Tucking into the Seals

[subaruguru]

Tom H, Gene C and I played doubting Thomases with the weather forecast for 15-20k winds and 2-4' chop, enlivened by a small craft alert in the AM, and launched from Tuck's Point amid very agreeable 75F light winds and 1 ft chop!

We proceeded island by island until more than 15 heads greeted us en masse, a few scouts closing in to about 10-15 feet.

Following a very leisurely lunch at Misery punctuated by Tom's demo of his Irish stove (phew!), we found increased chop and a brisker following sea along the beaches pushing us home.

Altogether an extremely pleasant 10 miler.

Show's to Go ya that all weather is local.

[MPARSONS]

Tom H, Gene C and I played doubting Thomases with the weather forecast for 15-20k winds and 2-4' chop, enlivened by a small craft alert in the AM, and launched from Tuck's Point amid very agreeable 75F light winds and 1 ft chop!

We proceeded island by island until more than 15 heads greeted us en masse, a few scouts closing in to about 10-15 feet.

Following a very leisurely lunch at Misery punctuated by Tom's demo of his Irish stove (phew!), we found increased chop and a brisker following sea along the beaches pushing us home.

Altogether an extremely pleasant 10 miler.

Show's to Go ya that all weather is local.

"all weather is local" You got that right. Last Saturday I paddled into Boston Harbor in fog with visibility of about 200 yards. Meanwhile the weather radio said it was partly sunny in Boston Harbor. I was looking for the Volvo Race sailboats, but instead just practiced navigation in fog.

Anyway, your trip sounded fun.

[sidcohen]

Marc,

Thanks for your planning help last week. I too went out last Saturday, 5/16/09, from Cohasset Harbor with a group and a private instructor. We practiced on the fog too. A moderate wind would have been our friend, a lot of the fog hung in there until mid-afternoon.

My group also went out of Hingham Harbor on Sunday 5/17 with a pair of private instructors, and we launched off the public beach. We island hopped to Grape I. and back practicing a a whole variety of scenarios, drills and skills. First we had steady 10 to 15 NM winds from the NW in our faces. We practiced some skills to the leeward side of the islands. And it was calm on the way back in.

Grape I. was delightful with it's campgrounds and it's great view on a knoll of the Boston Skyline and the causeway between Moon Head and Long I. We had lunch there.

We launched at 10 AM about 2 hours before low tide and the boat ramp an the beach were just peachy. No mud at 3:00 PM too, for our take out.

Again thanks for all the info that you gave my group for planning our trip. And a hearty thanks too all others that piped up too in response to my board post.

[djlewis]

Tom H, Gene C and I played doubting Thomases with the weather forecast for 15-20k winds and 2-4' chop, enlivened by a small craft alert in the AM, and launched from Tuck's Point amid very agreeable 75F light winds and 1 ft chop!

...

Show's to Go ya that all weather is local.

Can't say this often enough -- the NOAA swell forecast is for open ocean, not near shore, where various landforms -- from the nearby mainland to the Cape -- reduce fetch and decrease swell from that forecast, sometimes dramatically. For example the Gloucester marine forecast says...

> Coastal Waters From Merrimack River Ma Out 25 Nm To Plymouth Ma

> Out 40 Nm...Including The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

...which may have little or nothing to do with the swell on a given side of Cape Ann, not to mention inside Salem Sound such as the Miseries. Cape Cod and/or Cape Ann itself will shadow the swell, depending on which direction it is coming from and where you are paddling. To predict swell including landform shadowing, use WetSand, or MagicSeaweed to see the forecast direction of the swell. Or to get swell height (and period, and wind, and weather) on a sliver platter, try the lovely, dynamic, graphical NOAA forecast at ...

http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/wfo/secto...oxMarineDay.php

So... happy paddling... and if you use this, you will get a lot more of it, since you'll have milder -- and more realistic -- swell forecasts (unless, of course, you are looking for big stuff!). Of course, the above does not apply to wind, which blows pretty much unimpeded by landforms unless they are very close.

--David.

[subaruguru]

David,

Thanks again for that link.

I had gone to that NOAA site, but accidentally "zoomed out" and therefore missing the more local info. Couldn't figure out how to zoom back in, either, as it didn't list that option.

See ya.

Ern

[Gcosloy]

Yes you are correct David regarding the NOAA ocean forecast being markedly different from what obtains on the coasts. However on the day in question we did consult the Graphical forecast which shows wave height and wind for the local area (Salem Sound). 2-4 feet and 10-15k with gusts to 20k were predicted. We didn't see the wave heights and the winds were maybe half the predictions. This happens frequently in this area and the best advise is to paddle in areas where there are Islands and shore lines that can put you in the lee if conditions are severe or worsen. Wave height is a function of local wind, global wind, depth of the water and topography under the water. The nice thing about the area we paddle in is you can vary your exposure based upon knowledge of the area. I've been out many times in Salem Sound when small craft warnings were in effect and had a placid day. Other times just the opposite. The sea is like a dog, it can be your friend, but it's still a dog and can be unpredictable.