subaruguru Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 A half dozen of us set out from Manchester Tuesday, eventually lunching on the west side of Children's.The racing duo were champing at their bits, so headed south(track: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210741494908048893469.0004c6df90d1e791ad00a&msa=0&ll=42.526519,-70.836067&spn=0.184702,0.236549)....while our quartet decided to find a few really friendly big grey ones around the Breakers.A second leisurely break back at Misery allowed kayak-swapping before our bee-line home as the wind and chop increased to provide a bit more fun.Our 12-miler felt just right, but L&L packed in a 23-miler. Phew!Pics, Lisa, Leon, Tom?Cheers, compadres! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Great trip with a lot of good friends. Lisa and I got a fabulous workout on part 2 of the trip. Speaking of part 2: On the way back from Fisherman’s Beach in Swamscott, Lisa and I had a nerve-racking incident. If you blow up the track https://maps.google....184702,0.236549 at Marblehead neck you’ll see a strange loop-back from the GPS on Lisa’s kayak. Here’s what happened (and there’s a good lesson-learned for me). Lisa went through one cut in a line of big rocks and I went through another (note it was quite rough by then). Anyway, I emerged before Lisa and continued on slowly, assuming Lisa would soon catch up. I couldn’t look back in the quartering waves so I kept calling out for her to respond “yes, I’m here”. After about 1/8 of a mile, I got very nervous and did a 180-deg. turn. I then saw Lisa way back near the chain of rocks. From that distance it looked like she was paddling towards me so I just treaded water in place. Soon I realized that she was going in the opposite direction. I figured out that she had completely lost sight of me after I went through the cut and that she was paddling back to find and/or rescue me. I turned on my VHF and called to her and she immediately turned around and paddled towards me. Here’s what Lisa says about the incident: “As to how I missed you coming out of the cut, I have no idea. You must have been further away than expected or something. I stopped, then looked carefully all around, then turned 90 deg. so I could look back easily, then turned on my radio and called, then started back. Then called again on the radio, then I heard you say on the radio ‘I passed the rock a long time ago’ so I knew everything was OK.” My two mistakes were: 1. I shouldn’t have continued after going through the cut until I saw Lisa emerge. 2. My radio should have been on all of the time (I turned it off in Swamscott and forget to turn it back on for the return trip). Pix from yesterday's trip are here https://picasaweb.go...feat=directlink (most from Lisa, some from me). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyork Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Thanks for sharing Leon-easy to lose track of kayakers behind you. Always been a proponent of live on-the-water radio contact. Typically of value in larger groups (herding cats) but you've demonstrated nicely its utility in the smallest group setting. I believe that most of today's VHF batteries have a very extended life, not compromised by multiple full-day uses (on at launch, off at final take out)? My ICOM 88 has a battery level indicator that I monitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Leon, I thing that this is a lesson that everyone can learn from. I don't want to side track Ernie's post, so I am going to the General Message Board to continue this discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbjorn Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 It was great to finally get to paddle with this illustrious group. Sorry to hear about your scare Leon and Lisa. We can all learn something though from your report. Here are a few pics I took of a couple of crazies out there trying to do their best to donate gelcoat to the rocks around the Dry Breakers. https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=103213007401219998348&target=ALBUM&id=5775121574367334609&authkey=Gv1sRgCNr7uebEhvPexQE&feat=email If anyone wants a copy of any photo files, let me know. Blaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhunt Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I think Leon pretty much covered the "where are you" scenario. I guess I might add that it wasn't all that scary, just mystifying. I did worry that maybe there was a capsize (and probably Leon did, too), but it seemed very unlikely as the rocks were giving us some lee conditions there.I think Leon must have been in front of me, end on, making him harder to see. Plus, based on our relative positions going in, I expected him to come out behind me. Though I did look all around, maybe inadvertently I put more concentration into looking behind. Very confusing.I suppose the only other thing I could add to the mix is the comment that rough water seems a little rougher when you are tired :-) This was not dangerously rough, but after 8 miles of it (or so) I was glad to get to the harbor, home, shower and bed part of the program.I always carry my radio in vest pocket. Sometimes I don't turn it on until there is a need (like we become separated), because the chatter can be distracting.If anyone wants full resolution photos from my bunch, just let me know.-Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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