Paddling to Prudence, Again

After a long day on the water Sat. H and I, against H's better judgment, dragged our slightly achey bodies out of bed and headed down to Bristol, RI for another visit to Prudence Island. It may seem silly to paddle to the same spot two days in a row, but I figured we'd get a different perspective given the different put in. Besides, I wanted to get some more time in the new kayak....
The weather forecast was for HOT--like Africa HOT and the weather lived up to the forecast. It was so hot that the water felt like bath water. Rolling to cool off didn't even offer much relief. A few minutes after coming back up, your clothes were dry and hot again. If there had been a wind, it too would probably have been hot too. However, the air was still and the water, at least in Bristol Harbor, was as smooth as 12 year old scotch.
H and I were not the only repeat paddlers on the trip. Carole, Mike K., and the other Mike also showed up ready to paddle. I can only hope that when I get into my 3rd childhood that I'm half as spry.
There were some late arrivals, but Frank took it all in stride. We took our time getting ready and catching up with people we hadn't seen in a while like George, also an owner of a Q-Boat, and Brian. Tim used the time to give the Q-Boat a quick test drive. I was a little worried that I might have to spend the day paddling the Aquilla(the "A kill ya" as I like to call it.)
We paddled out of Bristol Harbor and around the end of Poppasquash Point. From there we crossed over to Prudence in an impressively tight formation. In response to Frank's comment that the water was flat, the ocean got lumpy as we crossed the channel. There wasn't much power boat traffic, but there was enough to confuse the waters.
We landed near the entrance to the tidal estuary on Prudence Island and portaged into the tidal river. Tim gave a brief explanation of the estuary's basic properties and the different types of fauna before we set back out for the ocean. It was cool to paddle in a small, windy river in the middle of the bay. We even had a boat capsize on one turn. Apparently, Ed used too much edge to make one of the turns...
Lunch at the beach was very pleasant. The river was a nice place to wade and escape form the heat. There was a cute family on the beach whose children were using their tube as a raft. There was also a puppy who was intent on checking out everything that moved.
Brian took the opportunity to share his mole joke with me. All I can say is that if you get a chance, ask him to tell it. It's not dirty...really....
From the beach on the far side of Prudence, we turned north to return to Bristol by way of the North point. At this point the group started spreading out. A few people in the group were starting to get tired and H was not feeling great. The head of the group was good about not getting too far ahead of the tail and Frank did a great job of keeping an eye on the whole group. He was very good about making sure we were all safe and enjoying ourselves.
Before making the crossing back to Bristol, we took another quick break. The spot where we took out has a nice little nearby, so Tim and I took the opportunity to play a little. The break was very welcome--except for the biting bugs--as it breathed new life into H before the big crossing.
The return crossing was also bumpy. There was more boat traffic, but the bigger boats steered clear of out tight pod of kayaks. Once at Poppasquash Point, Frank decided to split the group. The faster paddlers went ahead and he stayed back with the slower paddlers. It was a nice gesture. Paddling too slow can be just as tiring as paddling too fast. Everyone has got a certain rhythm range and paddling outside of that for too long can be arduous.
By the time we got back to OSA, H was back to her cheery self and ready for dinner. We ate at J.G. Goff's Pub. The heat of the day had abated and the view of the harbor at sunset, combined with the excellent nachos, made for a great ending to a nice paddle.

Paddling to Prudence

I was a little apprehensive about today's paddle as I'd never launched from Head's Beach, had never been to Prudence Island, had lost my chart of the Bay, and I was subbing as coordinator. To make matters worse the coordinator for the level 2 paddle, Peter H., was also a substitute. Fortunately, Peter was much better prepared than I was and Ray B. showed up and graciously took the level 3 reigns from my hands.
In addition to doing a completely new paddle, I was taking the maiden voyage in my new Q-Boat. The Q-Boat, its actual name is a barely pronounceable Greenlandic word that was probably invented in an English pub, is billed as a high volume Anas Acuta. I'm not certain that I would call it that, but it does have many characteristics of the Anas Acuta and is big enough for me to sit in comfortably without sinking. The Q-Boat's chines are hard, it's front-end is a big bubble, it's tail is long, and it's ends are pointy. Michael Brokenshire said it looks like an arrow.
Also sporting new rides for the paddle were Mike K. and a new paddler, Bethany. Mike's new ride is a shiny red Eddyline Flacon that he hopes will give him some added speed on calm water paddles. Bethany's new kayak is a red over white Nordkap LV. Both boats got rave reviews at the end of the day. Mike was actually in the middle of the pack for most of the day!!
At a little after 10am 25 kayaks set out from Head's Beach to paddle to Prudence Island. There were a couple of new people, several people I had not seen in a while, and a lot of the regular crew. The plan was to paddle along Jamestown, cross over to Prudence, and take a quick break at the beach. From the break point, the level 3 paddlers were going to head up to the local store for goodies. The estimated mileage was about 6 for the level 2 trip and 15 for the level 3 trip.
For most of the paddle I was concentrating on getting a feel for the new kayak so I didn't get to talk to as many people as I would have liked. I also didn't get quite as nice a view of Jamestown as I would have liked. However, the Q-Boat made up for those lapses.
Paddling the Q-Boat is a dream. At 18' long, she has plenty of speed, however, due to the rocker in the tail, she is also plenty maneuverable. It doesn't take much to make her spin around on a bow rudder. Being hard chined, she is also amazingly easy to get and hold on edge. The hard chines make her feel a little unsettled when the water gets bumpy, but that is largely due to my unfamiliarity with how it feels. The water slaps the chines and can make the hull rock a touch. Based on her stability on edge, however, my guess is that in rough water she has plenty of stability.
After a pleasant stop at the beach on Prudence where we feasted on H's oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and Lori Bomes' delectable cookies, the level three group headed off to the store. By this point, I was settled into the new kayak and took the time to look at the sights. Prudence was pretty. I liked the little light house and the store/post office was pleasantly run down.
By the time we hit the store, H and I had used up a good bit of our water supplies due to the heat. It wasn't so hot that it felt oppressive, but you could tell it was warm. The cold beverage and ice cream from the store were a nice treat.
The paddle back to Jamestown seemed much longer than the paddle out. This was due to the fact that we didn't stop for a break on the return trip. This was also due to the fact that it was a long trip and people were getting tired. At first I thought it may have just been the heat, but come to find out the trip was 18 miles long and not the advertised 15. Ray had no sympathy. As he said after dinner: "It's the end of August. You guys should be in shape to do that kind of distance no sweat."
The paddle back afforded us a view of a gigantic ship as it took the channel between Jamestown and Prudence to the East Passage. I was prepared for the monster to throw a huge, surfable wake, but it only caused a few paltry waves. Still, it was impressive.
The return trip also offered me several opportunities to practice my combat roll. One time I tried to spin the kayak around on itself and edged over a tad too far. The other time I was paddling backwards and caught a wave just wrong. Fortunately the Q-Boat rolls with hardly a thought. The trickiest thing is waiting for the kayak to settle before starting the roll.
The post paddle pig out was held at the Jamestown Portuguese Club. The wait staff was harried, but pleasant. The portions were big and the prices were reasonable. Oh and the food was mostly excellent. The cod only got an OK rating. Dinner conversation seemed to hover around things that can kill you... Great whites hunting seals off of Monomoy... Man-O-War on RI beaches... just about anything in Australia. Not sure what that says about us...
I want to give kudos to Lori's friend Marianne. She did the level three trip and was at the head of the pack for the whole time!! I'd also like to thank Ray B. for doing such a great job on short notice.

Bluff Point Paddle

Here's a trip report from Bill Hahn:

July 8
Bluff Point Park, Groton, CT.

My friend Mike and I arrived early, about 9 for a 10 am departure. Much to my surprise the parking lot, which is quite large, had quite a few vehicles in it, many with sea kayaks still on their roofs.
We parked and walked over to some activity at the beach. Karen Knight was doing a demonstration of paddle strokes for the ConnYak club. After the demonstration she would be giving a clinic for women for the remainder of the day. There was a large ConnYak contingent watching the demo. As the RICKA crew arrived for our paddle they joined the group watching from the beach.
I had never heard of Karen but her paddling skills were considerable. She was able to make a small one person canoe and a sea kayak do things I had only dreamt of. She used single bladed paddle as well as the standard two bladed paddle. She literally made the kayak dance.
The demo finally ended about 9:30 and we started to pull the paddle together. Because Karen was using the beach we prepared to launch at the far lower side of the parking lot. The remainder of the ConnYak group, guys and the ladies that were not taking Karen's class also started gearing up for their own paddle so it was a very crowded put in.
I noticed one of the ConnYak paddlers had a S&G Night Heron. As this is the boat I am also building I was anxious to talk to him about the construction as well as how the boat performed. After grilling him as long as I could I was happy to confirm that the boat was a good choice.
12 People arrived for the RICKA paddle including a couple of people from CT. We finally got off about 10:25 or so waiting for a late arrival but slightly ahead of the ConnYak group. They were doing about the same paddle and we agreed to try and meet for lunch.
The day was perfect with little wind and a good tide in the river. The plan, based on earlier paddles from Bluff Point at this level, was to go out the river, down the coast towards Mystic, pull into Mumford Cove, come back to the beach, have lunch and return.
The lack of wind and an energetic group got us to Mumford Cove way ahead of schedule. The near shore temperatures in the Cove were uncomfortable with the light winds and we decided to go further down the coast since everyone was doing fine. We passed Groton Long Point and went into Palmer Cove. At the head of the Cove was a small sandy area and we pulled in for lunch. Across the street from this location was a public beach with a concession stand and real restrooms, a great luxury on any paddle. We did not run into the ConnYak group and missed our lunch date.
After a leisurely lunch we headed back. The water level in the river was down but not enough to be a problem.
Karen's class was still going on in the beach area. She had the group on the grass going over some techniques. A number of our group watched from a distance. She then moved the group into the water. At this point I must commend Ray B. for exercising incredible self control while this women only class was taking place.

Quantum Leaps

I finally got to see H in her new Capella 161 and she was a totally different paddler. It is amazing how much changing a kayak can effect a paddler. The Shadow she was paddling was an OK kayak for a beginner or some one bigger than she is, but ultimately it was her albatross. It had excellent primary stability, but, when you could wrench it on its side, it was unstable on it edges. It also had a gigantic cockpit and way too much volume for her.
The Capella on the other hand is a very nice fit. It is the same length, 16ish feet, but is much narrower at 21". It also has excellent primary stability, is easy to get on the edge, and has very predictable secondary stability. The fit is also much better.
H, Tim, and I paddled out of the Bay Campus and headed towards Beaver Tail to give H her first real paddle in the new kayak. The conditions when we set out were pretty mellow. There was a decent bit of chop and a light wind. As we paddled down the Jamestown coast the wind picked up to a respectable clip and the swells got bigger. H had no problems keeping pace with Tim and I and, despite the bumps, seemed perfectly comfortable. I even saw her smile a few times. In her Shadow she would have been struggling the whole time. The Capella behaved better in the swells and because it fit better, and had solid foot pegs, allowed her stroke to shine. The rotation was better and it showed.
When we turned to head back, she took off. In a following sea, the Capella surffed like a champ. It shot down the swells straight as an arrow. There were times that Tim and I were having trouble keeping up because we had to work keeping our kayaks straight. H looked like a pro.
The crossing from Ft. Getty to Bay Campus presented us with the most challenging conditions of the day. There were beam winds and beam swells. Initially, I had trouble finding the magic skeg spot to keep my kayak on course. I kept either pegging it too far down and turning downwind, or pulling it too far up and turning up wind.
H, on the other hand, held a solid course and made good headway. Her little boat handled the swells easily and she braced on the big ones. I was very impressed.
On the beach she demurly said "I'm glad I looked good, because I felt like I had no idea what I was doing."
Given that her new boat is 2" narrower than her old boat and she has always had a rudder, it is understandable that she felt a touch out of sorts. However, she certainly looked like she knew what she was doing!! It was an amazing quantum leap in performance.

Tai Chi, Head Games, and Kayaking

These three things have all gotten jumbled up in my head lately, so bear with me while I try to explain.
It all started with a couple of tough paddles and a post-paddle conversation on the deck of Java Madness. Tim mentioned something about kayaking being, in large part, a head trip. He was making a point about how much there is to learn about kayaking and that he is constantly learning new things about technique. My mind went off on a completely different track with the comment however.
I think that a big part of kayaking is a mind game you play with yourself. How much of learning to roll is about technique and how much is just a matter of convincing yourself that you are OK for a little while under the water? How much of staying upright in trying conditions is about having good balance and a strong brace and how much is a matter of confidence and focus? How much of learning to really edge a boat is a matter of technique and how much is a matter of having the confidence to accept that you may capsize? How much of a successful rescue is about the hours of practice and how much is it about staying calm and projecting that to the swimmer?
A few weeks ago H and I started taking a Tai Chi class through Newton Community Ed.. Two of the major points of Tai Chi are that all movement comes from the core and the idea of focusing on the movement. Since, I'm obsessed with kayaking, I immediately started making correlations between what we were learning in class and what we learn on the water.
The idea that all movement originates from the core is key to kayaking. The core is the drive shaft of the forward stroke. It is also the major player in most boat handling strokes. Plenty of people try, and succeed to a certain extent, to paddle without their core engaged, but they always tire out and have trouble swinging a kayak around. In a forward stroke, the rotation from the core drives the paddle through the water and your arms act as a guide for that force. When stabilizing a kayak, the motion of the hips is all centered around the core. A powerful sweep turn uses the core to pull the boat around the paddle, while the arms are providing a brace. Even a rudder turn comes from the core because it involves some rotation, some balance, and the use of the legs/hips to turn the boat. The core grounds and drives the whole endeavor.
The concept of focused, purposeful motion feeds back into the idea that kayaking is largely about the head games you play with yourself. Your motions become fluid and natural not because you don't need to think about them, but because they are purposeful. When you make a movement in Tai Chi you are supposed to focus on the movement and directing the energy of your body. The same is true of a paddle stroke. You focus on directing the paddle through the water and driving the boat forward. When you turn, you focus on directing the boat towards its destination. The focus on movement also forces you to focus on staying in the moment. You cannot worry about what might happen, or what just happened. Paddling becomes about what is happening. You feel the boat as it reacts and only look a few waves out. The voices in your head quite as your concentration becomes focused on the moment and the movement.
Paddling = Zen?