Sunday--Gloucester Harbor Trip

[Lbeale]

Anyone interested in doing a slow circumnavigation trip this Sunday? Tides are right for a launch from beach with take-out at the High School--

We can do this trip with stops along the way for those of us with winter weak knees--not to mention guts--

Please post interest here--CAM rules rule--

Les

AKA swearing Ferret

[bazzert]

Hi Les,

I'd be interested. What time were you planning to launch ?

Barry.

[Phil Allen]

Les-

I'm interested, but you should specify your definition of slow! ;-)

Phil

[djlewis]

Les-

I'm interested, but you should specify your definition of slow! ;-)

Phil

Yes... no wing paddles allowed!

[Lbeale]

Anyone interested in doing a slow circumnavigation trip this Sunday? Tides are right for a launch from beach with take-out at the High School--

We can do this trip with stops along the way for those of us with winter weak knees--not to mention guts--

Please post interest here--CAM rules rule--

Les

AKA Swearing Ferret

We will launch from the put-in (P Beach) at 10:30 am which gives us a -2.2 tide rate to push out: low tide is 1:09 pm/high tide 7:36 pm--

On the way back down the river, the tide will be in our favor the longer we take--so it is a good day to do this trip--now we just have to wait for the wind conditions forecast---so unless Small craft warnings, TStorms, rain, etc-

That's my story--and I am stickin' to it--Les

[bazzert]

I'm interested, but you should specify your definition of slow! ;-)

Good point! Sadly the Cape Ann Transportation Authority doesnt run on sundays which would have provided a useful bail out option.

[Doug]

I am interested as well. I will need more information on the launch/take out location as I'm not that familiar with the area. Only paddled Lanes Cove to Rockport last year. How many miles/hours do do estimate in full?

Thanks for posting.

Doug

[Pintail]

Leslie,

Since you wrote "please post interest here" (I think you used the word "please" -- if not, why not?) I <am> interested: I shall likely join you, since you'll be on my doorstep, as it were. Mind you -- first of the season, so it had <better> be slow!

Any particular reason for going anti-clockwise around the Cape?

See you there (coming along, Liz?)

[Gcosloy]

Leslie-Right now with the prevailing winds predicted to be SW and then SE a counter clockwise circuit seems best. The Tides which are more predictable augur well indeed. Questions: Will there be adequate parking at the Greasy Pole beach? Assuming that the current in the canal will be too strong to return to the beach, how does one to get boats back to the cars? Finally, you know how slow I am. Will I be an unwelcome anchor on this trip?

[djlewis]

Not sure I'm up for the full 17-18 nm at this point in the season. Is anybody interested in an alternate take-out point, say Lanes Cove (which would be about 13 nm, I believe).

--David.

[leong]

Friends,

The Greasy Pole, Pavilion Beach has eroded (or something manmade) so there's about a two-foot drop from the little parking lot to the beach. Not impossible to handle with two-person carries but very difficult to do yourself. I just went through the Blyman canal today (4/28/09) up current at about 11:30 (HT at 2:30 PM) and the current was probably about 3 or 4 MPH, plus some swirling eddys. Doable for some, but not all.

At any rate I’m interested; however, I’d park at GHS and meet everyone at the greasy pole.

[Lbeale]

I am interested as well. I will need more information on the launch/take out location as I'm not that familiar with the area. Only paddled Lanes Cove to Rockport last year. How many miles/hours do do estimate in full?

Thanks for posting.

Doug

Hi Doug,

If you go to the put-in section, there will be directions for Pavilion Beach--near the Greasy Pole--there is parking but limited--so some of us will need to put our cars at the high school--maybe

The mileage is dependent on the group--if we decide to do the full circumnavigation or partial--distance does depend on conditions--les

[Lbeale]

Leslie-Right now with the prevailing winds predicted to be SW and then SE a counter clockwise circuit seems best. The Tides which are more predictable augur well indeed. Questions: Will there be adequate parking at the Greasy Pole beach? Assuming that the current in the canal will be too strong to return to the beach, how does one to get boats back to the cars? Finally, you know how slow I am. Will I be an unwelcome anchor on this trip?

Hi Gene,

Some people unload their boats at Pavilion Beach then park their car at the High School--then walk back to Pavilion Beach--not a long walk: 10-15 minutes max, if I remember correctly--

Then if you don't go through the canal your car is at GHS--or someone can give you a ride to your car if you parked at Pavilion--

For your last question, I really can't answer--I have a rule of thumb for myself which is I never talk anyone into a paddle--it's up to you to decide--this is a slow paddle with stops along the way so the pace is driven by the majority--that's the most help I can be Gene, sorry--les

[Lbeale]

Hi Les,

I'd be interested. What time were you planning to launch ?

Barry.

Great Barry--good to be paddling with you on Sunday--launch is 10:30 am

[Lbeale]

Leslie,

Since you wrote "please post interest here" (I think you used the word "please" -- if not, why not?) I <am> interested: I shall likely join you, since you'll be on my doorstep, as it were. Mind you -- first of the season, so it had <better> be slow!

Any particular reason for going anti-clockwise around the Cape?

See you there (coming along, Liz?)

It will be slow Christopher, promise--

Anti-clockwise works for me because I hate that slog from Dogbar out to Thatchers--so I figure to get it over with sooner than later--also, the winds pick up in the afternoon giving us swells -- making getting into the Harbor a challenge for some at the end of a long paddle--and given that this a slow paddle, first for the season for many of us, I thought that an easy ending through the River might be better--

But again, depending on Sunday's conditions, this direction can change--les

[John Leonard]

definitely interested

[Bill Lord]

I am interested and would consider the Lane's Cove takeout if someone can leave a car there.

Bill

[leong]

Assuming I go I volunteer to stay back with the slowest paddler(s) (as needed) and I’ll take a tow rope for emergency takeouts, etc.

[bazzert]

Some people unload their boats at Pavilion Beach then park their car at the High School--then walk back to Pavilion Beach--not a long walk: 10-15 minutes max, if I remember correctly--

Then if you don't go through the canal your car is at GHS--or someone can give you a ride to your car if you parked at Pavilion--

This map from the Mass Coastal Zone management shows both the put-in at GHS (Dunfudgin landing) and Pavilion beach.

[bob budd]

Since someone mentioned Lane's Cove perhaps there is interest in doing Lane's to Brace and back instead of paddling down the Annisquam river.

[Doug]

I would like this option. Perhaps you should start a new thread unless Leslie & others opt for this instead of the full circumnavigation.

Doug

[bob budd]

Doug, I cannot start trips but you could and I'd be fine with providing needed details. This route is certainly a similar commitment to the circumnavigation.

[djlewis]

Doug, I cannot start trips but you could and I'd be fine with providing needed details. This route is certainly a similar commitment to the circumnavigation.

I will commit to meeting at Lane's Cove and then shuttling boats and gear to Pavilion in time to launch with the group at 10:30. When someone else signs on to this plan, we can discuss details.

Just FYI -- Lane's to Brace and back is well over 20 nm, so it's noticeably longer than the circumnav, which is 17-18 nm. Also, you wouldn't be paddling with the circumnavigators -- it's a completely different trip -- though you'd probably cross tracks head-on somewhere around Pebble Beach. I guess you could time it to meet them outside of Brace's, but that'd mean a very early launch from Lanes.

--David.

[leong]

I will commit to meeting at Lane's Cove and then shuttling boats and gear to Pavilion in time to launch with the group at 10:30. When someone else signs on to this plan, we can discuss details.

Just FYI -- Lane's to Brace and back is well over 20 nm, so it's noticeably longer than the circumnav, which is 17-18 nm. Also, you wouldn't be paddling with the circumnavigators -- it's a completely different trip -- though you'd probably cross tracks head-on somewhere around Pebble Beach. I guess you could time it to meet them outside of Brace's, but that'd mean a very early launch from Lanes.

--David.

Lanes to Brace and back is not only longer it covers the most treacherous part of the trip twice. There are no decent take-outs between Good Harbor and Braces Cove. If the surf is up, Good Harbor and Long Beach are very difficult landings too.

[Bill Lord]

I will commit to meeting at Lane's Cove and then shuttling boats and gear to Pavilion in time to launch with the group at 10:30. When someone else signs on to this plan, we can discuss details.

Just FYI -- Lane's to Brace and back is well over 20 nm, so it's noticeably longer than the circumnav, which is 17-18 nm. Also, you wouldn't be paddling with the circumnavigators -- it's a completely different trip -- though you'd probably cross tracks head-on somewhere around Pebble Beach. I guess you could time it to meet them outside of Brace's, but that'd mean a very early launch from Lanes.

--David.

I will commit to the Pavillion to Lane's Cove trip. We should unload at Pavillion and then bring one or two cars to Lane's, depending on how many will be taking out there.

Bill