We both volunteered to lead a paddle in Boston Harbor. It’s a location a bit closer to our houses
and it’s also an opportunity to explore waters other than Narragansett Bay for
a change.
The plan was to lead a level 3 out of Windmill Point in
Hull. This launch point has its
advantages. You can go outside to Boston
Harbor or you can stay in Hingham Harbor if the weather is a bit iffy. Its disadvantage is that there are strong
currents in Hull Gut and it is a focal point for boat traffic. The day we chose and the start time we
selected meant that we’d launch near slack water and we’d return with the
current at our backs. (Navionics
software on my Iphone was very handy for the planning.)
There were 11 paddlers.
Scott and Sue were friends of Linda I had never met. Mary, who I see about once a year showed up. Carleen, Peter, Tim-2, Jon, Bob, Eric and
I. It was calm, warm, and overcast. We were on the water just a few minutes after
9AM and we already had some current to deal with. But it was very manageable because the water
was just starting to flow in. We made
the crossing to Georges Island as a nice tight group and then made our way
along the spit to Boston Light.
We landed at the light and spent about a half hour exploring
the island. The coast guard auxiliary
members gave us a quick history lesson but they wouldn’t let us climb to the
top of the light because a tour boat was arriving soon. The quick visit made for a nice break and
helped set the relaxed ethos that was prevalent throughout the day.
Back in the boats, we headed to Shag Rocks to play a little
bit. There was very little swell so the
danger level was low. We just poked in
and out of some of the passages. All
the same, one paddler spent some time on top of a rock and another spent a few
seconds upside down before completing an effective combat roll.
From Shag rocks we made our way to Outer Brewster Island. It was raining very lightly but no one seemed
too concerned. There was a little
excitement as the occasional larger swell rolled over the exposed end of the
Island. We looked at the Graves light
house but the consensus was it didn’t justify an extra 3 miles of paddling. So instead we headed over to Green Island for
Lunch.
We landed at exactly 12:00!
Once again we were amazed how quickly a 10 foot tide comes in. Peter and Scott seemed to be continuously pulling
the boats up to keep them from floating away.
We started our return journey by Little Calf, Calf, and
Great Brewster Islands. From there we
decided to pass by the south end of Lovell and land on Georges Island to
explore Fort Warren.
There were plenty of tourists on the island. They had arrived on the frequent Boston
Harbor Ferries. But there was plenty of
space and interesting architecture that was nearly 200 years old. We walked about for another half hour.
Back on the water we had one final channel crossing back to
Windmill Point. Again, we gathered up in
a tight grouping and crossed together as a unit. 
It was a totally laid back and relaxing day. The group dynamics were simply amazing. We did our crossing together in an organized fashion
yet we drifted apart a comfortable distance at appropriate times so we could
each explore in our own ways. It was quite
unlike a typical RICKA paddle! I think
there were a number of factors. I was
typically in the lead and was paddling at a relaxed rate. Eric acted as the sweep. There was no wind to cause paddlers
directional difficulties or to augment the “strong paddler into the wind” syndrome. And the lack of familiarity with the surroundings
and the exact destination also helped us to gather together before passing from
Island to Island.
I’d guess I paddle Boston Harbor about once a year on
average. I’ve experienced it when we’ve
turned around because the waves were too large as well as days like this one
where it was a mill pond. And each time
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed myself. … then
again I always say that about paddling.
7/7/2012 Water 65,
wind calm, air upper 70s. 12 miles (est.)
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