Plm Island circumnavigation

[spider]

...........of course that should read "Plum Island circumnavigation"..............

My wife and I are thinking of going around PI this week. Tides seem to favor leaving from Pavillion Beach.

I would like to save the back side (estuary) for the return. However I know we have to time it acurately, so we won't run out of water but still enjoy the views and poke about a bit.

The trip is about 20 miles ...

Kind of wondering how much time it takes from the mouth of the Merrimack over to the creek and the refuge put in . From there I've done it several times so have a pretty good idea how the next section goes back to Pavillion.

also

Coming through the Merrimack entrance from the Ocean I've watched it many times but still wondering how much I can "cheat" the slack water of high tide.

I know that might be a bit of an unanswerable question...but I'm thinking about 40 minutes shy of the high tide...

...thanks for any ideas... it's the opposite direction than I usually think of but the tide and winds seem to favor it this time...plans are still a bit tenative.

[djlewis]

...........of course that should read "Plum Island circumnavigation"..............

My wife and I are thinking of going around PI this week. Tides seem to favor leaving from Pavillion Beach. ...

My favorite way to circumnavigate Plum Island to get the max current boost (and no opposition), avoid rough water in the Merrimack mouth, and float over the shoals from south of the bridge north to Woodbridge Island -- start at the beach on the N end of the island about the time of slack before ebb in the mouth of the Merrimack, exit the Merrimack and go clockwise. (Of course, maybe you want some fight from the current and/or some rough water, but probably not shoals.)

The beach is off 82nd Street, just south of the cruise boat dock -- http://bit.ly/LCrMe -- and you can park right near it by paying $5 at the bait shop. There's a big public lot across the street, also for $$, but I've never used it.

--David