August 11, Hermon, Maine

   What is this floating down the Souadabscook Stream?

   Is it from this branch above?   Surely this must be an aberration.

   But here's another tree on shore.

 

    And a whole series of tree  along the shore of Hermon Pond.  
    Like it or not, fall is arriving in Maine.

So when do the leaves turn?

      "So when do the leaves turn?"  In Maine, we often get that question, usually asked by a tourist positioned beside a still green tree.  The truth is, it varies from year to year.  And it's different by plant and by location.  Poison Ivy and sumac turn before maples and birches which turn ahead of oaks.

     That top shot was taken September 27 on the Souadabscook Stream.  Most trees are green, but the swamp(red) maple is blazing away.

     A few days later we explored Hamilton and Hermon Ponds and caught these shots.

     Most of the trees have turned, some have even lost their leaves.  The undergrowth is still green though.

    On October 12, while paddling on the Penobscot, we captured the opposite.

   Here the trees, which are mostly pine will stay green, but the undergrowth is a vivid red.

   The shore of the Penobscot, graced with high walls tend to change later than many places.  It was October 18th when we captured this picture.

    By October 25th, most of the maples are bare, but the oak trees still had their foliage.

    But though the river had muted some, these trees at Bangor Waterfront Park were still bright.

     That's a red maple in front of a sugar maple.

     There is no one date for glorious foliage, but scenic vistas can be found from late September through late October, if you're will to search a bit.

A Somber Monday

     As some of you have guessed, we are the kayakers who discovered the body of Barbara J. Goodwin in the Penobscot River.  As Trashpaddler noted on a similar occurance, this is something no paddler ever wants to encounter.  Our hope is that she and her family can find peace and comfort.

The End of the Waldo Hancock Bridge

The vessel made surprisingly little noise as it came up behind us Wednesday night.  Maybe the barge reflected the noise of the two Fournier Tractor tugboats down river.

On board the barge, two huge cranes.  That they were heading up to Cianbro could mean only one thing:  they'd finished taking down the towers of the Waldo Hancock Bridge.  The top of the second tugboat is barely visible in front of the crane.

    The Waldo Hancock Bridge was built in 1931*.  It was the first long span construction bridge built in Maine, and the first to use Vierendeeltruss in its towers.  The first time I remember crossing the bridge was in 1980 on a bike.  I'm not a fan of heights, and I didn't particularly care for how the bridge rattled as trucks crossed over it.  But I loved how it looked and how after it was closed, it became a home for osprey and peregrine falcons.  In 2006 the Waldo Hancock Bridge was replaced by the Penobscot Narrows Bridge.

   In December they began taking down the old bridge, first removing the road bed, then the cables.

   By June they were taking apart the towers.

   And now even those cranes were done.  The Maine DOT states that the concrete feet will remain and become river markers.
   So long,  I'm really going to miss the double bridge view.
  

* from wikipedia Waldo Hancock Bridge

Checking on VolturnUS 1.8

    There are few things more relaxing than a paddle in the shade at the end of a long hot day.  So kayaking up-river to check on the University of Maine's new windmill seemed like a great idea, though I probably could have done without ant flavored water.*

Hey, there's a boat!

   And, to be truthful, we didn't really intend to paddle up as far as the Cianbro facility, we expected we'd meet the windmill heading downstream.  After all the ceremony launching the windmill was held at noon, and reports said it was launched and ready to be towed into position.

    But, as it turns out, the windmill was still undergoing adjustments.

      It would be early Sunday morning before the windmill passed by, towed by the Maine Maritime Academy Tug, the Pentagoet.    Look at how smoothly it flows through the water, nary a ripple!  I thought it would be like pulling a giraffe.

In addition to being the name of a Roman God of the Waters, Volturnus is a one-eighth scale model of an off-shore stationed wind turbine.  It was built by the Advance Structures and Composite Center at UMO.   This department, operating under the creative vision of Dr. Habib Dagher, has developed several other products include Bridge in a Backpack and lightweight bullet proof panels. 

VolturnUS is the first deep sea wind turbine to be deployed in U.S. Waters.  It's scheduled to spend the next month stationed off Dyce's Head in Castine.  Then it will be headed to deeper water beyond Vinalhaven.  Along with VoturnUS, this monitoring buoy will be placed on the water.  It uses lasers to detect wind speed 600 feet above the ocean surface.

   We also made two trips to Castine, one ahead of the windmill to check out it's placement, and the second later in the week.

   For our second trip Castine we went late afternoon so we could see the turbine moving.  It made for some interesting water at the mouth of the Bagaduce, but sadly the turbine was not operating.  I'm hoping for great results from this rig.  Even Governor LePage, normally a windpower critic, offered  support for this project.  Dr. Dagher and the Advance Structures and Composite Center bring great positive energy to the Bangor region.  As Peter Vigue, CEO of Cianbro says, "Why not Maine?"

   I really want to see it in motion and listen for the sound of the turbine spinning.  So we'll probably be headed to Castine again.  After all, there's nothing more invigorating then being out in the kind of water your boat is built to handle.

*to make ant flavored water just grab an empty plastic bottle and fill it half way.  About a mile or two from home check the bottle and discover a large ant floating in.  Worry about what the presence of a carpenter ant inside you house indicates, and try to avoid drinking the insect.   


A few articles on the turbine and its associated buoy.  (Someone there at the Advance Structures and Composite is pretty good with publicity.)

Ecogeek.org  First US Floating Turbine Launched
Forbes   Maine Makes Waves
New York Times  A New Way to Harvest Wind Energy
Bangor Daily News UMaine shows off new buoy

Rowing a Cornish Pilot Gig - National Maritime Day Belfast Maine

   So what is a Cornish Pilot Gig?

   It's a narrow  6 person rowing boat, traditionally made of elm, 32 feet long and almost 5 feet wide.  Cornish Pilot Gigs got their start off Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.  It was as a general work boat, but was particularly used to race pilots out to vessels off the Atlantic.  The piloting job would often go to the first pilot to get to the vessel. 

   But if it looks familiar, it probably because these boats were also the design used for land-based life rescue craft.  When I see the Belle Fast  or Selkie race by, I can't help but recall the song, Grace Darling, and imagine Grace Darling and her father heading out in a similar craft to rescue sailors off the Farne Islands in 1838.

   The Selkie and Belle Fast are boats used by Come Boating in Belfast.  In 2012, Come Boating commissioned a third boat for the organization, the Malcolm G. , which was built in nearby Searsport and named for the man who started the rowing organization.

    That Belfast should have a rowing association is remarkable for many reasons.  Belfast is a small city, with a population in 2011 of only 6,671.  Despite that they have one of the few curling rinks in the area.  Secondly, if you've ever tried to put together a kayaking activity, you know how hard that it is to coordinate the schedules of just a few people.  Now imagine putting together an organization which needs seven people, six of whom will be sitting backwards.  Imagine further that you do this not once, but 22 times a week!  And you convince seven dedicated people to compete in races like the 20 mile Blackburn Challenge!   Impressive!

  I went to National Maritime Day, not only because I can't resist checking out big boats, but because I wanted to try a Cornish Pilot Gig.  And I wasn't alone.  Four other ladies were quick to sign up.

   We were led on our adventure by Jonathan, with Terry serving as rower 1.  We all know Durhamblogger is dedicated to kayak safety and wearing PFD's. I think he may have a kindred spirit in Terry, who has a life ring tattooed on her leg.

 

     Our Cornish Gig was the Selkie, otherwise known as the green boat.



     This is the Selkie at the Come Boating berth.  Note two of the seats have cushioning on them.
     This is the boat from another angle:

  Cornish Pilot Gigs are built based on the measurements of a 1838 gig, called the Teffry, which still races.  I'm a tall woman, the height of an average American male.  I suspect the original rowers may have been a bit smaller than me.  I don't know if the supports in the middle are part of the original design, or something added later.  I'm pretty sure the foam padding is not from the original design.
  Our first lessons were vocabulary.  The first term we learned was "laying on."  Before climbing aboard, one calls out "laying on."  Before getting off one calls out "laying off."  This allows the others on the boat to brace for rocking.

 

 

 

     Rower 5 is preparing to help Rower 6 (Terry) lay on.  I like this photo because it also shows the foot braces we'd use when rowing.

 

     Once we'd all laid on, the oars were distributed.  Oars are fiberglass shafts with wooden handles.  The oars are numbered. 



  Oarlock and rowers all faced the stern, only the coxswain faced forward.  We reviewed who were starboard and port rowers.  The boat side is determined by where the blade of the oar was, not which side the rower sat on.  And quite a bit of time was spent talking about crabbing.  Crabbing occurs when the angle of the blade is wrong.  Sometimes its because its been twisted, other times a wave hits it wrong.  If you've ever paddled a tandem with a child or handicapped individual, you probably know how much bracing you need if they get the blade angle wrong.  (that's why I recommend using Greenland style paddles in those cases.)  But on a Pilot Gig, if the blade angle is wrong the oar handle will knock you off your seat and throw the boat off rhythm.  Jonathan recommended yelling "Crab!" should that happen, and Terry confessed that should she crab, she might cry out a different four letter word.  In any case, we'd be forewarned.

   We put paddles up (held between our knees) while moving away from the dock, and got paddles ready, or in their oarlock once ready to paddle.  I don't remember the precise instruction to begin rowing, but it was something like "Begin rowing together."  Of that command, "together" was the important part, because on "together"  Rower 6 was supposed to get her blade in the water and begin an even stroke, starting with her hands over her toes and pulling back, using core muscles, until the oar handle was near her chest.  Everyone else was supposed to match Rower 6.  That was easy for me, as Rower 4,  all I needed to do was watch her blade and keep in time.  However it was a challenge for Rower 5, who needed to watch Terry's back and work from that information.  Brave Naily (sp?)  was selected to be Rower 5 based on her confession that she had rowed before.  That it was when she was thirteen gave her no mercy.

  The coxswain does not call out each stroke, he just told us when to start, and we were to continue until directed otherwise.  Rowing is a full body exercise, and at least for this beginner, took all my concentration as well.  As long as the oars are, as close as the seats are, it's very important to keep in precise rhythm.  There was no time for breaks, and as Mark was in Cambridge, MA (population: 105,162, Cornish Pilot Gigs: 0) there was no way to take pictures.  The group in action in the top photo was caught on a paddle in December 2012.

   I have this photo from when we took a break mid harbor.  Our oars are stored at rest beneath the gunnel and Jonathan is demonstrating good rowing technique.

      It was an beautiful day, and a wonderful time.  Belfast is an amazing city, and always a great place to visit.   On our run we went part way across the harbor and then back to shore.  Come Boating runs are for an hour, with about 40 minutes rowing.  Sometimes a rowing session might go out to the monument, or if the tide was right, up the Passy.  There are three levels, Community Boating for beginners and Exercise and Power rows for more advanced rowers.  Jonathan told us to check out Gig Races on youtube, and mentioned that racers aim for forty strokes a minute.  I think we may have done ten strokes per minute, which was exercise enough for me.  but here's a link to a short youtube video of the 2008 Championship, held off the Isles of Scilly.

  

On the Wanderbird - Belfast Maine, National Maritime Day.

Looking for a little glamor from the Gatsby era?   You might find it on the Wanderbird.

     The Wanderbird is an expedition vessel, set with classic amenities.

     How about this delivery truck to set the mood?

     Or this deckhand to welcome you on board?

    Once you're onboard the Wanderbird, whisks you and up to eleven other guests away on adventure; along the Maine coast, off to Labrador, and even further afield.  There are even Mothership Kayaking Adventures, with kayak tours led by Karen Franceour of Castine Kayaks.

    Wanderbird started life as a fishing trawler, but you'd never guess that.  She feels more like a well appointed yacht.  
     There are six passenger cabins, each with a private bath.  Here are a couple cabin shots.  Wouldn't it be great to be choosing between them?

Notice the logbooks on the pillows!

And on voyage, there's seating in the galley, the salon, or outside on the deck.

I wasn't able to get any great pictures of the whole ship, too many other boats were in the way.  But it was wonderful to have the opportunity, even for just a few minutes, to go aboard.  Of course there are more photos of the ship at their website.

Junk in Maine Waters??

 What's this???  Where did it come from, and why was it being launched now???

One minute we were merrily sitting there, scouting Belfast (ME) harbor for ducks and admiring the friendly seagulls, and the next, a crowd had gathered and a colorful vessel was being backed down the ramp.

Maynard (??) had built his version of a junk in his backyard, and was shifting it to the Belfast Boatyard where he planned to finish work on it.  He's thinking of using it as a houseboat.

Unfortunately conditions at the ramp, kept the boat trailer from getting deep enough in the water to launch the boat.

So close to being launched!

Fortunately it was an incoming tide and his crew of admirer's strong and inventive.

It took about 40 minutes, but finally the boat was afloat.

 Soon a skiff arrived to guide it to its winter docking; the Shanty does not have a motor yet.

Where ever it winds up, it will be a colorful addition to Maine's waters!

Flying Shadow Paddlers

 Still water, a low sun and a flat vertical surface; perfect conditions for a double shadow, or shadow paddler.

Unlike a mere shadow,  shadow paddlers don't appear below you, but above.  They don't just have one head, but two, an upright head, and reflecting head below.  And there is no dark shade connecting you to a shadow paddler.

They are most easily spotted against a solid surface, a cliff or a wall, but can also be seen in the leaves of trees growing on the sides of rivers.

The top part of the double shadow comes from light reflecting up from the water which is blocked by your body.  The upside down shadow is light blocked by your body first, or, another way of describing it, your shadow's reflection.

This photo shows the light points creating shadows

Whatever the cause, it always seems magical to look up and see a shadow paddler beside me, paddling through the brush and over rocks.

Magical, and maddeningly difficult to capture on film.  By the time I notice conditions are right, the wake from my kayak is dissipating the  shadow paddler.  Wait for the water to still, and by then the sun has moved, or the wind picked up.

It's easier to see the double images in a video.  The video below was created from stills, so it is a bit choppy.

Have you had any luck capturing Double Kayak Shadows?

Hot? A few tips from Mark

Tired of feeling hot??  Mark has tried and true ways to help keep you cool:

Try some cooling spray, using the ever popular Skimming Backward Stroke:

 Need to tan your legs and practice a balance brace??  Why not combine the two???

 Bonus points if you can convince others to try - especially if they aren't successful!