at about 8:00am. We spent a solid hour crossing eddylines and paddling up to a standing wave formed by a center rock ledge. The eddylines were somewhat diffuse with cross currents and boils formed by the openings on either side of a center ledge that was slowly emerging from the falling water depth. To cool off, we did some rescue practice; and also had a genuine capsize. At this location, the wash is into a wide cove so the only consequence of capsizing was a bit of a paddle back in against the wind. A couple of us attempted eddy hops on the right side to get to the upstream eddy but were forced back in the powerful current. Also, as the water level fell, the “dug-in” paddle for the eddy hop sweep hit rocks. As the center rock emerged the overflow caused increasing standing waves and turbulence. All-in-all quite impressive. I think everyone in the group was able to cross the eddylines and straighten the boat; and then ferry across before we broke for lunch on the nearby rock ledges. This was followed by one of the participants running the rapids – sans kayak… - by landing and walking upstream to the bridge. He did this twice, and reported that on the second run he was partially submerged by a whirlpool that quickly released him. Figure 1: Ground track for 9_15_2021 WLP paddle. Watching from the shore during lunch, we saw that as the water dropped the dynamic changed. The overflow on the central rock ledge diminished so that there was just turbulence in front of the rock, and the standing waves were located on either side. I regaled the lunch crowd about an experience ten years ago of getting pinned upside-down on the left side flow at a similar water level. As the water level dropped, the offending pinning ledge emerged just as it had in the earlier episode. We made a solemn vow to be cautious in moving water upstream from an obstruction like a rock ledge or bridge abutment. We returned to the flow around 12:30pm – still very strong but with less diffuse eddylines formed from the separated openings on either side. Between the two eddylines, paddlers were able to move directly in front of the central rock in turbulent but less directed water. Some participants got on the peripheral standing waves and a couple of us again attempted to eddy hop on the right side. I considered the left side but recalled my experience from ten years ago; which started from a similar attempt. Importantly, you could discern the water level slowly rising against the central rock even as the flow had hardly diminished. The ocean water level would have to rise up to the level of the peripheral rock ledges to impact the Little Harbor drain. A rough estimate of the exposed drop on either side was around a foot at the 12:45 LT. From the Rule of Twelves, a tidal range of 7.3ft implied about 0.6ft rise by 1:45pm and another 1.2ft rise by 2:45pm. We therefore expected it would take ninety minutes or so before the ocean could start slowing the drain – but of course the water level in Little Harbor was also falling even as the ocean was rising. That was clearly happening as the top of the central rock had less flow; but the peripheral flows were still significant. We decided to take a break with a quick run around the nearby Brush Island. From these off-shore rocks we encountered the SW winds on return to Little Harbor. It was about 2:00pm and the flow was still moving over an hour past the 12:45pm LT. I attempted the eddy hop again on the right side, but the flow was still too strong. I decided to try the left side. Here instead of an overfall, the water was bursting out against the pinning rock face we discussed during lunch. On the first attempt, the force pushed my kayak into the rock face exactly as it had 10 years ago – unbelievable! – the boat flipped over and I came down the wash upside-down. After rolling up, I approached it again, and realized that if sufficiently beyond the flow, the subsequent “pin” was actually into calmer water against the rock face. The capsize occurred because my stern was captured by the main flow. I needed to mind the stern and penetrate further up into the flow to purposely catch the pin. It worked. I punched through the main flow, and then pinned upright against the rock face in a turbulent wash which was not that bad. Then I gingerly proceeded close to the rock to a proper upstream eddy. I watched from there as another participant managed the same maneuver and joined me in the eddy. It was very satisfying to run the rapids back down in a 17.5 foot Explorer not known to be a whitewater boat! It was past 2:00pm and there still was a strong ebb current through the peripheral openings even as water was rising up the central rock. The lateral “blasting” through the left opening suggested that the drop was now less on that side, and the force was purely due to upstream Little Harbor drain. We decided to head back to Cohasset along the shore. As expected, we lost the wind-lee turning back up into the harbor and it became a bit of a slog against a SW 15kts headwind with gusts. We arrived back to the put-in about 2:30pm after a four nautical mile trip. On the drive back home, I took a detour to visit the Little Harbor bridge. It was now 3:15pm, a full 2.5 hours after outer ocean LT and a nearly imperceptible ebb was still occurring under the bridge. The outside water had probably risen about 2.7ft which seemed sufficient to cut most of the peripheral opening streams. It was effectively at slack. Little Harbor is a highly controlled example of how upstream geographical "water catchment" (eg rivers, salt marshes, tidal lakes) impact tidal flows to the ocean. Slacks before ebb and flood were clearly offset from the outer ocean tide cycle. Because of a narrow inlet, the outer ocean pressure head required an extra hour to fill the Little Harbor basin on June 23rd, and the Little Harbor pressure head required an extra 2.5 hours to drain the basin today. The forces that determine timing are the outer ocean water level, the basin water level, and the drop over which water has to flow to the sea. Thanks to all the participants today!

Trip is full. If interested in attending, PM me for the waitlist. - Bob

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on Sept 15, 2021 at Cohasset. This special edition offers a combination Current Session and Lunch Paddle. After launching at the public ramp, we will paddle to Little Harbor and practice in the ebb current. Depending on participant interest, there may be an opportunity to explore nearby islands and ledges. We will meet at 9:30 to get OTW at 10:00. COLD WATER PADDLE: Water temperatures are still low. Come prepared for immersion. If you are not sure about what this means, please contact the organizers and we can figure out if it works. HELMET REQUIRED: We will be paddling in dynamic water. Covid-19 paddling: This trip requires COVID vaccination and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. Location: Ramp next to Cohasset Harbor Marina, 33 Parker Avenue, Cohasset, MA. Parking: After dropping boats and gear, move car to parking along Border Street and walk back. Registration: To attend, please PM me directly with your contact information, emergency contact, car and boat information. It will be necessary to sign a waiver at the beach. Predictions: SSW wind 11 to 15 kt. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Seas 1 to 2 ft. Tides: HT at 6:50am 9 ft, LT at 12:44pm 1.2ft, Tidal range 7.8ft. neaps. When/what: People meet at 9:30 am and launch at 10:00 am. Cohasset Public Boat Ramp next to Harbor Marina on Parker Avenue, Cohasset. This trip doesn't have a specific level: we'll determine the route based on who shows up, what people want to do, and what the environment wants to do. All properly equipped members are welcome: please bring boats with rigged deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. Bring a helmet since this trip launches and lands in surf. If you're not sure you have a safe vessel, please get in touch with us and ask. NOTE: The Wednesday Lunch Paddles are cooperative adventures, not guided trips. Each participant is responsible for her/his own safety. Don’t assume the trip initiators are smarter, stronger, better at rough water, more attractive, or more skilled paddlers than you are. For more information, see this description of our trip philosophy from the NSPN web site. We encourage paddlers to make their own independent decision about their comfort level with conditions at the time of the paddle. Please PM me if you have questions or if you haven’t paddled with me before. Hope to see you there! Bob

Paul, Will do. Alex, Thanks! Bob

8/18/2021: Lanes Cove to Andrews Point, Rockport. NSPN WLP. 10:15am-3:15pm. Seven participants: Bob L, Shari G, Sue H, Mike H, Barb R, Liz N, and Jody H. HT 8:07am, 9ft; LT 2:08pm, 1ft. Tidal range 8ft, ¾ moon. 80F, 1 foot long period swell, 10kts SW winds. Short distance paddle from Lanes for gentle rock gardening, exploration of Andrews Point geology, and Folly Cove snorkeling. The ground track is shown in red on Figure 1 below. We launched at 10:15am from the Lanes Cove ramp, and proceeded in the wind/wave shadow along the NE coast up to Halibut Point. The gentle long period swells of the Point afforded a unique opportunity to ride waves along the horizontal ledges. We proceeded to Andrews Point to search for a haul out opportunity. It was decided that the eastern coast of Andrews, not in the wind/wave shadow, was too rough and we returned to a sloping ledge on the western side. Exploiting a natural “ramp” we were able to exit onto the rocks. Haul outs are never more than a 50-50 proposition in this area. Leaving the boats high and dry, we started to explore the incredible geology of this headland. Our track is shown in green on Figure 1. Interspersed through standard granite slabs are reddish (iron-like) deposits, black (mica) annite spots, and beautiful quartz and dike formations. An explanation for the exposed hexagonal quartz deposits was left as a homework assignment for the group. We further checked out a running magma (diabase) intrusion and searched for chilled margins indicating the explosive event that formed the black fault. It was noted that the sedimentary argillite around Boston Harbor had a different origin than either the Rockport granite or diabase*; but it was emphasized that boat and body will not recognize the difference on impact. Returning to the boats around noon, we launched and headed back to Folly Cove for lunch. Shari graciously met us with snorkeling gear; although most of the participants had brought their own. Remembering an unfortunate circumstance last year of hypothermia catching up with me, I changed into a 5mm wetsuit, hoodie and gloves that she provided. After lunch four of us swam out to the NW edge of Folly Cove. Barb and Jody organized a rafted trading off of swimmer and boat tender during their snorkeling – so paddled boats over to the ledge. The snorkeling was timed to dead low tide because the water is warmer; and more importantly the level allowed exploration just under the permanent marine base. In higher water, none of the creatures and vegetation are really accessible. And what a riot of life! Fish, starfish, sea urchins, crabs, weird tubular growths (to be googled…), kelp, and a whole variety of other colorful plants – all oscillating in unison with the swell. We proceeded along the ledge to the point, taking breaks on flat granite “tables” along the way, and then made our way back down again. The track is shown in blue on Figure 1. Shari discovered an unusual area of low rock, perhaps a foot deep at LT, surrounded by sand, in which an entire micro-ecosystem of plants, crabs, and tiny fish swarmed. It was as if life on the ledge had been miniaturized onto the slab. Water was coming back in as we launched at about 2:30pm to return to Lanes Cove. We grabbed some nice rock gardening in the low water on the way back, and landed at Lanes about 3:15pm. Total distance of about six nautical miles. * Fire and Ice: Boston Harbor Geology 10/18/20 - Trip Reports - NSPN Message Board Figure 1: Ground track for 8_18_2021 Paddle. Red=paddling ground track. Green=Andrews Point hiking. Blue=Folly Cove snorkeling.

Liz, That would be great. See you on Wed. Bob

Hi Barb, Meet 9:30 and launch at 10. We can all sign the waiver at the put-in before launching. Thanks! Bob

This is a short paddle from Lanes to Pigeon Cove, where people can explore the environment out of their boats. Bring goggles and wetsuits (or drysuits) if you want to stay in the water any length of time. Dress for immersion. Hoodies, gloves and boots also a good idea. The latter to protect hands and feet from barnacles. Bring hot water or tea to drink. The rocks on Folly Cove can be a little rough to walk through from the beach; so we may just swim off our boats in pairs (swimmer and boat tender plus T-rescue practice!) to look for starfish, sea anemone, under water vegetation, crabs, and fish. As for geology, it will depend on being able to haul out behind Andrews Point. However, if a no-go people can stroll over to look for the quartz crystals and dikes at a later time. Notes from Halibut Point: Gems and Geology (halibutpointnotes.blogspot.com) Overall we will need to be flexible and pragmatic as to goals! The exercise can be repeated later in the season as well, as long as the water stays warmish. Trip limited to six paddlers to avoid parking issues at Lanesville. Waves 1-2, Wind SW ~10kts, Temps about 80F, possibly overcast. Waiver is necessary. Please PM me if you want to attend or have questions. Bob

Great paddle everyone. Thanks for attending. Joe, Thanks for the historical note on Misery. I found this on the Trustees website. Even during the Great Depression, people realized the value of the islands as something other than an industrial site. Yet, it took until 1997 to seal the deal. In 1935, the Coastal Oils Terminal Company of Beverly petitioned the Salem City Council for a permit to build storage tanks on the Island to hold 12 million gallons of oil. The Council rejected the proposal following intense public outcry. Compelled to protect the Island from this sort of commercial development, communities from Marblehead to Manchester-by-the-Sea quickly formed the North Shore Association and raised money to buy all but 15 privately-owned acres on Great Misery Island. By the end of 1935, the Association had deeded the land to The Trustees of Reservations for permanent protection. Additional land was acquired through gift and purchase in 1938, 1940, 1950, 1955, 1983, and 1988. In 1988, The Trustees thwarted an effort to site a sewage treatment plant on Great Misery Island and eventually purchased the last three acres on the Island in 1997. The low-tide ship ribs are from 1923, nearly a hundred years ago. On September 2, 1923 a steamship named the ‘City of Rockland’ ran aground on a reef at Dix’s Island in the Kennebec River. The ship was later taken to Salem for salvage and burned in between Little Misery and Great Misery Island in October of 1924. The ribs of the ship are still visible at low tide.

Matt and Andy, It was an excellent introduction to surfskis. Thank you! And thanks to Jim for organizing. Bob

6/23/2021: WLP, Cohasset Current Session. 9:30am – 2:30pm. HT 10:35am 9.2ft, LT 4:31pm 0ft. Tidal range 9.2ft, 7/8 moon toward full, perigee. Bob L white Explorer with Prudence B. NW wind >10kts in morning decreasing to light and variable in the pm, 60F-70F, 1 foot 15 sec swell and sunny. The ground track is shown in Figure 1. This WLP was a practice session in current. The Cohasset put-in near the marina was as usual very welcoming. There was a lot of activity at the marine institute, rowing club, and for general boating; but no congestion. It had quick drop of the boats and gear near the ramp, and open parking at a five-minute walk down the street. It was cool and breezy as we launched and headed to Little Harbor. As seen in the ground track in Figure 1, we found wind shadows by tucking close to the shore on the way over. The flood was still running as we arrived, so we paddled up the entry to Little Harbor and under the bridge into the wide basin. There were the usual standing waves to the left on entry and no fish lines (that can be a problem here). I did some riding on one of the standing waves, and we practiced crossing eddy lines and ferrying. We also reviewed and practiced using the stern draw to straighten the boat after punching into the current. My initial attempt to round the bridge abutment to get upstream failed; but I did make it a second time by hugging the wash next to the abutment right up to the eddy line, punching out, and then quickly crossing to the large eddy on the right. The left side did not really have an eddy as the stream followed the beach straight to the abutment. The right-side abutment had rocks that formed the standing waves, and so could not be used as the punch out site. After this exercise, we decided to regroup downstream and explore Little Harbor – a lovely expanse of still water and rock islands. On the return to the bridge, we noted that the current started to ebb at 11:35am; an hour after ocean HT. The turn-around was almost instantaneous without a significant slack-time, and started quickly started to build. Figure 1: Ground track for 6_23_2021 Paddle We had lunch on the rocks at the mouth of the Little Harbor entry watching the ebb build on our next location for current practice. I performed my famed thumbnail estimate of the distance to Minot Light, which glistened over the water to the east. With an 80cm arm extension, I estimated half a 1cm thumbnail height. Without the chart, I assumed Minot Light was 100ft high, so the distance would be d=2x80x100 ft = 16000 ft divided by 6000ft/nm = 2.7nm. I declared about 2.5nm. Well, Minot is actually 85ft and there is 6076 ft/nm so the correct thumbnail estimate is 2.2nm. This is still off, as the actual distance is 2.36nm. (Not bad. Note to myself, remeasure my 80cm eye-to-thumb distance…). After this fun exercise and discussion, we finished lunch and crossed the falls to the eddies below. There were nice standing waves and a long turbulent wave train extending to the Brush Islands. It was an hour after the ebb, so by the 50/90 rule we expected it to build over the next hour. It did increase somewhat but not at all by nearly a factor of two. The flow rate was definitely front-loaded into the first 90 minutes or so; and we decided that there was too much peculiarity in the Little Harbor drainage system to expect an open ocean rule-of-thumb to apply. In my many trips here, I had definitely seen larger standing waves. While we were at perigee, the tidal range of 9.2ft (corrected to Cohasset Harbor) was not particularly high. This worked to our advantage as the smaller standing waves were perfect for beginning of the season current practice. As it was, the waves were challenging but not absurdly thumping! After an hour or so of riding waves, during which time Prudence tested her new Volan in the conditions, I did some rolls and a cowboy in the turbulent wash, and then we decided to check out Brush Island. Despite many trips to Little Harbor, I had never managed to explore these rocks; which are beautiful and just packed with birds! It was also an opportunity to warm up in the sun after the rescue practice. As we were starting back, we noticed a large irregular structure across the bay. It seemed so curious – a typical mansion with a nearby boxy building that reminded me of a commercial egg farm(!). We decided to paddle over and check it out. On approach, it became clear that the “egg farm” was attached to the mansion. Also, a connecting central building came into view. We stopped at the beach under the buildings and was greeted by a nice woman who explained that the old building was divided into four separate units and was now privately owned. I did some internet searching of this Strawberry Point area, and found it was called The Glades: The Glades Association was a Massachusetts corporation formed initially of John C. Sharp, Leverett Saltonstall, and Frederick L. Ames and incorporated in Massachusetts in March 1876. By May 1876, the Association was composed of Robert Codman as president, John C. Sharp as treasurer, Leverett Saltonstall, William C. Lovering, Frederick L. Ames, F. E. Oliver, A. E. Swasey, and John H. Sturgis. It was established to hold land and buildings at the Great Glades in North Scituate, Massachusetts, in an area historically called Glades Point, Minot, or Minot's Village (opposite Minot's Ledge Light). The original building on the property had been the Glades House Hotel in the 19th century. Over time, shares were transferred to new shareholders, including various Adams, Saltonstall, Sturgis, and Hunnewell family members. The Glades Club was initially an organized club with officers and annual meetings, but after 1886 it seems to have devolved into an informal group of individuals who owned as tenants-in-common the land and buildings for summer residential purposes. The old hotel on the property was adapted for use by the Club members, and additional cottages and outbuildings were included in the Club holdings. The shareholders of the Glades Association paid the financial assessments of the Association, and the Club members paid for the general upkeep, maintenance, improvements, and so forth, of the buildings and lands. Thanking the woman for the information, we then returned to Cohasset Harbor for a final check of the back harbor ebb. The drain from “The Gulf” waterway into the harbor was still significant. We edged up pretty close, but there were too many exposed rocks to proceed to the big falls. Getting toppled and pinned in there would probably dampen an otherwise exhilarating WLP, not to mention being less-than-appreciated by the Harbormaster. We decided to call it and returned to the put-in. Overall a great WLP in a perfect area for relatively safe current practice. Total distance of 6.2nm.

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on June 23, 2021 at Cohasset. This special edition offers a combination Current Session and Lunch Paddle. After launching at the public ramp, we will paddle to Little Harbor and practice in the ebb current. Depending on participant interest, there may be an opportunity to explore nearby islands and ledges. We will meet at 9:30 to get OTW at 10:00. COLD WATER PADDLE: Water temperatures are still low. Come prepared for immersion. If you are not sure about what this means, please contact the organizers and we can figure out if it works. HELMET REQUIRED: We will be paddling in dynamic water. Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. Location: Ramp next to Cohasset Harbor Marina, 33 Parker Avenue, Cohasset, MA. Parking: After dropping boats and gear, move car to parking along Border Street and walk back. Registration: To attend, please PM me directly with your contact information, emergency contact, car and boat information. It will be necessary to sign a waiver at the beach. Predictions: NW breezes 5-10 kt becoming variable, air temps 60-70s, water temp 55 F, swell 1-2 ft with primary 1ft @ 15 sec. Tides: HT at 10:39 am, LT at 4:40 pm; Tide range 10.2 ft When/what: People meet at 9:30 am and launch at 10:00 am. Cohasset Public Boat Ramp next to Harbor Marina on Parker Avenue, Cohasset. This trip doesn't have a specific level: we'll determine the route based on who shows up, what people want to do, and what the environment wants to do. All properly equipped members are welcome: please bring boats with rigged deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. Bring a helmet since this trip launches and lands in surf. If you're not sure you have a safe vessel, please get in touch with us and ask. NOTE: The Wednesday Lunch Paddles are cooperative adventures, not guided trips. Each participant is responsible for her/his own safety. Don’t assume the trip initiators are smarter, stronger, better at rough water, more attractive, or more skilled paddlers than you are. For more information, see this description of our trip philosophy from the NSPN web site. We encourage paddlers to make their own independent decision about their comfort level with conditions at the time of the paddle. Please PM me if you have questions or if you haven’t paddled with me before. Hope to see you there! Bob it Bob

Great WLP yesterday. Trip report attached. I also attached the trip report for an earlier WLP at Nahant Beach. Thanks to all the participants. - Bob Trip report 6_16_2021_Puritan Rd to Nahant to Egg Rk_posted.pdf Trip report 5_19_2021_Puritan Rd to Nahant Beach to Egg Rk - posted.pdf

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on June 16, 2021 at Nahant Beach. This special edition offers a combination Surf Session and Lunch Paddle! You can do one, or the other, or both! How much fun is that? The surfing portion of the menu will meet at 9:00 to get OTW at 9:30, and will run through about 11:00. This will be an opportunity for practice in the surf, including surfing, bongo sliding, swimming, and rescues. The lunch paddle portion of the WLP will start at 11:00, when we will determine plans for the rest of the paddle. Options include a run to Egg Rock, Saunders Ledge, or Dread Ledge. COLD WATER PADDLE: Water temperatures are still low. Come prepared for immersion. If you are not sure about what this means, please contact the organizers and we can figure out if it works. HELMET REQUIRED: We will be launching and landing in a surf zone. Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. Location: Nahant Beach State Reservation https://goo.gl/maps/fRQjQEyWK3k5veKi9 we will meet on the beach near the Tides Restaurant end (far end of the causeway) so park asap when you enter the lot. Parking: the lot is $10 for MA residents. There is a free lot just off the rotary where the causeway begins so you could get lucky with a spot there, but you'd need to be able to make your own way down to the other end of the beach. Out-of-state residents; please contact me for other parking options. Registration: To attend, please PM me directly with your contact information, emergency contact, car and boat information, and indicate your arrival time (9am or 11am). It will be necessary to sign a waiver at the beach. Predictions: Light NW breezes 5-8 kt, air temps 60-70s, water temp 55 F, swell 2 ft @ 8 sec, breakers at beach 2-3 ft per Magic Seaweed Tides: LT at 10:25 am When/what: Surf zone people meet at 9:00 am and launch at 9:30 am. Non-surf folks, meet at 11 am and launch at 11:30 am (surfers may still be in the water but we'll come to the beach to say hello). This trip doesn't have a specific level: we'll determine the route based on who shows up, what people want to do, and what the environment wants to do. All properly equipped members are welcome: please bring boats with rigged deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. Bring a helmet since this trip launches and lands in surf. If you're not sure you have a safe vessel, please get in touch with us and ask. NOTE: The Wednesday Lunch Paddles are cooperative adventures, not guided trips. Each participant is responsible for her/his own safety. Don’t assume the trip initiators are smarter, stronger, better at rough water, more attractive, or more skilled paddlers than you are. For more information, see this description of our trip philosophy from the NSPN web site. We encourage paddlers to make their own independent decision about their comfort level with conditions at the time of the paddle. Please PM me if you have questions or if you haven’t paddled with me before. Hope to see you there! Bob

Jim, You are welcome to park at my house. It is about a 20 minute paddle to Nahant Beach. Bob

We have formed a message thread for participants of this year's Cold Water Workshop. Please sign on via the calendar if you are attending. Thanks! Bob

We have an upcoming opportunity to discuss winter paddling. NSPN Cold Water Workshop - Trips / NSPN Events - NSPN Message Board Bob

Around 3-4 hours.

Cold Water Workshop zoom session 4/8/2021, 7:00pm-9:00pm and CWW paddle 4/10/2021, 10:00am at Riverhead, Marblehead, MA. Background: In past years, NSPN ran very successful cold water workshops in the fall. They included an in-house session, beach session, and various on-the-water activities. The latter ranged from paddles and rescue practice to just dunking with a dry suit. COVID and the winter time frame made such an extensive workshop impossible. The goals are more modest this year. In the zoom session we would first discuss the scope and goals of safe winter paddling. There would be a review of cold water gear, the hypothermia kit, the dry suit, and recognition and treatment of hypothermia. We would also assess the needs of attendees for gear and suits, to be rented by NSPN from commercial outfits for the subsequent cold water paddle. As we did with the summer skills sessions, for the winter paddle participants will break into pods with 1-2 leaders each. COVID compliance with masks, social distancing, and pod numbers will be enforced. The beach briefing will demonstrate dressing in the dry suit, and include a quick discussion of gear and the hypo kit. We will also review strategies for keeping hands, feet and head warm. The beach briefing will be followed by launching for a short paddle - perhaps Riverhead to Dolliber. A quick lunch at the destination will demonstrate how to handle the inevitable out-of-the-boat chill down. Tips from experienced winter-time paddlers will be shared and discussed. Then paddle back to the put-in. If people want to test their dry suit and dunk, that could be done at the put-in with cars nearby. Overall, the session will be very pragmatic - just the nuts-and-bolts of winter paddling. In addition to comparing strategies and tips, useful for all kayakers, newcomers to cold water paddling will have an opportunity to safely experience a winter trip. If you are interested in attending a cold water workshop, please sign up on the calendar. Also, PM Bob Levine if you require a dry suit or other gear.

This posting is to gauge interest in an NSPN Cold Water Workshop consisting of a zoom session, beach briefing and preparation, and a short winter paddle. In the zoom session we would first discuss the scope and goals of safe winter paddling. There would be a review of cold water gear, the hypothermia kit, the dry suit, and recognition and treatment of hypothermia. We would also assess the needs of attendees for gear and suits, to be lent by NSPN members and commercial outfits for the subsequent cold water paddle. Note the NSPN posted Moulton Avery zoom session today and March 18th on the NSPN forum. As we did with the summer skills sessions, for the winter paddle participants would break into pods with 1-2 leaders each. The beach briefing would demonstrate dressing in the dry suit, and include a quick discussion of gear and the hypo kit. We would also talk specifically about strategies for keeping hands, feet and head warm. The beach briefing would be followed by launching for a short paddle - perhaps Riverhead to Dolliber, or an equivalent in NH/ME. A quick lunch at the destination will demonstrate how to handle the inevitable out-of-the-boat chill down. Tips from experienced winter-time paddlers will be shared and discussed. Then paddle back to the put-in. If people want to test their dry suit and dunk, that could be done at the put-in with cars nearby. Overall, the session will be very pragmatic - just the nuts-and-bolts of winter paddling. In addition to comparing strategies and tips, useful for all kayakers, newcomers to cold water paddling will have an opportunity to safely experience a winter trip. If you are interested in attending a cold water workshop, PM Bob Levine or Jim Snyder. We will respond as plans develop. Background: In past years, NSPN ran very successful cold water workshops in the fall. They included an in-house session, beach session, and various on-the-water activities. The latter ranged from paddles and rescue practice to just dunking with a dry suit. COVID and the winter time frame make such an extensive workshop impossible. The goals have to be much more modest.