Marblehead to Misery

[alcoons]

Great fun with a good group. Thanks everyone.

Al

Al Coons

Cetus-Red/White

[chetpk]

For me this was my first paddle south of the Merrimack River and it was a visual treat paddling out of the harbor that for sure is a sailing mecca. I also had just seen the Edward Hopper show at the MFA and you can see the inspiration of his paintings of the architecture of that area as many of those period homes dot the shore line with their unique New England elegance.

I was new to the other four and enjoyed their comaraderiship. Beautiful day, relaxing conditions, excellent conversations topped off with a great 360 from the top of the knoll on Misery for lunch.

The paddle back had a little bumpy water, but the predicted afternoon headwinds never appeared.

I had test paddled the Cetus on a pond once and was worried another spin in Al's might further wet the appetite. It sure seems to be a quick big boat with a personality of a small one. If one ever had contemplated building a stripper then they should take a look at Roger's Night Herron. There is no shortage of craftsmanship and eye for visual detail in it. It also seems to be a well thought out hull design for paddling in different conditions.

Thanks to Al for setting this up.

Scott Kimball

NDK Explorer

[Bill Gwynn]

>(Ever wonder why it's not named "Big Misery"?)

Actually, it is called Great Misery.

Bill

Anas Acuta...White/White, Red Trim.

Pintail...Blue/White, Black Trim.

Avocet...Quill/White, Black Trim.

Mega Cyclone...lots of colors

[bob budd]

At one point the islands were promoted as "Mystery" but alas this promotion met the common end of others reinforcing the identification of "Misery".

[Gcosloy]

Second attempt to provide map!

[Gcosloy]

Today was hot and sunny with a moderate breeze coming from the south. We assembled on the beach at Riverhead: the two Al's, Scott, Rodger and myself, or for those more interested in boats, two Explorers, two handcrafted wooden boats and one very popular Cetus. The ride out of the harbor, uneventful was soon replaced with help from the breeze and before we realized it were already at the Gooseberries. Not a hospitable place unless your a shore bird. We rounded the North side of Bakers, crossed a busy boat channel and arrived between Little Misery and Misery Islands.(Ever wonder why it's not named "Big Misery"?) After a nice lunch high on top of Misery overlooking it's little sister island, the group went for a hike around the Island and I decided to rest and watch the boats. Bad choice for I was soon introduced to 3 Rangers who had me fork over a fiver for the privilege. Meanwhile the hiker's escaped scrutiny. The ride back was peculiarly turbulent. No white caps or big waves, just a confused unsettled sea. I'm not sure if this was a case of clapitos. It was almost a relief to experience some of the weekend powerboat wakes that crossed our path fore and aft. After the return to the beach at Riverhead I saw Rodger getting into Al's new Cetus to try it, (Who doesn't want to try it?) while the Explorer owner's stood by looking on disapprovingly. I took the opportunity to try Rodger's handcrafted Night Heron which is not only beautiful to look at but fun to paddle as well. After hauling the boats out and onto the waiting cars we all repaired to Deveraux Beach for something cool to drink with further discussions revolving around-boats and hull design. Wonderful company all around and a most enjoyable day on the water. We covered a little more than 10 nautical miles and averaged 3 knots overall.