Cuttyhunk Reduex

Today was the redo date for the yearly Cuttyhunk paddle. The attempt earlier in the year was completely fogged out. This time around there was no fog or wind. In fact, it was a near perfect day. The water was completely flat and the winds were calm.
The trip from Gooseberry Pt. to Cuttyhunk was uneventful. It was nice to just slip into the zone. The blades slip into the water effortlessly and then gradually bite. Almost as soon as I feel the bite the paddle gives a little snap and the blade comes around to begin the cycle again. Each time the stomach muscles tighten and release a little more of the weeks stress melts away...
On the return trip we decided to detour around Penikese Island. This added a few more miles to the trip and through some of pre-planned navigation off. TM had calculated bearings for both the trip out and the return trip. He did the recalculation on the fly to account for the detour, but some of the group were not convinced of the new bearing.
The navigation disagreement didn't immediately cause any real issues. Over time though, it became an issue. TM held steady to his bearing while others decided that he had corrected too much and followed a different bearing. The group started drifting apart. Paddlers didn't know which person to follow... I decided to stay in the middle of the group. I could easily see our destination, so I knew that ultimately it didn't matter who was right. Both bearings would get us to the landing with only a little extra paddling.
After the paddle, JS graciously invited us to his house for pizza and beer. His house is lovely and has an outdoor shower for washing the salt off a tired body. The pizza, beer, and lovely setting was just thing to unwind after a long day of paddling.

Foggy

Most years our club plans a paddle from Gooseberry Pt. in Westport to Cuttyhunk Island. It is a seven mile, open water crossing. It also involves crossing a major commercial shipping lane. I frequently get placed on the list of coordinators and I always think it is scheduled too early in the year.
Open water crossings of more than a few miles should be undertaken with a respectable cushion.In early June the water in Buzzards Bay is still cold enough to make a drysuit prudent, but the air temperature is warm enough to make hours of sustained paddling in a drysuit misserable. Most paddlers have only been on the water for a few weeks and have not really begun doing long paddles. The disparity between air temperature, land temperature, and water temperature cook up morning fog and afternoon winds.
The forecast for today was patchy morning fog, blistering temperatures, and building winds. TM even called last night to point out that the prevailing weather pattern was ripe for thunderstorms.
H made me promise not to attempt to paddle to Cuttyhunk in blinding fog. She wanted me to be the smart one.... Any paddle where I need to be the smart one is likely in trouble. I sometimes have a hard time listening to my inner voice of reason.
When I pulled into the parking lot at Gooseberry Pt. visibility was well under a 100 yards and I had no intention of getting my kayak off the car without a plan that didn't involve making a risky crossing.
As the other people showed up, the fog began to lift. Seeing as the forecast was for the fog to burn off and I was definitely going to do some paddling, I started getting ready to hit the water.
By the time everyone was ready to launch, the fog had thickened. Visibility was 10 yards to 20 yards. CC and I expressed serious reservations about the crossing. I, personally, thought the idea of attempting the crossing was crazy. It was not so much a navigation problem because I had a GPS. I could easily find the island. It was a safety issue. We would not be able to see a ship, and the ship wouldn't be able to see us, until it was too late. There is also the general sense of disorientation that fog can cause.
The majority of the group decided that we should paddle out to the edge of the shipping channel and then evaluate the visibility issue. The group had a bearing to paddle on and felt that we'd see the channel marker before we entered the channel. CC and I pointed out that given that paddling on a bearing in limited visibility and hitting a tiny marker several miles off shore was not reasonable. So, the plan was modified. We paddled on the bearing for 20 minutes and then reevaluated.
The fog had not cleared up in the least. We could hear boats, but couldn't see a thing.
So, we reversed our bearing and paddled back towards shore. The new plan was to paddle back to Gooseberry Pt. and then make our way along the shore towards the mouth of the Westport River. Once we got to the tip of Gooseberry Pt., the plan changed and we decided to make a crossing to the mouth further off shore.
It was a nice paddle. The fog and cool water kept the air temperature in the low 70s. The water was just bumpy enough to make it fun.
About 3/4 of the way to the mouth of the Westport River, we decided it was time for lunch. We spotted a nice section of beach that was unoccupied. We didn't want too many people on the beach as we surfed in on our kayaks. The surf was small, but even small surf makes landing an adventure.
During lunch the group decided that the plan for the afternoon was to paddle up the mouth of the river, then paddle up the river (against the current), into the marshlands beyond the town boat ramp, carry our kayaks (that are heavy and awkward out of the water) across a road, and finally paddle back to our cars. It was reported to be a very pretty paddle.
It was a very pretty paddle. The shelter of the river basin knocked the winds down. The fog had finally burned off and turned into haze. The effort of fighting the current made me work just hard enough to make my dry top into a sauna. Fortunately the company was excellent.
While people were disappointed that we didn't make the crossing, I think the group made the correct choice.
We could have attempted the crossing and likely would have been fine. I did hear someone mention that it was probably not foggy out at Cuttyhunk. Others mentioned that we had made the crossing in fog once before and it turned out to be perfectly sunny on the island.
On the other hand, why take the risk? We did not know the weather on the island. The weather on the island did not change the fact there was limited visibility in the shipping channel. The previous time we made the crossing in the fog, the visibility was much better than we had this morning. I was also younger, stupider, and had far less responsibilities.
Cuttyhunk will be out there for as long as any of us can still paddle. There is no rush.

The Ying and Yang of Cuttyhunk

Some would say that paddling to Cuttyhunk this early in the season is crazy. Others would say that this is the perfect time to go. I sit squarely on the fence in this debate. Considering the level of exposure and the water temperature, it is early in the season for such a long paddle. Only people who have paddled over the winter are really in good enough shape to have the reserves to make it a safe trip if conditions go awry. (Note: I haven't paddle much over the winter.) On the other hand, the boat traffic hasn't picked up and most of the things on the island are open.
A group of 10 boats set out from Gooseberry Pt. to make the crossing. It was a strong crew consisting of Carleen, Carole, Alison, Ray B., Ray P., Jonathan, Bob H., Joe, Peter, and myself. As Carleen pointed out, it was a group of chiefs without many indians. That was all good for me because I was tired and more than happy to relinquish my leadership role.
When we put in the weather was ideal--mid-70s with a touch of wind. The forecast was for the conditions to hold until late afternoon when there was a chance of showers. Accordingly, we planned on being off the water by fourish and not spend too much time on the island.
Before setting out we had a pow-wow to get our bearings. It was decided that we would paddle over on a course of 155 magnetic and stick together as a group. After about a mile, we modified our float plan to follow a GPS based course. This worked out pretty well as it meant only Ray P. had to worry about where we were going.
The trip over was calm and uneventful. One of the odd things about long crossings is that they can be boring. All there is to do is paddle in a straight line for a few hours. There isn't even much to look at in the middle of Buzzard's Bay. We did see some nice barges.
A long straight paddle on mostly flat water does have a few pluses. It gives you plenty of time to chat with friends without having to really worry about paddling. It also provides a nice patch of Zen paddling where you can lose yourself in the slight sway of the boat and the repetition of the swinging blades. I found it very peaceful and reinvigorating. By the time we got close to the island the fog of waking up early had pretty much burned off.
After lunch and talking to the few interested bystanders about our voyage, the group set off to explore the island. I decided to hang with the boats. As I sat under the flag pole I noticed the flags sticking straight out and fluttering. A passer by saw the boats and asked about the wind. Nonchalantly, I pointed out that it was blowing our way. It looked like the wind would be at our backs on the way home.
Once out of the harbor, it became apparent that I was wrong. Instead of a tailwind we had a beamy headwind and it was kicking up some nice 2-4ft swells. Paddling back in those conditions is a challenge no matter how in shape you are or how skilled you are.
The other thing about long open water crossings is that they can be intense. They are unpredictable and, because there are few bailout options, challenging. They test you physically and mentally.
Physically you must be prepared to stick it out until you can get to shore, which in this case was 5 miles. You must also have the skills to keep your boat upright and on course. On top of that, you must be able to have a little left in reserve to help put in the case of an emergency.
Mentally you must believe that you can do it. You must listen to your fear, but not let it overwhelm you. You must stay alert to what is happening to your kayak and be aware of what is happening to the other kayaks in the group. You must be alert and relaxed at the same time.
Joe took charge of the situation, put Ray P. at point, and admonished the group to stay together. Ray set out at a decent clip and the rest of us fell in line behind him. Despite the fact that keeping kayakers in a group is a bit like herding cats, we managed to stick pretty close together. We meandered a bit, but given the winds and the swells most of us did pretty well.
Shortly after the island was behind us--and I developed a need to pee--Peter started having troubles. He was in a new boat, had sun screen in his eyes and an upset stomach, and was having trouble keeping the boat on course. Joe hung back with Peter and kept him going. Other members of the group also did a good job of checking in with Peter and helping out. Peter, for his part, did a great job of working through his troubles.
One thing a slow paddler does to a group, however, is tend to stretch it out. The pace Ray P. set was brisk and the head of the group kept getting ahead of the tail. This meant that we had to stop a few times to regroup.
This is a common problem in larger groups when there are conditions--10 is a large group. The point doesn't always, or cannot always, look back to see how the tail is doing. The wind makes it hard to communicate and using a radio while trying to paddle, brace, and steer is not so easy. People begin to concentrate on getting themselves safely home. One of the joys of kayaking is that it is easy to be alone in a group, but that is also one of the dangers.
While the paddle back was tough, it was fun. It was nice to have the opportunity to put some of that practice to use in real, but manageable, conditions. The adrenaline was also good. The fact that we all made it back to the beach safely without any swimmers made it even sweeter. I also managed to pull off a roll before landing and making a mad dash for the porta-potty. (I tried to pee in a bottle while in the boat, but just couldn't do it...)