Rob Hazard

Is anyone going down early for a paddle before the party? Rob Explorer - white

I am thinking about exploring the western shore of Buzzards Bay this fall. Does anyone know some good launching sites along that section of shoreline? I'd be interested in areas with good surf or rock garden potential. Thanks, Rob Explorer - white

Kevin, If it's Castle Neck, what time might you be leaving Conomo? (or Pavilion?) If you get this in time, I'd be up for joining you. Rob Explorer - white

In a moment of rash enthusiasm I signed up for both of Jeff and Simon's classes this weekend. A good decision, as it turned out. Saturday's class was first posted as Incident Management, which appealed to me as a good follow up to the TLT I took the weekend before. But due to a lack of response the name was changed to Ocean Skills. Anyway, we began with a session of refining paddle strokes and playing around with rescues and towing gear in the cove behind Dolliver's Neck on the west side of Gloucester harbor. After lunch we headed around the neck to practice rescues and towing in mild conditions along the ledges with wave action provided by passing commercial craft. Not rough, but enough different from flat water that you could get a feel for maneuvering boats and people close together in moving water. A good prelude to Sunday. Sunday's class was listed as a Rock Garden class. We headed out to the Dog Bar Breakwater, taking turns with towing rigs as we went to get a feel for them. We paused at the breakwater and then headed out into wind-driven 3ft chop, with the occasional 4 footer, on about 4-5 second intervals. Lumpy, in other words. Too lumpy, in fact, for a beginner's Rock Garden class. So the program changed to Rough Water Rescue class. After a demonstration by Jeff and Simon we broke up into pairs and took turns extricating and rescuing one another in close to the rip-rap. At one point, while climbing across my buddy's afterdeck, I paused to keep his spare paddle from coming loose, when it occurred to me that I was suddenly feeling seasick! Not "chummin' fer mackeral" sick, but not on top of my game, so to speak. Jeff, never one to miss an opportunity, demonstrated how to tow a 3 boat raft (me in the middle) and carried on a couple minutes until my stomach calmed down. We landed for lunch in a gap in the ledges just east of the lighthouse, a tiny crevice just wide enough to land one kayak at a time. It was so fine to slip out of the chop into that chink of flat water and climb out onto warm dry stone! The trip back began with more rescues, most of them planned exercises, a couple of them genuine "accidents", then we headed around the jetty into the flat water of the harbor. We paused in one of the coves along Eastern Point to fool around with new tricks, like the Reverse Screw Roll and Standing Up In The Boat. I didn't manage either one, but I'll keep trying! The paddle back to Pavilion Beach was aided by a long series of surfable waves sweeping up the harbor. At one point I looked over to see Simon perched on top of his cockpit coaming, paddling calmly along! So I got some of the Incident Management I was looking for, as well as some good rough water rescue practice. It was a real skill stretching experience for me. YES! Thanks to Jeff and Simon, and to Suz, for an educational day of bouncing around on the water! Rob Explorer - white

The Chebacco Lake sessions happen every Thursday evening beginning about 5PM and running until sundown, more or less. Rob Explorer - white, more or less.

Aw, golly! (Blush, blush, shuffle, shuffle!) Carl and Hugh did a great teaching job, and crammed an awful lot of information and practical demonstration into two days on the water. I must say, by the way, that even if you have read the account of the fire at Osprey Kayaking it's still a shock when you see the damage that was done to their shop and fleet of boats. That Carl and Sam are able to pick up and carry on says a lot about their spirit! So, time for some level 2 trips, eh? Thanks for setting the session up, Kevin. See you on the water! Rob Explorer - whitish, sort of

I ran into Tom and Sara at Pavilion Beach on Sunday, shortly after reading this thread. We had a confused moment when Tom thought I was Brad Gwynn, and I wondered why Tom wasn't halfway across the Atlantic! Fortunately, Sara knew who and where we all were...:^D Rob

You know I'm always happy to share, Gilly! People who've never been seasick just don't know what they're missing! We had a bouncy paddle back, with a stop for an impromptu rescue session at the end of the breakwater, and a slog under the bridge against the ebbing tide. But, all in all, it was a GREAT day on the water! Rob Explorer - still fairly white

I'm going to join Kevin's reverse Blackburn tomorrow. Nrubkcalb? Rob Expl - wh

I like Ross's Lane's Cove idea. I'd like to plan on doing the complete circuit, but if the promised SW wind proves to be a murderous headwind after we turn Halibut Point it would be handy to tuck into Lane's and hop in the car! Any rest stops planned? Thatcher's? Folly Cove? (Both! Both!) Rob Explorer - still white

Sounds like fun. I'll come along too. July 4 tides for Gloucester show a morning low at 8:40 am and a high at 2:58 pm. That means we'll have to buck the current though the cut. Those who choose to make the whole circumnav will have the tide with them up the Annisquam, though. Rob Explorer - white

I'm looking for an opportunity to get on the water this Wednesday. Anywhere between Salem and Portsmouth. Who's goin' out? Rob Hazard Explorer - white

We had 3 boats there this week. Frank R, Rob H and Bob C. Rolling in warm water is great! No ice cream headache!

Hi Shaila, If you have signed up for membership, ask Cathy Foley for a confirmation by e-mail, and send a printout with your check. The fee is $20 for members. We also need your phone #, emergency contact name and phone #, and the make, model and color of your boat. I'll pencil you in for now. Your spot will be confirmed when your check arrives. Send it to me at 50 Coffin St, West Newbury, MA 01985 All the details are on the calendar. The pool is warm but most people wear at least a shorty wetsuit for paddling. It's good to show up a bit early, as we rinse the boats off before bringing them into the pool, per the YMCA's request. Hope to see you there, Rob

"And what was that bird?" the reading public clamors to know... The Willet. A medium sized wading shorebird, a marsh nester, who defends its nesting site with circling flights and an insistent,"Pill-will-WILLET!" Thanks for posting the pictures, Kate. The last one, with the dunes and windblown tree, is a classic! Good call on timing the route to the tide, Kevin. I must say, for a wide variety of conditions in a relatively short trip, this little circumnav is hard to beat! Congratulations to Jason on his roll! Don't forget the doughnuts! Rob

What else need I say? Last Ipswich pool session of the season. Also last chance to decimate the pie selection at the Agawam! Rob

Kev, I plan to be there, too. Rob

So far, we still have room for 6 more paddlers! Last chance to practice those rolls and rescues (not to mention Stupid Kayak Tricks)in toasty warm water! We can also use a spotter or two... Also last chance to help the Agawam Diner with their heavy burden of PIES! Cheers, Rob

I listen mostly to classical music and jazz. I won't bother with names, as the list is too long. But when I'm on the water what usually goes around in my head is traditional Celtic dance tunes and bagpipe airs.

Sounds like a GREAT day on the water!

Planned route is a circumnav of Crane Beach/Castle Neck, proceeding clockwise, leaving Pavillion Beach at 1 PM (13:00). Tide is low ~ 10:45 AM, so we'll be bucking the flood tide over to Crane, but it should give us a boost up into Essex Bay to Fox Creek. Drysuits required, and usual show & go rules apply. Trip is contingent on warm, sunny, benign conditions.

I have refrained from commenting on this conversation so as to maintain the Dignity of the office of Pool Registrar... Have you folks gotten this all sorted out? Pretty soon I have to print out a roster, so I'd like to know whose names should be appearing on it! See you at the pool, Rob "Smilin' Boots" Hazard (I got them for $5 at Building #19 about 25 years ago.)

I'm sorry I didn't notice this thread resurfacing. The Feb 17th session is now full with one name on the waiting list. There is still a bit of space for the March 17th session. Rob

But we still have a couple spots open in February and March, and April and May are still quite available! As always, spotters are needed and welcome! Rob

(I can't believe I volunteered for this!)