Wed Lunch Paddle #9: 7/22/2020 N. Gooseberry Island

[Joseph Berkovitz]

July 22, 2020

Route: Riverhead Beach, Marblehead -> Childrens Island -> N. Gooseberry Island -> Eagle Island -> return

People: Joe Berkovitz, Phil Morrow, Sue Hriciga, Mike Habich, Jane Cobb. Nancy Hill, Rick Crangle, Dana Sigall, Elizabeth Neumeier, Michael Hazeltine

Distance: 7.9 nm

Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/b681e844335d9bdc258998c076bd4f6c/?layer=gaianoaarnc

Conditions: overcast with showers, wind 10 kt NE dropping to light+variable, waves < 1 ft, air 70 F, water 68 F.

Tides: 

7:04 AM    Low    -0.64 ft
1:16 PM    High    8.99 ft
7:12 PM    Low    0.34 ft

Description:

We set out at 10.35 from Riverhead Beach into a light headwind, crossing over to the lighthouse where we arrived about 11. At this point the plan was to make our way to the west end of Childrens as a steppingstone to the rest of the adventure. Another 5 minutes took us to G C "1" at the start of the Marblehead Channel crossing to Children's. Some slight flood current was noticed in the channel. We grouped up there and crossed to R N "2" in 8 minutes. At that point the sense of the group was to head around the outside of Childrens and then go to North Gooseberry for lunch. The wind had now dropped and there was very little swell or wind waves on the ocean. We headed around Childrens and Cormorant Rock where, sure enough, there was some action at the southern tip although much subdued. Then out to Gooseberry where we arrived in time for a perfect noon lunch.

At 12.40 we headed over to Eagle. Conditions were still extremely calm. To avoid any intersection with a bunch of junior sailors leaving the middle of Salem Sound for Marblehead, we decided to jog back towards Childrens on our way back home. As we got near the start of the return channel crossing around 13.15, we saw that Salem and Beverly were becoming obscured by a curtain of rain showers which soon began to rain on us:

Visibility was dropping to perhaps 1/2 mile and I was aware that the Salem Ferry was supposed to come through any minute, but we hadn't seen it yet. The group had split slightly in two pods out of earshot, so I asked the pod I was with to stop at the channel marker while I set off to give the other pod a heads up about the ferry. At that moment the thrumming of the ferry was starting to be heard, although the ferry itself was obscured by the rain. Just as we neared the channel marker, we saw the ferry finally become visible at some point north of the main Marblehead peninsula. Barely 90 seconds later, both pods converged on the marker and the ferry zoomed past in front of us. There is not much lead time with that thing in the best of visibility, and this was hardly the best of visibility! Anyway, a reminder that time, tide and the Salem Ferry wait for no one.

The rain quickly dissipated and we arrived back at Riverhead around 13.50. By this time the sun was shining brightly and it was heating up again. I think we were all glad to have been on the water in the clouds and rain!

 

[Nancy Hill]

Thanks, Joe, for another splendid day on the water. Here are some of my pics.

 

[gyork]

Gorgeous photos Nancy! Good capture of how boats and people can form a straight line. Please ID the bird with a carrot in its bill.

[prudenceb]

17 minutes ago, gyork said:

Gorgeous photos Nancy! Good capture of how boats and people can form a straight line. Please ID the bird with a carrot in its bill.

Oystercatcher, Gary!