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New Year's Day Paddle 2017 - Postponed to Monday!


rfolster

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The section from good harbor to eastern point probably gives some lee although my memory is that the landscape is flatter than elsewhere on cape Ann. Forecast midday for Gloucester is now 17-20 mph with higher gusts though. Argh. Maybe some (me included) might opt out of fighting across the mouth of the harbor. But then... two groups...

 

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I'm not very familiar with this area, and will defer to those more knowledgeable.  Joe's comments about the area cause concern.  Forecast has gone from bad to better to less good.  Slogging is not much fun.  Mike and other locals (Joe?  Bob L if you're checking in) what are your thoughts?

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Haven't paddled this section. Looks like about 10 nm there and back.

Prediction is for west wind, with wind waves about 2 feet, plus swell from SE, also about 2 feet, 6-10 seconds.  (NOAA, click on map for point forecast, then click on hourly forecast graph)  There's land to the NW to protect us from the wind, but no shelter from open water.

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Here's another thought, kinda of out of the box, which may not work at all for some.  I believe Monday is a holiday - as NYD falls on a Sunday.  Conditions Monday are looking very benign - no wind, calm seas.  Any thought about celebrating New Year on Monday rather than manana?  We'd then have our pick of the litter...as it were.

if not, I'm still up for tmrw's slog!

pru

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Rob and all,

Just to remind you that the trip between Good Harbor and the end of Dog Bar is usually the roughest section of the circumnavigation around Cape Ann. But more important is that there are no takeouts (except, sometimes, at Braces Cove when there are no breakers). And, Joe, the area along Bass Rocks is very rocky and this portion of the whole circumnav is arguable the most scenic part.

-Leon (who’s done the circumnav about a hundred times and is trolling NSPN from the Palm Beaches)

 

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Wow. Monday does look really peachy, at least right now. Very light NE wind. I am free that day in case the collective feeling is to shift the day.

Of course most people know Cape Ann better than me so I defer to others on the interaction of conditions and coastal features. Enjoy Palm Beach Leon!

like Pru I will go with the flow on this choice

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Bob L just emailed me.  He can't do tmrw (don't know about Mon) but he suggested Marblehead Harbor from Riverhead.  Big enough cliffs to hug in their lee to Dolliber.  Possibly cross rhe harbor to lighthouse etc etc.

i'm still interested in other folks' thoughts about Monday, but must admit formally welcoming 2017 on The Day is appealing!

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Joe, you are correct that we would have only limited protection due to the lack of height along the southern peninsula, a fact that does concern me a little, but not too much since we would have several capable leaders in the group.  Mike, double check the NOAA Hourly Forecast Graphs and you will see that the predicted east swell is only 1', not 2'.  All other observations that I can find, including current conditions from buoy data and neracoos, indicate that primary wave activity is being driven by the continual west wind, which would cause wave heights and periods to be small along the shore line and larger away from shore.  Leon, I would imagine this section to be challenging if you had a significant south and/or east swell.  However, I imagine that it will be relatively quiet due to the strength of the west wind and lack of meaningful swell coming onshore.  Pru, I thought about Marblehead as well, but it means returning to Riverhead against the wind at the end of the day, and crossing the harbor in strong winds will be just as challenging as the CAM trips a couple of years ago - do you remember that one?

I am available both tomorrow and Monday, and am actually contemplating paddling on both days.  However, I don't want to hog all of the trip posting opportunities, so I will let someone else post a trip for Monday, and I will happily join in.  If people would rather paddle Monday, and not tomorrow, I COMPLETELY understand (how much are those wind gusts supposed to be?).  If people still want to paddle tomorrow, please confirm by 3pm today and let's nail down a plan.
 

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OK, I'm in for tmrw.  

and yes, I do remember that CAM day!  But Bob suggested not crossing Mhead harbor against the wind at end of day, but rather going farther down into harbor and crossing where it's narrower.  

And what about launching and/or parking issues/problems at Good Harbor.  I'm not familiar with that spot at all.  I looked on google earth, but didn't understand what you said about parking.  If Good Harbor it is to be, could someone post an address,that would work on a GPS?  Mine didn't register Good Harbor...

But I vote for wherever we really think we get the most wind protection.  

Also, I think it REALLY IMPORTANT on a cold and windy day that everyone be on time for whatever launch time Rob posts.  It's hard enough to get and stay warm when we're all working to get boats loaded etc.  But if the group has to stand around in the cold and wind waiting for anyone who hasn't arrived in a timely fashion, that's not a good thing - and not fair to those who did.

pru

 

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Pru, view this map and see the foot bridge that crosses the stream to the beach.  I have confirmed that we can park along Nautilus Road without issue.  I think that a 10am launch should be fine for a 10-12 nm round trip and should let us return by 3pm.

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Just got back from a day of XC skiing! I will join you all tomorrow morning around 9:30 for a 10 am launch. I'm going to give pogies a try as well; not sure how they will work w/ a greenland paddle though!

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