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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Of Tides and Current... *LINK* *Pic*
Posted By: David Hill
Date: Saturday, 2 August 2003, at 9:00 a.m.
Last week I made my first foray into the wide world of tides and current and navigation. All previous paddles had been in the protected waters of the lake our camp is on and tidal river systems (New Meadows River, Brunswick).
Charles W. and I had arranged to circumnavigate Cousins and Little John islands in Casco Bay. I ended having to work on the scheduled day and got some time off the day before and decided to do it solo on the spur of the moment. Sorry, Charles...
My questions are about decision making, trip timing, piloting, and navigation. Maybe this post belongs on the Trips Board but I thought that the questions warranted placement here.
I launched from island side of the bridge, the sky was partly cloudy, and marine forecast from NOAA called for 1'-3' seas and 5-10k SW winds. I left the island 2.5 hours after high tide.
I decided to head south initially because there was some current coming up between mainland and Cousins and I figured I'd rather tackle that early while I was fresh. The paddle to the southwest tip of the island was uneventful and seemed like typical current. After I rounded the point I was met with an increase in seas on my beam that were a strong 2'. Rounding the island and heading NE the seas were following and building. I felt at times they were close to if not 3' and confused by a bunch of traffic (Ferry, Lobsterman, Fishing and small craft) and a strong wind out of the SW.
The paddle to the tip of Little John was fast yet vigorous and a real test of bracing skills. With the wind and current at my back I was surfing at times, digging to keep on coarse, and turning to beam on to get perpendicular to large boat wake that buried my bow a couple of times.
Rounding the tip of Little John I was greeted with much calmer seas and finally a chance to rest. The paddle around the NE tip of Cousins and back to the bridge was uneventful except for the change in scenery. The gravel beach I'd left 2.5 hours earlier had turned into a mudflat; I had to wind my way around to just under the bridge to find a suitable landing spot. The sea had dropped 3' or more and it was now that I realized just how much a role the tide plays.
With the above info my questions are:
1. How would you have timed the trip given the weather, wind & tide?
2. What role did the tide & wind play in the adventurous NE leg?
3. Should I have been able to predict #2?
If it helps you can log into Mapquest (link below) and enter Yarmouth, ME. You can then zoom in and out to get an idea of the proximity to mainland and the open Atlantic.
It was explained to me at a navigation seminar that islands can act like mini damns and do interesting things with tides to create current.
What do you think.
Best, David Hill
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