Posted August 8, 200618 yr Anyone want to paddle out of Portsmouth or Ordiorne Sat.and head north along the Maine coast? Last two times up there I've paddled south out of Ordiorne. Post here if interested. ********************* Put in at Ordione point (right off 1A) at 12pm. Will head north to circumnavigate Gerrish Island and ride high tide back. As always, typical SNG rules apply (responsible for yourself, etc., etc.)
August 8, 200618 yr I'm definately interested... Looks like high tide a little after 2PM. Rob Explorer - off-white
August 9, 200618 yr Author Rob, So far it would be you, myself and Gilly. Perhaps others will join us. What do you say to a put in at either Kittery or Pierce Island at noontime, follow the tide out, play in the rocks and surf and then follow high tide back in?
August 10, 200618 yr Saturday's tide at Portsmouth will be HIGH at 2:26 PM. If we launch around noon, we could ride the incoming up behind Gerrish, floating up Chauncey Creek, then scoot out Brave Boat Harbor and follow the coast back. OR we could float up What's-Its-Name Creek to Rt 1 and go shopping at the Kittery Trading Post! OR we could float up the river past Seavey Island and get yelled at by some poor sentry at the navy yard!!! The possibilities are endless! Rob
August 10, 200618 yr Author Ah! Rob, don't temp Gilly with gear shopping! Let's go around Gerrish...sounds like fun. Where do you want to launch at noontime?
August 10, 200618 yr Odiorne would work for me. May have to park on the $$$ side, but that's OK. Noon? Rob Explorer - off-white
August 10, 200618 yr Author Ok, nothing like having paddling plans well in advance. 12 noon Ordiorne put in, then up around Gerrish...very cool:)
August 10, 200618 yr I would lie to join you , but will most likely be in family mode on Saturday. The culvert at Seapoint Road, behind Gerrish/Cutts Is. can be interesting. Last night I ended up rounding Gerrish Is. (counterclockwise) in the moonlight (simply wonderful) ; and reached the culvert at @ 10:30, an hour and a bit before high tide,; because of the full moon , the water level was already higher than it usually is at high tide, and the current was really ripping (against me) , so there was just enough room overhead to paddle through, hunched way over, kissing my deck, with super low angle paddling as my blades were scraping the ceiling of the tunnel, all in all a ridiculous spectacle. If I waited another 45 minutes or so for the current to slacken, there would have been no room in the culvert to paddle through. I failed twice, got through on the third try , and left some paddle fragments on the roof of the culvert, which you can look for on Saturday. (I could have just humped my boat over the road to the other side of the culvert , but that would have been no fun) The flooding tides for Chauncey Creek meet those from Brave Boat about an eighth of a mile past the culvert (towards Brave Boat.) , so, going clockwise, there could be a nice fun current to scoot you through the culvert if you arrive before high tide.
August 10, 200618 yr And the tide is delayed a bit getting to that point as well so you need to consider just when high tide occurs there. Going counter-clockwise can be a trick for many reasons. Not least of which is trying to paddle against the current at the culvert. I have heard tales of leaving lots of gelcoat on the sides as the boat twisted/bounced through on failed attempts. Ed Lawson
August 11, 200618 yr Todd and I will be there, sounds like a great trip! Heather Wilderness Systems 165 Tempest [Fire Engine] RED Wilderness Systems 165 Tempest [banana Boat] YELLOW
August 11, 200618 yr Looks like my friends Bob Cornell and Jason Fouser will be coming along too. So we're a fleet of at least 7 boats. Terrific! Rob
August 12, 200618 yr >Ah! Rob, don't temp Gilly with gear shopping! KTP is having a sale on some paddling stuff. Thought Gillian should know. Just turn west on Spencer Creek, play how low can you go on the culvert, tie up on the dock, and go shopping! Did a short twilight paddle tonight out past Ram's Ledge light and boy was it nice out there. Isle of Shoals shining in the dying sunlight. Whole week and been great I hear. Gail and I have other commitments or we would be along. Its going to be a great, fun day for you all. If we get out early and if you are monitoring Ch 72, maybe we can link up as you exit Chauncey as we will be over late afternoon if all goes well. Ed Lawson
