EEL Posted February 28, 2007 Share Posted February 28, 2007 Its early, but for planning purposes if nothing else I'm posting this jaunt to provide a little trip to prepare for Gary York's camping trip weekend to Jewell. Launch at 10 AM from Kittery Town Dock located behind Frisbee's Store on 103. Back by 4PM. Route will be clockwise around Gerrish including a potential meander up to York with a relaxed stop or two to eat, brew up or whatever to try out cooking kit. Likely one stop at mouth of Brave Boat harbor and one on Woods Island depending upon conditions. Assuming an on water pace of 3Kt min. Won't launch if raining or conditions more than modest (@10Kts and @2ft) based on the York buoy info. More details as date nears. Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lheath Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Sounds great. I plan on going. Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted April 25, 2007 Author Share Posted April 25, 2007 This was first posted to be a trip for people doing Gary York's Jewell Trip, but others more than welcome. Expectation is to have some time to brew up to test stoves, etc. and to provide some group paddling time before going camping on Jewell. Launch at 10 AM from Kittery Town Dock located behind Frisbee's Store on 103. Parking is limited on dock, but thre is adequate parking a couple of blocks away or you can pay a fee to Frisbee to use their lot. Back by 4PM. Route will be clockwise around Gerrish including a potential meander up to York Harbor with a stop or two to eat, brew up or whatever to try out cooking kit. Assuming an on water pace of 2.5+ Kt min. Won't launch if steady rain will be order of the day or conditions more than modest (@10Kts and @2ft) based on the York buoy info. Will make final decision Sat. night and will post any changes by 8PM. Right now the weather looks OK. While not a stop and play trip, hard to get around Gerrish without wandering about a bit of ledge and Brave Boat Harbor is seldom flat. Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted April 25, 2007 Author Share Posted April 25, 2007 Since the Jewell trip will involve the crossing of channels used by large commercial vessels and Chandler Cove can be crowded with traffic of all kinds, it will be good practice to go down and across Portsmouth Harbor to Chauncey Creek and then across the mouth of the harbor and through Little harbor on way back so I have changed the launch site from the Kittery Town dock to Pierce Island. Launch time will remain the same and will need to be 10AM. Currents should not be bad all things considered and avoids shallow water on return to Kittery Dock and closer as well. Directions to Pierce Island from NSPN website are: Portsmouth Harbor Pierce Island in Portsmouth is a popular public boat ramp. During summer months, non-residents are charged a small fee. Get off Rt. 95 at exit 7 and follow the signs to Strawberry Bank. The turn for Pierce Island is just past the gardens on the left side of Marcy St. There's a small sign marking it. You can typically park free here off-season, but there’s a small fee in-season. Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shewhorn Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 >Currents should not be bad all things considered and avoids >shallow water on return to Kittery Dock and closer as well. Curiosity question... with the rivers being high will that effect the currents at max ebb? Eldridges shows the Max ebb to be around 12:40 PM with an average max current of about 3.8 knots north of Pierce, south of Badgers and Seavey. The reason I'm curious is because I drove over the Merrimack today around Hudson, NH and it was still very very high and visibly moving a lot faster than it normally does. I'm guessing you'll be somewhere around the south/southeast side of Gerrish by the time max ebb hits so as you mentioned the currents won't be a huge issue. I'm just trying to apply some of what I learned in the ACN class before I forget everything. Another curiosity question... After going up Chauncey... where's the outlet back to open water (or is there some portage involved)? I'm looking at the charts but I don't see anything really obvious. I'm thinking of joining ya but I have a photo shoot on the north side of Plum Island at 5:45 so it might be cutting it a bit close (I'd love to paddle somewhere new though and I've never been around Gerrish... (although I've been around Newcastle). Cheers, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerry s Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 Joe The nice thing about launching at Peirce is you have the option of going through Little Harbor where the current is quite managable if the river is to intimidating. However, at max the river is still a good option since Peirce is close to the mouth so the storm floods don't have a great effect. It actually gets quite interesting at max (high or low) since the area between Peirce and Gerrish is never really slack; you have water going out and still heading in to flood Great Bay or vise versa; hence the phenomenon of tide level vs. current being related to the topographical make-up of the specific area in question. Very strange but interesting to experience. Mid tide is a different story as it really rips near the prison. Gerry Red Stripper (Explorer wanna-be) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted April 26, 2007 Share Posted April 26, 2007 A source like Eldridge can never be entirely accurate because rains can't be predicted at time of writing, and heavy rains can significanly affect max ebb on a river like the Piscataqua.During the rains last spring he Merrimac looked like it was running 10 knots. The passage from Chauncey Creek to Brave Boat Harbor (passable for maybe an hour on each side of high tide) is through a culvert under Seapoint Road, which has a nice current through it except at slack tide, which is short. From there it leads to Brave Boat Harbor by a winding channel through a salt marsh: probably a dozen sharp turns: I call it "bow rudder alley". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted April 26, 2007 Author Share Posted April 26, 2007 >I'm guessing you'll be somewhere around the south/southeast >side of Gerrish by the time max ebb hits so as you mentioned >the currents won't be a huge issue. > Sounds like a hypothesis that needs confirmation by going paddling. >Another curiosity question... After going up Chauncey... >where's the outlet back to open water The route goes around Cutts Island as well so after meandering through a salt marsh you end up in Brave Boat Harbor. Its not obvious on any chart I have seen. If you note where Chuancey narrows, you turn hard to port and go under the road to get to the salt marsh. Unless you miss the tide you paddle all the way. > >I'm thinking of joining ya but I have a photo shoot on the >north side of Plum Island at 5:45 so it might be cutting it >a bit close. Your call. If everything goes according to plan we should be back no later than 4PM. @10--11NM averaging 2.5Kts with 2 stops for estimating purposes. Could be back by around 2:30PM Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glil Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 I'm not planning to go on the Jewel trip, but would like to join you on Sunday. Also, Joe, if you go on Sunday, I'd be interested in trying out the paddle you are selling. Gay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shewhorn Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 >I'm not planning to go on the Jewel trip, but would like to >join you on Sunday. Also, Joe, if you go on Sunday, I'd be >interested in trying out the paddle you are selling. > >Gay No problem... even if I don't go if I'm on your way (exit 4 off of 93) feel free to stop by to pick it up if you'd like to take it for a spin. Cheers, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 > Won't launch if raining or >conditions more than modest (@10Kts and @2ft) based on the >York buoy info. OK, I'm stupid, but I am not pigheaded or dangerously cavalier. I'm changing the launch site back to Kittery for the following reasons: 1. While there would be time to make it from Pierce, the margin would be low. 2. Current forecast is for 3-5 foot seas with light East wind which is over self imposed limit, but more importantly has the potential to create lots of foam on the coast of Gerrish as no wind to knock it down. The foam is no big deal, but the marching elephants creating it might be. 3. This combination means if we get out of Brave Boat Harbor and start down the coast, the ledge breaks may give rise to second thoughts and decision to return via Chauncey. At that point, it could get dicey going back and it would be a slog against the ebb back to Pierce. 4. By starting at Kittery we have more options to at least get on the water and peak out even if seas are as forecast. Friday AM the York buoy is showing 2+ seas at 8 sec. before the weather hits so forecast seas may appear on Sunday. Apologize for apparent indecisive and chaotic situation, but trying to work with what the sea is giving us as opposed to holding course and then cancelling or stumbling into an epic. Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shewhorn Posted April 27, 2007 Share Posted April 27, 2007 >Sounds like a hypothesis that needs confirmation by going >paddling. Weather has canceled my shoot this weekend so I'm in! Cheers, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted April 27, 2007 Author Share Posted April 27, 2007 Joe: Since we are launching from Kittery it will remain partially a hypothesis, but that only means another reason to paddle another day. Not that reasons are needed. Look forward to meeting and paddling with you. Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shewhorn Posted April 28, 2007 Share Posted April 28, 2007 >Joe: > >Since we are launching from Kittery it will remain partially >a hypothesis, but that only means another reason to paddle >another day. >Not that reasons are needed. Look forward to meeting and >paddling with you. > >Ed Lawson Back to Kittery.... I thought it was changed to Pierce Island? Cheers, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glil Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 May not be able to join you afterall tomorrow. If I can, will see you before 10. If not, have a great paddle everyone! Gay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted April 29, 2007 Author Share Posted April 29, 2007 At 6AM Sunday there is a light rain in Portsmouth that is moving offshore, 60% chance of rain showers during day with a high of 50 with patchy fog. York buoy's current info is 3.4' at 8 sec. with 10 kts ENE and air temp of 43. 3.4' means somewhat over you head as you sit in the boat. Not all that appealing and beyond timid paddler rating, but I will be there. Obviously may need to change route, goals, etc. after shore discussion. Whatever happened to lazy Sunday mornings? Ed Lawson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glil Posted April 29, 2007 Share Posted April 29, 2007 FYI-will not be able to make it. Happy paddling! Gay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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