Wed Lunch Paddle 9/8/2021: Lanes Cove / Andrews Point / Hurricane Larry

[Joseph Berkovitz]

Last Wednesday myself, Bob Levine, Barb Ryan, Jody Harris and Ricardo Caivano had the pleasure of paddling the Gloucester/Rockport coast between Lanes Cove and Andrews Point. As mileage goes it was not a lot of distance, but this trip packed in some really great experiences.

The weather and sea state predictions were interesting, for starters. This was the first day on which Hurricane Larry's swells (generated in the mid-Atlantic) would reach the East Coast of the US, with waves of 1-2 feet and a 16-second period. We were expected to have a mild sunny day along with a stiff south wind 12-15 kt which had been blowing since early morning and possibly increasing through the day. Thanks to southerly wind chop combining with the swell, we expected that seas in Sandy Bay off Rockport would probably be on the rough side once we passed Halibut Point. We did not count on going all the way to Rockport and had planned to perhaps turn around and lunch at Annisquam Light.

Our launch commenced with a slight mishap as Ricardo's Mazda locked itself with the keys visibly inside, in a fit of evil behavior that was never supposed to occur. The Gloucester Police helpfully connected us with a towing company who turned up (after Bob flagged them down when they were about to leave having failed to go to the end of the street). The towing guys deftly broke into Ricardo's car with zero damage (if he wants to, he can explain how they did it below) and liberated the keys as well as all of his paddling gear. We wound up leaving no more than a few minutes after our planned launch time of 10 am.

The weather was indeed beautiful at Lanes, where the conditions seemed near flat. Visibility was perfect. Then it was on towards Halibut Point. Once we were near Folly Point it was clear it was that large swells were affecting us with long, graceful, powerful rhythms of water piling against the shore and washing back. Care was required and exercised! A large set — invisible in open water — suddenly broke in large curls near the point ahead of us. The height of the swells varied quite a lot. At times we saw what looked like a big field of breaking waves off the point, then it would quiet down. Eventually, as we reached the point, the picture became clearer. Sets of long swells that were larger than average were breaking very close to the point, with sizable lulls in between. Just past Halibut Point, 1 to 2 feet of very steep chop kicked in from the south wind running up waves in Sandy Bay. Bob timed his way carefully next to the point, while I accompanied the rest of the group around the area of occasional breakers.

Past Halibut we could see Andrews Point, and we decided to take on this next leg to see what conditions would be like should we choose to paddle down to Rockport. Andrews Point itself was the scene of magnificent crashing waves from the huge swells, and adjacent Hoop Pole Cove to its north was surging and draining as the waves alternately filled and emptied. Although the swell was reported as only 1.5 feet, the very long period was taking the water level up and down in the cove by a large multiple of that height.

Making our way around Andrews Point we continued a short while in washing-machine conditions from the wind waves, the swells, and reflections from the rocky coast. The wind chop was almost at a right angle to the swells and it was hard to see the swell except where it piled up or broke. The group decided to turn around rather than go down to Rockport and then return in conditions that would likely be a few notches bigger (and become a following sea).

Back past the points we went, Bob almost having a close encounter from an outlier wave that snuck up behind him. We decided to have lunch at the beach in Folly Cove since it was a high spring tide at that very moment and we'd be able to avoid the usual slippery rocks there.

After lunch it became an entirely different paddle. With the high water and the amplifying swell, Folly Cove and the coast all the way back to Lanes became the perfect venue for low-velocity rock gardening among the many ledges and slots, playing in the long swells that behaved more like rhythmic currents than up-and-down waves. Pourovers were never easier or more languid, with 8-10 seconds to work with an incoming swell. It was hard to believe this ocean was the same chaotic one we'd just experienced on the outside. We slowly played our way back to Lanes, arriving at about 2 pm.

 

[Ricardo Caivano]

Thank you Joe and Bob for the paddle, it was a lot of fun! And thank you to the group for waiting until the guys with the tow truck opened the door with this high sophisticated tool and long coat hanger type hook.

 

[Pintail]

...and I'm guessing that they charged you forty dollars for the privilege?  (No need to ask how I know -- and I've been <on> their tow trucks several times, too!  Which latter is far more expensive)

Joe: it sounds as though you had a nice day (I haven't been on the water for about two weeks, due no roof-rack on the car that is new to me: rectifying that shortly)