Minot's Light Thursday September 5, 2013

[Tegan]

It was clear in Duxbury at 4 AM, but overcast at 5:40 when I left the Cohasset Sailing Club. The pink hue over the horizon soon turned firey red. Conditions were calm at Minot's Light, the water just sloshing around the base. To secure the boat I had a Seattle Sports kayak anchor and a YOUTUBE inspired anchor trolley. I have no experience with anchors and after thinking what if and how far could the anchor be dragged, the anchor was pulled back into the boat. A better way would be to tie off to the ladder. I paddled to the base, tied a line to a lower rung and back paddled. I normally bring a Nikon AW 100 on paddling trips, but brought two additional cameras for this "experience". A Drift Ghost HD would record exiting my kayak, to the doorway and return. Once out of the boat I grabbed a dry bag and pulled myself the length of the 65' line. At about an hour or so after low tide I was able to stand on the ledge and with a flexible tripod and GEARTIEs pointed the lens looking up the ladder. The Canon Powershot ELPH has a delay of 30 seconds, plenty of time to get in the picture, and can take up to 10 pictures. It was a clear view to the coastline and I hoped to spend a few minutes sitting in the doorway, writing and having a raspberry danish. One thing I had not planned for was the kayak being out of sight. No doubt the Miss Audrey was gently floating, just wrapped around to the opposite side of the lighthouse. But was the boat bouncing off the barnacled base? Unhooking the line from the bottom of the ladder I pulled the kayak to me and did my first paddle float rescue. Kick, chest on deck, rear end in seat - textbook perfect - except for the untangling the legs part.
It rained while paddling toward Gull Island and Osher Ledge. At a small beach I changed into dry clothes. My first wetsuit is an O'Neill 4-3 that kept me very comfortable in the reported 65 degree water. When the rain stopped conditions went from calm to 12 - 14 MPH sustained east winds and waves and swells to 3'.
On a beautiful Saturday, the 7th, I had enough time in the morning to paddle to Bug Light. Between 6:45 and 7:30 it was rushhour for boats going out to sea. The title of this trip could be " Running Onto Sandbars In Plymouth Harbor".
Richard Webber

[Briggsy]

A most excellent trip report !!!

[noseykate]

an unusual variation on the usual Minot's Light trip, style points for the raspberry danish, and no small degree of boldness for trying your first paddle float re-entry at Minot's Light. So... gonna share the photos with us??

NK