rfolster Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 This will be the official thread for the first of the three summer CAM sessions. We are up to a total of ten potential paddlers, with a very broad span of leadership and paddling skill levels. There has been an underwhelming request for the Boston location, so I am looking for final interest by this Wednesday to see if that still makes sense, or if we should hold it in another location, such as Marblehead or Portsmouth. Also, I have received some questions regarding attending these summer sessions without having done the previous CAM sessions. Even though they are called "Continuing Education", they are really designed as an overview of the core principals of the Common Adventure Model, and should be an excellent introduction for those not familiar with it as well as a good review for others more familiar with the system. We welcome anyone that wants to attend, whether or not you have ever attended any CAM sessions, but you must let us know ahead of time if you want to attend, as these will not be operated as Show-&-Go trips. The minimum requirements to attend this session are: - Current NSPN membership (email membership at NPSN dot org with any membership issues) - Seaworthy vessels with integral flotation (hatches) and deck lines (contact me if your have any doubts about your boat) - PFD - Spray Skirt - Willingness to participate as part of a cohesive group If you want to attend, but cannot meet the minimum requirements, contact me privately so we can determine if there are any possible solutions. This posting will act as our pre-trip planning discussion, and we will develop a plan for the day together. Our goal is to review as much instruction and practical application as possible while still enjoying a day on the water, so don't expect this to be a long and arduous trip, or a day of working on only one skill set. Some of the the major aspects of the Common Adventure Model that we will review may include: - Trip planning - Beach briefing - Launching and landing - Maintaining communication on the water - Moving together as a group - Leadership dynamics and fluidity - Assessing and managing hazards - Dealing with situations / rescues Feel free to join in on the conversation, and I hope to see many of you one the water soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaneC Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Robert, unfortunately I will not be able on to attend. Jane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yong S Posted June 1, 2016 Share Posted June 1, 2016 Count me in for June 12th CAM session wherever we decide hold it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted June 2, 2016 Author Share Posted June 2, 2016 With underwhelming support for Boston (and a few requests for NOT Boston), we will instead hold this session in Portsmouth. Here are the details:Launch: Odiorne State Park Boat Ramp - 560 Ocean Boulevard in Rye, NH. (map)Time: 9:00am ready to launch (we will start the beach briefing / training at this time)Route: Depends, possibly out through the break wall and north east across the mouth of the Piscataqua to the islands, or maybe up river.Return: Approximately 3:00pm Please make sure to familiarize yourself with the area, review the tide schedule, and monitor the weather. If the trip needs to be cancelled, I will post here, and I will also attempt to contact registered participants. Although I am the trip initiator, the trip needs to work for the whole group, so please indicate here if the times and route plan work for you or might need adjustment. Unfortunately, I will be out of reach until Friday, June 10th, so please discuss any logistics with other participants using this thread. I will review this thread on Friday and ask that all participants have the standard float plan info (name; cell phone #; boat make and color; vehicle make, color and plate #; emergency contact and phone #) to me via PM (Private Message) or email (robertfolster at verizon dot net) by 5pm on Friday the 10th at the latest. I will confirm all attendees on Saturday morning along with a copy of the float plan. IMPORTANT: If I don't receive float plan info by Friday, you will not be registered for this trip, and may be turned away if you just show up at the launch. If you are unsure whether or not you can attend, send me a float plan with the caveat that you are unsure, but I will ask for a final decision on Saturday morning. I am really looking forward to having a great day on the water with old friends and new. Hope that you can join us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 I'm back and pumped after five days of intense leadership training. Right now, I only have one persons float plan info, with three others interested. Please make sure to send in your float plan info as soon as possible if you want to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David M Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 I'm in. Sending info via PM. Look forward to hearing about the week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted June 9, 2016 Author Share Posted June 9, 2016 Got it, David. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mford Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 I'm in will send float plan via pm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yong S Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 i am sending my float plan by pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 I'm probably in. Looking forward to hearing about what I missed. Will send FP via PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Foster Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Tomorrow's "breezy" forecast seems to be getting breezier... Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 27 minutes ago, Dan Foster said: Tomorrow's "breezy" forecast seems to be getting breezier... Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. This is very interesting! That is a land-based point forecast, maybe from Newcastle? When I look at a point forecast for the mouth of the harbor, I see this: Sunday W wind 10 to 15 kt becoming NW 20 to 25 kt. Winds could gust as high as 35 kt. Mostly sunny. Seas around 2 ft. and the zone forecast looks like this: Sun W winds 10 to 20 kt...becoming NW 20 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Seas 3 to 5 ft. It is a little unusual that the gusts are not showing up in the zone forecast, which makes me curious if these gusts are land-driven. Regardless, I think that we can all agree that it will indeed be a windy day. Besides each individuals frustration of paddling in high winds, what other challenges does this forecast present the group, and what options do we have in attempt to mitigate these challenges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Berkovitz Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 With the winds forecast as W or NW, I'm guessing we'll mostly be risking headwinds building up on the way back, rather than waves. It should be slack transitioning into flood tide, so hopefully not opposing the wind, although I don't know the tidal currents in this area at all. Seems like if we do head offshore we should just keep checking in with each other about the prospect of heading back in conditions windier than whatever we're experiencing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted June 11, 2016 Author Share Posted June 11, 2016 Headwinds over waves will be the primary concern for the day, although any stretch of water will provide enough fetch for the wind to kick up the water and make it a bit lumpy. This is a diverse area, but generally slack is around 1-2pm, depending where you look. There are a number of spots with a west or northwest flowing flood tide, and with the winds coming from the W or NW (winds comes...., water goes....) there is the potential for some level of wind-against-water tide race effect. This would be most likely around 3-4pm time frame as the flood tide approaches to max, so it should be avoidable, but also kept in mind. One spot of note would be under the Wentworth Bridge where I expect the tide to turn around 1pm and start building thereafter. The flood current can become significant there, and with an opposing wind, could become challenging. I don't think that Sunday will be a day to consider going offshore period. Even planning to handrail along the exposed shoreline presents a potential scenario of being blown offshore when attempting to avoid hazards such as shoals or exposed headlands. Even going around Newcastle has some concerns, but may be doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mford Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Since we don't have any particular destination in mind we could try to work with wind and pick area that would give us best chance for learning without having head wind the entire way back. I would agree not a day for offshore. I think if we find areas inside that we would find on normal day offshore, and play and practice with them. We can practice many things. current, rescues, communication, Knowing your limits. I think if we don't lock ourselves into having a long paddle back. Should be fun/safe day. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Berkovitz Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 5 minutes ago, Mford said: Since we don't have any particular destination in mind we could try to work with wind and pick area that would give us best chance for learning without having head wind the entire way back. I would agree not a day for offshore. That seems like a great idea to me. Lots good to do w/out unnecessary risks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmcotton Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I think I will opt out of tomorrow's CAM session. I was on the fence for this weekend to begin with as I've been really busy. Have fun and stay safe. It does look like there are lots of options. I hope to see you all on the water soon. Janice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfolster Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Here are my thoughts: the inner harbor area will be gradually emptying out, and we will be left with not as much area to practice and play. Yes there is still water, but less, and much of it is shallow. im worried we'll have difficulty paddling under the Wentworth bridge on the ebb (max is somewhere around 9), so we might have to futz around in little harbor until it slows down. Then the flood will pick up (slack is around 1) and depending on how long we stay in the inner harbor, it might be hard to paddle against the flood to get back to the launch. Has anyone considered a change of venue to provide better protection from the wind? I was thinking Gloucester Harbor. We could stay inside the harbor and on the western side to stay out of the western wind. We can go out towards the harbor entrance as much as people are comfortable. Then as winds start to shift northwest, do crossing over to the other side for protection from the northwest wind. Tenpound island is a nice stop for lunch. Im open to trying to make either venue work. Perhaps trying to park at Goat island and start from there, instead of Odiorne? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhabich Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 3 hours ago, Joseph Berkovitz said: ...although I don't know the tidal currents in this area at all. http://www.tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Regions Note that there are two Goat Islands; the one listed is upstream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhabich Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Apart from where we go, what do you need to do with your kayak or equipment? My Delphin has a high, buoyant bow (to prevent pearling in surf), and it gets blown sideways in a headwind. It's not going. The Cetus LV bow bounces in wind chop, so I'll pack a bit of weight up there to smooth it out. Is your skeg working? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Easy for me to say since I won't be there, but consider not avoiding the wind. At least for a little while. Forecast suggests you will have opportunity to deal with wind without much of a sea state since there will be minimal fetch. Often the behavior of a boat changes once the wind it up and you can find a boat that is fine in a breeze won't turn well if at all. How the boat deals with wind and how the boat paddles at all points of wind can be important knowledge to have. Let alone how to keep the paddle from being blow out of your hands. Better to find before you need to maintain a course to get home. Not as glamorous as playing in rocks and current, but spending time paddling a 100M or so up, down, cross as well as bow and stern quartering to high wind might pay dividends some day. Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Foster Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 This was an easy decision for me to make, because the decision-making process happened back at the beginning of the season, when I set for myself a list of conditions I won't paddle in (unless it's required to get back to a safer location). Sustained winds over 20 in tomorrow's forecast means no sea kayaking for me, despite how much I'd like to attend or how easy it would be to start down a slippery slope. Stay safe tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Manchester Harbor? Out to Misery. Can play around Misery(ies) and experiment with wind, rescues in wind, how fast does the boat take off if you don't hold on, etc. Not so tide dependent. Can "hide" on whatever leeward side is through changing wind. But I'll go along with Gloucester or Portsmouth as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yong S Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 I have no experience in paddling SOF( nor any other kayak) IN 20+ wind with 3-5ft waves.. since we r expecting it,. I welcome a chance to (gulp) try paddling (with everyones' safety in mind) (or seeing from a far insafe distance?) the condition which befalls many unsuspecting sea kayakers. yong, looking-for-more-input Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Portsmouth will be really tricky tomorrow. Peak ebb current 1.4 shortly before 10 AM at harbor entrance ( how much further in ?). If we go from Goat and want to stay inside, going upriver will be against current and wind. Messing around inside Newcastle will be impossible since LT around 12 PM. Not sure about area inside Gerrish but also hampered by LT. I agree w finding another venue. Would love to go out somewhere not in spite but because of wind. Lake Attitash? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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