Guest guest Posted January 13, 2003 Share Posted January 13, 2003 Saturday 1/11/03 I headed to lanes Cove at 9:00 AM to see if any would show for this cold windy day. As Liz has said in the past “only the wind showed” I received a call from Dee Hall and she was at the Greasy Pole and things looked manageable. I waited until 9:45 and headed to the Pole. As we were unloading boats Andrew Binks arrived and we agreed to take a cruse of the inner harbor. Gloucester harbor the dead of winter is an interesting place. Many commercial-fishing boats tied up. Some showing life by crew working on the various pieces of equipped they rely on for success and survival. A welder on one boat, a couple of fishermen working on nets and a lobster boat with two men handling bait, that was the life in the harbor. We had the sea to ourselves. One fishing boat came in to port and was standing off the of load pier waiting to see where we were headed. We were trying to get out of his way but it was a few seconds stand off. As we headed down harbor with the building wind behind us we talked of kayaking, how we entered the sport and the peacefulness of the winter paddle. I could see, all to well, the effects of over fishing on the slowly deteriorating shape of a once very bright and proud fleet of fishing boats. Judging from the look the fishermen gave the small fleet of kayaks we are as strange to them as they are to us. At the end of the North Channel we headed across the mouth of the South Channel and headed for Smith Cove. The wind had by now picked up to about 17k and the strain of 4 months out of the boat was going to be challenged. Smith Cove was calm and flat and we enjoyed a slow paddle, as we knew the rest of the trip was in the teeth of the still building wind. We had seen Swans swimming all over the harbor but Smith Cove had several. One rather large Swan decided to get between two of us and test if we would back down. He lost. The cove was still; the waterfront restaurant was empty. The piers empty, this is winter paddling at its best. When you share Gloucester Harbor with a Swan, “How Cool is That.” The paddle up the harbor and over to the Grease pole was slow and cold on the face. The wind was up over predictions. We had a slog to windward as the old schooner captains would say and back at around 1:00 It’s great to be back, now for a little strength building. Jim B There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness P & H Orion Yellow over White jim@nspn.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 13, 2003 Share Posted January 13, 2003 Ah, and let's not forget that very surprised duck that surfaced inches from the bow of Andrew's very stealthy kayak. He probably made it to Dogbar before he stopped hyperventilating. Dee Hall Blue Baja Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 > He probably made it to Dogbar before he stopped >hyperventilating. > You mean the duck, not me, right? I was just a little surprised, that's all, honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2003 Share Posted January 14, 2003 Oh, how did I forget the duck, didn't it happen twice the second time as we rounded the fishing boat at Smith Cove. Jim B There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness P & H Orion Yellow over White jim@nspn.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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