Monday, November 9, 2009

from The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

A duck hunter who rolled his kayak near Jewell Island in Casco Bay on Saturday night set off a chain of events that caused three rescue boats to run aground, including Portland's new $3.2 million fireboat.

There were no injuries, and the hunter who called for emergency help complaining of hypothermia was expected to be OK.

Less certain were the conditions of the boats.

Portland Fire Chief Fred LaMontagne said late Saturday that the 65-foot MV City of Portland IV likely would be pulled from the water for an inspection.

"We had a full-moon tide, an astronomically low tide. During the rescue effort it appears the fireboat struck something on its way back in. It gets very shallow out there, and there are a lot of ledge outcroppings. The lower end of the rudder shaft possibly struck something."

The events began unfolding around 5:30 p.m. during the outgoing tide. The 62-year-old hunter, whose name was not released, apparently flipped his kayak, scrambled to shore and called for help. His wife was with him, though it was not clear whether she was in the kayak with him or in another vessel.

The Fire Department responded with the 65-foot fireboat and launched a smaller rescue skiff when the big boat began running out of water. Rescuers purposely beached the skiff, knowing the tide would leave it high and dry, and assisted the hunter on the island.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard was in the area on a training mission with a 25-foot response boat. While motoring over to Jewell to offer assistance, the Coast Guard boat ran aground.

From its station in South Portland, the Coast Guard launched a second boat. By then, the Portland fireboat was on its way back in to the harbor.

It was during its voyage back to port that it struck a ledge, or some other object, around Whitehead Passage. The second Coast Guard boat assisted the Portland fireboat at that time.

"They were taking on a little bit of water," said Paul Painter, search-and-rescue controller for the Coast Guard. "They were able to keep up with it, but we brought them gas and a pump, just in case."

Late Saturday, the hunter, his wife and their rescuers were still on the island, awaiting an incoming tide that would allow enough water to float the beached inflatable and a small vessel dispatched by Maine Marine Patrol.

Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or at:

bkeyes@pressherald.com

Posted by Joe DuPont at 12:55 PM

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Swell Rating System

Ocean physics nerdiness! Estimating the size of breaking waves from data buoy swell info: http://www.stormsurf.com/page2/papers/ca tegory.html

Swell Rating System (SRS)

Source: www.stormsurf.com

According to this system, Sunday's peak swell of 9.5 feet at 17 seconds should have translated into category 4, or 10-15'. Throw in the occasional 18 footer, and that sounds about right to us.

Posted by Joe DuPont at 3:40 PM

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Bill

The hurricane passed east of the Gulf of Maine today leaving us with water temps in the high 60s and buoy readings of 8-9' at 16 to 17 seconds. Day trips were canceled and some local paddlers went out to enjoy the sunshine under the skeptical eye of the local harbormaster.

Lumpy waves and bouncy conditions on the North and east end of Cushing were counterposed against some very large breaking waves on the south side of Cushing near the shipping channel. The tide was coming in, it's tough to imagine what it will be like when the tide is on the way out tonight.

The Rocks and Ledges course on Saturday was treated to 4 to 5' conditions with the same long dominant period.

The pictures don't do it justice, partly as I was too scared to take pictures during the bigger sets.

Posted by Joe DuPont at 1:49 PM

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Peaks Island and Outer Green Race Cancelled

Status of Peaks and Outer Green Races scheduled for this Sat, June 20th.

Due to scheduling mixups along with the rain, fog and swell, we are canceling both races scheduled for this Sat. We hate to do so, but it got listed on several different dates by error.

Until we get a paddle wet,

Tom Bergh

Maine Island Kayak Co

70 Luther St

Peaks Island, ME 04108

207.766.2373

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Operation Paddle Smart

From the Coast Guard News:

PORTLAND, Maine – The public is invited to attend a one-day kayak and canoeing safety seminar at the South Portland, Maine, Coast Guard base, located at 259 High Street, April 25, 2009, from 10 a.m., till 3 p.m.

The event is in support of Operation Paddle Smart, which is a multi-agency initiative to promote recreational paddle sport safety, and will include an in-water demonstration of self and assisted rescue techniques as well as a Coast Guard search and rescue demonstration.

Other activities available during the seminar include:

* A press conference at 12 p.m., during which representatives from the Coast Guard, state and local authorities and kayaking guides and instructors will be available to discuss Operation Paddle Smart and boating safety.

* Scheduled tours of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, Station South Portland, Aids to Navigation Team Portland, and Coast Guard cutters will be available from 10 a.m., until 3 pm.

* From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., the public can bring expired flares to either expend under Coast Guard supervision or turn in for proper destruction.

* Experts will provide presentations on trip planning strategies, required and recommended gear and other recreational boating skills.

* The Coast Guard Auxiliary will also offer free voluntary paddle craft inspections outside of the base for members of the public who bring their kayak or canoe to the event.

Additionally, kayak and canoe safety packets, including boat identification stickers, will be available.

“The sticker includes a space for the name of the owner and for other contact information,” said Lt. Bryan Hollis, the sector’s Operation Paddle Smart liaison.

“When we find an unoccupied kayak or canoe, we often can’t be immediately certain if we have an actual search and rescue case for a missing person, or if the vessel simply drifted off the beach with a changing tide,” Hollis said. “Having the owner’s contact sticker on the boat can help us render necessary aid more quickly and effectively, or it can help us and our partners resolve the issue before beginning a costly air and sea search.”

The event is a collaborative effort of the U.S Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, U.S. Power Squadron, state and local partners, kayak instructors and guides from Maine, and area retailers.

The New England region suffered the loss of 58 recreational boaters and paddlers in 2007. Eight kayak and 15 canoe fatalities accounted for 40 percent of the total.

Posted by Maine Island Kayak at 11:16 AM

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Epic Men

photo by Doug Jones/Staff Photographer Portland Press Herald

From Peaks Island to Boston.

Two men are actually making the Boston Marathon the end of their adventure, after a kayak trip and bicycle ride.

By GLENN JORDAN, April 18, 2009

See the full story here

Posted by Joe DuPont at 5:29 PM

Friday, January 23, 2009

Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium Report, Jan 2009

by Tom Bergh, MIKCo, Peaks Island, ME
Sunday, Jan 11:
High Tide 7.2 ft at 1051
Low Tide -1.6 ft at 1742
Max Flood 3.0 kn at 0942
Max Ebb 4.3 kn at 1600

Conditions at San Francisco Bar (46237) at 0700:
Water temp: 50.7F
Swells: 5.6' at 17 seconds – yes, really
Winds: Easterly 5-10 knots

Weather:
High pressure continues to dominate w clear skies and freshening breeze. Wind waves 2’. Air temperature in SF Bay to reach 65F! Yesterday’s high of 60.3F.

Its 0830 on day 3 at the new Golden Gates Sea Kayak Symposium in glorious San Francisco Bay. Sean Morley is standing on the walkway of the Presidio Yacht Club a ½ mile from the North tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, presenting the 70-80 coaches and paddlers with our morning safety briefing. The Symposium’s day paddles are heading deeper on the solid tidal flow into the bay toward the historic Alcatraz and Angel Islands (don’t you want to go?). The Rock Gardeners are headed out around Pt Bonito and north past Rodeo Beach. The BCU 5 Star Leader Assessment run by Nigel Dennis and Steve Maynard has the candidates taking their ‘students’ out toward the San Francisco Bar. Ben Lawry with others are presenting a series of Tidal Trainings based on the San Fran experience of moderate tidal currents. Many professional local coaches and guides have offered their time to help with strokes, Greenland paddling (well represented), and an array of ACA IT’s are providing their take on sea paddling. Nige Robinson and Tom Bergh, along with Jen Kleck, Tom Pogson are on the final day of the new BCU 4 Star Sea Leader Training with our 12 committed paddlers. Our developing ‘leaders’ float plan for the day is to paddle down under the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge and out towards the sea to scope out Pt Bonito. Figuring that NW facing Rodeo Beach may well be dumping, the 4 Star group leaders’ feel they’ll probably need to return up into the Bay. Only problem is that the the return back up under the Golden Gate Bridge should be soon after slack water at 1228 to miss the 4 + knot ebb that will be even faster when its compressed at the North tower.

But oh those best laid plans… it’s hard to stick to a well developed trip/route plan when the coaches set up ‘incidents’ involving dislocated shoulders, lost paddlers and rock garden rescues… Then there’s the delay of surf landing on the gorgeous, primitive and empty Black Beach across from San Fran. So our developing 4 Star Sea Leaders nix rounding Pt Bonito with the 25’ spray booming off the rocks. Instead they consensually decide to head back up against the Spring tide to The Bridge. The group is getting edgy about the slough upstream now that its already 1345. The leaders ably use the eddies to place us at the foot of the North Tower in short order. But already the current speed looks 3+kn and the group is remembering that 50-90 rule of current speeds. Time is spent studying the onrushing currents. A few paddlers enter and are quickly blown back to the eddy. Time is increasing the speed. All paddlers are clear they must line up very tight and true to the current’s flow, can’t lose their bow even for an instant, and must be able to sprint while staying within 3 feet of the limestone rocks. Upstream about 30 feet there’s a tiny eddy for a boat or two. Ten feet further and there’s a deep hole created by a pour over that pulses from 1-3’ deep. Some of the group has talked about using the tanker wakes to surf up the pour over. Lets see how they do.

Every few minutes the climb up stream steepens. Those with longer or deeper bows are often caught by the current, and while being swept downstream clean out those sprinting behind them, back down to the big bottom eddy. Things really start going pear shaped when some of the ‘leaders’ experiment with towing others for bow control. Soon we have several spaghetti contests with tow lines hooking boats together in fast current. Swimmers begin looked increasingly worried as they are swept out toward the center of the Golden Gate channel - regularly filled with container ships and tankers. Soon the knowledgeable captain of the GGSKS Safety boat stands off to help with the more tired ones. A few continue to thrash themselves against the powerful ebb flow. Finally by 1600 our 4 Star Sea ‘leaders’ got the whole group back to the Presidio beach. All 4 Star Trainee’s are tired, smarter, and appear exhilarated by their day on these magical waters. Too bad we have to meet in the upstairs pub to debrief…



Readers, you missed a great weekend. I’ve had the pleasure of many symposiums over my 20+ years of sea paddling. The organizers, Sean Morley, Jen Kleck and Matt Palmariello, delivered a valuable and fun weekend in an extraordinary venue on Spring tides with first rate land support. Paddlers and Coaches all stayed in an attractive old army house – now an International Hostel – in a secret undeveloped valley in the Marin Headlands portion of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. We regularly saw coyotes and birds of prey; while on the water seals played with us in the tide races and dolphins cruised quietly in the kettles rounding up the fish. Various sailors tested their crews in the currents. Our waterfront beach at the Presidio Yacht Club next to Sausalito was nestled below the Bridge and looked across the tidal entrance to San Fran and its hills. The PYC bar located upstairs had local color matching the sunsets.

And always the red hued Golden Gate Bridge connecting the San Fran with the preserved lands of the Marin County Headlands Park, just begged to be paddled under. Everywhere are empty beaches, beautiful surf, warm weather, great people, committed paddlers, new friends…it just doesn’t get much better. This is one of the best symposium sites I’ve had a chance to savor.

Personally, I enjoyed the chance to catch up with the following maturing coach types – Jen Kleck, Sean Morley, Nigel Dennis, Nige Robinson, Steve Maynard, Ben Lawry, Jim Kennedy, Tom Pogson. Additionally there several pods of strong locals who are key assets for these events, as well as a committed set of ACA trainers to round off the GGSKS’s solid team of coaches and guides. A large number of specialty outfitters and local schools showed to support the event; in particular Sea Trek, which has pioneered so many aspects of the modern guiding industry, provided the all important safety back up in these moderate tidal waters.

The course mix emphasized practical paddle-oriented trainings: Tidal Trainings of several levels, Practical Navigation and the BCU’s new Coastal Nav I, Boat Control in Conditions, Rock Gardens in the Pacific swells, many levels of day trips out to the superb local sites. And the BCU’s new (and excellent) Four Star Sea Leader Training were great offerings (thanks for the chance to spread the word). The ACA offered Level 3 and 4 Trainings…and there were a few masochists who signed up for their first 5 Star Assessment in realistic conditions. I understand they’ll be back again.

As many of you know, my wife June and I have run Maine Island Kayak Co’s programming for two decades. We were involved in delivering the Gulf of Maine Sea Kayak Symposium in Castine, ME. We’ve attended the Sweetwater Sea Kayak Symposium and the Sea Kayak Georgia Symposium from their beginnings. We helped bring the BCU to the NE, helped bring MASKGI to northern New England, pioneered many training methods in Gulf of Maine waters, and currently offer the NE Intermediate Rough Water Symposium each Fall in Pt Judith, RI. With that background - it is my strongest recommendation for those who like Symposiums to consider the 2009 Golden Gate Sea Kayaking Symposium. Check it out.

…Now I’m back in Maine;
Wind’s been blowing upwards of 28 knots
Air temp may reach a high of 6F today.
More snow to be added to the foot already on the ground.
Water temp 37.2F

I definitely am hoping to return next January … to the second Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium. Come join us.

Tom Bergh


Golden Gate Sea Kayak Symposium

Nautical Chart 18649 – San Francisco Entrance

Photos by Mike Bode from BCU 4 Star Leader Training:

Other photos by symposium photographer Dominick Lemarie:

Google Maps of Marin Headlands Park

BCU 4 Star Sea Leader literature

San Francisco Bay Entrance Current

Friday, January 9, 2009

Trivia by Rick Stoehrer

Pick #  people at random and have them around a table.  Ask the question and then have them put their hands down in the middle as if playing slap jack…so you’ll end up with 5 people hands on top of one another….have the person with the bottom hand slide their hand out and then ask them to answer….if they get it right, the question is closed and they get a point.  If they get it wrong, they then lose a point and the next person gets to slide their hand out and try…if your hand is on the table, you must answer.

Boat and Paddler Trivia

1.The Norkapp with the integrated rudder built in with the keel line is called this model?

2. Who was first woman to circumnavigate Great Britain?

3. Who presently holds the record for the circumnavigation of England?

4. Nigel Dennis has a daughter named….

5. Who designed the production Anas Acuta?

6. What boat is a DIRECT descendant of the Anas Acuta?

7. If we weren’t talking about boats and someone said that’s a lovely Anas Acuta, what is he or she talking about?

8. What is weathercocking?

9. How would you counter weathercocking?

Navigational Trivia

1. When do Spring Tides occur?

2. When do Neap Tides occur?

3. What is MLLW and what is its significance?.

4. What is Latitude?

5. What is Longitude?.

6. What is the difference between a True heading and a Compass Heading?

7. Define Variation and Deviation and their respective causes

8. What is a common mnemonic for converting True headings to Compass Headings and back again?

9. What is the significance of Greenwich England?

10. How far is 1 degree of Latitude?

11. How far is 1 minute of Latitude?

12. Along the Equator, how far is 1 minute of Longitude?

General Sea related Historical Trivia

1. Who was the creator of the first reliable sea worthy time piece and what is its significance?

2. What was the name of the ship that was the real life story of Moby Dick?

3. Is the story of the Bounty of Mutiny on the Bounty fame based on fact or is it fiction a la Treasure Island?
4. On Captain Cooks 3rd and last voyage, who aboard HMS Resolution chose Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii as the landing site where ultimately James Cook was killed by angry natives?

5. How many men died on Shackleton’s voyage to the Antarctic?

Answers:

1. HM

2. Fiona Whitehead

3. Harry Whelan, Barry Shaw and Phil Clegg – 80 days and countless pints

4.Romany.  His other daughter’s name is Greenlander Pro.

5. Frank Goodman
6. Pintail
7. Pintail Duck.  Anas Acuta is the latin name for a pintail duck
8. Weathercocking is a boats tendency to turn into the wind.
9. Acceptable answers include skeg, altering stroke, or cocking your hip.

Navigational Trivia answers:
1 When the Sun and Moon are in a relatively straight line to Earth, we have a Spring Tide.  This is a Tide that is Higher than the norm.
2. When the Sun and Moon and Earth create a Right angle, we have a Neap Tide.  This is a tide that is Lower than the norm
3. Charted depths are recoded in Mean Low, Low, Water.  This is a mean # of the lower low water heights of a mixed tide observed over a specific 19 year cycle.  Only the lower low water of each pair of low waters, or the only low water of a tidal day is included in the mean. It’s significance is that the depth on the chart is the mean of this average so we have a pretty good idea of what the shallowest water is we can expect in a location
4. Lattude is the distance N or S of the equator expressed in degrees from 0 to  90 N or S
5. Longitude is the distance E or W of the prime meridian expressed in degrees from 0 to 180 E or W.
6. Variation and Deviation.
7. Variation is the angular difference between the geographic meridian and the magnetic meridian at a particular location.  This is caused by variances in local geography.  Deviation is the effect a vessels magnetic field has on a compass.  In our case it’s often something like the cook pot being stored too close to the compass.
8. Timid Virgins Make Dull Company, Add Whisky
And Can Dead Men Vote Twice, At Elections.
9. Greenwich England is the location of the observatory marking the present Prime Meridian.
10. 60 nautical miles.
11.. 1 nautical mile
12.  1 nautical mile

General Sea related Historical Trivia

1. John Harrison.  The significance is that for every 15 degrees E or W of the prime meridian you travel, the local time differs from the time at the prime meridian by an hour.  Consequently if you have an accurate chronometer set to Greenwich time and then compare that to a reading at noon Local, you can establish your longitude by calculating the difference.  Combined with existing technologies to determine Latitude, you could then establish where you were on earth.  So next time you use your GPS or google earth think about all those cool things starting with a watchmaker in a little shop.
2. The whaling ship Essex out of Nantucket sank by a sperm whale November 20, 1820
3. True.  Once Bligh was released from the Bounty in an open boat he managed to make one of the epic open boat crossings in Brit Naval history – 3,618 NM from Tofua to Timor in an open 21 foot boat with only a pocket watch and a sextant.

4. William Bligh was the sailing master of HMS Resolution+

5.  Nobody died!

Friday, December 19, 2008

More on the intermediate sea paddler

Richard Magill had some commentary on the last post. It seems to add to the conversation. We're not doing comments, but we'll gladly post any well reasoned posts you may have if you email us

Richard Magill wrote:

These seem to be very good definitions, but would you say that all have to be completed before you could consider yourself and intermediate paddler? Or could the paddler just get 51%, or 75% and say he is intermediate?

I suspect that somehow paddlers are going to have to come up with an agreeable set of definitions (these look as good as any, although I think maybe force 4 winds is a little low), figure out which ones are an absolute necessity (I'd say good forward stroke, sweeps, and rudders; rescues in moderate conditions; and at least a descent side landing in moderate surf), then take a look at the rest and assign a pt value at each one. Once a paddler achieves all of the necassary ones, plus achieves a certain pt value on the rest, he/she can be considered an intermediate paddler.

One last thought: I absolutely love to roll my boat, and agree that it is an invaluable tool. However, I'd have to say that I know some really good paddlers out there that don't, for what ever reason, have a roll. When I lived in SC, I knew a guy who I suspect could paddle with any of the big guys
- the Nigel's, Derek, me (okay, so maybe I don't fit in that list, but hey, I guy can dream can't he) - any of them - but he had a bad hip and refused to roll. I'm not even sure he ever learned a roll. He just didn't go upside down. Of all the times I've seen him in halacious soups, surf conditions, and force 6 winds; even in stuff that was kicking my butt left and right (man, those were fun times), he never once spilled, or swam. Would he be held back from being called an advanced paddler becuase of his roll? ACA would probably say yes, but they haven't seen him paddle.

Maine tidal anomaly

On 28 October unusual tidal fluctuations were observed in the Boothbay, Maine and Cundys Harbor areas. Massive amounts of water flushed into and then drained the bay. There appear to be two general theories as to the cause of the phenomenon. Meteorologists aren't sure but suggest that seismic forces were at work, while the Coast Guard has posited that the area experienced a seiche generated by an offshore storm.

Boston.com reports:

"BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine—Meteorologists are baffled by rapid tidal changes along the Maine coast, which damaged some boats and piers.

Witnesses say low tide turned and became high within a matter of minutes on Tuesday afternoon. The changes occurred six or seven times. The National Weather Service says reports from several locations indicated that water levels fell and rose from 4 feet to as much as 12 feet during the event.
In a public information statement, the weather service says the cause "remains a mystery and may never be known."
It said significant rapid rises and falls in tide levels were observed around 3 p.m. in Boothbay Harbor, Southport and Bristol. The statement said rapid surges can be caused by the underwater movement of land, most often due to an earthquake, or due to slumping of sediments along a steep canyon or shelf, but no earthquakes were reported in the area Tuesday.
A similar event occurred on Jan. 9, 1926, in Bass Harbor, the statement said."


While WCSH reports:

"BOOTHBAY HARBOR (NEWS CENTER) -- Some boats were scratched and docks damaged Tuesday afternoon when low tide became high within a matter of minutes.

The Coast Guard is calling it a storm surge. As the water was flowing out for low tide, a storm off-shore pushed it back in bringing the water level back almost near the high water mark.

Locals in the area say it happened about 6 or 7 times throughout the afternoon. They say it surged in within a matter of 5 minutes, then flowed back out just as quickly.

A similar surge was also reported in Cundy's Harbor.

Officials say they want to remind coastal residents to keep their boats securely tied to their docks when they know a storm is happening off the coast."

Those must have been some currents!

Island of Ghosts

Freddy's Big Swim

North Atlantic Fishermen Rescue 14-Year-Old Terrier 1 Mile at Sea.

Jean Brigstock, 73 was walking her cairn terrier, Freddy, in a thick fog along a coastal section of Amble, Northumberland when the two became separated.

It seems as if Freddy ran into trouble as he was next seen a mile out to sea swimming against the tide. Trawlermen Jimmy and Alan Thompson from Red Row, Northumberland thought they had seen an otter, but on closer inspection they realized Freddie had no business being in the North Atlantic. They plucked the dog out of the water and called for a lifeboat to come and retrieve the terrier.

Brigstock was amazed that her dog was found so far away from land. 'I knew he hated water so I thought he'd head for the dunes rather than the sea. It really didn't enter my head that he would swim.

"He rarely goes through a puddle and has an aversion to baths."

Read more at the Telegraph

 

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

LTPD

The above acronym is used by the BCU to express an idea important to the future of the sport of kayaking: Long Term Paddler Development.

A quote from the BCU website: “The Long Term Paddler Development model supports paddlers from the day they first get into a boat over a span of many years, providing a logical progression of programme planning and skill development from the young paddler to the experienced performer.”

While some folks are only interested in training “adults,” I think that it is vital to paddlesports to encourage youngsters to get involved. It’s rare that you see kids in boats and that’s a shame

I’m constantly amazed by the youngsters I see at ski areas who have highly advanced skills by ages 8 or 9. Imagine how it would push the sport if kids got into paddling in the same way. Quite often when our trips pull up to a beach, kids run up to the kayaks to have a look. With parents' permission I usually let them have a little float time (with a guide holding onto the boat if they don’t have a PFD). It’s a blast to see the fun they have exploring a new world.

There’s a lot of factors that get in the way of kids in kayaks, from the lack of easily available appropriate kayaks and expensive gear to the short summer season we have in Maine, but as in all things in life, if we don’t make the effort nothing will get done.

Above is 6 year old Zeke challenging his Dad to work on some new skills. Below the kids are trying out some kayaks from very different disciplines.

Even if you don’t normally hang out with kids I bet at some point you’ll be with your kayak when kids are around. Let them hop in and check it out. You never know – you might be creating the future of kayaking.

 

For older posts, please see maineislandkayakco.blogspot.com