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Mourning the Psychological End of Summer - September 1, 2018 - Lanes Cove to Rockport


prudenceb

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Saturday, September 1 - Mourning the Psychological End of Summer Paddle - Lanes Cove to Rockport

 

Thirteen (an auspicious number) of us set out, 13 of us returned.  There is significance to this statement that I'll get to presently...

But first, mostly sad faces here as it's September now.  David Mercer a notable exception, but that smile was wiped off his face later, but I'll get to that presently...

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It was a pretty lovely day.  While we had hoped for more lively conditions, the forecast starting three days earlier trended down to light variable winds (mostly E/SE) with two foot seas - except for when they were one foot or footless...

We set out with some apprehension because Pintail had posted about squadrons of hostile biting flies off of Halibut Point earlier in the week.  He posted that even rolling didn't discourage them - they just waited for when he came up; and he was covered with bites on his shoulders when he landed.  A number of us made note to bring bug juice...but forgot.  Always Prepared David Mercer did have some at the ready.  But it was a lovely day - a cool respite from the brutal August heat - and the water was warm warm warm.  Puffy clouds and blue sky.

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I didn't take many pictures because how many new pictures can you generate from a familiar old route.  So my camera wasn't at the ready throughout the trip.  We rounded  Halibut Point uneventfully, as always noting what I can only assume are envious land bound visitors watching and photographing us from the big rocks.  No malevolent flies.  

And so we proceeded, somewhat spread out, but still acting as a group.  I was pleased to see folks stopping before we turned major corners to allow the group to reform.  CAM at its best.  People responsible for themselves but looking out for their compatriots.  And so we paddled, pretty leisurely.  A few rock features for some to play.  I hung back 1) to keep an eye on the rock people and 2) because it was easier to count the group from the rear to make sure we hadn't lost anyone.

Lose anyone?  How could that possibly happen on such a benign day, with such a group of proficient paddlers?

And so...David Mercer and Joe Berkovitz were bringing up the rear as we proceeded along the shoreline with the breakwater by Rockport Harbor visible in the distance...when I heard an urgent exchange, "Is that a fin?"  And then, before the discussion could continue, out of the corner of my eye I saw a large creature exploding out of the water immediately to David's right.  Oh my god!  Oh my god!  Joe was right beside him and made a definitive identification:  SHARK!  Pointy head, distinctive gills - but mouth blessedly closed.  At the same time, we saw a helicopter overhead, flying fairly low along the coastline.  Coincidence...or looking for what we'd just seen?  Might I add that that smile was wiped right off of David's face?  (OMG, OMG!)  And where is a Go Pro when you need one??

It was a CAM trip but I had organized it and felt a responsibility to and for the group as a result.  I may be a four star now, but none of the scenarios I'd ever dealt with included What To Do If a SHARK Leaps Out of the Water Right Next to One of the Pod.  So I did what I thought made sense:  yelled ahead to the group to stop while those of us toward the rear gathered up with them.  I informed everyone of what we had just seen, and suggested that we stay more closely together as a group as we proceeded toward the harbor.  My thinking: safety in numbers, and a large pod perhaps discouraging to What Lies Beneath. 

And so we proceeded to Bearskin Neck, where we alighted at the usual place, hit the usual spots for strudel, lobster, ice cream and etc...  I went to the kayak rental place to tell them what we'd seen and perhaps to notify...someone?   Two tatooed young lads were lounging outside the shop in the sun.  Employees.  Their response to hearing about a shark breeching right next to a kayaker, "Sweet!"  Ah, youth...   But they went on to say they'd seen a shark cruising along the shoreline when they'd taken out a group earlier in the week.  They spontaneously mentioned the helicopter, musing on whether it might have been monitoring activity.  In any event, they said they'd notify the harbormaster.  Whether they did, I don't know.

Anyway, on the way back to Lane's, we all did stick closer together.  Nervous laughter about whether we should try out those rolls and rescues some had talked about earlier in the journey.  As it turned out, there were brave souls who went upside down (and didn't report seeing any sharks!) and rolled up in Folly Cove.  I was not one of them.

And so the trip ended uneventfully, and all of us agreed it had been quite the day.  Good company, good conditions and a good scare!

Thirteen left, thirteen returned.  Thanks to David, Joe, Dave C, Dave M, Liz B, Jane, Al , Pablo, Karen, Elizabeth, Bob T and Mike for a day that I think none of us will forget for a while!

And was it a coincidence that we noted this sticker on a car parked next to one of ours when we returned?

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Prudence

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Thanks for organizing, Pru!  It was a great day.  That helicopter appearing just after the shark did certainly added to the drama,   esp. as it stayed in the area, circling and zig-zagging back and forth.  I think I’ll avoid Cape Ann for a while!

Edited by eburgess
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13 hours ago, eburgess said:

Thanks for organizing, Pru!  It was a great day.  That helicopter appearing just after the shark did certainly added to the drama,   esp. as it stayed in the area, circling and zig-zagging back and forth.  I think I’ll avoid Cape Ann for a while!

I'm thinking of posting a Portland paddle Saturday the 15 th.  You in?

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Shark-flavored followup: Today I was at the Great Pig Rocks where there were loads of seals playing and I saw a large (6-7 foot) shark go under my boat at a shallow depth in the clear water. It was definitely not a seal: it had that unmistakable shark outline and I could see some of its white underside as it undulated past.

I hope people will still paddle with me after this story... I don't think I'm doing anything special to attract them... other than go where they happen to be...

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The psychological end to summer just turned into the psychological end to paddling around Cape Ann completely without worry. Them Jaws are closing in. Would have liked to see that breach, though.

Hoping for a quick cooling off of the Atlantic

This also makes IDing the Davids within NSPN easier ( “David’s joining us”. “Which David?” “Shark-David!”)

Edited by Inverseyourself
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David and Joe, when the shark breached explosively, did it come out vertically or more parallel to the surface?

I've been wondering why it did that? Was there a seal or large fish nearby? Could he have gone for the kayak, mistaking it for something edible and missed it accidentally or intentionally changed direction at the last moment, realizing that the kayak isn't edible?

Paging marine biologists and budding marine biologists!

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Yikes! quite an adventure!!,

Well, so what's the story with painting black stripes on your boat to discourage sharks?

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/07/shark-attack-wetsuit/397772/

http://www.surfline.com/surf-news/out-smarting-sharks-to-prevent-attacks_145931/

http://www.sharkmitigation.com/

Edited by BethS
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