Drysuit Rescue Practice

Going out is optional, coming back is mandatory – US Coast Guard saying

The most critical part of kayak paddling is making it back to shore. So we like to test a few things regularly:

First, if we capsize, can we get out of our boats easily?

Second, after dumping, can we get back into our kayaks quickly?

Finally, based on the ease of the rescue, under what circumstances are we likely to be successful?

With rain and wind due Thursday, it was time for our long-delayed drysuit rescue practice. We headed out to a nearby pond, suited up, acclimated ourselves to the water and attempted rolls and rescues.

Mark wanted to see if the ash paddle moved quickly enough for a successful roll. Good news, it did!

I wanted to try exiting from my Vaag and see if my baggy drysuit caught on anything. It didn’t, this time anyway.

And it was time to practice rescues, specifically a rescue we’d read about in the Spetember issue of Atlantic Coastal Kayaker, the Leg Hook Re-entry After a Capsize. This article was written by Wayne Horodowich. The leg hook rescue is much like the standard T-rescue, only rather than have the rescuee scramble onto the back of her kayak, she lifts one leg into the cockpit and leverages herself up from that. Here’s a video of the rescue.

My attempt was probably just as smooth ; ) One thing I discovered was that though the instructions noted the need to hook the leg in the cockpit as far as the knee, to leverage myself in I needed to push more leg into the boat first. But after that it was easy, and I appreciated that I didn’t need to climb over the spare paddles and pump I store on the back deck of the Vaag.

However we had trouble when I worked as the rescuer. It was hard for me to stabilize Mark’s boat enough for him to slide into the cockpit. I had my boat on its side, and draped myself over Mark’s boat. Still, I was not able, to keep water completely out of his cockpit. Fortunately, we have other rescues to fall back on.

Wayne, and others have written up many rescues for Paddling.net. His philosophy, like ours, is if something doesn’t work for you, find what does. Ray Wirth, Water Walker Sea Kayak, has several rescue videos; others can generally be found on youtube by typing in the names.

Roll and rescue practice, certainly made me more comfortable when I headed out into the wind on the Penobscot River Saturday. I think my comfort level was not so much from the practice, but from the experience of being immersed in autumn water. I knew that the wet suit I was wearing was warm enough that I had lots of time to attempt rescues, and even enough time to swim to shore.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: The water certainly wasn’t as cold as it will soon become. I didn’t have a thermometer, but after we’d finished the rescues and paddling I was hot so I tried swimming in just my under-layers. Based on how comfortable my un-gloved hands were, I would guess that the water was about 60 degrees. It was a 51 degree day, and after my swim I felt comfortable staying in my damp clothes while loading the kayaks back onto the car. Granted, the promised wind was missing, but it was nice to know that the fleece turtleneck and Coldpruf long underwear was warm when wet. Your comfort zones may vary. I have a pretty good tolerance for cold water, which is certainly aided by an internal wet suit I’ve built up over the years.

We probably won’t do any more rescue practices this year. Frankly it’s just too easy for me to imagine a cold water immersion practice going wrong. Just check out Chuck Sutherland’s site for some of the dangers. So as the water gets colder we’ll have fewer paddles, keep closer to shore on quieter waters, as well as beefing up our clothing. After all, like you, we have people counting on us making it back safely.

Cold Stream Pond

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower – Albert Camus

Summary: Cold Stream Pond Concrete launch, swimming and tables at launch, portapottie.

Gaudy, gay-hued leaves are such a transient thing, and so impervious to command. It seems one week we will paddle by maples on a lake and see only green and the next week the trees are bare with curled up scraps of maroon beneath them.

Seal Cove MDI to McKenney Preserve

 A beautiful day and a new destination on the horizon....what more could one want?

Summary:  Launch Seal Cove, off Cove Rd. Concrete ramp and gravel beach beside ramp.  Portapotties.  High 9:00AM Launch 10:20AM, finish 1:30PM 11 Miles, one stop.

80 degrees!  80 degrees in Maine in October!  Of course we wanted to go out on the ocean.  We launched from Seal Cove initially thinking we might paddle east to Bass Harbor and back, but once on the water, in the benign conditions, Tinker Island called to us.

Another blogger world, similar to our own.

Paddle To See - Enjoying the Outdoors

Turtle Quest

A warm autumn afternoon is a gift not to be squandered

Marsh Stream South, Marsh Bay, Frankfort Maine

Mendall Marsh from Fort Knox Rd Bridge

Summary:  Launch Penobscot River Launch  All Tide, No facilities. Launched 75 minutes before high, about 8 miles to Fort Knox Rd Bridge and  Railroad Bridge over Colson Stream then back to launch. Cautions: Hunting for seafowl in season in marsh. Colson Stream is significantly higher in the spring. 

Update:  This sign is now posted at the launch.  I'd stick to a high tide visit and bring extra water for rinsing my hands.

 

Little Chebeague

Launch: Falmouth Foreside Launch, fee to launch, very limited parking, portapottie. Launch 8:30AM, finish 11:30AM, 6 miles. High 9:50AM You can also access Little Chebeague from Chebeague Island at low tide. I suspect most paddlers launch for Little Chebeague from Sandy Point Beach near Cousin’s Island.

Some places are all about timing; access to Goose Pond in Castine, getting above the waterworks dam in Bangor. The same with launching from Falmouth Foreside. Their web site makes the launch sound friendly, parking by the launch, 35 more spaces just up the road. But of those spaces only four, in the most distant lot, are available to non Falmouth residents. That, plus four side-of-the-road spaces near the launch. That’s why we waited until after Labor Day, and went during the week. We arrived at 8AM, and there was just one space left in the upper lot for non residents, so we grabbed it and walked down to see the launch.
The launch is 1000 feet away, down a fairly steep hill, a long way to move boats, even with carts. But down at the launch two or three street-side spaces were left, so back up the hill I went and down the hill our boats and our car came. No real space to load the boats other than the unused parking spaces, but an easy cart to the launch.

Landing boats behind parked cars, and getting them ready to roll back to our car.

The entire south side of the launch is a paved ramp, offering easy access to the water. Once afloat, we found ourselves in a forest of white masts; hundred of sailboats. 35 parking spaces sounded a lot more generous when it wasn’t compared to the collection of boats on the water. I thought maybe we’d be able to paddle between boats all the way to Sturdivant Island. Not quite, eventually we were on open water, as we were on our crossings to Basket Island and on to Little Chebeague.

The forest of sails, as seen from a distance

Little Chebeague used to house a summer colony, but then in the 1940’s it was requisitioned by the Government to serve troops guarding Portland Harbor. The remnants of the houses remain, along with signs describing them.

A fixer upper with a water view

As a child, I lived beside the prosaically named “Supply Pond.” To build the reservoir our local water company had forced several families to move, but traces of the old dwellings, mostly cellar holes and overgrown periwinkle remained. The pond had been used mainly as a reservoir for ice, and was sold to the town in the 60’s. As kids, in those days before internet, we spent hours out in the woods digging around the old cellar holes seeking treasure and building new forts nearby. So I didn’t expect to see a lot on Little Chebeague, and I was surprised by how much remained.

There is a trail about the island, and signs warning of poison ivy, ticks, and Brown Tailed Moths to those who stray. The trail is mowed, which means it also has poison ivy, but cut very low. Some trees have ropes to accommodate climbers.

This old car lay rusting in the woods; look at how narrow the tires are.

We paddled back via Clapboard Island. When we paddle somewhere we research the area in books and google the islands. That’s how Mark discovered that Clapboard Island is available for rent, $25,000 per week, three week minimum, but servants are included!

Pictureque rocks

As we paddled back we saw the yacht club and marina south of the town landing, thus explaining how all the boat owners managed to park and access their boats.


Not as many pictures, because the islands were further apart, and also there weren’t as many boats moving about the harbor. The water was pretty mellow, with just enough chop to keep it interesting.

Portland Harbor, Maine

Basics: Launch Eastern Promenade, Portland. MITA suggests that kayak trips to Fort Gorges, Peaks and other islands of Portland harbor commence at Eastern Promenade to avoid the main shipping channels. Fee to use public launch. Launch from beach at no charge. Parking near launch: five minute loading spaces, 1 hour parking, 2 hour parking and trailer parking only (Memorial Day through Labor Day) , additional parking further up the hill. Restrooms. 2 miles to Fort Gorges and back. Launch 11AM, high 9AM, finish 3 PM. Our route 9.5 miles. Ferries go to Peaks Island regularly, but not to Fort Gorges.


When we arrived at Portland’s Eastern Promenade, our way along the waterfront was blocked by three huge dump trucks backing onto a barge at the commercial ramp; directly behind us the Downeast Duck Tour veered right, heading for the public ramp and behind that the Narrow Gauge Railroad cut off the road. Welcome to the big city!

Portland Harbor is busy, but it’s also filled with lots of interesting sights. Still, in September, conditions are great. Maine’s ocean water is about as warm as its going to get yet many of the summer visitors have gone home, so we get to enjoy paddling in some areas which we’d normally consider to be too crowded.
Caution: The MITA handbook recommends that kayak trips to the islands head out from the Eastern Promenade, rather than Bug Light Park. That way kayakers avoid the channel used by the biggest boats and tankers.

Why they recommend the Eastern Promenade Launch. Picture taken from Cape Elizabeth, Fort Williams.
Fort Gorges, left; Fort Scammell right.

As a part of planning, we were monitoring the weather, both land forecasts and marine forecasts. For Portland this was easy, as we could watch the local weather forecast online. And we’d delayed this trip for two days hoping the weather would clear. Eventually we had a good, but not a great day, with clearing skies predicted, calm winds but moderately big seas. So we were proceeding with caution. The day was supposed to clear, but we’d arrived in what we hoped was the last of the rain. Our first goal was Fort Gorges, visible from the shore on the day's quiet water.

Another quick check of the marine forecast on our marine radios assured us that no thunder was expected, so we headed out. The paddle to Fort Gorges is a quick trip, first a quarter mile along the shore then a three quarter mile crossing. No stop at Fort Gorges though, that was planned for later.
Instead we had another quick crossing, less than half a mile to Little Diamond. The south shore of Little Diamond just seemed to be the epitome of summer colonies, reasonable sized houses in tiers so they all have a water view.

Could be almost any summer shore, but it is Little Diamond

We then travelled along the shores of the two Diamond Islands.

Mark, just off Little Diamond, studies his chart, while a ferry and tourboat pass in front of Peaks Island

Our original goal had been to paddle around Peaks, but with higher wave heights in the marine forecast, we were reconsidering. Though the water was calm in the harbor, we knew it would be a different story on the far side of Peaks where no islands broke up the waves. We were also concerned about possible strong currents in Hussey Sound, which had been noted in the MITA handbook. It was mid tide and falling, so the current through the sound was likely to be outflowing. We entered behind tiny Pumpkin Nob, just off the end of Peaks, cautiously. We didn’t feel that much current in that small area, but we did see significant swells out to sea. Discretion being the better part of valor, and definitely the better part of ignorance, we changed our route, heading back along Peak’s west side, basically just on the opposite side of the channel we’d just paddled.
Our stop in Peaks center was short. Mark, “I didn’t come to shop, I came to paddle”, didn’t want to leave the boats, so I wandered through town a bit, discovering the seasonal public toilet hidden by the parking lot for the ferry. There did seem to be several places to eat, and a few stores clearing out for winter as well as a year 'round grocery.
The remains of Fort Scammell on House Island drew us next. Fort Scammell is not open to the public, but some tours are available. We saw multiple houses on privately owned House Island. There is also a beach, with a wall of big granite blocks that was just beginning to appear above the falling tide. I’m not sure if those were put there to defend the fort or the privacy of the current owners.

Mark provides a convient scale to one of Scammell's wings

Two Coast Guard vessels were working in the harbor. They’d arrived earlier in the day, side by side, but had since moved to separate areas. One was the Shackle, same class as the Tackle, doing something with what appearred to be a custom buoy. We crossed from House back to Little Diamond, which allowed me to pass by this wonderful yellow bell buoy, one of several yellow buoys around in Portland harbor.

Then back to Fort Gorges. Much like Prospect Maine’s Fort Knox, Fort Gorges was begun prior to the Civil War and obsolete before it was completed. More of the history of Fort Gorges is available on wikipedia. For us, it is just a fun place to take a break and explore. As per the sign we entered at our own risk, and clambered up and down the stairs, looking out to Portland Head Light. Fort Gorges is a good place to bring a flashlight, as some stairways are completely dark.

Patriot gulls with a "star"

Hopefully those aren't important pieces...

Fort Gorges may have been obsolete by the time it was complete, but several other Forts and Batteries were built in the area to defend Portland through various wars. After finishing our paddle, we headed out to another gathering of forts, in Fort Williams Park, in Cape Elizabeth just south of Portland. That’s also the home to perhaps the world’s most photographed lighthouse, Portland Head Light.

Look familiar? Keep an eye out, you’ll see it decorating items in coastal gift stores from Maine to Florida and everywhere in between.
In planning this trip we relied heavily on Kayaking the Maine Coast by Dorcas Miller, the MITA 2011 guide, tidbits from Paddling.Net Launches, and the Peaks Island Web site.
This link offers another report of paddling to Fort Gorges.