Batting 750

 When you have a pre-teen, you need breaks. A nice paddle out of the Westport river on a pleasant day is a perfect way to wind down and get some perspective.

Hopefully it is also a good way to burn some adrenaline surfing and dodging rocks.

Oh and this time I made sure I had my helmet…

We paddled out of the river and made sure we crossed the mouth in a tight pod.

The current formed a small race at the mouth, so we all took a warm up run. Then we rounded the nubble and headed south in search of rock formations.

Our first stop was a set of rocks with a nice big slot to run through. Everyone took a few good rides through the slot both with and against the current. On one run I was trying to be cute and instead of taking the straight shot was going to go through against the current and bang a sharp turn through a little side slot. I moved into position slowly and while I was scoping things out a not very big swell washed through with just enough force and at just the right angle to push me backwards and off balance. Next thing I know I’m upside down in the cold water feeling like a fool. Fortunately, it was an easy roll back up.

I did make the cute run a few times after that. You gotta love an Aries in the rocks.

We then moved onto a different rock formation for some more playing. The swells were just enough to make things fun without being dangerous.

Before lunch we headed to the point to surf the break. It was setting up fairly nicely along the outside edge so one could stay clear of the rocks and catch some rides.

The bigger wave were breaking further out and more to the inside. Taking a ride on one of them meant paying attention and peeling off before the rocks.

I caught a few small rides along the edge before deciding to head out into the bigger stuff.

One of the things I struggle with is timing waves. I often either get out in front of them and miss the break or I don’t get up enough speed and the pass under me. Some times they also just trap my stern and breach me - or as the cool kids say “I get windowshaded”.

I waited for a bit and caught what I thought would be a good wave. I paddled hard to get on it and started to have a good ride. I was focusing on using forward strokes to steer without dropping speed. At some point I must have gotten to far in front of the wave as it was breaking. My stern got pinned and spun around. I tried to correct with forward strokes and then a really hard prying rudder with no luck. I managed to get a good brace as I side surfed; until the wave sputtered out… I mistimed easing off the brace and wound up hanging upside down in the water. Not a problem… Set up, sweep out, hip snap, paddle out of the zone, and go look for more waves…

We all got some sweet rides. I caught a few nice waves. I spent some time missing nice waves due to bad timing or lack of giddy up. Just as we were getting ready to break for lunch, I caught a nice wave, rode it in a ways and once again got windowshaded. This time, however, I was pretty close to the rocks and didn’t have much water under me. I tired to roll and got smacked down.

I pulled the plug and did my best to make sure the kayak was between me and the rocks and that I had hold on my paddle and the kayak. Tim and Brenda swooped in, pulled me and the kayak out of the, and plopped me back in the kayak.

Not content to break for lunch on a failure, I caught one more small ride on one of the edge waves before heading to the beach.

At lunch I talk to Tim G about how to up my surf game. He pointed out that one of the tricks was to keep the wave from grabbing your stern. Once the wave has the stern, the wave is in control. This is particularly true with a kayak like and Aries that has a planning bow for surfing. The bow just glides around as the wave pushes the stern sideways. So, one thing to do is to keep forward in the cockpit to help keep the stern up. The other trick is to keep the peak of the wave just behind the cockpit and not any further back.

I focused on trying using this knowledge on the point after lunch. I spent some time on the edge trying to catch smaller waves and getting small rides. It was a bit frustrating because they were hard to time, but it was a good learning zone.

Then I headed out to the bigger surf and caught a few big rides. There were a few times where my stern started to get turned and I was able to correct with a good rudder - less often with a good sweep or draw. It was tricky using a rudder without leaning back. The trick really is timing. Maybe you are too far in front of the wave and leaning back burns enough speed to put you back in position. Sometimes burning speed sends the wave under you and you fall off the back. Sometimes a forward stroke will keep you on the wave. Other times, it will pull you forward just enough to keep the stern trapped or pull you right off the front of the wave.

It was great until it wasn’t. I caught a wave and after a short ride I was breached and upside down. Set up, sweep out, hip snap, and see a big wave waiting to push me right into the rocks…. Paddle very fast to clear the zone, and go looking for one more wave… (no I do not know when it is time to quit)

After a few more runs, we made our way back home. The paddle up the river was a nice cool down to end an exciting day.

When the Helmet is a Good Idea

It was a beautiful day for a paddle and a perfect location.

The Westport boat ramp can be a bit of a PITA with the having to pay money and move cars into the overflow lot because kayaks don't need trailers, but it is the best point of entry for one of the most dynamic paddling locations in MA.

If you can catch it at the right time, the mouth of the Westport is a great place to play in standing waves and currents. Heading south from the mouth, you can find some great off shore rock features to play in and a little farther down you can find some great surf.

Anticipating a day of full contact playing, I launched wearing my helmet. I didn't want to be the only one left hanging on the sidelines when it got fun.

The currents at the mouth of the river were strong, but not at peak. The wind was blowing with the current, so it was flat. A few of the group tried to find something to play in to little avail. I decided to save my energy for more fun features further south.

The first feature we came to is known as the elevator. It is two rocks positioned roughly parallel to the coast and each other. The shorter of the two rocks is on the ocean side and the gap is just wide enough for two kayaks to fit through in a pinch.

Conditions around the feature were pretty calm, but there was enough action to play. We darted through the two different passages. We took turns holding our kayaks in positions near the rocks without crashing. It was a good time.

We moved on to a smaller rock formation that also offered some easy playing. Nothing that pushed the edge of the box, but enough to get a little adrenaline surge.

Just before lunch we found a nice off shore break for some surfing fun. Most of the group caught some nice rides.

I, on the other hand, was having a hard time finding my groove. I was either out of position, too late to get up to speed, too fast to get up to speed, or my stroke was uneven and I'd get turned before catching the line. It was frustrating. On the plus side, the Aries will surf on almost anything so the few little waves I did catch gave me nice rides.

By lunch, my helmet was starting to hurt my head. I was glad to swap it out for a regular hat for a little while.

When packing up from lunch for the return trip, I considered the tame conditions we had encountered in the morning and how comfortable I felt in my hat. I packed the helmet in the back hatch. I did consider stowing it in my cockpit just in case, but in the end I figured the chances of wanting access to the helmet were not worth the annoyance of having it bouncing around my feet.

After lunch we headed back over to the offshore break for some more surfing. The waves had moved a little closer to the rocks, but I found my surf mojo and caught a few nice rides. I just made sure to stay clear of the rocks.

From the surf, we returned to the smaller of the rock formations. The tide was lower, so it was more fun. I was bummed that I didn't have my helmet... There were some runs I decided against trying. However, I did take a few chances. It was hard to pass up.

We then returned to the elevator. It was here that I really missed my helmet. The feature had more power than was prudent to risk without head gear. I was the guy stuck on the sidelines watching others play. It was fun to watch, but I'm not really a spectator.

Gary gave us a master class in rough water boat handling. He parked himself in the center of the elevator and just bobbed up and down as the water tried to smash him into a big rock. It was a beautiful display of well placed draw strokes and hip control.

Getting back into the river was more challenging that anticipated. We expected that the current would be running up river, but instead it was still dumping water into the ocean. The water trying to force its way out of the river against the water trying to fill the river up created some nice swells and some tricky vortexes.

It was a fun challenge to slip in close to the knubble and make a tight shore hugging turn to stay out of the craziest parts of the confluence and boat traffic. Fortunately, the Aries was more than up to the challenge. I few well timed leans and hip bumps mixed with quick paddle strokes and the Aries can dance.

I had a long, great day, on the water. There was a plenty of play opportunities - but next time I'll make sure my helmet is not hiding in a hatch....

Playtime

Sometimes you see the details on the chart, but do not put all the pieces together. Sometimes you get lucky and put the pieces together in time to avoid disaster….This weekend was scheduled for a visit to my brother’s family in CT. His daughter was having a birthday party and it made for a good excuse for the families to get together. It conflicted with the perfect paddle for breaking in the new Aries, but family always comes first.What we missed on the party invite was that it was at a kiddie spa. The name of the venue suggested ice cream, not pedicures…. Fortunately, H realized this the day before the event. Later in the day my brother e-mailed saying he was working all day. So, the three of us were going to drive two hours to attend an all girl birthday party for an eight year-old at a spa….
H, who is a saint, made the command decision that I was no longer included in the birthday party plan. She and Bug would go to the birthday party, and I would go paddling. I tried to argue that I had to go to the party because it was my family…. She stood firm and insisted that I go paddling.
I got up in the morning, packed up the last of the paddling supplies, strapped the Aries onto the roof, and headed out with plenty of time to get to the put in. As I was driving down the hill from my house to the Starbucks, I noticed that the kayak’s bow was drifting to the left. My initial thought was that I just needed to tighten the straps down what I stopped to get coffee. When I checked the straps I saw that one of my cradles had suffered a catastrophic failure. The hinge attaching the lower portion of the jaw had snapped off. I wasn’t sure I could even limp the 3/4 of mile back up the hill to my house.
Saint H pulled through one more time. She dug out a spare cradle, packed up a very unhappy Bug into her car, and drove down to rescue me. She even helped me get the new cradle attached to the car so that I could continue on my way to the paddle.
The drive was not relaxing. I was caught between watching my speed for fear of a second rack failure and wanting to speed to make up for the lost time. I was sure I could make it to Westport before everyone left the put in, but I didn’t want to be that guy. I am particularly sensitive since I am incapable of getting on the water quickly. Time just slows down when between the opening of my car door and the time my kayak glides away from the beach.
I did make it the paddle in plenty of time. A lot of the time was taken up with people complimenting me on the new kayak. It was a little embarrassing, but fun as well. The yellow over bright orange is eye catching. Since this is only the second time the Aries has been in the water, I still wasn’t sure it was more than eye catching. Could it keep up with a pod of traditional length sea kayaks? Would it be fun to paddle in conditions without being too easy? Could the hull shape possibly live up to the hype?
This paddle was a good opportunity to answer some of those questions. There were a lot of traditional sea kayaks in the group. TM was the only other person in a play kayak--He was testing out his newly acquired Romany XL. The paddle to and from the mouth of the river is pretty traditional touring style paddling. The current and rock play provides plenty of opportunity for the areas where the Aries is designed to shine.
The paddle to and from the mouth of the river were pleasant. The wind was light and the current not too much of an issue. The Aries paddled nicely and I didn’t feel like I was working too hard to keep up with the other kayaks. It paddled like most other sea kayaks I have paddled. That was a big positive. For relaxed paddling in mild conditions, I want a kayak to feel neutral.
When we got to the mouth of the river the current was running pretty strong, but the wind was not cooperating. It was blowing with the current and flattening the waves.
Despite the lack of standing waves, it was a good chance to practice paddling in current. The first time I tried an eddy turn, I did a 280 before I knew what happened. After that, I had a much better sense of how to handle the turns with some edging. Out in the main flow the Aries skipped across the moving water. It was fun to just play around and see how the kayak handled. The few waves that popped up proved that the Aries loves to catch waves. It just hops on the wave and takes off.
It didn't take long for us to get bored and start thinking of new ways to spice up the paddle. It was supposed to be a play day. We decided to head out of the river and play on the rocks on the outside of the nubble.
After lunch we found a choice outcropping for playing. It offered multiple play spots. The most popular was in the middle of the out cropping. The waves crashed around and made a nice soupy mess. I quickly got over my oh it is too new to scratch and put the Aries in the thick of it. This was what the boat was made for…. It was stable and maneuverable through out. When I was done all it took was a little edge. The bow slid out and I was on the other side of the soup.

The other fun spot to play on the rocks was on the far edge. There was a nice little slot where the waves pushed through with a little less force. From the beach side it made a nice spot to practice keeping the bow in position. From the ocean side it provided a nice safe surf run.

While playing on this safe run, I managed to time a wave very poorly. I found myself getting pushed straight into the rock. The wave steepened and I felt the bow getting pinned. Once that happened, I knew there was no way to turn past the rocks. Just as I resigned to kissing the rock, the bow popped. I edged, the bow turned, and I slid past the rock with a huge smile on my face.

The trip back to the put in was uneventful. It was a nice relaxing way to cool down. It was also a nice reminder that the Aries was a capable regular kayak.

Rolling in the Mud

Today was the RICKA planning party and first official paddle of the year. I have been itching to get out for a few months and it seemed like every time the chance came up, I had a conflict. Since I was going to the planning party, I had no conflicts with the paddle except for Bug's swimming class in the morning. I decided, with some difficulty, that I could miss one swimming class and get some stick time. A happier daddy makes for a happier Bug.
The weather has started to take a turn for the better in the last week and it looks like Spring has finally arrived. Too bad it took a hiatus this morning. When PB picked me up this morning it was chilly. By the time we got to Gooseberry Point, it was down right cold and the wind was howling. We seriously considered spending the morning at the Bayside and skipping the paddling. The conditions were not going to make for a pleasant paddle in Buzzards Bay. The wind would make paddling a chore. The chop would make paddling damp. The cold would make you think too hard about taking any risks.
Once others started arriving, a consensus to relocate quickly formed. We moved to Hixbridge Road and the Westport River. This would give us some shelter from the wind at the very least. We could paddle up or down river as we fancied.
We fancied going up river, figuring that it is better to paddle into the wind when you are fresh and let the wind blow you home. The trick with going up river was that the tide was going out and the water levels were dropping.... The initial plan was to just paddle a couple of miles up river, then turn back so we would have plenty of water. If we wanted to keep paddling the lower part of the river would have water longer.
The river did provide good shelter and made for a pleasant paddle. It was actually perfect for me. I was a little tired from yesterdays bike ride. My skills are a little rusty as well. The leisurely pace and flat water made it easy for me to find a rhythm and work the kinks out. The river is also pretty scenic and the company was good, so the slow pace helped there as well.
At some point the group decided that we were going all the way to the end.
"We might as well kiss the rock," someone said while CO was looking for some rational reason for the adventure. I'm not sure what she was thinking. Rationality is a rare commodity among RICKA sea kayakers.
The further up river we went the lower the water got. We spent a lot of time looking for the channel and practicing our turns.
After a quick stop at Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures, we headed back. At first it wasn't too bad. As long as you stayed on the narrow course, you stayed afloat. Every now and then the stick would dredge up some mud, but for the first mile or more it was pretty smooth paddling. Then the mud flats came....
The first time I got stuck wasn't too bad. It was only a few hundred feet of digging the stick into the goop. The second time sucked. It was hundreds of yards of digging through the mud. At points the stick was so useless, that I just used my hands to turtle walk through the mud. I would have gotten out and carried the kayak if I didn't think that I would sunk to my neck in the mud.
Once past the last mud flat, the paddle got much better. The stick stopped dragging in the mud and I could cruise along. By the time I got back to the launch point, most of the mud had washed off the kayak and the paddle.
It wasn't the perfect way to start off the season, but was still better than a day at the office.

H and the Currents

We finally got H to play in the currents. She wanted to go on one more paddle before our trip to Cape Breton and the only option was to join TM, PB, BH, and I on the Westport River. RS also joined us. It was your typical Westport paddle. Before lunch we played in the rocks just south of the river while we waited for the current to build. After lunch we played.
The race was not as active as in the past, but it was good enough for some fun rides. H slowly poked her bow into the race a few times. She caught a few rides and looked good doing it. She is more skilled than she believes.

SUP

H and I, along with TM & CC, took stand up paddling lessons at Osprey Sea Kayak. It was a load of fun. The instructor, Mike Simpson, kept things fun and informative. In no time at all H and CC were walking all over the boards and doing pivot turns. I was the only person to take a swim. The first time I walked too far forward and flipped. The second time was a pivot turn gone bad.
Stand up paddling is fun and I could see it as an alternative to kayaking if you've only got an hour after work to enjoy the water. It will never replace kayaking on the ocean. 

BCU 3 Star Training

I know I've said that chasing BCU stars is a little silly for recreational paddlers, but the BCU training framework is world class. The recent revisions to make the 3 star and 4 star training focused on journeying and leadership make it even better for the sorts of paddling I enjoy.
When I heard Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures was offering the new 3 star training with Steve Maynard, I decided to take it. TM was also taking the course. I figured it would be fun and educational.
To make things even more fun I decided to take the course without the mighty stick. I figured Steve was more familiar coaching paddlers with Euro blades and I wanted to get as much out him as possible. I can do the translation between my lollipop and the mighty stick.
The first day of the course we headed out of the Westport Town boat ramp. The current was running pretty strong up river when we launched and they would be running pretty strong down river on the return trip. We were hoping that they would offer us some fun at the mouth of the river before we paddled back.
The first thing we did was play in the eddies created by the three rocks just before the bridge. Like well trained paddlers we picked good angles to enter the eddy, leaned downstream when the boat started to turn, and pulled in behind the rock with a little correcting stroke. Once we were all safely in the eddy behind the first rock the teaching started. Steve wanted us to stop with the bracing and slowing down as we crossed the eddy line. Instead we needed to keep paddling forward and use the eddy lines to navigate the kayak. The forward stroke provides enough lift to keep a paddler upright and the eddy is going to push the kayak around regardless. Instead of trying to overcome the eddy, he wanted us to plan our routes such that the eddies would do most, if not all, of the work in turning the kayaks. He had some great saying about this, which I have completely forgotten.
When I tried doing as told, tentatively at first, I discovered that when you plan properly it is actually much easier to get from point to point. The correcting strokes and bracing take a lot of work that is not needed. Of course, when I miss read the eddy or the amount of speed needed to get the desired turning, things did not go as smoothly. I got pushed over a rock at least once because I didn't pick the right angle to cross the line.
After playing in the currents for a bit, we paddled down river towards the mouth. The paddle was a chance to get some tips on forward strokes. The two most memorable tips were "no yo-yo hands" and the "circle of power."
Yo-yo hands is when your hands move up and down during your forward stroke. They are inefficient and creates an imbalance between the front and back of the shoulder muscles. The fix for yo-yo hands is to keep the top hand in a level horizontal plane as you rotate through the stroke. When the stoke is unwound, lift the bottom hand as the top hand moves down to plant the paddle for the next stroke. Lifting the bottom hand engages the rear part of the shoulder muscles and strengthens the muscles that stabilize the shoulders.
The circle of power describes the shape your arms make as you paddle. Your arms should be slightly bent and your hands should not go above the shoulders. This position is powerful, protects your shoulders, and helps keep your core engaged.
Steve also showed us how to optimize our forward power by sliding the paddle blade out to the sides while unwinding the stroke. Moving the paddle straight back starts the water moving. If the blade keeps moving backwards along the same vertical plane, it quickly goes from moving water to chasing the already moving water. By moving slightly to the side through the stroke, the paddle keeps moving water.
After lunch, Steve showed us a few control strokes that don't kill forward speed. Two of the strokes were pretty familiar: the bow rudder and the side draw. The third stroke was combination stern rudder and hanging draw. The paddle is placed in the stern rudder position, but the stroke draws the stern toward the paddle. The trick is to keep the pressure on the power face of the paddle so the water is pushed under the hull. Using the stroke allows you to steer the kayak from one side of the kayak. The only hitch is that it doesn't offer much in the way of support.
The rest of the afternoon was spent practicing in the little surf along the beach. One of the drills we did was to "kiss the beach." The trick is to get as far up the beach without getting stranded. It helps with kayak control. It also simulates a surf landing because you want to land as far up the beach as possible to minimize the chances of getting whacked by the surf when trying to get out the cockpit.
Day two saw us paddling out of Sakonnet Point in wispy fog. The fog was fine since the day was about navigation. Navigation and rocks. As we paddled down the river towards the lighthouse, the fog thickened up. We did some more navigation exercises using hand-held compasses and a topo map. The hand-held compasses are easier to use with a map to find locations and get bearings. According to Steve that deck compasses is just a pretty hood ornament. The deck compass is good for hold courses, but doesn't sit on a map very well.
The topo map was a fine alternative to a chart. It has sufficient details of the hazards just off the coast and has excellent detail of the land.
One of the rock games we played was hold position near the rock. Then we did swoop in and hook a tow onto the paddler near the rock and drag them away. I swooped in to pull TM out, hooked the tow line onto his kayak, and edged too hard on the turn out. I was under water next to a rock hooked to a tow line. I could see the rock through the bubbles and all thoughts of rolling fled. I pulled the loop. TM's bow was right there. If I had reached up, I could have grabbed it. Anyway, it was a good chance to practice a rescue.
We spent the rest of the day doing drills near the rocks and practicing navigation. It was a good day.
The two days was a good opportunity to practice and get pointers from a world class paddler. I look forward to practicing the strokes in my regular paddling.

In Search of the Weekday Rush

TM has been on a quest to find the ultimate tidal conditions for the last few months. About a two weeks ago he made it clear that the best day in October for the Westport River was today. About a week ago, he started pushing to get people to skip out of work to play. By Friday, the paddle was posted on the message board.
I'm usually one of the first people to jump at the chance to skip out of work midweek and take a chance at playing in the mouth of the Westport River. The Westport River is one of my favorite places to paddle and midweek paddles are always fun. This time, however, I was feeling uncertain. Work is crazy lately. I've got an gargantuan, and growing, pile of tasks with high-priority stickers and immediate deadlines sitting on my desk. Part of me felt like it would be irresponsible of me to skip out of work for the day. Part of me realized that one day, a day that I have to take before the end of the month or lose, was not going to make the pile appreciably smaller. Part of me realized that the only way out of the ridiculous, unrealistic, unassailable hole I'm in at work is to take a much needed breather. The pile on my desk has been in perpetual backfill for months. As soon as one task gets completed, three more high priority ones take its place.
So, I promised myself that I would take the day and not think about work.
Except for the dial-in meeting that was of "super-high" priority. It was a dial-in meeting, so I could listen in from the safety of my car as I drove to the put-in... The dial-in information for the meeting was wrong, so I spent 30 minutes in a rest area trying to find the correct information and get dialed-in. When it was apparent that I was not going to get dialed-in and that I was going to be late for the paddle, I called PB to tell him I'd be late and got back on 128. I was not happy about how the day was starting.
Fortunately, the roads were clear and I made excellent time. It was surprising since I was driving during the AM rush hour.
I got to the put-in only slightly late and made excellent time getting ready. TM and PB got the Q-boat off of the car. CR and RR (no relation) helped me unpack the egg. i was ready to go in five minutes - a record for me - and didn't forget a thing.
We paddled out the mouth expecting to find the current flooding out like mad. What we found was fast, but flat, water flooding out. So, we decided to poke around the rocks on the outside of the river.
The waves from Buzzard's Bay were smallish and didn't pose any real challenges for rock gardening. It was fun to poke around and try out some skills that would be suicide in rough water. Still I was hoping for more....
We went back into the mouth to see if things were any more interesting, but it was still flat. The current was moving quick, but without an opposing wind it didn't make any waves.
We decided to head off towards Horseneck Beach to find some waves to surf. About half way, we found some small waves to play in. PB and I stopped to play before the others did and caught a few nice waves.
The others were about 100-200 yards away from us when we heard a large a loud crash. I looked over and saw RR shooting down a wave as JS and CR separated from each other. It looked like a close call where three people tried to catch the same wave.
When PB and I joined up with the rest of the group, we discovered it was much worse than a close call. CR's kayak had a fist sized hole in its side and she was paddling straight for shore. Apparently, JS caught a wave and found himself surfing into CR. He couldn't maneuver his kayak in time to avoid her and didn't think of flipping over to stop his momentum. (If you find yourself careening down a wave into another kayaker, a surfer, or any other person in the water, you need to flip your kayak over to arrest your momentum. The drag of your body in the water will precipitously slow the forward progress of your kayak. It is the best way to avoid seriously injuring the other person.) So, he speared her pretty hard. The nose of his kayak shattered her hull and whacked her thigh.
Fortunately, the beach was less than a half mile walk to the cars. We were able to get CR ice for her thigh, which swelled up like a ballon. We were also able to get a car to carry her kayak back to the put-in. She was determined to field patch her kayak and paddle it back. We were all convinced she could have managed it. However, there was no need to push lady luck. We carried her kayak to JS's car and she drove back to the put-in.
We expected the return trip to be a low-key affair, but PB noticed that there was some action at the mouth of the river. He started peel off from the group to investigate and I immediately joined him. TM and RR followed. As the water level got lower, the tidal stream at the mouth of the river got more active. The lowered water level meant that the surface was more effected by the contours of the river floor.
We got 10-20 minutes of solid play time in the race. The waves at the top of the race were decent sized and pretty consistent. The way things were set up made playing and resting easy. You could jump into the race and surf for as long as you'd like and then glide out the top into a nice calm pool of water. When you were ready to play some more, you could edge into the current, ride it out a ways, and jump back on the wave train.
After the paddle we made the long drive to Coastal Roasters for the best coffee in RI. The sun was poised perfectly. The view of Stone Bridge from the patio was a vision. As the sun set and we prepared to leave, a paddler swept through the abutments and towards a safe landing in Bristol.
Days like this make me wonder why I toil away under life sucking fluorescent lights and the glare of an LED computer screen.... Oh yeah, it is so I can afford to have days like today.

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 Four Amigos

The effects of a full moon on currents last for days, so we had a second opportunity to muck about in some serious currents. According to NOAA the mouth of the Westport River promised some scary fun. The river always runs fast, but today the river promised to race. The forecasted winds promised to conspire to stand up some waves.
Today was also the day for Carleen's fall pot-luck paddle. A level 2 and a level 3 paddle were planned.
H and five others joined KB on the level 2 trip. He took them up river to avoid the currents at the mouth. All of the participants raved about the paddle, KB's knowledge of the area, and the scenery. In addition, KB treated the participants to a preview of his Toastmaster's speech.
After JS showed TM and I a nice technique for eddy hopping, I along with TM, PB, BH, JS, JS, MK, and CMc headed towards the mouth for the level 3 paddle. When we left the dock, there was no plan, but I suspected that the group would split at the mouth. Some of us wanted to play and others were looking for a typical level 3 experience.
At the mouth of the river, CMc decided that the plan was to head east around Gooseberry Pt. and portage across East Beach Road which would put us back in the River. It was a good plan, if one was looking for a relaxing day paddle with a bit of ocean swells. JS, JS, MK, and CMc followed the plan and paddled out of the mouth.
The four amigos decided that it would be better to wait and see what peak flow would offer.We had a couple of hours before it completed the change and ramped itself up into full furry. To while away the hours, we played in the eddies that the changing current stirred up. When the eddies died down, we paddled around the knubble and played on the western edge of the mouth. There were a few rock clusters that offered interesting play. We also took a long, leisurely lunch on the beach to recoup any spent energy. The melee would require all of our paddling power.
With a half hour to go before max flow, we headed back onto the water. It was a short paddle back to the mouth of the river and, we hoped, some serious action.
When we rounded the corner, we came face to face with a real tidal race. There was a clearly defined eddy along the knubble on the south side of the mouth. Just beyond the eddy, towards the center of the channel, water was pushing out of the river in a lumpy, powerful flow. Just what the doctor ordered.
After a brief review of the scene, we jumped in to the fray. Paddling against the flow was hard work until you found a wave to surf. I'd spin the stick like a mad pinwheel and barely make headway. Then I'd catch a wave and ride it forward, against the current for several yards.
On many occasions the waves were so powerful and so close together that the Q-Boat's bow would get driven into the wave in front of it. There would be woosh sound and a slight feeling of slowing down, like when an elevator slows down before stopping, and the bow would completely submerge. the ride wouldn't end because there was a enough power in the water to drive the Q-Boat through the wave and the bow would emerge on the other side.
After each run, we'd slip into the eddy, paddle up to the beach behind the knubble and rest a bit in the calm water. I made the mistake of thinking that the water was calm because it was not moving very fast. Believing that I was in still water, I decided to take off my paddle jacket without heading into the beach. I took off my helmet, my (prescription) sun glasses, and my watch and placed them in a pile on the deck. Then I proceeded to pull off my top. After I got my head out of the top, and still had my hands firmly trapped inside of the top, I realized that I was rapidly being sucked out into the melee. Fortunately, there was a rock in my path that I could grab onto with my one free hand and yell for help. TM, PB, and BH moved quickly to stop my motion and give me the time to get disentangled from my top. They also scooped up the gear that slid off my deck while I clung to the rock. Sadly, the watch and sun glasses sank. Happily though I was safely out of my top and back in position to paddle in the melee again.
It only took about an hour to completely wear ourselves out. There was very little boat traffic to get in our way and the Harbor Master seemed content to let us be, so our fun was largely uninterrupted. Nobody tried rolling in the thick of it. Nobody needed to roll in the thick of it. We each took the opportunity to push the envelope knowing that the others would be right there if needed.
One of the great things about paddling with a group on a consistent basis is the comfort level that develops among the paddlers. I've paddled with TM, PB, and BH enough to know what there skill levels are, what there comfort levels are, and what they are likely to do in most situations. That knowledge makes me much more comfortable pushing my limits when they are around. It also makes paddling that much more fun.
After the paddle we all headed to CMc's house for the pot luck dinner. We were joined by several people who didn't paddle today. It was a perfect way to end an excellent paddle.

Westport Warm-Up

After five days of paddling, I was ready for a rest. All I wanted to do this weekend was help out a friend with his charity bike ride and do some yard work. Paddling was not even on the radar. (No, I am not lying about this.)
So when H mentioned that she was surprised I wasn't paddling on Sunday, I was confused. There was no paddle scheduled for Sunday and I was not really up for paddling. Then she told me TM had posted a Westport River paddle and that helmets were recommended.... Still, I was doing a big bike ride on Saturday and I had just done a ton of paddling over the last week. But, it was the Westport river, the currents were looking promising, and TM recommended helmets....
Sunday morning I showed up at the Westport River boat launch a little stiff, but ready to play. If we timed things right we'd hit the mouth of the river at max current and still have time to head out of the river and find some surf.
We hit the water around 10:15 with a group of six stalwart sailors: TM, PB, RB (no relation), CC, RR, and myself. Unlike the previous weekend, the wind was calm and we made short work of paddling to the mouth.
At the river mouth we found a pleasant spot along the breakwater to play. In the middle of the channel, the current was running nicely. Along the edge of the breakwater, a nice eddy had formed. We could play in the current and use the eddy to rest and reposition. The eddy also made a nice spot for a safety person.
The sweet spot for me was the spot where the river passed the breakwater. The incoming swells added a little bounce to the equation and put me in position to watch the other paddlers. The spot's only drawback was that incoming boat traffic liked to pass through it.
We were careful to give the powerboat traffic plenty of room. The power boats also did their best to avoid us. Some of the bigger boats were kind enough to supply some wake waves to the mix.
During lunch RB, PB, and I did some kayak tryouts. RB is thinking about an upgrade from his Wilderness Systems kayak; PB wanted to give the Q-boat a whirl, and I wanted to take TM's new Explorer HV for ride. RB tried out both the explorer and the Q-boat and liked them both. PB didn't like the way the Q-boat rolled. I found the the Explorer HV to be pleasant enough, but way too big for me. It is very hard to get a good feel for any kayak on flat water and after only a few minutes.
After lunch, we headed out of the river. The current had died down and we wanted to see if we could find some surf or rocks in which to play. There is always something to play in along the coast.
Just outside the river we found a nice rock clump. It had a few different slots provided fun runs in the moderate swells. Everyone got a few good rides. I wasn't feeling 100%, so I spent a lot of time hanging back as a safety. It was hardly boring for me. It gave me time to practice some boat control skills and sometimes holding a position is more challenging than running a rock slot.
TM's back was bothering him, so we turned back towards home after about 20 minutes. The trip back into the river should have been uneventful. The swells were tiny, the current was minimal, and the boat traffic was non-existent. The only place where trouble could be found was close into the sea wall. Just off of its tip some waves were breaking and it looked like you could catch a nice ride into the river. Looks can be deceiving...
PB started to catch a wave, felt his nose get pulled towards the rocks, and backed off. I started to catch a wave, but was not really in position to catch a good ride. CC was just inside of me and was in a perfect position to catch the wave. She got a great ride, but was pushed in behind the sea wall. Realizing that she was between breaking waves and hard spot, she started to back paddle away from the sea wall. She made it over one breaking wave, but the second one flipped her. (Somebody needed to play the role of Bubbles in this paddle.)
PB was in a perfect spot to rush in and stabilize CC's kayak. I took a few seconds to spin the Q-boat around to get into position. Meanwhile CC realized she could stand-up and stabilize her own kayak. She just needed one of us to hold it while she hopped back into the cockpit.
Safely back inside the river, we all tried out our rolling skills. CC wanted to see the continuos storm roll I had learned in the Greenland course the weekend before. Although I was not confident I could even do a regular roll, I gave it a shot. I rolled right back up and CC gave it less successful try. She even tried it with a stick. RR and RB both showed off nice balance braces. PB's rolling luck had been jinxed by his earlier miss in the Q-boat. Rolls are delicate and fickle creatures. Like an Italian sports car or a great writer, a roll can be spooked by a spec of dust or a drinking the wrong water.
We retired for good chat and great coffee at Coastal Roasters. TM laid out his plans for tackling some bigger currents and rougher conditions over the next month or so. This was just a warm up. He wants to take on Stone Bridge at max current and maybe take run out to the Race....

Leadership Training (or something like that)

RIC/KA's sea kayaking contingent takes a middle of the road approach to trip leading. The MA based clubs have official trip leaders who take special training. ConnYak has moved to a leaderless trip format. RIC/KA has a group of paddlers, who are screened, that act as trip coordinators.
A coordinator is responsible for choosing the put-in, developing a float plan, and giving the pre-launch talk. Unlike a trip leader, a coordinator is not responsible for screening paddlers or making sure paddlers stick to the proposed plan. While the official line is that a coordinator is not responsible for the group, the coordinators take on the responsibilities of a trip leader. They work to keep the group together, make changes to the float plan based on the conditions and the group composition, and generally keep an eye out for trouble. It can be a lot of work.
This year RIC/KA organized a day of coordinator training with Carl Ladd. (The flat water coordinators spent a day working with Sam Ladd.) Despite my crazy summer schedule and my general lack of coordinating this year, I was invited to participate. However, I decided to leave the space open for another person because my schedule was crazy and I had already taken a coordinator's workshop a few years back.
At the charity event for Carl and Sam, it was brought to my, and H's, attention that my participation was not optional... It was assumed that I was going to attend regardless of how much I protested. So, I protested just enough... and then sheepishly accepted my fate - day of rough water instruction by one of the best coaches around. (Drat!)
I arrived to find the shop bustling. Carl, Sam, and their workers were trying to get three classes organized and open shop. PB, KB (no relation), Tony M., and Tim M. rolled in around the same time as I did. Bubbles showed up just after Tony M. and tried to merge the nose of his Pintail with the stern of Tony's kayak... CC, CM, and MK rounded out the sea kayaking contingency. The sea kayaking group was going down to the Westport River in the Osprey van, so we moved the kayaks onto Carl's trailer, filled out all the required waivers, and wondered how Carl was going to deal with the building wind.
At the put-in our concern grew... The wind was whipping up the river as was the current. Carl's plan was to paddle down to the mouth of the river to play in the currents and see if we could find any rough conditions in which to play. The wind was not only going to make paddling to the mouth a slog, it was also knocking down any waves that thought about poking up their heads. The howl of the wind also limited our ability to communicate on the water.
Undaunted, Carl, and his faithful assistant Hugh, led us out of the boat launch and towards the mouth of the river. As predicted, the paddle was a slog. As usually happens when a RIC/KA group paddles into a head wind, the group spread way out. The stronger paddlers in the group pushed hard to make progress against the wind and broke away from the pack. CC and Carl stopped to fix something and got blown back from the pack.
When we reached the bend, Carl pulled the group together for a teaching moment. He pointed out that it is common for people to get anxious and up their paddling cadence when paddling into the wind. This means that faster paddlers will paddle that much faster. The combination of anxiety and lowered communication increases the risk that a group will spread out. When that happens, the paddlers in that back of the pack become doubly anxious. They not only need to paddle harder to beat the wind, they also need to paddle harder to keep up with the rest of the pack... Their grip tightens up, their cadence picks up too much, their rotation suffers, their focus slips from the water to the paddle spin... "Capsizes rarely happen at the front of the pack."
We all had comments about how to address the situation, or rationalizations for why it happens. The only real point was that it happens and that as leaders, we need to be aware and work to keep the group together - particularly as conditions get tougher.
At the beach along the mouth of the river, Carl again had us group up and laid out a plan for playing while maintaining safety. From the beach, we could see how the wind and the currents were creating nice spots to play, where boat traffic was flowing, and where a capsized paddler would drift. Based on this input we determined the best place to put safeties. The safeties job was to keep an eye on the kayakers playing in the roughest conditions and be ready to rescue. As Carl pointed out, this did not mean the safeties couldn't also play. A few of the safety spots provided opportunities to play. Carl also pointed out that paddlers had to rotate who was a safety. Most important was the reminder that having safeties did NOT absolve the playing paddlers of responsibility for watching out for their compatriots.
As it turned out, rotating in and out of safety was a natural occurrence as we each got tired of banging around in the currents and small standing waves. Playing safety provided a nice chance to rest and recoup. It also provided a chance to watch how conditions were evolving.
We all got plenty of chances to test our mettle and do some rescuing. PB blew a roll and required a quick rescue. The rocks along the beach created some nice eddies and standing waves to play with. The current in the main channel was strong enough to ride. I dropped my paddle and required a stick recovery. Fortunately for me the Q-Boat is very stable in rough water, PB was quick to offer me a bow for stability, and Bubbles was quick to retrieve the stick. Can you say embarrassing....
After lunch, Carl showed us a few land drills for edging and sweep turns. One of Carl's big things is using your lower body to work the kayak. He like to tell people that when you are in a kayak, the hull becomes your legs. Use your core to move the hull like it is an extension of your body. Of course doing this requires that you edge the kayak. The more you edge the more control you get from your legs.
After lunch, we practiced kayak control drills and then headed home. Carl managed to educate us and entertain us despite the wind. There was a lot to process over fish and chips at Evelyn's.

Feeding the Need

Many of my non-kayaking friends think it is strange that I get a little tweaked out, sort of like the shakes, if I go too long without paddling--even the ones who smoke. So, after nearly 10 days off the water, I was starting to feel pretty off-kilter.
Fortunately, Tim M. is on vacation and itching to paddle. I took the day off and we headed down to Westport to feed the need. While the rest of NE sweltered in the heat, it was a nearly perfect day on the water. The temperature was in the low 80s, the humidity wasn't too oppressive, and there was a nice breeze.
For the most part we just poked around in the river and practiced sculling and rolling. We did head out around the break water to look for some waves and rocks to play in.
I was without my trusty stick--it was undergoing a refinish job. In its place I started off using a Tooksook, or as Tim calls it "the Toxic Paddle." In theory, the Tooksook is a blend of a traditional paddled and a Euro paddle. Sadly, like most hybrids, it has all the weaknesses of both and none of their strengths.
It didn't take me long before I decided to switch to my normal back-up paddle which is a Kinetic Touring. In my opinion, the KT is one of the best paddle shapes made. It is a big scoopy blade, but it does not abuse your body. Still, it is 100% more forceful than my stick. For the first half hour I felt every stroke and nearly toppled myself trying to reacclimated to the feather. It wasn't long before I was back up to speed. Most skills transfer smoothly between a Euro paddle and a stick. The only stroke that is really different is the forward stroke. Rolling, for example, is pretty much the same. The biggest difference is in the force generated by the blade in the water.
Just on the edge of the break water we found a great tidal rip with some little standing waves to play in. We also did some practice sculling and rolling in the current along the beach. The effect of moving water on how a paddle reacts is surprising. I tried a roll on the side of the boat facing the current and the water kept driving my paddle into the water. I got zilch for lift. I swallowed a bunch of water before trying it on the other side of the kayak, but Tim tells me that it is much easier because the current would add lift to the blade.
Of course, paddling was followed up by coffee. The venue of choice for that side of the Bay is Coastal Roasters. Despite the drive to get there, it is worth every minute out of my way!!
Now I can go back to work and feel like a human again...

Playing Hooky

When the weather gods hand me a sunny day after so much rain, and it happens to coincide with a scheduled paddle in a great spot, I have a hard time passing it up. I hedged my bets all week, kept an eye on the weather, and refused to let myself get too excited. Thursday afternoon, after Tim M. confirmed that he was going and the weather forecast continued to look like a gift, I e-mailed my boss and told him I needed a personal day. My boss is an Irishman with a keen respect for the occasional mental health day, so after a bit of ribbing, he gladly agreed.
Friday morning I pulled into the Westport boat ramp and had a brief moment of panic. All of the parking spaces were marked "trailers only." A quick phone call to H, who was being a good dooby and working, confirmed that I was at the right spot. Shortly after I got off the phone and started to nap, Tim M. pulled in, followed shortly after by Paul B. and Bob H.. With four cars it was easy to fill up a couple of trailer spots in a manner that seemed to appease the parking police.
The trip provided a good opportunity to play in currents and practice ferry glides. Carleen--who missed the paddle due to a babysitting emergency--picked a day where the river was running against us both ways. Fortunately, there was very light boat traffic, so we had plenty of room to play. On the way out we just did a couple of zig-zags to get out to the ocean. We were all itching for some swells and open water. On the way back in, we played in the currents for a while. There was a nice eddy along the sea wall so I would poke out into the current, glide into the channel, ride a few bumps, slip back into the eddy, make my way back to the top of the eddy, and repeat. Tim and Paul mostly just hung out gliding around in the current.
The ocean portion of the trip had something for everybody: swells, wind, long haul paddling, rocks, and rescue practice.
We paddled out to the Marsh whose name I forget. There was a nice wind in our faces that kept the heat at bay and the swells up. That area of the coast has a lot of interesting features that Tim M. explained to us. There are a few exposed rocks to create little breaks, but we hung pretty far out to sea. We lunched by the marsh and soaked up the sun after a few embarrassing mini-surf landings.
The launches also offered a bit of comedy. The beach was just steep enough and the surf just big enough to breach my boat before I could get the stern afloat. Finally, with a few shoves from Bob H. I did manage to get off the beach.
On the return trip, we decided to make the trip a bit more exciting. It was rock time. There is a nice big rock formation right by the beach that we played dodge the waves with a couple of times before turning homeward.
We decided to stick a little closer to shore and see if we could find any safe rocks to play around and not get our knoggins bashed.
All went well until Bob went in search of a surf wave... The next thing we know there was a bright yellow spot where Bob should have been. Nobody, including Bob, knows exactly what happened, but we had a swimmer near a wave break and rocks. This is where rescue practice pays off. Bob held onto his boat and paddle; I spun around, locked up his boat and started the rescue; Paul B. clipped his tow-line into my bow and pulled us away from the rocks. In short order, Bob was out of harm's way and in his cockpit.
A bit later, I nearly got trounced by a wave. We were all trying to move outside a break and I was the innermost boat. A little wave crept up and forced a brace. Right behind it a bigger wave rolled in and took me for a ride. I managed to use my brace to stay upright and spin the boat so that I was facing down the wave. It was a roller coaster ride. While on the wave being pushed towards some rocks, I was terrified. Once safe, I was exhilarated.
We decided to test our luck once more on the rock formation just outside the mouth of the Westport River. There was a nice gap where the waves broke a little. Tim, Bob, and I all took several runs through it. Going out towards the waves was the easiest run because you could see what was coming. Going in was a rush because if you mistimed it, you could end up parked on a ridge waiting for the next wave to flip you or bash you into the rock. Tim actually got caught in the swirly on his first trip through, but held himself off the rocks.
I knew I had pushed my luck to the limit and decided to call it quits after four or five runs. It was a good thing too. While we were rounding the sea wall into the river a little breaker caught my boat just right and I had to brace in a hurry. It was definitely a sign...
The weather gods and the water gods shined on us.
Post paddle coffee was had at Tiverton Roasters--Great Coffee. The conversation was deep and thoughtful. Then the party moved to Evelyn's--a tradition reborn from its ashes--for fried sea food.