Joseph Berkovitz

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on August 19, 2020. We will meet at 9.00 am at Pavilion Beach, Gloucester for a 9.30 am launch time. Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. In particular, we will stay at least 6 feet apart, minimize sharing docks and ramps with others, and wear face masks while off the water in public use areas. We also employ an online waiver to avoid passing around a physical piece of paper. You must register using the form link below to be sure that you're actually on the paddle. Location: Pavilion Beach in Gloucester (not Ipswich!): https://goo.gl/maps/YJyzx7w3uiZNYPdJ8 Parking: There is a small free lot on Western Ave (MA route 127) directly on the beach, but for a group of our typical size it will be necessary to drop boats at or near this lot, and then find a parking spot nearby on Western Ave. On a Wednesday morning spots should be easy to find. Beware that there are one or more spots adjacent to the little lot casually marked "Vendors only" and you will receive a hefty ticket if you park there. Registration: To attend, please register using this form which will also add your information to the float plan: https://forms.gle/iP9EwbRtNebMJHAi7 You must be a paid-up NSPN member to join this trip. Your signup information will only be shared with other participants. Predictions: Wind 5-8 kt NW changing to SE, sunny 65-70 F, seas 2 ft swell @ 8 sec. Gloucester Harbor tides: 2020/08/19 Wed 05:54 AM -0.63 L 2020/08/19 Wed 12:08 PM 9.31 H 2020/08/19 Wed 6:06 PM -0.06 L When/what: We will meet at 9.00 am and launch at 9.30 am sharp. One possible plan would be to head south out of the harbor along the west shore, hang a right and hug the coast towards a lunch landing on Magnolia's Gray Beach or Kettle Island. We did a variation of this trip in February and it visits a lovely stretch of coastline — about 10 nm. But there are other options. This trip doesn't have a specific level: we'll determine the route based on who shows up, what people want to do, and what the environment wants to do. All properly equipped members are welcome: please bring boats with rigged deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. If you're not sure you have a safe vessel, please get in touch with us and ask. NOTE: The Wednesday Lunch Paddles are cooperative adventures, not guided trips. Each participant is responsible for her/his own safety.Don’t assume the trip initiators are smarter, stronger, better at rough water, more attractive, or more skilled paddlers than you are. For more information, see this description of our trip philosophy from the NSPN web site. We encourage paddlers to make their own independent decision about their comfort level with conditions at the time of the paddle. Please PM me if you have questions or if you haven’t paddled with me or Bob before. Hope to see you there!

So... it's time to play the ocean's favorite game, Conditions Curveball. After what seems like weeks (months?) of low wind and small waves, tomorrow midday is forecast to bring gusty NE winds of 15+ kt and wind waves/chop of 2-4 feet. We are not cancelling the session. If this does come to pass, as seems likely, we will adapt what we are doing to make best use of the conditions. We'll likely work on Boat Handling in Wind, which had its own session a little while ago but (in a previous curveball) had very little wind on the day it was scheduled. At the Riverhead end of the harbor, while it can be windy, the water is very protected from waves, and we can "dial in" whatever degree of conditions we want by moving towards or away from the mouth of the harbor. So, hope to see you all there. And if you don't like paddling in wind, maybe that's all the more reason to come! Weather watchers sidebar: this is all coming from a pair of counter-rotating high and low pressure systems that will create an eastward-flowing lane of wind and waves aimed at Massachusetts Bay. The fact that these systems are elongated along the east-west axis makes for a long, sustained fetch, building up the waves as they travel towards us. There is another low right behind this one and the high is staying put, so we will see NE wind and big waves for the next few days.

Tucks point in Manchester is residents-only these days. Figures.

If I may chime in here (without speaking for Mike): last Wednesday, one member of our party — I won't name them — did not wear a mask. Although many of the local beachgoers did not wear masks either, let's avoid this in the future. The town has seen an uptick in Covid-19 cases and the health board is explicitly asking for masks to be worn in public (see https://www.marblehead.org/home/news/maskupmhd). Let's do what they're asking us to do, it's not much. It's a bit late to redo this week's signup form, but next week I plan on including an explicit question asking attendees to agree to mask up on beaches and launch areas. Check the box if you want to go on the trip. If you prefer to assert your personal freedom to do whatever you want, that's totally fine: no contact no foul, and please find another group to paddle with.

I’m not sure about the dirt area. Shari, Bob, what did you see there the other day?

The state-controlled boat ramp lot at Lanes Cove is still ok for nonresident parking. Other areas there have been posted as temporary resident-only.

This coming Saturday 8/15/20 at 8:30 am (butts-in-boats time) we will be holding a second Skills Practice Session on rock garden techniques! That's right, one was not enough — it was waitlisted and not everyone could come. Also, in the first session we really just scratched the surface of the subject (and possibly some kayaks, although none that I know of). There is no prerequisite: folks who came to Rocks #1 can now learn more, and folks who didn't, can work on the material that was covered in the first Rocks session. We'll do our best with the pod assignments to make that work. NOTE: This replaces the formerly scheduled Currents session. We planned that session a long time before the pandemic, and the venues that we wanted to use back then are inaccessible now due to travel and/or nonresident parking restrictions. We will reschedule Currents when we can find the right place and time (a spring tide will open up some other options). Registration: Everyone must pre-register for this trip and electronically sign the club waiver using this form link: https://forms.gle/pST9eQmXqdvbpkM17 Location: We launch from Riverhead Beach in Marblehead, MA: https://goo.gl/maps/SU2BEDFbVVaq13wS6 When you arrive, go LEFT off the causeway straight into the Riverhead boat launch parking lot. Do NOT stop first at the pay station on the right of the causeway, which is for Devereux Beach: you are likely to be immediately charged $20 for beach parking. If there is an attendant at Riverhead and they ask you to pay, tell them you are using the boat ramp to launch your kayak (there is no launch fee) and not going to the beach — which is completely true. If this doesn't work (which depends on the person working there, sorry to say) then you may still have to fork over $20. The good news is, there is definitely enough parking for everyone, especially early in the AM. I strongly recommend that people arrive at 8 am, since a) you'll need time to get ready and b) as the morning goes on it becomes more likely that your cash will be separated from you at the gate. Conditions on Saturday are forecast to be good: similar to last week, hopefully a little more swell! We'll go out around Marblehead Neck and thence to Tinkers Island or wherever our flights of fancy may take us. You must bring a helmet for this session. You should also bring a pair of gloves (for barnacles, not for warmth). This will be a longer session than usual because of the nature of the material and the venue. Please plan on being on the water until about 2 pm. (Bob Levine can't make this session due to a family commitment. Sue H, Mike H and myself will be acting as facilitators.) Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. In particular, we will stay at least 6 feet apart and wear face masks while off the water in public use areas.

I have changed the title to reflect that this trip is still in play. Thanks Mike for taking this on!

Bob and I both have scheduling problems on Wednesday that will prevent us from doing the trip this week. We expect to resume next week. More salt water and lunches await!

For those of us (myself included) who are blithely throwing away our personal freedoms in the un-American pursuit of the health and safety of others: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/us/duke-university-face-mask-test-trnd/index.html Looks like I will be switching back to my cotton mask for off-the-water situations. Joe

People: me, Prudence Baxter, David Mercer, Dana Sigall Route: Riverhead Beach (Marblehead) -> MHD Light -> Little Pigs -> Off Rock -> Whales Beach (Swampscott) -> return via Ram Island Conditions: overcast with clearing later, air 70s F, light wind -> E 5-8 kt, 1 ft swell @ 9-10 s Distance: 13.6 nm Launch: 09:30; Land: 15:15 Tides (Marblehead): LT 08:28 0.03 ft HT 14:44 9.00 ft Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/d6c02523a7a1d143ce866e0b30ca1e09/?layer=gaianoaarnc A delightful ramble including many of the usual rocky spots along the Marblehead and Swampscott coasts and some distance paddling also. Very mild conditions but some play-worthy action near various outcrops especially the Off Rock area. I suspect Prudence has some good pictures because, well, Prudence!

I heard one was seen by a local Marblehead paddler off Grays Rock in Salem Sound. I have been out in the sound a lot but haven’t spotted any.

Not a problem - you did not register, and the session was today, not tomorrow.

No we are meeting at 9 am for 9.30 am start.

Charging for Riverhead started 2 weekends ago and was a shock. I am not sure what the fee collection situation is like at early hours or during the week though.

Hi people, Due to 1) a need to leave my house for the day and 2) lack of any 4-wheeled transportation, I will be paddling on Friday out of Marblehead Harbor. It's predicted to be a nice day, partly cloudy and cooler with light onshore winds and a long gentle swell. Rocks will be visited as will some islands and who knows what. If you can't make Saturday's skills session (which is full), this could be an opportunity to practice some of the same stuff together. I plan to be on the water until mid afternoon. If you would like to join me please sign up at https://forms.gle/Tgv4egvnmKs2yrBX8 and I will meet you at Parkers Boatyard (https://goo.gl/maps/nZmzJWnLVrL6ok7D9) at 9 am. Boats must be carried down a gangway and launched off the dock but parking is free. I will be keeping this trip small (5 or fewer ) so it can be a loose and more improvisational experience.

Route: Stramski Beach, Marblehead -> Great Haste -> Little Misery I. -> Bakers I. -> Grays Rock -> return Launch: 10.05; Land: 14.15 Distance: 9.7 nm Conditions: Sunny, air 70 F, wind 5-10 kt SW -> S, water 62 F (colder!), swell 1-2 ft @ 6 sec Tides (Salem Harbor): 7:11 AM low -0.07 ft. 1:27 PM high 8.68 ft. 7:18 PM low 0.86 ft. Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/e422257b3d2890c815a2fbbc1956bacd/?layer=gaianoaarnc People: Joe Berkovitz, Bob Levine, Rick Crangle, Amy Chiuchiolo, Patrick Donahue, Sue Hriciga, Dana Sigall, Mike Habich, David Mercer [10.05] We launched from Stramski Beach, a new place to try out in Marblehead in the wake of the new parking fees being levied on nonresidents at Riverhead Beach. It is closer to Peachs Point than Riverhead, so perhaps more convenient if one is heading across Salem Sound, but parking is much tighter. There are two lots and the larger one (25 cars?) is a 3 minute walk from the beach, while the smaller one (10 cars) is pretty close to the water. There was a slight breeze on the water which was a relief because the land was heating up pretty fast in the hot sun. To avoid the ferry we headed towards the day marker at Great Aquavitae ledge, as we had about another 15 minutes before the ferry headed out of Salem. Or so we thought - we could see the ferry at its berth across the harbor. We made the ledge pretty quickly [10.20]. It was evident there was not going to be much in the way of post-Tropical Storm Isaias conditions making its way into this part of the sound: the water was fairly quiet, just light wind waves and gentle swell. We continued towards Great Haste, reaching it after paddling about a mile [10.37]. Bob said he had not noticed the ferry leave Salem, which was a little disquieting since we saw the boat actually in Salem and I thought I had seen it arrive while we were getting ready to launch. Passing Great Haste, a number of us noted that the water suddenly became much colder and the breeze felt fresher. (The water temperature readings at Boston Buoy took a real dive during Isaias, perhaps due to wind wave mixing of the layers?) Then a longer paddle took us to Little Misery [11.20]. Some stayed out and played in the rocks as there was the usual fun increase in ocean energy around the Miseries. I was starving and landed along with Rick to eat lunch. Others arrived pretty shortly and we had a peaceful and pleasant lunch in the shade until leaving for Bakers I. [12.15] Out around the outside of Bakers we encountered much more active conditions with incoming swells standing up on the many submerged rocks, various slots to play in, and lots of wind waves and chaotic reflections. In short, entertainment! [12.55] Headed from the south tip of Bakers towards Pope Head and Eagle Island. This area had some rideable swell at times but nothing substantial. The wind felt like it was shifting to SSE or SE around this time as we neared slack. The group split around Eagle [13.20] with some taking the rough outside and others the inside. From here it was a longish paddle back to Naugus Head and then the put-in. Along the way we passed over the barely-submerged Coney Ledges [13.40] where a little more wave-based entertainment was available to push us back towards Salem Harbor. Again we noticed we had not seen the ferry at the expected time and wondered if it would surprise us. Another check of the website revealed an alert that I had missed the first time: the Salem Ferry had been cancelled due to Isaias! So no ferry to worry about today. We headed back to Stramski at a leisurely pace. [14.00]. PS: It's great to have David Mercer back paddling with us again!

Gloucester (Pavilion Beach, Lanes Cove — the latter can access Essex Bay from Ipswich Bay), Rockport (Granite Pier, Pebble Beach), Marblehead (Riverhead Beach, Stramski Beach), Manchester Town Landing. These all have nonresident parking options although some places are charging.

This coming Saturday 8/8/20 at 9 am we will be holding a Skills Practice Session on rock garden techniques. We will be practicing in learning-friendly situations that allow us to work on our essential skills of observation, analysis and paddling in rocks. The ancient Greeks understood the value of rock gardening: Socrates: Paddling in rocks is one of the noblest arts practiced on the water. Polus: Why should I care about paddling in rocks? Aren't they just there to hurt your boat? Socrates: Polus, sometimes you lack imagination. Reading a rock environment to identify and exploit the natural forces is a puzzle that exercises the mind and improves all of our paddling skills. Polus: But surely once you've been through a bunch of rocks, they're not interesting any more. Socrates: The shape of a rock environment constantly transforms, as the moon goddess Selene controls the ever-changing tide. And no two waves are the same. Polus: You're making this sound kind of... intellectual... I just want to have fun... Socrates: C'mon, Polus, get with the program. Playing in rocks is a total blast. It's way more interesting than open water! We launch from Pebble Beach in Rockport, MA: https://goo.gl/maps/8hWLUJqdb1sHzWC97 and park on the beach side of Penzance Road in the non-residents' area before you get to the sign with parking information. There is no fee. We ask everyone to pre-register for this trip using this form link: https://forms.gle/zycUpDLU6sG5T1X37 Conditions on Saturday are forecast to be perfect for this sort of activity: small, long-period swell and low wind. We will likely head north towards Straitsmouth, then out to Thacher. You must bring a helmet for this session. You should also bring a pair of gloves (for barnacles, not for warmth). This will be a longer session than usual because of the nature of the material and the venue. Please plan on being on the water until about 2 pm. Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. In particular, we will stay at least 6 feet apart and wear face masks while off the water in public use areas.

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on August 5, 2020 at 9.30 am. Important Note on Conditions: This week's paddle will likely take place in the immediate wake of Tropical Storm Isaias. Current forecasts (still not very reliable) suggest the storm will pass through quickly during Tuesday night, with peak winds of 20-30 kt SE and peak offshore seas 4-6 ft, after which the wind will veer S -> W and drop substantially in speed to < 15 kt. The exact track and intensity of Isaias is hard to predict though. Seas in Salem Sound and the ocean may still be rough Wed. morning, but we have chosen a very sheltered location in Salem Harbor from which to start. The idea is to avoid exposure to ocean swell for launching and landing, and proceed into the sound and seawards with care, exercising caution, good observation and good group communication to stay within the group's comfort zone. We will go only as far as we are comfortable going! We do not expect to cancel this trip due to conditions, unless road travel itself becomes unsafe, or we don't like what's happening at the put-in. You can monitor Isaias at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ and keep track of the latest NOAA forecasts at https://marine.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-70.83217&lat=42.51042#.XycLg1BKiHF (note that this is an offshore point forecast and Salem Harbor conditions will likely be much smaller). Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. In particular, we will stay at least 6 feet apart, minimize sharing docks and ramps with others, and wear face masks while off the water in public use areas—no exceptions on mask wearing except for a medical reason. We also employ an online waiver to avoid passing around a physical piece of paper. You must register using the form link below to be sure that you're actually on the paddle. Location: Stramski Beach, Marblehead. https://goo.gl/maps/JZW9MQVKSyMxuhPq7 (it is on Stramski Way off of West Shore Drive. Although Google Maps cites an incorrect Pitman Road address, it appears to give correct directions, so good enough!) Parking: Don't be fazed by the apparently residential nature of the street: drive past the first parking lot and keep going to the end. Go past the second parking lot, drop off your boat and gear at the turnaround at the end of the street, then try to park in the second lot which is smaller. If that doesn't work out, there is a much larger lot a few minutes walk away from the beach further up Stramski Way. The lots are open to non-residents and there is no charge for parking. Given the weekday and the lousy weather we hope that there will be few cars there. Registration: To attend, please register using this form which will also add your information to the float plan: https://forms.gle/RwFSfKHH9UKNuRHZ8 You must be a paid-up NSPN member to join this trip. Your signup information will only be shared with other participants. Predictions: (see note above for weather and seas) Salem Harbor tides: 2020/08/05 Wed 07:11 AM -0.07 L 2020/08/05 Wed 1:27 PM 8.68 H When/what: We will meet at 9.30 am and launch at 10.00 am sharp. We're simply aiming to be out in whatever conditions exist, paddle safely, and enjoy what nature is doing. This trip doesn't have a specific level: we'll determine the route based on who shows up, what people want to do, and what the environment wants to do. All properly equipped members are welcome: please bring boats with rigged deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. If you're not sure you have a safe vessel, please get in touch with us and ask. NOTE: The Wednesday Lunch Paddles are cooperative adventures, not guided trips. Each participant is responsible for her/his own safety.Don’t assume the trip initiators are smarter, stronger, better at rough water, more attractive, or more skilled paddlers than you are. For more information, see this description of our trip philosophy from the NSPN web site. We encourage paddlers to make their own independent decision about their comfort level with conditions at the time of the paddle. Please PM me if you have questions or if you haven’t paddled with me or Bob before. Hope to see you there!

The one in Rockport broached about 5 feet from David and me but I think David was looking the other way. We both saw a fin lolling out of the water and I was absolutely sure it was a rubber fin, like a child’s Jaws-themed toy. The mind plays strange tricks to invent alternative stories that are more comforting than reality. Then a 6 foot shark jumped completely out of the water - but not at me or David. It did not look like a great white but beyond that my shark ID skills are crap. the moral of this story may simply be, if you see a fin sticking out of the water, assume its owner is alive and hungry.

July 29, 2020 Wed. Lunch Paddle Route: Lanes Cove -> Annisquam Light -> Coffins Beach -> Castle Neck -> Lanes Cove -> Halibut Point -> Lanes Cove People: Joe Berkovitz, Sue Hriciga, Pat Donahue, Bob Levine. Al Coons, Amy Chiuchiolo, Jane Cobb, Joyce Carpenter, Dana Sigall, Liz Neumeier GPS Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/308b0237d3c9c90a7f2348b4509f10d0/?layer=gaianoaarnc Conditions: sunny w/ moderate humidity, light/variable wind -> SSE 8 kt, air 75 F, water 75 F, waves < 1 ft Distance: 9.3 nm (pod 1), 12.6 nm (pod 2) Tides (Annisquam): LT 7.10a @ 8.8 ft; HT 1.03p @ 0.5 ft Up front note: much of Lanes Cove is now posted as "TEMPORARY - Residents only". However, there are still many unposted spots, in particular the boat ramp area on the N side of the cove is a state administered ramp and it is OK to park there. The little grassy lot near the head of the cove is also still unposted. But it looks like we all need to put in an additional effort to be welcome guests. Bob and I heard from someone who was there that this was a response to too much heavy weekend partying in the cove, but who knows. Today's weather and sea was unusually calm as we were south of two weak, adjacent low pressure systems. Close to mirror like conditions as we launched from Lanes. For today's trip we decided to first venture over to the outflow of Essex Bay looking for whatever interesting things we might find there among the sandbars and wave/current opposition. There appeared to be almost no swell as we headed south along the rocks to Annisquam Light and crossed the channel. There was certainly an ebb emerging from the Annisquam, but no wave action. We could hear all the buoy bells clearly as there was almost no boat traffic and no wind. From there we headed west along Coffins Beach. Along the way we saw some slender fast-moving fish darting under our boats; someone said they were stripers. Nearing the mouth of the Essex River, we began to see what amounted to a very small tiderace of rough water, a sort of overfall where the ebb was speeding up over a sandbar opposing the small waves in Ipswich Bay. This was around 11.10a, so the tide was at about 3 feet at this point. Further into the outflow there were occasional small breakers rearing up on a sandbar, enlarged by the ebb current. We managed to ride a few of these, knowing it would be the "biggest" thing we might encounter today although it would be hard to exactly call it surfing. We fished around for the shifting spots where these small adventures could be had, for about half an hour, and then decided to call lunch on a sandbar a fair distance off of Cranes Beach. After lunch we determined to make an open water crossing and headed back towards Lanes via a direct route of about 3 nm. (Navigational notes: the blue water tower visible from W of Annisquam is the Pigeon Hill tank on the E side of Cape Ann. The bright white house visible some distance to the N of Annisquam Light is between Plum Cove Beach and Lanes Cove, and makes a great visual target.) Along the way a modest south wind began to make an appearance; the sky showed some galleries of mares' tails as well as stratocumulus. An hour later (1.30p) we were back at Lanes, where half the folks peeled off to go home. Amy, Dana, Sue, Bob and I continued on up to Halibut Point and Folly Cove to see a bit of the ocean side environment. Rounding Halibut there were few waves, but the now SSE wind was gaining some energy and it was decidedly cool and breezy and extremely pleasant. Solid overcast was visible off to the east. It was a different world over here! We played in what energy was available in the low-tide ledges off of Halibut, returning to Lanes Cove about 3.10p. Thanks to everyone who joined this trip!

Cross-posting Mike's message so that folks on this thread can be aware of the cyanobacteria finding in Chebacco.

This week's Wednesday Lunch Paddle is on July 29, 2020. Covid-19 paddling: on this trip we will strictly observe social distancing and MA state recreational boating guidelines for the pandemic. Please research and respect all regulations that apply at the time of the paddle. You must register using the form link below to be sure that you're actually on the paddle. We will stay at least 6 feet apart, minimize sharing docks and ramps with others, and wear face masks while off the water in public use areas. We also employ an online waiver to avoid passing around a physical piece of paper. Location: Lanes Cove, Duley Street, Gloucester. https://goo.gl/maps/r7C8PqxCiAibdLYx7 Parking: quickly drop off your boat and gear at the grassy access point to the cove at the bottom of Duley Street, then go find parking in the little network of spaces around the cove. We should avoid packing paddlers' cars into any single part of the cove. Registration: To attend, please register using this form which will also add your information to the float plan: https://forms.gle/rxpbx2rDN716smvt5 You must be a paid-up NSPN member to join this trip. Your signup information will only be shared with other participants. Predictions: Air 75-80 F, partly sunny, light wind becoming SE 10 kt in afternoon, swell 1 ft @ 9 s Gloucester Harbor tide predictions: ebbing all morning. When/what: We will meet at 9.30 am (NOT 10) and launch at 10.00 sharp. We'll have a beach briefing in some safe manner, make a plan together based on what people feel like doing. From Lanes we can go either way depending on inclinations, towards Rockport or towards Annisquam. Given the ebb tide all morning, we might possibly find some playful waves at the outflow of the Annisquam if there is enough swell. This trip doesn't have a specific level: we'll determine the route based on who shows up, what people want to do, and what the environment wants to do. All properly equipped members are welcome: please bring boats with rigged deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. If you're not sure you have a safe vessel, please get in touch with us and ask. NOTE: The Wednesday Lunch Paddles are cooperative adventures, not guided trips. Each participant is responsible for her/his own safety.Don’t assume the trip initiators are smarter, stronger, better at rough water, more attractive, or more skilled paddlers than you are. For more information, see this description of our trip philosophy from the NSPN web site. We encourage paddlers to make their own independent decision about their comfort level with conditions at the time of the paddle. Please PM me if you have questions or if you haven’t paddled with me or Bob before. Hope to see you there!