Joseph Berkovitz

A couple of folks I know swear by inflatable kayak roof racks for exactly this situation. There are a few of them on the market. Apparently they are reallly quite robust! I’m having a look at one tomorrow since I’m out here in the Bay Area with a rental car and need to borrow boats...

The marker remains were exceptionally visible today at LT with the blocks from the collapsed tower very clearly revealed: There is also a new plastic navigation buoy in place that’s much larger than the old one (which is still there, so there is one buoy at each end of the ledge.)

Wednesday Lunch Paddle #6 Conditions: Sunny, air 60 F, water 55 F, winds S 8 kt -> SSW 4 kt, seas ~ 1 ft People: Joe Berkovitz, Bob Levine, Al Coons, Sue Hriciga, Jim Snyder, Jeff Charrette, Pat Donohue Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/public/Mj7b8o96pm47QzpvDfKRywCQ/?layer=gaianoaarnc Distance: 7 nm 10.25: Launch from Riverhead Beach with a light tailwind in beautiful conditions. We headed NE across the harbor towards the lighthouse where we regrouped to determine the next move. 10.50: Conditions outside the harbor felt comfortable to the group, so we elected to continue around Marblehead Neck along the rocks on the outside, then potentially head to Tinkers Island for lunch. There was enough long-period swell to collect in some of the more active rock gardens on the outside and make things interesting. Some of the group played in the rocks while others enjoyed the ocean nearby. Many ducks with babies in tow, which we tried our best to avoid. They didn't seem to fly away fortunately. 11.30: Some play opportunities at the "Devil's Knuckles", a cavelike hollow in the cliffs with curved knuckle-like ribs on either side. Always fun for bouncing around in reflections. Bob and Pat had the most luck in catching some actual energy. Here's a great photo of Pat rebounding from the cave (taken by Jim S): 12.00: arrived at beach on Tinkers for a lunch in the sun (Lunch is the crux move of every Wednesday Lunch Paddle!) 12.45: head south around Tinkers to play on the outside of the island. Near high tide, so some channels too flooded to really make for a fun run in the small swells. The ledges at the NE of the island provided the most entertainment for the group. 13.30: Back on the Neck, some of us ran this high-water-only slot that gets a lot of energy and sometimes presents a veritable washing machine (proposed name: "Devil's Coin-Op"). It provided the only capsize of the day: mine. On my second passage through it I caught too much wave and was thrown up on the sloping rock face where I lost balance. Capsizing back down into the water, there were rocks all around me and I couldn't roll, so I came out of my boat. This slot is very localized and there is relatively calm water all around it -- Bob swept in for a quick rescue and I was back in my boat in seconds. I did scrape up my thumb pretty nastily though. Pat had some good advice: how about wearing gloves for rock gardening? This is pretty common the Bay Area, I gather. 14.00: Return to MHD Light, then a quick crossing of the harbor to the fort to return down the NW side. We stopped at a large racing yacht called American Promise, moored at the harbormaster's office. This is a storied boat, used by the first American to circumnavigate the globe without stopping -- you can read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Promise_(yacht) Today the yacht is used by the Rozalia Project (https://rozaliaproject.org/) a clean-ocean advocacy organization that is working to stop ocean pollution. We spoke with one of the founders for a while and then moved on to return to Riverhead. 15.00: Land at Riverhead. Another WLP comes to a satisfying end!

Unfortunately this trip has been canceled due to the closure of Little Brewster Island during the 2019 season for storm repairs.

Interesting. For sure you have seen lots more latex than I have! Perhaps I just don't have enough data points, and I finally encountered some lucky pieces of latex that didn't decompose quickly. In the meantime, I'll use both 303 and soap and water I guess, and as always be careful where I store my drysuit...

Friends, Romans, Paddlers, NSPN Wednesday Lunch Paddle #6 takes place on June 5, 2019. Extra lunch chocolate for those who correctly guess which day of the week that is. This week's installment launches from Riverhead Beach in Marblehead (https://goo.gl/maps/BmdjdwqgS8Wb6y2dA). 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 rigged boats with deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts, and dress for immersion. Current forecast looks like SSW winds < 10 kt, showers in early morning then partly cloudy, air temps 55-60 and water 53-55. Tides: LT - 7.18a; HT - 1.31p, so we won't have a long carry at the launch or landing. Let's meet at 10 am sharp, and ready to launch around 10.20 am. Then we'll have a beach briefing, make a plan together based on what people feel like doing, and get on the water, hopefully around 10.30 am. 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. A waiver/float plan will be created at the launch, so there's no need to commit in advance. It's always 100% OK to show up, decide you don't like the conditions or the trip, and opt out. If you have any questions, or if you haven’t paddled with Bob Levine or myself before, please get in touch with @rylevine or @Joseph Berkovitz by private message before the event so we can touch base! If you're interested in coming, it's nice if you let us know by posting on this thread. There is no calendar entry for this particular trip. Other conversation (including stating your interest in going) can also happen on this thread. Looking forward to seeing you there!

(NOTE: Each week, the Wednesday Lunch Paddle is designed to fit the interest and skill level of all participants. This trip, by design, was more adventurous than others, but given a different group we could – and would – have taken a different and less ambitious route. Bob and I encourage properly equipped club members at all levels of the sport to come along on these paddles; we will always do our best to make it work!) Route: Pavilion Beach, Gloucester -> Normans Woe -> Magnolia Point -> Kettle Island -> return Distance: 9 nm Conditions: Overcast/showers -> partial sun, air 45 F, water 50 F, winds N 15 kt -> E 8 kt, seas 3-5 ft @ 6s Tides: HT - 8.08a (8.2'), LT - 2.14p (1.4') People: me, Bob Levine, Sue Hriciga, Christopher Godfrey, Jim Snyder This was a day of big lumpy water on one of the most dramatic pieces of Massachusetts coastline: the rocky cliff-bound stretch of Cape Ann from Gloucester Harbor to Magnolia Point. 10.20a: Launch from Pavilion Beach. Plenty of parking on this windy, chilly day. We had a nice tailwind and ebb tide at our backs, as we headed over to the big rocks at Stage Fort Park. Our plan was (and remained) to work our way down the rocks on the west side of the harbor, then head around Normans Woe towards an eventual lunch stop on Kettle Island. 10.50a: I capsized on a sloppy wave in a small slot near the rocks but was quickly rescued by Bob. My boat remained full during the rescue to effect the quickest possible retreat from the slot, then we emptied it on the water. 11.30a: We played around the south side of Normans Woe Rock in the beginning of a long stretch where large swells were standing up on the ledges and shoals just offshore of the cliffs. The largest of these were rearing up 5 feet or more. We kept a careful eye both in front of us (to spot actual or potential wave breaks) and towards the outside (to spot larger incoming waves). Here's Chris enjoying a representative piece of the action: 12.20p: Lunch stop on Kettle Island. NOTE: After a while one of us turned over a sign that had been blown down, and was lying upside down on the beach, stating that Kettle is actually closed until August to protect nesting seabirds. We couldn't see the sign when we landed, obviously, but we know now that we shouldn't have been there. The Mass Audubon site (https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/kettle-island) in fact says that the island is closed, period, which conflicts with the sign we saw... so, don't emulate our mistake, and always check in advance! 1.10p: Trip around the outside (eastern) side of Kettle. Big breaking waves here in front of a sloping ledge, one of which capsized Bob who quickly rolled up again and made his way carefully back out of the soup. You can read Bob's detailed report on this event here: Trip report 5_29_2019_Note on rock gardening.pdf 1.30p: The return trip past Magnolia, Rafe's Chasm and Normans Woe was more, um, interesting, as the water level had dropped. A big surprise wave almost caught a few of us; we powered straight into it as fast as possible to get to it before it could break. 2.00p: Around the corner and into the relative calm of the harbor, the rest of the trip was a relaxing, conversational paddle back to the beach. Gloucester Harbor is pretty long, especially when the tide is against you! Our speed on this leg returning was 2 kt, as opposed to 3.8 kt going out. But then again, we were also slowing down :-) 3.10p: Landing.

I will be coming too!

May 22, 2019 Route: West Beach/Beverly -> White Beach/Manchester -> return Distance: 7.2 nm Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/601c85e792cae64efcdedee0da7e6882/?layer=gaianoaarnc Conditions: sunny, air 60 F, water 50 F, wind N 8 kt changing to SE 8 kt, seas 1 ft Tides: LT - 9.03a; HT - 3.05p 10.30a: Launched from West Beach in very calm conditions with a nice shelter from what was then a northerly breeze. 10.50a: Played in the first of many enjoyable rock gardens on this route, around the Ram Island Ledges. From here it was some lovely rocky handrailing all the way past Lobster Cove, Graves Beach and ultimately White Beach. Of course, a bit of fun at NSPN Rock was included. 12.15p: Lunch -- the ultimate goal of every Wednesday lunch paddle -- was eaten on White Beach! 12.50p: The beginning of an equally enjoyable play session back in the other direction, this time with more water on hand and considerably bouncier conditions. The wind had shifted to SE and we were now getting some fairly active chop landing on the rocks as we paddled by. 2.00p: Near Gales Point, Bob decided to come out of his boat, abandon it, and paddle-swim to the rocks where he climbed out. I watched with some perplexity as his boat drifted away from him in the wind, then I clipped into it and shepherded it back to him. Apparently this was what he wanted to happen ? 2.30p: The end of another enjoyable Wednesday Lunch Paddle.

Sorry things didn’t work out, Sue. See you soon I hope!

Dear NSPNistas, This post announces NSPN Wednesday Lunch Paddle #4, on May 22. This week's edition will launch from West Beach in Beverly (https://goo.gl/maps/Cyvj3TaWvVRXv2LE9). The trip will be geared to the desires of the participants. The forecast for the sound suggests a 10-15 kt NNW wind at the start of the trip, dropping to light and variable in the afternoon. So the location gives us some nice options for paddling in the lee of the cliffs through Manchester towards Magnolia, or changing that plan if the wind drops more quickly. Temps expected a bit over 50 F, with sun and then increasing clouds. Let's meet at 10 am sharp, and ready to launch around 10.20 am. Then we'll have a beach briefing, make a plan together based on what people feel like doing, and get on the water, hopefully around 10.30 am. Manchester tides: LT - 9.03a; HT - 3.05p. With the water temp barely cracking 50 F, please bring drysuits. As usual, fully rigged boats with deck lines, bulkheads, spray skirts are necessary to make this a safe trip. 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. A waiver/float plan will be created at the launch, so there's no need to commit in advance. It's always 100% OK to show up, decide you don't like the conditions or the trip, and opt out. If you have any questions, or if you haven’t paddled with Bob Levine or myself before, please get in touch with @rylevine or @Joseph Berkovitz by private message before the event so we can touch base! If you're interested in coming, it's nice if you let us know by posting on this thread. There is no calendar entry for this particular trip. Other conversation (including stating your interest in going) can also happen on this thread. Looking forward to seeing you there!

@Jim Snyder If you apply silicone skin lubricant to the inside of your gasket it will make it super easy to pull it on, and this won't hurt the latex. It washes off later with the detergent. I will bring some on our next trip so you can try it.

I have been informally sharing these latex care tips and someone suggested I post them to the group. I am wary since gasket care opinions seem to bring out the zealotry in all of us, but here goes. The simple and effective prescription, "wash gaskets with mild soap and water after every use" is something I never heard another kayaker recommend. Yet it seems to be seen as a virtual necessity by latex users outside the paddling community, and it has saved me a number of gasket replacements already. I use my drysuit in all seasons, and went through 2 sets of gaskets in 2 years. Each set gradually became sticky at the edges, weak, and showed many tiny cracks when stretched, over the course of 3-4 months of use. Eventually the gaskets blew out. All three gaskets on each suit did the same thing. This did not seem right. (And, yes, I regularly applied 303, which appeared to do nothing for this problem.) I did some Interwebs research on this problem and discovered that there is a lot of material on latex care, much of it from latex-costume enthusiasts. There seemed to be pretty widespread agreement that acidic sweat and skin oils attack latex, and one needs to wash it after each use with detergent. I do have very oily skin, as it happens. (One of my ancestors may have been an engine gearbox.) And the part of the gasket that was going bad, was clearly the part with the closest contact with my skin. So I began a regime of washing the gaskets by hand with a mix of dish detergent and water after every paddle, inside and out, and then rinsing with water. Since then: no problems at all! (It probably won't surprise anyone that many (perhaps most) websites that offer advice on latex care are devoted to sexual fetishes and costumes. I don't think of NSPN as an especially prudish bunch, but just to be on the safe side I'm not going to include a bunch of links in a public post. Google "latex care washing" if you'd like to read some of the source material for yourself.)

Steve Chart in his heavily loaded boat: And Prudence with triumphal wrist:

The third Wednesday Lunch Paddle took place on May 15th in Marblehead. Route: Riverhead -> Gerry I. -> MHD Light -> Browns I. (lunch) -> Riverhead Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/3e73686e977336a3a2d84b493bee24a1/?layer=gaianoaarnc Distance: about 6 nm Conditions: overcast, air 45 F, water 50 F, wind W 10 kt, seas 3-4' @ 9 s People: me, Bob Levine, Prudence Baxter, Jeff Charette, Jim Snyder, Steve Chard (visitor) Tides: HT - 8:59a (9.8'); LT - 3:07p (-0.4') We were accompanied at the launch by Steve Chard from Dorset, England who is paddling the "Great Loop" of the US East Coast and was on his way to Beverly. 10.20a: Following a short debate on what day of the week it was – we found the title of the paddle to be a good mnemonic – we launched from Riverhead Beach in Marblehead. Some long-period swell apparent even at the outset in the form of more activity than usual at the far end of the harbor. Brisk WNW wind at times, but good lee from the Marblehead mainland. 10.50a: At Fort Beach, the wave activity was much more tangible. Some of us played in the rocks a bit. Bob and I determined that it would be a good idea for Bob to accompany Steve Chard in his heavily loaded boat to Beverly or Manchester in person given the sea conditions, so he took off with Steve while I remained with the NSPN group. 11.00a: This was Prudence's first launch following her wrist fracture so we wanted to stay sensitive to what it might be doing. As it turned out, she was feeling good and after making our way past the tip of Gerry Island we decided to traverse the harbor and head over to the point of the Neck, then return to Browns for lunch. 11.20a: Turn around at the NE corner of Marblehead Neck, and begin heading back to Gerry. Nice long 2' swells hitting the rocks; some played, some did not. 12.00p-12.40p: Lunch on the beach at Browns, in a reasonably wind sheltered spot. The entire point of a lunch paddle is, after all, to have lunch somewhere! 1.40p: Return to Riverhead Beach after a pleasing traversal of the outside of Browns, a flyby of Gerry where the Trustees of Reservations had a cleanup crew working, and then a journey along the cliffs of the harbor back to our launch/landing point. Thanks everyone for a great time!

Hi people, I'm posting on behalf of Steve Chard, a British kayaker who is completing an almost-year-long solo circuit of the Eastern US by way of the St Lawrence, Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico and now the Eastern Seaboard. He's presently staying at my place in Marblehead and is on his way up through Ipswich Bay, NH and Maine, ultimately finishing his trip in Halifax NS. Steve is looking for kind souls near the coast who are willing to put him up as he makes progress northeast from here. I can testify that he is a very considerate and thoughtful guest, and also one with many entertaining stories. (His years serving on a Royal Navy submarine may have contributed to both of these talents.) He says he will be grateful for a postage stamp of lawn to camp on, even if there is no guest room available. If you are able and interested in helping Steve out, please PM me and I will connect you with him. Thanks! You can find out more about Steve and his journey here: https://www.facebook.com/PaddleWithSteve/ --Joe

Bob and I specifically want this to be a paddle that Prudence is comfortable doing. Given our protected launch spot inside the harbor, we think this can totally be a short mileage, shorter duration, calm water paddle. If there is a subgroup that can safely peel off into the sound for a bit, that may also work out.

Dear NSPNians, This post announces NSPN Wednesday Lunch Paddle #3, on May 15. Exactly 7 days after the previous Wednesday Lunch Paddle... can this be a coincidence? Or is it simply a lack of imagination? This week's edition will launch from Riverhead Beach in Marblehead Harbor (https://goo.gl/maps/BmdjdwqgS8Wb6y2dA). There's ample parking at this time of year. The trip will be 100% geared to the desires of the participants. Given the very protected location, we are likely to launch no matter what the sea conditions are outside the harbor. Thanks to a low pressure system moving through Monday and Tuesday and intensifying over the waters, the forecast outside the harbor is for 3-to-5 foot seas at 9 seconds or more. NW wind 5-10 knots, overcast/occasional showers with air temp mid-50s F, water temps around 48 F. Inside the harbor, however, there is plenty of shelter from the sea and lee under the cliffs from NW winds. So we can likely dial in any sort of experience the group would like. For a short, calm paddle, it should be possible to just go straight up the left side of the harbor from Riverhead towards the fort as far as conditions permit, then cross the harbor to make a circuit. For more adventure in the swells, or a more distant lunch spot, we can continue out into the sound or even the ocean, but only if the group feels like it. >>>> And... we will have a Special Guest joining us! Steve Chard is a solo kayaker from the UK who has been completing an impressive journey called the Great Loop, a big circle around the eastern United States that (in his case) started in Halifax NS, and is about to finish there in another month or two. In the meantime he's visiting me in Marblehead (and is looking for places to stay further up the coast; please PM me if you'd like to help Steve out). Steve plans to launch with us and then either continue to his next destination, or stay with us if conditions rule out a crossing. You can find out more about his trip here: https://www.facebook.com/PaddleWithSteve/ Let's meet at 10 am sharp, and ready to launch around 10.20 am. Then we'll have a beach briefing, make a plan together based on what people feel like doing, and get on the water, hopefully around 10.30 am. Given the conditions we don't expect this to be a long paddle, probably we'll be done by 2 or 2.30 pm. Marblehead tides: HT - 8.59a; LT - 3.07p. The water will be cold and the air not exactly warm. Drysuits and fully rigged boats with bulkheads are necessary to make this a safe trip. 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. A waiver/float plan will be created at the launch, so there's no need to commit in advance. It's always 100% OK to show up, decide you don't like the conditions or the trip, and opt out. If you have any questions, or if you haven’t paddled with Bob Levine or myself before, please get in touch with @rylevine or @Joseph Berkovitz by private message before the event so we can get acquainted! If you're interested in coming, it's nice if you let us know by posting on this thread. There is no calendar entry for this particular trip. Other conversation (including stating your interest in going) can also happen on this thread. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Very interested. My schedule this year is strange so it may not work out, but I have always wanted to check out that area!

Some unwarranted assumptions are being made here. Actually, I looked for glass. And there wasn’t much ?

Route: West Beach, Beverly -> Ram I. -> House I. -> Little Misery I. -> Bowditch Ledge -> West Beach Conditions: air 48 F, water 50 F, wind E 10-15 kt, seas 4-5' @ 11 s Manchester Harbor tides: LT - 9.07a; HT - 2.51p People: Jeff Charette, Jim Snyder, Bob Levine, Joe Berkovitz (Thanks to Sue Morin for showing up and sending us off!) Planning: The initial idea of the group was to head east towards a potential lunch spot on Black Beach or Kettle Island, enjoying the cliffs and rock gardens along the way. 10.40a: We launched from West Beach in a light N wind that died out and immediately was replaced by a stiff E breeze. There were occasional bigger sets breaking in the surf zone but also many lulls, so not a difficult launch esp. with the long period between the waves. We crossed Manchester Bay in light wind shop to a protected pocket beach behind Ram Island for a quick bio and sunscreen break. Arriving at the mini-beach, we could see that the bay was protected by the Ram ledges at the present lower water level, and conditions outside were much bigger. 11.20a: Setting out from the little beach, we headed through one of the protected tidal channels to near the front of the ledges, to get a view of what was happening in the sound itself. We could see a lot of large waves breaking on the outermost ledges. Bob took a quick foray around to the front and came back, reporting that there were a lot of 4-footers out there plus substantial wind chop. At 11 seconds, these big waves were packing a huge punch. Heading east would be a sustained "conditions paddle" in substantial seas, perhaps with few or no nice landing opportunities. Relaxed rock gardening would not be on the menu. We decided to forego this, and head west to the Miseries as our Plan B lunch spot, knowing that we could probably land either in the Misery Gut or in Cocktail Cove on the inside of Great Miz. 11.30a: Crossing to House Island through the basin behind the outermost group of ledges between House and Ram. Occasional large swells were moving through this area, but we did not observe them breaking. Regrouping in a windbreak in back of House, we headed for the SE corner of Great Misery. Approaching Misery the swells picked up again; this area is always a kind of wave magnet, but they still weren't breaking so we kept on. More and more of a ferry angle was needed to counteract the wind and flood current as we approached the island. Eventually we arrived at the gut between Little and Great Misery, and a path down the middle seemed reasonably far from either rocks or breakers, so we took it as opposed to circling around both islands. Once through the gut, conditions all but vanished and by 12.00p we landed on Little Misery for lunch in a nicely sheltered spot: While on the island, we hiked to the amazing viewpoint on the other side to look around and think about what our next move might be. Bob suggested we find our way to the location of the now-destroyed Bowditch Ledge stone tower, to see if there was still a temporary marker there, or any sign of the ledge. The group liked this idea and we figured out back-bearings from the point to the nearest buoys, G "11" (50º M) and R "12" (340º M). The plan would be to paddle to G "11" and then continue for a few minutes on a 230º heading (50 + 180) until R "12" was at the proper angle. 1.00p: We paddled for about 15 minutes to G "11" where we stopped. Either the wind or current or both was drifting us pretty strongly. We backpaddled to the buoy to let a boat go by, then headed out on 230º. After only a minute or so we spotted a temporary white buoy in the place where Bowditch should be, and began just visually making our way to it. The buoy is remarkably modest in size for what amounts to a major underwater hazard to boats; at low tide, the ledge and the remains of the tower are right under the surface! We can only hope that some authority puts something more prominent in place before the season really gets going. Here's a blurry photo of the ledge trying to send us all to the bottom of Salem Sound: 1.30p: Headed home along the outside of both Miseries, plying the areas near the rocks but staying outside any breaking waves. The wind and the sea conditions had diminished compared to the morning. Lots of bumpy reflection-ridden water, and one or two nice deepwater surf rides. Finally back to Manchester Bay, and an easy landing in West Beach about 2.30p in pretty mild surf. What a nice Wednesday Lunch Paddle! Thanks to everyone who came out!!!

Hi NSPNsters, This post announces Wednesday Lunch Paddle #2, on May 8. Which is, of course, a Wednesday! The forecast in Salem Sound is for a 3-to-4 foot swell at 10 seconds, NW winds around 5 knots, sunny with air temp mid-50s F, water temps around 47 F. If true, this would afford beautiful rock gardening conditions along the south side of Cape Ann. Or just nice for being out on some water that is swaying up and down. So the plan is to launch from West Beach, Beverly off of Route 127. Parking there is still open to the public until Memorial Day, so we should be good. Here's a Google Maps link: https://goo.gl/maps/ZeSftYS9TtLb2ZHS8 Let's meet at 10 am sharp, and ready to launch around 10.20 am. Then we'll have a beach briefing, make a plan together based on what people feel like doing, and get on the water, hopefully around 10.30 am. If the forecast holds, one possible plan is to head east along the many cliffs and ledges in Manchester. Possible lunch spots include Black Beach or Kettle Island. The Graves Island bar sometimes provides an interesting surf break if it's behaving. And it should be possible to just go from A to B and back to A, without seeking adventure. Manchester tides: LT - 9.07a. HT - 2.51p. The water will be cold and the air not exactly warm. Drysuit conditions for sure. Rigged boats with bulkheads only. 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. A waiver/float plan will be created at the launch, so there's no need to commit in advance. It's always 100% OK to show up, decide you don't like the conditions or the trip, and opt out. If you have any questions, or if you haven’t paddled with Bob Levine or myself before, please get in touch with @rylevine or @Joseph Berkovitz by private message before the event. If you're interested in coming, it's nice if you let us know by posting on this thread. There is no calendar entry for this particular trip. Other conversation (including stating your interest in going) can also happen on this thread. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Route: Lanes Cove -> Andrews Point -> Rockport Breakwater -> Halibut Point -> Lanes Cove People: me (Cetus), Bob Levine (Explorer) Rockport tide data -- HT: 9.48a (8.34'); LT: 3.53p (1.04') Conditions: Glassy calm increasing to light SE, then SSW 5 kt (which was not predicted), very light, long swell on outside. Overcast with spotty light rain, air 45 F, water 45 F. Track: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/2cc21ba97ca3bf634e73e95b7530e89d/?layer=gaianoaarnc 10.30a: Launch from Lanes Cove. On Ipswich Bay the sea was almost mirror-flat, reflecting the gray overcast so perfectly that the horizon was practically invisible in places. Only the dots of distant buoys conveyed a sense of receding distance. Given the incredibly mild conditions, we opted to head around Halibut Point and enjoy a bit of the open ocean, perhaps head to the breakwater. 11.00a: Crossing Folly Cove, conditions were so calm that I wanted to measure my paddling speed using GPS without the confounding factors of wind or current. I did a couple of runs in opposing directions and averaged them out, both cruising (3.3 kt) and sprinting (5 kt). 11.30a: Left Andrews Point for a 30-minute crossing to the historic Rockland Breakwater. Along the way, we stopped at green can "3" to gauge the ebb, which appeared to be flowing quite substantially in our favor. (The GPS track shows we were getting an extra knot of speed at that point.) We wondered when and why the can's gong has 3 different notes triggered by hammers of different lengths, and whether the sound can be interpreted by mariners in any useful ways. 12.00p: Arrival at the breakwater. This massive failed project delivered both great expectations and disappointments in its day. (See https://vintagerockport.com/2011/01/17/putting-the-top-on-the-sandy-bay-breakwater-circa-1912/ for a quick background.) Bob had been before, but I had not, and neither of us had landed there. The breakwater is often a violent place that you wouldn't want to approach, but today seemed like a good day to try it as the water was as close to motionless as it gets. Alongside the breakwater looked unlandable but we thought there might be some broken up sections at one end or the other that would afford a possibility. A lobsterman was pulling and laying traps at the SW end of the breakwater, so we headed to the NE end along the inside. The breakwater was stepped like a long, linear ziggurat built out of huge granite blocks. At the end, a large white harbor seal was perched improbably on one of the blocks, calmly staring at us. We moved away and headed around the outside of the breakwater out of its visual range; fortunately the seal didn't launch. Back at the SW end again, we poked around looking for a landing spot. And we found one, in fact the only one that seemed doable at the time: a big seaweed-covered block exactly big enough for two boats: (I was standing at the other end of the block, to give you an idea of how compact this situation was!) There was a nice flat course of submerged lower blocks around it to stand on, while we lifted the boats up to this one, waiting for such swell as we could get to raise the boats a little higher. Then we walked on the underwater blocks over to the main breakwater and hauled ourselves up for lunch at this spot, nicely sheltered from the wind at that time: The lighthouses visible in the background are one of the Thatcher lights, and Straitsmouth light. Note for future landings: tide level was about 1/4 above low tide (1/12 + 2/12), so 1' + (8-1)/4, or a little less than 3 feet. At maybe 2' higher water (or 1' lower) it might be easy to just shift a boat directly onto a block without any lifting. 12.50p: Launch from the breakwater, just as the submerged course of blocks was being uncovered by the falling tide. Bob put his boat carefully in the water, clipped in to it, and then stood in the water first, clipping into his boat and taking one end of mine while I lowered it from our "parking block". Then we each cowboyed into our boats, as there was no other convenient way to get into the cockpit in the chest-deep water. 1.57p: Just north of Folly Point, a pod of 3-5 porpoises came rolling by in one of those magic ocean moments. It was so quiet we heard their quick breaths as they surfaced and dove. 3.40p: Landing at Lanes Cove! This was a super fun paddle. We probably would not have done the breakwater with a group, since it would have been unlikely that more than a couple of boats could land there, but everything else about this trip was a perfect, relaxing early-spring outing. Look for another trip to be posted next week, Wed May 8.

Great - the next one is 5/8, a week hence! They will be happening every week unless the weather is doing something truly extreme.