josko

Looks like RICKA is running one of their rockhopping trips in Newport this Sunday: http://rickaseakayaking.org/forums/index.php?topic=4948.msg9744#new  

It might be a handful if you're not used to it, but it's possible to learn a great deal. 

Does that apply to other-brand drysuits?  I have a delaminated Palm Gore-tex dry top...

Stuff with straw and float in the harbor for Halloween.

The fall bonito run has brought out numbers of kayak fishermen to Woods Hole. I towed one guy who got caught in the current and pushed out to Buzzards bay. 'Didn't know there was current there', no PFD, no spray skirt, ...  To me, the whole fishing thing looks like an accident waiting to happen, and I'm not at all sure what, if anything, i should do about it. Lecturing folks about stuff like PFDs and sprayskirts doesn't work. Is it any of our business if one of them washes up dead? If it is, what's a reasonable course of action/? I'm not finding one.

Anybody up for a Buzzards bay downwinder Friday, courtesy of Humberto?

I'd love to come, but it's too long a drive from Woods Hole. 

 I will hereby hand off  organizational issues:  so far, we're expecting Pru, Beth Sangree, Janet Lorang and Deb. Laurendeau. Jane, we can accomodate you with sleeping bag space in the (finished) basement or a lawn tent spot. let us know if that works.  I'll take that Friday off to paddle, so folks are welcome to arrive as early as Thursday p.m. 

I'm up for Monomoy.

3 minutes ago, BethS said:

Me too? Just asking... Not sure if I'm free but i might be...

I know we have room... Pru, Janet, Beth,...  consider yourself invited to stay with us for the weekend while I get Mel to post particulars. Expect current, tideraces, maybe even a downwind leg. 

Kokatat MsFit.

I think sooo, but I'll let Mel chime in with details. 

Pru, so lemme see: a surfski is not, but Falls island is? 

5 hours ago, prudenceb said:

Ummm, how about surfski GALS giving a talk to curious kayak gals?  Or better yet, surfski guys and gals giving a talk to curious kayak gals and guys.

just sayin'...   

Pru, If the 9/28 (ladies' thing in Woods Hole) is still on, we can add all the surfski stuff you'd like. 

This is one of those 'i don't know what I don't know' questions:

I'm transitioning my (mostly solo) fitness paddling from a kayak to a surfski. I feel 'safe enough' in a kayak  out by , say, Cuttyhunk near Thanksgiving, but don't know how a surfski compares. So, assumung my remount and rolling skills are comparable, what is there to think about? The kind of trip I'm asking about is a November ~20 mile Elizabeth islands circumnav, with air and water both ~50F.

Obviously, the surfski has no dayhatches and no place for a spare paddle.  Has anyone ever needed their spare paddle on a solo daytrip? And what about stuiff in dayhatches? Extra clothes, cag, boat/body repair kit, spare dayhatch cover, .... Hmm, prob'ly don't need spare dayhatch if there's no dayhatches, but what safety tradeoffs will I be making? Do different weather limitations kick in?

I'm amazed at seeing surfski dudes in winter with no PFD, no wetsuit, not much of anything, really, just chugging along. It makes me wonder what I'm missing.

Suunto Ambit

This is just second-hand info, but Latitude seems a crossover between the Explorer and Pilgrim Expedition. Close look reveals the hull identical to the PE, just stretched out an inch or two behind the day hatch and raised all around 1/2". That said, Mel has a PE and can make it do things that makes folks stare. She took a long time picking a rough water boat and is very happy - broke the first one, so maybe they're not as tough as they ought to be. ? (We've learned not to send her to Maine with just one NDK.)

I'm 6'1". 200# and love the Explorer; she's 5"10", her weight's TOP SECRET, and she fits the PE very well.  I recall it came down to a Cetus LV and PE, and it was a hard call, but she's happy with what she's got.  Here's a clip of her PE in a tiderace:

https://www.facebook.com/melissa.meyer.549/videos/10215953009432901/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

No maneuvering problems there...

Short answer - Romany Surf is more maneuverable, Explorer is 1/2 knot faster. I'd prefer the Explorer on flat water, and the Surf in chop/current. 

Maybe I don't hang out in swamps enough.

On the Cape, we don't have greenheads, but we got sharks. Anybody want to trade?

gotrekkers.com  

FWIW we found topos more useful for paddling. 1:50K for picking landing sites, 1:250k for everything else. But Martin can set you up with any Canadian chart or map. If you get the waterproof ones, you don't need a chart case.

Great group and trip in ideal tide/wind conditions - had a superb downwind surfing run on the way back in 15 kts of seabreeze. 

Worst part: they were out of lobster meat on Cuttyhunk pier.

6 hours ago, prudenceb said:

I’d suggest Lanes Cove but know folks went out of there on the Wednesday lunch paddle.  Would it be a bore to go there again?  I’d like to do N Shore to minimize driving time. (And wish Icwere fast enough for Josko’s Saturday marathon but, alas, I’m not!)

Please weigh in with thoughts.  

Prudence

You're plenty fast, Pru.  The idea is NOT to 'race and devil take the hindmost'.  And we can do something a lot less ambitious than 'all the way'. 

Take advantage of unusually favorable currents and wind forecast to paddle from Woods Hole to Cuttyhunk (and back).  We should be on the water by 0900 Saturday. It IS a 30+ mile trip; we expect to maintain a (current/wind assisted)  4 knots with stops every 5-10 miles, so please be honest with your expectations. P.M. for details and if you'd like a place to stay Friday or Sat. 

Why do we always carry kayaks bow-forward on roof racks?

FWIW, it turned out to be a nice weekend. The threatened thundersdtorms held off until well after we got off the water each day. 

Friday: mellow sightseeing/fitness paddle down the Elizabeths.

Sat: 'A little bit of everything' intro. to Woods Hole. 

Sun: wildlife-watching paddle during slack tide  followed by a biot of technical current work. 

Hopefully everyone had a great time and maybe even learned a trick or two. 

If you're thinking of coming down on 6/29 and/or 6/30, please send me a p.m. so I can fill you in on details.