[Paddlewise] 3 very different days on the water - all good.

Over the past few weekends I've had some marvelous days on the water. 
All very different.

The first weekend was a billed as a downwind race from East Kittery
Maine to York Maine.   We arranged to met at noon on the north end of
Long Sands beach, based on wind direction we would be picking the
course.
In past years we've had bad luck with the wind and had only light
breezes, as I turned onto the waterfront road straight ahead of me was a
kite.  Yippee, for a change we'll have winds.  The winds were out of the
south/southwest.  After Eric showed up with his trailer we loaded up the
20 surf skis and outrigger canoes then headed for Kittery point and the
mouth of the Piscataqua river.  Water temperatures were in the low 50s,
with air temps in low 60s.  Dressing for those temperatures was
definitely a personal decision. 3 of the paddlers from Rhode Island
suited up in their dry suits, a father/daughter duo from the midcoast of
Maine opted for shorts and t-shirts (they were 90 minutes south of where
they usually paddle).  The race started in the mouth of the Piscataqua
river, then turned north and ran up the coast.  Winds were about 30
degrees off the stern with nice surfable wind waves.  There were several
decisions to make for the race.  Do you stay near shore and get larger
waves, with less current, and risk hitting some of the MANY shoals, or
do you stay more offshore.  Also with the waves running 30 degrees to
the course do you take long downwind runs and then cut back out or just
surf a couple waves at a time and then zig zag back out.  Some of the
rides were great, with the waves collapsing into the cockpit area when
the wave angle was wrong and the wave passed you.  I was even with
another paddler for about half of the race, until we hit a rough patch,
I heard "Oh, crap" from him and that was the last I saw of him, he
didn't swim, he simply needed to do a few bracing strokes.  Rounding the
final corner into long sands beach we were blessed with a straight
downwind run to the finish line, a straight downwind run of over a mile.
 I caught some fantastic rides on this stretch, unfortunately the
paddler just ahead of me seemed to be getting the same rides.  I gained
about 10 seconds on him in the last mile, finishing 2 seconds behind
him.  The winner ended up doing the race in 1:11:35, for an average of
7.6 miles per hour, the previous year had been windless the same guy had
won with an average speed of 6.4 miles per hour.  I finished 10th, 6
minutes behind the winner.  During the race 4 or 5 boats that went over,
one paddler dropped out of the race after her swim, she was fine, some
days it's just better to stop and call for a shuttle vehicle.

The following weekend I was in Orleans on cape cod, the weather was
beautiful with temps in the low 60s,   There's a small saltwater pond
walking distance to my mother's house, this is my default launch site. 
I walked out the dock, stepping past the small boy and his mother trying
to net the small bait fish swimming around the dock, then slipped onto
my boat.  It's going to be my last warm weather paddle so I opt for just
shorts and the life jacket.  It's going to be neoprene from this day
until late June...  The sky is cloudless with some ripples from a light
breeze, the sun is just dropping behind the trees so the light is
starting to get those wonderful dusk tones.  I only had an hour until
dinner and wanted to see if I could do my usual loop.  No boats were
moving, as I slid across meeting house pond, out through Lucy's crotch
into "the river".  I passed one paddler looking into the water next to
his kayak as I entered the river.  As I exited the river into inner
pleasant bay I glide through a "swarm" of paddlers returning from an
afternoon trip to the beach with the local outfitter.  Our paddling
choices were markedly different.  The rental boats were mostly short
plastic boats with paddlers in semi reclined positions returning from a
restful day.  I was on my banana yellow surf ski, with vertical posture
practicing my torso rotation, out for the paddling equivalent of a brisk
run.  In the inner bay the cat boats were out for the afternoon.  There
were about a dozen cat boats slicing back and forth.  It was a marvelous
sight looking the length of the bay with a few brightly colored kayaks
puttering along the shore, and a dozen cat boats tacking back and forth.
 In the distance I can see little pleasant bay and beyond that the
barrier beach, I were a little more to the east I could see Chatham on
the other side of Sampson Island.  I worked my way over to the edge of
the channel and headed for the sandbar.  As I reached the final buoys,
at the sandbar between the inner bay and little pleasant bay a few
motorboats went by, making for little entertaining chop prior to turning
around.  I stop for a minute and enjoy the view across little pleasant
bay, through the narrows and out into big pleasant bay.  The evening
colors are starting to show on the cliffs so I turn around and head
back.  The cat boats are still out but they are working their way back
to their moorings.  I pass one or two stragglers from the outfitter
nearing the landing in the river.  The kayaker sitting in Lucy's crotch
is still there, he' still looking into the water, I slide past leaving
him to his studies.  I pull into the landing, and press the stop button
on the gps.  4.5 miles in 40 minutes, nice pace on a beautiful day.  The
best part is I get to do it again the next day at the same time, with
similar lighting.  I see fewer paddlers but more sailboats.  A fine way
to finish the "t-shirt and shorts" paddling season.

Weekend 3..  My son had an 11:00 soccer game so I've delayed todays
adventure until 2.  On the way back from the soccer match I drive past
our launch site for the day.  "Steam Muster".  Hmmm I wonder what that
is.  I call the others and let them know that it's busy at the Essex
shipbuilding museum.  At 1:45 they call me, they are in the back of the
parking lot at Woodman's restaurant, contemplating launching in the
river.  Mike C. drives to the landing and asks the police officer about
using the ramp.  He okay's using the ramp but we need to park behind the
police station.  No problem, I would prefer to not carry my boat down
main street, decked out in my wetsuit and booties.  It's the second
annual steam muster.  There's a horse drawn steam powered fire engine in
the parking lot.  The side panel reads "We will try...."  That's not a
real reassuring motto for a fire engine...  I put my surfski in next to
the dock and pull up along side 2 steam powered launches.  It's not
every day you see a steam powered boat at the dock.  There are 5 of us
today.  The bows of the boats look great as we go out the river with the
New England foliage in full oranges/yellow/red/green to surrounding the
river and Essex bay.  The wind is about 15 mph our of the north, with
outbound current the waves are starting to stack up nicely.  We get a
little bit of entertaining chop as we head past conomo point.  There are
some waves breaking in the shoals in the south corner of the outer bay
so we start there.  The waves are a little small, but clean.  We start
looking longingly out toward the mouth of the bay.  One of the others
needs to go to work, so 2 of the guys head back.  That leaves 3 of us to
head to the mouth of the bay.  The inlet we are playing in is between
Crane's beach and Wingaersheek beach,  It's an outgoing tide headed
straight into the wind and waves.  The waves are jacking up nicely over
the shallows.  As Mike C heads into the waves the waves are big enough
that I can't see him, or is paddle.  He turns and gets on a wave, his
boat is at a 30 degree angle and the entire 21 foot boat fits on the
wave.  Bill K. is a little tentative on his Think Evo,  He stays
cautious, and smart, riding the waves after they come across the
sandbar.  Riding them into the bay, then looping back to the edge of the
inlet.  At one point I see him just floating around looking a little off
balance.  I point out to them if he's going to just float around doing
so with the boat parallel to the break in head high waves, with some
breaking might not be the best placement.  He laughs, and turns stern
into the waves and rides toward more placid water.  As Bill gets more
comfortable he'll be out with us, I tried is boat earlier this year,
it's got a lot volume and avoids burying the bow, or stern.  I head out
with Mike.  He's paddling his Huki S1R and he looks fantastic on the
waves, very comfortable, I only see him turn off one wave, he rides most
waves comfortably.  Mike gets on a few nice steep waves with foam
curling off the top of the wave to both sides of him as he zooms along. 
The waves are wonderful, I get a few screaming rides, 200+ yards on some
waves, spray shooting off the bow, several times I end up laying on the
back deck pushing on the foot beds, gently leaning on a low brace as the
boat heads down the waves.  After about an hour we are starting to get
tired, and we've got a 4 mile paddle into the tide to get back to the
landing.   We get back at 4:30.  8 miles of paddling plus an hour of
surfing.  What a great way to spend an afternoon.

3 consecutive weekends, 3 very different days on the water.  

Kirk
-- 
  Kirk Olsen
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