JohnHuth

I had a teaching-outing offered by one of the local (Boston) kayak establishments down at Woods Hole. This was mainly to learn or practice skills in big currents.

I had never been in Woods Hole before, and I have to say that I was absolutely amazed at the buoys - they tilt at 30 degree angles because of the current. I guess most people are familiar with this, but it was my first time there and I found this the single most astonishing thing about the place.

We practiced ferries, peel outs, combat rolls, rescues etc. I have to say that crossing that channel was an experience unto itsslf - you have to time your crossing to avoid the nearly constant traffic.

In any case, it's a great place to sharpen your skill set with a good instructor. I certainly got a lot out of it.

That does sound scarey.

I was once flyfishing in the ocean with a number 0 hook (translation - biggest friggin hook you can tie a fly on). A gust of wind hit me on the back-cast and the hook went right through my ear, with the barb sticking out the other end! I was too embarassed to go to the emergency room.

I was alone in the kayak and thought "what now?". I clipped the line off and paddled home. When I got home, I found a pair of dikes and a pair of needle nosed pliars and stood in front of a make-up mirror and tried to snip off the barb before removing the hook. It was like docking the shuttle to the space station or some equivalent orbital maneuver, but I didn't want to walk around for the rest of my life with this feathery thing hanging from my ear.

Later that week, I saw a woman who had her ear pierced and a feathery thing dangling, and it looked identical to what my fly looked like dangling from my ear....sheesh...

This is not unheard of. I've known summers with a lot of jellyfish. My daughter got a jellyfish sting in Nantucket Sound last weekend.

Here is what I got for the tide table for Wed, Aug 10th for Monomoy Point:

High Low

Wed 10 3:53 AM EDT / 3.71 ft 9:56 AM EDT / 0.28 ft

High Low

4:16 PM EDT/3.71 ft 10:20 PM EDT / 0.40 ft

I recall that the tide floods east (very counterintuitive, since you'd expect the opposite, but the domininant flood comes through the gaps between Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, and Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands). Likewise it ebbs west.

That would suggest that the peak flow to the west occurs roughly between 6 and 9 AM, peak flow to the east between 11 And 3, and peak flow again to the west between 5:30 and 9 PM

The current in and out of Stage Harbor isn't so bad. At the tightest constriction - at the end of Harding beach, I'd guess that the strongest current is just under 2 knots. I've paddled both ways with the current running in Stage, and it's not a big deal - the stretch where it runs the strongest is short and not so bad.

John H.

I don't think it's limited to lobstermen. I actually personally know some in Maine and the ones I know are very thoughtful and wouldn't pull any stuff like that, but I reckon there must always be a few.

A few more experiences: in Nantucket Sound, a guy was out in a new, hot-shot fiberglass speedster boat. He started doing "doughnuts" around me, even though I was trying to stay away. He wouldn't leave me alone, so I finally got out my flare gun and calmly loaded it in plain view. Although I had no intention of using it in the way you might think, my bluff was enough for him to leave.

The other was a discussion with the harbor master about a kayak that had been the victim of hit-and-run. The boater was cited for drunk-boating in Nantucket, but crossed over to the Cape anyway. In approaching the harbor, he ran over a kayak and fled the scene. Fortunately, the paddler was unharmed, and the police managed to catch up with the boater.

Well, I thought you did - but perhaps not.

I was out on a crossing up in Maine and got socked in by a fog bank in the middle of the crossing. No problems for me - I had all the comnpass bearings and that kind of thing.

I was also careful to keep an ear out for boats, and try to practice defensive kayaking (i.e. I assume that can't see me, which is a pretty good assumption).

Anyway, a couple of lobster boats hove into view through the fog - I'd managed to avoid them.

I had my VHF onto their channel and they were talking about me (the guy in the yellow and white kayak off the poing), saying stuff like they'd run me over and not stop, spraying me with their deck hose etc. Fortunately, I avoided all that, but I got the impressing that they sure didn't like sharing "their" water with anyone.

John

Paging Brian Nystrom.

You posted something a while back about lobster boats. I had an odd experience with some lobster boats on Monday. They were positively aggressive - and I try to let them go about their work and am very careful about being evasive, but I found that they have a pretty dim view of kayakers.

I was wondering if you could e-mail me with your thoughts, or perhaps repost it?

Many thanks!

John Huth

I'll be available on the 20th and for several days thereafter, if that's any option.

Sanjay -

If you can find anyone who is interested in a circumnavigation, I'd be interested in joining. I have a house in Harwichport, and have had the notion to try it solo, but have been a bit too chicken.

I'd rather deal with a SW wind on the Sound side than big breakers on the ocean side.

John H.

I actually enquired about this. You're supposed to check with both the local police dept, and the coast guard and get their permission to shoot off a flare. I think you're also supposed to radio in the time that you shoot it off, so that they know.

Consider it a bit like a "radio check" on the VHF.

I will confess to "expending unused ordninance" on the 4th of July - at the height of a fireworks display. I also know of a story of people who shot off flares when they were in trouble on the 4th, and it was totally ignored. Advice: don't hope for a flare to attract attention on the 4th.

I have a glass tempest 17. It's held up quite well - a few scratches, but nothing serious. I've had it for a bit over a year and a half - sand, rocks covered with barnicles, granite, whelk shells, gravel - all landed on with some reasonable respect and it's held up quite well.

I'm a bit anal about rocks and rough bits of beach, however - not one to attempt rolls in rock gardens (like some folks!).

Guys like Brian are the best experts, but let me add a couple items on conditions

1.) Learn to know what you can handle - remember that a wind blowing from land doesn't make very big waves, but wind that's had a long time to build up seas coming over some distance over water produces big waves.

2.) Shoals cause waves to break and heap up more (steeper) - having some idea of the underwater topography is a good idea.

3.) Current going against the wind produces big waves, current going with the wind tends to smooth them out.

4.) Beware of fog! Have a compass and always check your bearings back to land as you go out under all conditions - but in particular if you hear "patchy fog" in the forecast. Pay attention to wind direction as you go out - if it shifts around, that can be a sign of a storm approaching.

5.) Handheld VHF's can pick up the NOAA weather channel, with conditions in almost excruciating detail.

I own a glass Tempest 17. I guess people have already said a fair amount about it above, so I can chime in.

It's very manueverable, easy to cut turns (I took it up the Herring River on an ebb tide and was working the daylights out of it). It's easy to roll, and the stock rigging is great. I've had fun surfing it - and been able to hold my position right at the point the breakers curl a few feet from the beach. Very responsive.

It seems to handle wind pretty well - not much weathercocking and it can go into a pretty stiff wind - waves wash over it without causing any problems.

Speeds - well, it's a relative calibration. Cruising averages in calm conditions maybe 4.2, into a stiff wind, maybe 3.6 - dead sprint, maybe 6.5.

Complaints: the hatches are a bit leaky - also the fittings for the skeg cable. These can be fixed with a few tricks. The hatches are held on with a bungee system.

So, I give it high marks. Can't compare to an explorer - mine was on sale in Nov. 03, and I liked the lines of the boat so much, I purchased it without a test drive or anything. I'm pretty happy about it.

John Huth

I had the good fortune to have a couple of weekends down at the Cape.

Nothing really remarkable, except some fun conditions. My house is near Allen Harbor in Harwichport. First day was Allen Harbor to N. Monomoy and back. Passing Stage Harbor was interesting - the current can run about 2 knots on draining and weaving past all the fishing boats can be a challenge. The change in the ocean-scape is amazing on either side of Stage Harbor - it goes from more or less contained shoreline to a festival of shifting sand. Unbelievable.

On the way back, I ran into a big fog bank. I basically have memorized every compass bearing from Monomoy to Allen and beyond, so it was fun to do some dead-reckoning compass work. I was out of sight of land most of the time, but checked in on the major landmarks. Unfortunately, when I got home, two boys were lost in the fog. I found one, and the other was eventually found by the CG when the fog lifted.

The next day, I went along the coast to the Swan River inlet. The stretch of land from Herring River west to Swan is very shoaly, and in a strong SW wind can be a real challenge, as the waves break pretty far out from land. I was thinking about trying to get into the Swan, but the waves were breaking pretty strong, so I bagged it.

This weekend, went toward Stage, but the wind was behind me (from SW) and I got as far as Cockle Cove, and turned around. It was a big of a haul getting back - wind in the 15-20 knot range and 2-4 foot waves.

Finally, yesterday, I went up and down the length of the Herring. The tide was ebbing, so I got a fair amount of tide current (maybe half a knot on average, but in the constrictions, more like 1.5 knots). This was great for me, because I wanted to work on carving turns. With all the meandering of the river and the current, I really got a great workout on my boat leans and all that.

So, nothing remarkable, just some interesting paddling at the cape.

This was an interesting day for wetsuits. I sweated up a storm and had to stow extra water on board to keep hydrated. After it was over, I jumped in the water - boy is it cold!!

Anyway, I counted about seven or eight kayakers in cotton tees and bathing suits.

The legislation currently pending (and don't want to get into the argument again) was proposed in the wake of the deaths of two women aged 20 and 21. They were out in the same waters as today, same waters I was at the same time I was out - that was the Sunday before Columbus day 2003).

The girls died. This time, they boys who were out were lucky. Having been in near proximity to the first tragedy and in near proximity to this near-miss, I just have to wonder - it feels like a curse.

John

Actually, I found one of them - and helped him back to land. I then beached my kayak and gave as much info as possible to the Coast Guard, who were out by that time.

I also gave the guy I found a lecture about safety - I hope this near miss will at least teach them something!

Just pass this post by...I'm ranting...and it's deja vu all over again.

OK, so I drove down to the Cape today. Y'all got me interested in a kayak race down here, so naturally, being a testosterone poisoned male, I'm now checking out my speed on a GPS and seeing how long I can maintain it- paddled from Harwich to Monomoy and back. On my paddle back, I happen on my old friend, the fog. No problem.

As I approach my house, I pass a jetty where someone is yelling at me. I paddle up and see what's going on. Two boys out in small plastic kayaks are lost in the fog. Soon, the coast guard is out, and the harbor master is out. Luckily the fog lifted and I think they found the boys.

This is just getting too creepy for me. When will people learn to use some common sense?

OK...back to the kayak babe personals....

Any idea of the current where you get the onset of problems?

For wind, I think anything above 15 knots puts a serious dent in the liklihood of success when rolling into the wind.

J

The solo question intrigued me, but I wanted to ask it in a different light. Does anyone claim to have a "bombproof" roll?

I will confess to a weak offside sweep. My onside is ok, and extended paddle is strong on both sides. I practice them in as windy/wavey/nasty conditions I can find.

I have the following conjecture - given enough wind, no one's roll is bombproof (yes, you shouldn't be out in such conditions, etc, but it happens). That is to say - if you try to roll the wrong way with respect to the wind, if the wind is strong enough, you'll find your limit.

John Huth

Interesting thread, here.

The month of April is problematic, because the water has yet to warm up, and you end up sweating to death in a drysuit because the air temp is so warm.

I frequently solo canoe, kayak and back-pack - and I find that I am conscious about my surroundings in a way that I probably wouldn't be if I was with someone else.

I was talking with a friend who also frequently goes solo, and he confirmed the heightened sense of awareness - both of dangers and of wonders. It's a tradeoff - and judgement about conditions becomes paramount. E.g. I'd probably not try rock-gardening in cold water solo.

I wouldn't condemn a soloist if they're aware of the risks, but I wouldn't consel it as a paradigm of safe paddling either.

Inexperienced canoeists and kayakers go out in questionable conditions without consulting weather conditions and accidents happen. It's tragic.

I'm an assistant scout master and had to lead my son's troop in some large lakes in DownEast Maine. Although I would have loved to enjoy it more, I was chewing my nails for the entire trip because of the boys' safety. We had to "stand-down" one day because the wind was too high for safety.

No great wisdom that hasn't already been imparted on this list many times. Sigh...

I just look outside and guess the speed in knots from things like how flags are flying, spray or whitecaps, how much the trees bend and all that. I've played this game of looking at the natural signs, guessing the wind speed and checking the guess at an anemometer (sp?)- over time, I've gotten better at guessing the windspeed.

Question to the crowd - what's the maximum speed in knots you would consider going out? I had one day where I couldn't even carry my kayak down to the landing - I think it was around 35 knots - I said "this is insane", and gave up.

John H.

I once took my son's Scout Troop on an outing in January. The air temp was -10. As it turned out, nearly everything that I had that was battery powered began to fail. The light output of the flashlight faded, my MP3 player was dead etc etc.

The following year,in similar conditions, I took all the critical batteries and put them inside my clothing - close to the warmth - solved the problem.

There are some batteries that will perform at cold temperatures, but I don't know much about them.

Also - MP3 players: iPod's have internal disk drives that fail in cold weather. Flash cards are the way to go.

John H.