Green Harbor to Rexhame Beach - Solo (long as usual)

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Birdseye
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Green Harbor to Rexhame Beach - Solo (long as usual)

Post by Birdseye »

I knew the weekend was supposed to be hot but I can’t think of a much better place to be when it’s hot than enjoying the cool ocean breeze that you can find just two feet above the ocean’s surface. The weather pattern that caused violent thunderstorms to move through the area on Friday night also promised 10-15 mph winds on Saturday to go along with the 91 degree temp.

Last year Pat and I paddled out of Green Harbor to do some open water rescue practice off of Blackman’s Point which is just outside the entrance to Green Harbor. After we were through with our practice we paddled a while towards Brant Rock before turning around and heading back. Since that time I’ve often thought about paddling further down the coast sometime when there wasn’t much else going on. Saturday was one of those days.

My wife and step-daughter had planned to go to the beach at Rexhame on Saturday so I figured that would be a good destination, plus I’d have a welcoming party waiting for me when I got there. I checked the chart to see what the distance was from Green Harbor to Rexhame and found it to be right around 4 NM. Saturday came and I hurried to get my morning chores done early. I got my gear together, loaded up the boat and head the two and a half long miles to the Green Harbor boat ramp. The parking lot was filled with the empty boat trailers of people who had started enjoying their day much earlier than me but I found one spot left not too far from the ramp. A couple of boats were unloading at the time so I carried my gear and boat down to the dockway that splits the two ramp areas and waited for an opening. A few short minutes later I was underway and heading towards the channel. It was 11:30 and high tide was at 3:01.

There were a quite a few boats making their way through the channel so I hugged the shore on the way out feeling an occasional pull from an eddy current. Once passed the jetty that borders the channel I headed north around Blackman’s Point. I looked down to find the water crystal clear here and I could easily see everything on the bottom which I estimated to be around 12-15 feet deep. I continued on along the coast trying to recognize familiar landmarks. The Fairview restaurant was easy to pick out as was the Brant Rock jetty and the eight story cement tower that is used as a rooming house and usually inhabited by college kids throughout the summer. About a half mile offshore there were a few moored boats flying diving flags. I assumed they were diving for lobster but the only person to ask onboard any of the boats was on his cell phone and he nodded to me as I paddled past. The wind was blowing at around 12 knots and the surface was very active with 1-2 foot swells. I felt like I was moving along at a good pace but it was hard to tell for sure. I was able to catch an occasional wave but they were so close together the rides were short lived.

I passed the Brant Rock seawall where I now sit recollecting my thoughts and putting them to paper while my wife and I enjoy the evening air and a refreshing Harpoon Summer Ale. I watch as a cormorant dives and returns quickly with what looked to be a 3-4 inch flounder or halibut. He swallowed it down whole and dove for another and then another in the course of one minute and coming up successful each time. When he was through diving, he paddled the surface while his body followed by his head wriggled wildly as if the live fish were tickling it’s insides but more than likely it was just part of it’s wing drying ritual. I’ve watched cormorants many times before but never saw them actively catching fish so this was a treat. Just recently in this same area a seal pup popped his head up in front of us just 2 feet from shore. It seemed very curious and looked like it might even come ashore. Two young girls saw him and became as curious about him as he did about them as they giggled uncontrollably. But as quickly as it arrived it turned and dove and we never saw him break the surface again.

I continued my journey past Brant Rock and along a coastline that was now unfamiliar to me mainly due to the fact that it is a mostly residential area that does not have a shore road to drive on. I turned on the vhf for company to hear a boater trying to securing a mooring in Scituate Harbor for lunch at the Mill Warf restaurant. As I neared the Rexhame area I scanned the beach for something familiar. I paddled passed a small boat with two teens that were fighting to get their outboard started and probably wishing they were fighting to land a striper instead. I also passed a large inflatable raft that looked slightly deflated from the weight of the four teenage girls aboard. I thought they were a little far offshore but they seemed to be having a good time (for now anyway). They waved and said hello. Soon I spotted a number of large rocks on the shore with a grassy dune behind that I recognized as Rexhame Beach. I pointed my bow towards the shore and began my paddle in. A hundred yards off shore I saw my wife wave to me from the beach and acknowledged her with my paddle. The beach was fairly rocky so I picked a spot to land that seemed somewhat more gel coat friendly. The waves weren’t too bad and I was able to exit my boat without embarrassment. Since the beach was fairly crowded we carried the boat up to where my wife and step-daughter were sitting and I talked with them for about twenty minutes while I refueled with a Cliff Bar.

The return trip was much the same as on the way out and fairly uneventful. I paddled past a boat with two divers just returning from their dive and asked about the lobsters. “There are quite a few of them down there,” one said with satisfied grin.

I reached the channel into Green Harbor in good time and made my way in. Just inside the harbor I noticed a narrow waterway that went under the small bridge next to the Harbormaster’s Office so I decided to check it out. I followed it until I was buzzed one too many times by those dastardly Greenheads and made a 6 point turn out of there. I told myself I’d try this area again during the Greenhead’s off season but after checking the chart I found that it doesn’t lead to anyplace of interest.

The boat ramp had more activity than when I left so I decided to take a short paddle around the harbor to give it time to clear but upon my return the ramps were still busy. I waited a few minutes longer then picked an opportune time to sneak in, pick up my boat and get out of there before they knew what hit them. I packed up and headed home.

All in all it was an enjoyable trip that I would gladly do again. Both legs of the trip took just about an hour each which was faster than I expected it would take. Maybe next time out this way I’ll hit Humarock for an ice cream. The biggest thing that I got out of this trip was to realize how fortunate I am to live so close to areas like this that are just sitting around waiting for my boredom to kick in and ready to offer me a different experience every time.

<center><img src="http://kayaking.pidgeoncoop.com/images/gh-rexhame.gif" border ="1"></center>
Last edited by Birdseye on Tue Aug 01, 2006 7:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Chip
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Post by Chip »

Sounds like a nice way to spend a couple of hours. Plus you included your wife for brownie points. :wink:
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Post by getnoutside »

Sounds like a nice way to spend a saturday afternoon
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Post by Todd »

Nice way to spend your time Nelson.
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Birdseye
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Post by Birdseye »

Chip wrote:Sounds like a nice way to spend a couple of hours.


get'n-outside wrote:Sounds like a nice way to spend a saturday afternoon


Todd wrote:Nice way to spend your time Nelson.



I guess it must me true…. :D
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