Lanes Cove to Straitsmouth

[bob budd]

Spent Saturday rehabilitating and building homes for Habitat. Met a Steelers/Pirates fan who presently hails from Northeastern while he completes his PA training. This guy raised his daughter on his own under trying circumstances. She just finished her first year at UMass. Worthy of note, about kayaking or not.

Sunday near noon I crossed the bridge to Cape Ann after seeing this guy off in the marsh by the candy store in a floppy straw hat/sombrero and a Speedo trying to fish. Hoped it wasn’t a bad omen.

Arrived around noon to find Lane’s Cove largely unchanged, or perhaps restored, as it has been a while since it was repaired from the storm and still longer since my last trip. Liz and Karen had both beaten me there, though Karen was still parked on the ramp as I backed up next to her. I managed to remember paddle and PFD despite taking infrequent trips of late.

Quite a day for the kayaking version of a stroll with modest-to-no seas and similar wind. Out we came and off to Halibut point. On the way we heard someone yodeling to us, soon Christopher Godfrey was upon us. When we parted he expressed his intent to test his mettle at keeping gelcoat on his boat amongst the rocks.

There were many at Halibut Point; some fishing, some sunbathing, and a few atop the granite scrap heap. On we went to Straitsmouth and landed halfway between the cut and the lighthouse on the northerly side of the island. While the others partook of the Sunday New York Times I wandered down the rocks aways and took a leisurely swim back. Soon after we launched and circumnavigated the island before heading to Halibut Point.

Though the t’storms at time threatened nothing serious developed from there or at any time of the day.

[Pintail]

<...Lane’s Cove largely unchanged, or perhaps restored...>

Negative: not a thing has been done to the seawall on either side of the cove -- nada! (There is no money available from Gloucester and it is going to cost an enormous amount to effect the repairs)

Neither was I going to sacrifice gelcoat on the rocks, since I was in a roto-moulded boat (Valley Skerry RM)