Marblehead to Salem Willows (BSKC)

[Birdseye]

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John (Johnnysmoke) and I both signed up for the Marblehead to Salem Willows trip that was offered by Boston Sea Kayak Club (BSKC) this past July 1st. I've decided to post the trip report here since two of us Turkeys participated in trip. Plus its always nice to read a new story.

This was my first trip with BSKC and it was posted as an Intermediate Level trip which I was looking forward to. The plan was to put in at Marblehead Harbor and paddle out to Children's Island (short break if needed but it's a private island) then across to Great Misery Island for lunch. On the return trip we would paddle to Salem Willows for ice cream (optional) then back to Marblehead with a stop at Dolliber Cove for rescue practice (also optional). However, due to the high winds predicted for the afternoon plus the fact that a number of the paddlers that had signed up for the trip hadn't had a chance to get out much this year due to the incessant rain we've had, the trip plan was modified. We would cut out the island portion of the trip and just head directly over to Salem Willows.

The morning was sunny and beautiful, a welcome change from dank and dismal weather we'd been having. This was my first paddle on the North Shore so I left early to give myself some extra time to get lost. But the directions were excellent and the traffic non existent and soon I found myself in the parking lot at Riverhead Beach with some time to kill. The tide was almost dead low. Before long another paddler showed up and then another. Once the majority of the group had assembled, those of us with four wheel drive drove our boats down to the waters edge and helped each other unload. While I was putting my gear together I looked up to see a large hulking figure carrying a seventeen foot boat high on its shoulder. It was John. I had told him about the trip when I ran into him at REI but didn't know if there was any room left. Apparently a few people had cancelled at the last minute so now I had a familiar face to paddle with.

Once everyone had their gear situated we all gathered around the trip leaders Lisa and Jim for pre paddle instructions and safety check. Jim and his wife would take the lead position in their double while Lisa acted as sweeper. Heading out on the west side towards the harbor's mouth we weaved our way through the obstacle course of moored boats excitedly pulling at their mooring lines in anticipation of getting underway on this long awaited beautiful day. As we neared Salem Sound we got a nice view of the skeletal like structure of Marbleheaded Light to our right. We continued on to the west around Marblehead and Peaches Point until we arrived at a good place to cross the channel. The wind was around twelve knots or so and there were plenty of reflective waves to make the trip interesting. As instructed we lined up eleven wide for better visibility and paddled in good form across Salem Sound towards the power plant, then turned north towards the Willows. The wind and chop were more noticeable now and I didn't feel completely comfortable pulling my camera out of the day hatch. I asked Peter in his olive drab Tempest if we could raft up so that I could get a few shots of Winter Island Light. He gladly accommodated me and I was able to get a couple of on water shots.

We rounded Juniper Point at the tip of Salem Neck and pulled into a small cove beach by the Salem Pier where my father took me fishing for the first time when I was a young boy. The sea was quieter now so I held back a bit to take a few more pictures of the others entering the cove. We ate our lunch on the rocks while getting to know each other better and talked about things you might not expect like boats, gear and past trips. One of our members had a temperature gauge that told us the water was still in the mid fifties but being that it was the Fourth of July weekend and that days don't get much better than this, I was a little surprised to see a lack of activity on the beach. After lunch some of us took a stroll around Salem Willows, with its arcades, ice cream shops, and bandstand it has still managed to retain a feeling of earlier days.

We stayed at the Willows for about an hour before deciding to head back to Marblehead with a stop at Dolliber Cove. Like a wave of Cavalry soldiers we made our way back across the channel just outside of Salem Harbor. During our crossing we saw what looked to be a sailboat with a broken mast and the nearer we got the more our suspicions were confirmed. It was a Catamaran with the mast broken about two thirds of the way up. A Coast Guard boat with lights flashing and sirens screaming came speeding across the water in its direction. They checked to make sure everyone onboard was ok before circling around to our group who, as I just mentioned, were in the process of crossing the channel. "Could you move out of the area, they said firmly!" We were going about as fast as we could and weren't really close enough to cause any additional problems with the sailboat. Someone in the group shouted back "We're trying!" in a somewhat sarcastic but warranted tone. What did they expect us to do....pull in the paddles and drop the outboards??

We reached Dolliber Cover which is only navigable at higher tides to find boaters and picnickers enjoying the day. After a short break I took the opportunity to practice my newly acquired roll in the ocean this time and with gear onboard and was pleased with my success. Some of us hung around and chatted with the boaters and some went ashore while John and others played in an area with some small waves and moving water. Eventually we gathered everyone together and continued to make our way back. We left the cove by the backside of Gerry Island where we got another nice view of Marblehead light in the distance.

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We returned to Marblehead Harbor to find it teaming with excitement. People must have finally figured out that summer was here and it was time to get out and enjoy it. The tide was now high back at the put-in as we unloaded our boats. There had been some earlier talk about a post paddle something or other (ppsoo) which never materialized partially due to the line at the food place being out the door. I said my thank yous and goodbyes to my new mates with hopes to paddle with some of them again in the future. Although this trip didn't feel much like an intermediate level trip it was still an enjoyable paddle to a new destination. I look forward to getting back up there some time soon to find out what "Great Misery" awaits us on that island. Who's else is up for it??

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<a href="http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/blackshag/album?.dir=/863cre2&.src=ph" target="_blank">Here are my pictures from the trip.</a>

[Todd]

Again Ernest, uh, Nelson, a great report and wonderful pictures. I spent alot of time on the North Shore before finally realizing the South Shore is where it's at, and I can remember alot of spots that would be great for paddling. I would follow you any where and if you suggested a trip to the North Shore I would join you, as long as I got permission from my activities director.