Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

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norm
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Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by norm »

Jordan wanted to get out for a morning paddle and needed to be back for afternoon commitments, so he proposed a trip out of Scituate Harbor. I was glad to see a trip posted and happy that it was Scituate since I had never paddled there before.

The trip was advertised as a "short low stress paddle up along the coast", but mother nature chose not to cooperate. The 1 to 2 foot seas forecast turned out to be more like 2 to 4 foot seas. I think we got more action than the Whitewater Turkey Paddlers did on the Cohasset wave.

The original participants were supposed to be Jordan, a co-worker of his named Tracy and myself. Pat jumped on with a message board reply at 5:15am saying he would be coming along. Then we also had a surprise last minute joiner, Mike. So our 3 person group grew to 5 which worked out very well. That safety in numbers thing...

We launched at the Scituate Harbor boat ramp at just about dead low tide at about 8:00am. It was a -1.13ft low tide at 7:44am, so we were below the end of the paved boat ramp area. It was not too muddy though, with good firm footing.

Here is a picture at the bottom of the boat ramp with Mike saying something about being happy that he's in a plastic boat today. I was kinda missing the Cape Cod sandy conditions I've gotten used to with my Yellow Kayak Club buddies.

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Since "Queen Bea" wasn't around on this trip, Jordan gave Tracy the Royal treatment with a launch assist.

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I was impressed by the variety and neatness of all the different sort of boats in this harbor. Not many grungy old skows around here. I figured I'd snap away with the camera on the way out through the harbor because the flags were showing a lot of wind. I've now been told I'm a "wus" when it comes to taking pictures in rough water, wanting to keep both hands on the paddle. I'll have to break out some "hands free" camera gear in the future. But remember, this was supposed to be a "short low stress paddle up along the coast".

There seemed to be a lot of new waterfront condos overlooking the boat slips. Or maybe they just take really nice care of things in Scituate.

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Even the marine gas station looked pristine to me. As a large SUV driver, I always enjoy beaing able to pass a gas station without stopping.

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I wondered if this waterfront restaurant serves breakfast.

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The waterfront bar was definitely empty.

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The fishing and lobster boats were so nice, neat, colorful and clean in Scituate Harbor.

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Even the cormorants seemed to sit up with good posture.

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There were a large variety of serious sailboats moored in this harbor. All with very nice lines.

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This one seemed to have a very odd design. Looked like it was for stand-up enclosed sailing only. An all-weather sailboat?

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This one had quite the wide body to go along with a tough to pronounce name.

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This one seemed to have every accessory available: roller-furled jib, sail covers, cockpit canopy, charcoal grill on the rail, windmill power generator, solar collector, tv antenna, davits off the stern for the tender and who knows what else.

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Pat or Mike made a comment about one of these blue sailboats. I didn't get the greatest picture of them but they were quite large and impressive.

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I couldn't match Ron's skill for capturing great shots of lighthouses. This is the best I could do on this day.

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Tracy and Jordan heading past Scituate Light.

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At about this point I had to put away the camera. I could see that it was going to get rough from the bouncing of the power boats heading out the channel and hitting the surf in the open water beyond the end of the breakwater. The plan was to turn left and head up the coast to Egypt Beach. We headed straight North into the waves for a while until we started getting too far offshore and Jordan said we really needed to head more west up the coast. This meant we had to take the waves on broadside (which I'm starting to get more accustomed to dealing with this year). Our new course pointed us between the coast and Minot's Light, way off in the distance. The group stayed together pretty well in the rough conditions. I think we were all checking to make sure we stayed within shouting distance at all times. I don't like trying to turn and look behind me in surf, so I just kept listening for Tracy's voice as she was chatting with Jordan.

We curled around in an arc for about a mile and eventually headed closer to shore seeking calmer waters for a break from the waves. There really wasn't any chance of landing on the beach for a rest. It didn't look very sandy and launching back into the surf would have been too difficult. From a distance, it had looked like there might be a rock jetty extending straight out from shore that might give us a calm spot to land, but when we got closer the rocks were along the shoreline, not extending out into the surf. It looked like we could just get some minor rest in the smaller waves and then would have to head back without a real stop. I was finding it still too rough to grab a drink from my water bottle on the deck and I was wishing I had taken the time to fill the darn hydration pack I was wearing.

Mike and I had pretty much started slowly heading back toward the harbor. I was still eyeing the beach, hoping for a good spot to land. Tracy was doing great and I was very impressed since this was her first time out in the open water with the Tempest she had just purchased used. Jordan was staying pretty close to Tracy and I think he sensed that she might be tiring. Pat was somewhere in the middle. Next thing we knew, Pat shouted for Mike and I to stop. Tracy had tipped and Jordan was helping her. Pat got alongside Jordan and stabilized his boat while he emptied Tracy's. Tracy seemed to be getting pulled out by an undertow while she tried to swim back to the boat but she eventually got there and got back into the boat. Once she was settled back in, we headed back toward the harbor, staying closer together this time. I don't know what happened, but within about ten minutes Tracy was over again and Jordan and Pat went into rescue mode again. Pat later said: "It's a lot different doing a rescue in rough water than it is at the pond at Hanson!" At this point it was decided that Jordan and Tracy would land on the beach while the rest of us headed back to the harbor to get the cars and pick them up. Jordan and I had cell-phones to communicate once they got settled and knew their address for us to find them. I didn't witness the beach landing but later at PPR, Tracy said Jordan took excellent care to help her land safely.

The trip back to the harbor was not easy. For a moment, I wished I had volunteered to land on the beach with Tracy. Originally the forecast wind directions would have been in our face on the way out and at our backs to help on the return trip. It turned out that the wind was just directly on-shore so we had to battle the broadside waves on the way back like we did on the way out.

There are some really big rocks off the Scituate coast. I'd like to come back and enjoy the view of them some time. This time they had me worried that between the giant boulders and shore there might be other smaller rocks just out of sight. On the way out, we had been out beyond the big ones but on the way back we were closer to shore. Mike and Pat were taking a line closer to shore than me when all of a sudden I felt the ground under by boat as a four foot wave was rising up in front of me. Thankfully I was not completely broadside to the wave and was able to turn into it enough when I got free from the bottom. Worried that I might hit more shallows, I paddled franticly straight out into the waves and deeper water for a few minutes. Once I got out there, I found it hard to turn and paddle parallel with the big waves, so I kept going till I could clear the harbor breakwater when I turned back and rode the waves in. Mike commented that he thought I was headed for P-Town.

Once we were back inside the protection of the harbor, I drank about half my bottle of water and then pulled out the camera again. Just about then Jordan called so I fumbled around to pull out my cell-phone from my other life jacket pocket and answered it while it was still in the clear dry bag. Jordan gave me the address where they were located so we could pick them up when we got back to our cars.

We came across this small Coast Guard boat headed out as we were heading in. It's nice to paddle with people you know and can count on so you don't need to call these guys.

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Here's a shot of another nice clean lobster boat...from the kayakers perspective. Glad it's swinging on a mooring and not underway.

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The clouds seemed to have thickened up in the last few hours as evident in this picture. Looks like the boat slips are mostly populated with power boats while most of the sailboats are out on moorings.

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They even have twin motorboats in this harbor!

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Here's a shot of the boat ramp with a lot more water this time. (Pat asked for a shot of this for put-in location pictures.)

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I didn't realize that Pat had his boat trailer with him, so I volunteered to go pick up Jordan and Tracy in my truck after getting my boat loaded. It took me so long to enter the address in my GPS that Pat headed off and got to them before me. We all got together back at the boat ramp and got the boats onto the right cars. We planned to go across the parking lot to an ice cream store for PPR, but when we got into the store, they told us that "Harbor Scoops" had moved up the street and just left the name on the window for advertising. This store was just a coffee shop now. None of us needed any coffee after our natural adrenaline adventure so we left. I think it was at this point that Mike decided to just head home. The rest of us took a shot at finding the ice cream shop. After a little more walking around, Pat decided he'd just head home too. Jordan, Tracy and I were determined to find Harbor Scoops. We found another sign, but no store. Eventually Tracy asked a passerby where it was and we made our way there to find out they were not open yet! We settled for some very good sandwich wraps and ate outside at a sidewalk table. Tracy only ate half her sandwich and made some comment about leaving room for ice cream but it was time to head home.

Thanks for posting this trip Jordan and doing a great job out there. It's great to see all those rescue skill sessions and practice paying off when needed. Great job by Pat also, stabilizing Jordan's boat during both rescues. And Tracy, you're truly a resilient paddler, ready to go back out again after two dunkings. That had to be exhausting. I hope to paddle with you again this year.

Here are a few stats from the trip and the GPS track:
Launch Time: 8:15am
Take Out Time: 10:30am
Total Distance Paddling: 5.7 miles
Participants: Jordan, Tracy, Norm, Pat, Mike

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Norm
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by Chip »

Nice job as usual Norm. Sounds pretty crazy.
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by cgr »

Norm - that all weather sailboat is a motorsailer. They usually have a comparatively low output diesel motor, huge fuel tanks, and can operate equally well under power or sail. Great boat to cruise to Alaska on.
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by pat »

As usual, great report and photos, Norm!

Have you been able to do anything about the finger dents in your paddle yet? Still working on mine. The blood *has* returned to my white knuckles, though.
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by kayakerjnj »

Great Report Norm!

As usual, your pictures were fantastic!

Thanks for sharing!
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by NorwayLady »

Safety is in the number and the rescue skills. Hats off to Jordan for always saying "welcome to Hanson".

Egypt beach is tricky. The surfers hang out there all the time hoping to catch some good waves.

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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by noseykate »

can we go play there again? I'd like to come!

did anyone else use their hanson-bred rescue skills besides Jordan? might have been a good opportunity for real-world experience.

also, were wind-waves expected? was wind in the forecast? or was this a freak localized occurrence? was there a considered decision made to take a first-timer into these waves? it helps, I think, to parse these situations so that one can gain judgment about whether or not to expose oneself to the conditions in the first place. (just ask me about plum island....)

and Norm, I know what you mean about not wanting to take your hand off the paddle to shoot a photo when it got interesting. that's why I have so few surf shots. It's hard to do!

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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by Jan Seery »

Wow - what an action-packed 2 hours - more than bargained for! Nice job everyone!
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by pat »

When I was out there, a small part of me was thinking that I'd love to take this opportunity to try a rescue in these waters, because who knows when I'll have this combination again - rough seas AND Jordan's expertise. But I figured that he didn't need any more issues on his plate at that point. So glad we've got him on our team!
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by Finn McCool »

I'm still in Guiness therapy for "PAJ" (Post Adventure Jitters) :lol:

It looked a little "lumpy" from a distance while we were still in the harbor. But closer up, those lumps often seemed like moving mountains. I felt fairly stable in my tanker with the wide beam, but there were plenty of broadsides that gave me some thrills. As noted in my comments at the end of the trip thread...let there never be ANY question about the value of rescue drills and practice. Jordan was always on top of things, and Pat was first on the scene when needed...while I was still trying to work my way around and back to standby for assistance with Norm if required.

We simply did not expect what we ultimately encountered out there. Even with my modest amount of practices, I had confidence that we could handle whatever came our way. And we did.

Again, well done to Jordan for the training and leadership.
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by kayakerjnj »

noseykate wrote:can we go play there again? I'd like to come!

did anyone else use their hanson-bred rescue skills besides Jordan? might have been a good opportunity for real-world experience.

also, were wind-waves expected? was wind in the forecast? or was this a freak localized occurrence? was there a considered decision made to take a first-timer into these waves? it helps, I think, to parse these situations so that one can gain judgment about whether or not to expose oneself to the conditions in the first place. (just ask me about plum island....)

and Norm, I know what you mean about not wanting to take your hand off the paddle to shoot a photo when it got interesting. that's why I have so few surf shots. It's hard to do!

NK


I was guilty of not following my gut instinct to bail when we left the harbor. It something to do with giggling exuberance Tracey had with the conditions, and my own struggle not to be the control freak that I am by nature. As usual it's always easier to go into wave head on than to be pushed back or turn in them. In hindsight I wish I had every one do some circles right at the harbor entrance to make sure everyone was comfortable with what lied ahead. It was my bad for not imposing a more conservative tack on the morning.

The waves were wind driven and the winds were 2-3 times what was originally advertised on the weather forecast earlier. By the end of the morning even tops of the waves were getting severely white capped. While not quite like our plumb island experience, because most of our travel was either into or directly away from the wind driven waters, the beaming action always gets people's attention and hips twitching.

You and Mark would have thoroughly enjoyed yourselves!
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by noseykate »

kayakerjnj wrote:I was guilty of not following my gut instinct to bail when we left the harbor. It something to do with giggling exuberance Tracey had with the conditions, and my own struggle not to be the control freak that I am by nature. As usual it's always easier to go into wave head on than to be pushed back or turn in them. In hindsight I wish I had every one do some circles right at the harbor entrance to make sure everyone was comfortable with what lied ahead. It was my bad for not imposing a more conservative tack on the morning.

The waves were wind driven and the winds were 2-3 times what was originally advertised on the weather forecast earlier. By the end of the morning even tops of the waves were getting severely white capped. While not quite like our plumb island experience, because most of our travel was either into or directly away from the wind driven waters, the beaming action always gets people's attention and hips twitching.

You and Mark would have thoroughly enjoyed yourselves!


Unless I am mistaken, there was no designated trip leader for this trip. Retroactively making one person responsible for the decisions of the group does not seem fair. Might not each person have asked himself if he/she was capable of handling the conditions?

On the other hand, it sounds like no one actually had any difficulties except for the newbie, who was under Jordan's wing and likely did depend upon his judgment. And Jordan took responsibility for that situation, as was right. Everyone else clearly did make the right decision for himself because everyone came back right-side-up and unharmed. Jordan's presence or absence doesn't seem to have anything to do with their ability to handle the conditions.

So what are the lessons from this episode? Here's what I'm hearing: 1) doing a circle around at the mouth of the harbor would have been a great idea - and Jordan should not have to be the only one responsible for thinking of this. 2) rescue skills are great to have when the unexpected happens, and should not reside with just one person in the group. 3) admit it, you all (excluding Tracy) had a fabulous time out there and want to go do it again! (hopefully this time dressed for immersion.)

Does this reflect your experience?
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by kayakerjnj »

Yep, I'd love to be back out there right now :lol:
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by Finn McCool »

I'd say thats a good assessment of the trip. Although the strength of the waves kind of snuck up on me, I always had the sense that I could handle it. Because of my boat's higher stability, I felt pretty much in command of things. And yes, I found it to be exhilarating, fun....and wet. :lol:

You are absolutely right: each of us could have always turned back if we felt "out of our depth", so to speak. It was challenging, but I felt that we were up to it. And things worked out pretty much as they should... because of practice and training.
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by Chip »

Kate made a good point on the leaderless trip. All of our trips are posted as leaderless. (other than some newbie rec trips) This also struck me when reading the posts. We all should be aware of the people and conditions. I guess the moral there is you don't have to be called a leader to act like one when the situation calls for it. I have seen this happen many times by people who never "lead" trips. Usually something as benign as falling back to not allow someone to be alone or calling for a group break when some look tired. I know I tend to push myself more when I know certain people will be on the paddle. I know they will have my back as I will have theirs.
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by norm »

Yup, you've summed it up very well Kate.

One other thing I'd like to have next time is the Helmet Hero camera. Gotta try that soon. It's been too hot during the summer to put it on over a baseball cap but now it's probably cool enough. (Just what I need, another electronic gadget to manage.)

Also, I found that lack of turning skills is a big hindrance to helping out in a rescue situation. It would have taken me a longer time than it should, to get into position to help, if I had been needed. I'm so glad Pat and Mike decided to join the trip. Practicing turns on quiet water just does not seem to translate to rough water for me. You really find out how much more there is to learn when you tackle conditions beyond your current skill level. :)
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by KAYAK KEN »

Looks like I missed another action packed paddle. I'm glad all returned safely with some experience under there belt as well as lessons learned for the future. Jordan your the man!! Ken
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Re: Scituate - Saturday Morning - 9/11/10

Post by Kayak widow »

As one who witnessed the Cohasset Wave action on that day, then read this wonderful report, I can concur that your trip seemed to be more wild that the Wave Turkeys experienced that day :wink: I love your description of all the details of pristine Scituate Harbor!
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