CASKA: Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association

Lake Geneva: Night Navigation with CASKA

 
Mary Fairchild

Does this dark little area lead to the pier where we parked our cars, or is it the next one? ... 

There's nothing wrong with getting a bit lost. The journeys you remember are the epics, the ones where you needed all your senses and experience to get out of trouble... (Kayarchy) 

When Russ Johnson sent word out that he was planning to lead a paddle at 7:30 pm on Friday, I was excited and looked forward to learning more about night paddling....FOR REAL. 

I was impressed with my travel time.  Even with construction, I left my home in the northwest suburbs and was there within and hour and fifteen minutes.  I took I90 to 47 N, after it turned into 120 across the border, I jogged over on B, then Zenda and right to Linn Rd which went straight to the lake.

Right where the lake is the narrowest is where we put in; Russ & Jen Johnson, John Gabris, and me.  This made our night navigation easier.  We only had two crossings where we really had to be careful to watch out for boat traffic--Williams Bay and then crossing back to the other side at the narrow area.  The trip was about 3 hours long. 

Symposiums, festivals, and races all have their place, for sure, but I was thankful for this less crowded, more personal, relaxing--so-to-speak, time on the water once again.    

Haze, fog, and night are all considerations that involve special gear and special planning and for some of us---the adventure.     

When Russ planned to put in at 7:30 pm I immediately emailed him with excitement about how he was planning to do the night navigation.  I had read that it is a good thing to practice paddling in the dark so that, in the future, if you are caught off guard, you will know what will be expected of you and what equipment to have always handy--just in case.  Okay, ....but it just sounded a bit fun, too. 

I had done a sunrise paddle in the Apostles a few years back and we left our campsite following the North Star and the shoreline with our headlamps ready if we needed them.  It was a clear night and the moon and stars lit the water nicely for us as we watched the sunrise.  EASY.

 On a clear night, locate the Big Dipper. Look at the two stars furthest from the handle and draw an imaginary line through them and up. 

The North Star (Polaris) is the first bright star close to that line, about five times the distance between the two stars themselves.

For our trip on Lake Geneva, not only did we have overcast skies, but Russ had us putting in just as the sun was getting ready to set.  LESS EASY... 

 Because it was overcast on Lake Genevea, we paid attention to the shape of the lake and the amount of parking lights that were at our pier which were unique and easy enough to spot.

Except for two crossings, we stayed behind the buoys as we travelled along the shores to avoid the powered boats.  As we crossed the Williams Bay area we did have some boats to watch and we stayed together and noted the red and green lights on them.

The red light goes on the left and the green on the right.  Regardless of the white lights, if you can see red and green at the same time, a vessel is coming directly towards you. If you can see only green, the vessel is probably approaching, and certainly going from your left to your right. If you can see only white, it is going away from you or is stationary. Sea Kayak Navagation 

Rule 25 of the Maritime Law Guide says that a rowing boat, which would include a kayak, is not required to display the usual white lamp visible from all around as long as there is "ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision". 

High-speed vessels will often display a flashing yellow light. There are many other light configurations. If you want to cross a shipping lane at night, you'll need to know quite a few. There's a wikipedia page with the full list:  Lights & Shapes.

We each had at least two sources of lighting.  I had a water-proof head lamp attached to my pfd and a small white lite attached to the bungy on my stern.  John tried the red and green lights attached to his bow and quickly found out it's easy to hit them with your paddle if they are too close to you.

As we paddled to the darkest bend in the lake, Russ said, "Where going to take a little water break here."  Next thing I know there's splashing and he's doing his re-enter and roll ... then squirting Jen with water from his pump...  At the end of our trip Russ gets a nice size crayfish out of the water just for Jen...   

It was a very FUN and SAFE night.  Sometime, I hope to take Russ up on a repeat with 3' waves for a little interest.... 

Mfairlady

Paddle/Hike/Play

 

Trip Report – June 11, 2011: Tales from the Four Mile Crib

On June 11, 2011, Tom Bamonte and I planned on paddling from Jackson Park Inner Harbor to Four Mile Crib and back via 12^th street beach.  What we thought would be a paddle of moderate distance on a warm spring morning turned out to be an urban paddling adventure that put our navigation skills (or in my case, willingness to learn navigation skills) to the test.

The plan was to meet at Jackson Park Inner Harbor boat ramp, a designated Lake Michigan Water Trail put-in, at 7:30 a.m. There was a dense fog advisory in effect until 10 a.m. with winds blowing at 10-15 knots out of the northwest, shifting to the northeast later in the morning.  As predicted, the fog was heavy.   While driving along Lakeshore Drive to the launch site, it was nearly impossible to assess the conditions on the Lake.     

Tom Bamonte taking stock

Undeterred, Tom and I made the decision to paddle to as planned.  Getting there, however, would require us to plot our course.  Tom, prepared as always, took out his chart and protractor, and gave me a quick tutorial on using both.  We took the bearings needed to get from Jackson Park to the Crib, the Crib to 12^th street beach, and back.  The chart showed two buoys, one with a bell, that were located approximately two miles offshore and two miles from our put-in.  We told ourselves to listen for the bell about 30 to 45 minutes into the paddle.  If we heard the bell to our left (or west), we knew we were off course.

A quick warm-up paddle through the harbor and we were off.  Immediately upon entering the Lake, it became apparent that we would need to keep our heads on swivel to watch for boat traffic, as visibility was severely restricted.  The thick shroud of fog prevented us from using any onshore landmarks to assess our position and progress.

This could be interesting

This was my first time navigating with a deck compass in a kayak.  One thing I quickly noticed was that our bearing and course did not always align, and a couple minutes of inattention could lead to an unsuccessful voyage or a more frustrating paddle.  Navigation in a kayak with a deck compass is part science and part art.

After almost two hours of paddling and having not heard the bell, we started to encounter sailboats motoring out to their intended destination.  Knowing that Burnham Park Harbor was slightly south of 12^th street beach (almost due west of the Crib), increased boat traffic was a good sign that we were at least traveling in the correct direction. 

One encounter with a sailboat stood out among the rest.  The crew of one sailboat didn’t motor by and wave as the others.  Instead, they motored alongside Tom and began asking questions.  “Are you alright?”  “Where are you going?”  “Do you have a GPS?”  Tom allayed their concerns, telling them that we were heading to Four Mile Crib, we had a marine radio and cell phones, and of course, we were doing just fine.  The crew also made another observation before leaving us: “We don’t typically see kayakers our this far.”  I felt vindicated.

Closely monitoring our compasses, we began hearing a faint sound in the distance.  Four Mile Crib has a horn.  Could it be?  Because we both had time constraints, along with parking meters that would be expiring before 3:00 p.m., our pace quickened.  Tom set benchmarks: let’s paddle another 20 minutes towards the horn.  After 20 minutes, we still hadn’t reached the Crib.  As we were paddling, the sound of the horn intensified, so we decided to paddle another 10 minutes.

After harboring some doubt, but not wanting to give up, the Crib suddenly appeared to the northwest.  It was enveloped in fog, and if it had a light, it wasn’t visible.  We didn’t have time to bask in our achievement of reaching the Crib the old-fashioned way, using a chart and compass and our eyes and ears. We needed to make it to 12^th street beach for lunch and needed to do so quickly.

The Four Mile Crib

We corrected our bearing to account for the fact that the northern winds (northwest shifting to northeast) would push us south.  Beam seas accompanied us on our paddle west.  The undulating motion of the waves was hypnotic.  The fog, however, continued to be disorienting.  There were times when I thought I saw buildings through the fog and questioned whether Chicago really lay in the distance. 

Soon enough, the shore appeared, and much to our excitement, we had nailed another one.  The 12^th street beach was almost directly in front of us.  (The southern 100 yards of 12^th street beach is another designated Lake Michigan Water Trail put-in.)  Lunch was in order, and as we were eating, the fog began to lift.

Paddling south back to Jackson Park gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the following seas. The reflecting waves off the break walls south of 12^th street and near Promontory Point caused our boats to be pushed and pulled irregularly, keeping us guessing, even with waves of less than three feet.  Water does strange and powerful things when its energy cannot be unleashed on a beach.

 Gary Steinbauer limping back to the launch site

By the time we arrived back at Jackson Park, the fog had lifted enough for us to have a clear view of the shore.  Our guessing game was done, and we no longer had to hold our laser focus on our deck compasses. 

A clear picture of Jackson Harbor

We made it to the Crib in dense fog, to our lunch stop, and back.  This was an extremely satisfying and humbling paddle . . . and we had time to spare on our parking meters.

Text by Gary Steinbauer

Photos by Tom Bamonte

 

Taxpayers may have to pay billions to clean up Chicago River - Crain's Chicago Business

Perhaps not surprisingly, Crain's seems less than enthusiastic about plans to clean up our waterways...

Taxpayers may have to pay billions to clean up Chicago River | In Other News | Crain's Chicago Business.

Sea Kayaking & Whitewater: Roughing it With Scott Berry and Nigel Dennis

What could be better than kayaking the Apostle Islands?

Yup--having Nigel Dennis join you. In order to get better acquainted with rough water this year, I started to look for opportunities to get familiar with whitewater kayaking.  

This past week, I opted to get out on Wisconsin's Wolf River and follow Scott Berry, another expert in kayaking, for a couple of days on my way up to see Nigel Dennis.

1. Sea kayakers going through a tide race at North Stack, Anglesey, Wales. (small tide race)

2. The mouth of the Indian River, Delaware. (med. tide race)

3. Nigel Dennis at North Stack Cave: Stacks of Rockhopping--Holy Island, Anglesey: "...They’ve all cut their teeth in the Tide Races and Overfalls around Holy Island. If you can paddle comfortably in these waters, then you can almost certainly hold your own anywhere in the world."

If a fast current is constricted by a headland jutting out into the sea, or a channel between an island and the mainland, or it flows over an undersea reef, bar across a river mouth or rocky sill across the mouth of a fjord, it can behave just like a whitewater river. Expect tide races, which are often fun; tide rips which may be fun; and possibly overfalls. (10)

 

Tidal race (or tidal rapid) is a natural occurrence whereby a fast moving tide passes through a constriction resulting in the formation of waves, eddies and hazardous currents.

Paddling with Nigel Dennis (above) around Oak Island. Nigel Dennis began sea kayaking at the age of 23, and within 3 years had completed the first circumnavigation of Britain, with fellow kayaker Paul Caffyn. The following year, in his kayak circumnavigation around Australia in 1981/2, Caffyn had to contend with a tropical cyclone which nearly swept him off a small offshore islet in the Coral Sea, raging surf, tiger sharks which frequently bumped into the kayak in the Gulf of Carpentaria, crocodiles, sea snakes and three sections of sheer limestone cliffs. To overcome the three 100+mile plus long sections of cliffs, he used Nodoz tablets to stay awake and Lomotil to keep his bowels dormant during these overnight paddles. The longest stint along the awesome Zuytdorp Cliffs in Western Australia, took 34 hours of continuous paddling. (9)

Nigel’s expertise to lead others soon led to the Cape Horn expedition of Rebecca and John Ridgeway in 1992 which included a camera crew and was televised. Rounding Cape Horn requires ships to press south to 56° south latitude, well into the zone of fiercest winds. These winds are further exacerbated at the Horn by the funneling effect of the Andes and the Antarctic peninsula, which channel the winds into the relatively narrow Drake Passage. The strong winds of the Southern Ocean give rise to correspondingly large waves; these waves can attain enormous size as they roll around the Southern Ocean, free of any interruption from land. At the Horn, however, these waves encounter an area of shallow water to the south of the Horn, which has the effect of making the waves shorter and steeper, greatly increasing the hazard to ships. If the strong eastward current through the Drake Passage encounters an opposing east wind, this can have the effect of further building up the waves. In addition to these "normal" waves, the area west of the Horn is particularly notorious for rogue waves, which can attain heights of up to 30 metres (100 ft). (8)

(Our group putting in in the morning fog.)

Using his practical experience in demanding conditions while at sea, Nigel built his own fleet of kayaks and the first Anglesey Sea and Surf Centre was started (UK Sea Kayak Guidebook Anglesey).

(Bill Burton and Nigel Dennis)

Nigel's first kayaks were built to withstand the constant use and abuse by groups that would use them at the center. He designed strategic day hatches which allowed easy access while paddling, and his keyhole cockpit design, which compared with the original very small ocean cockpit, allowed for faster entry and exits.

(Eila Wilkinson and Nigel Dennis gearing up two of his kayaks for our tour--her purple Pilgrim and his green Explorer.) Nigel’s kayaks have been adapted and modified for expedition use, and then tried and tested in severe weather conditions and extremes of temperature. (5)

(Wolf River Rapids; Scott Berry of Bear Paw Adventure Resort)

Standing waves can be surfed on a river all day long and provide great practice. The northeast corner of Wisconsin is known as the "cradle of rivers" where headwaters of the Wolf, Pine, Popple, Oconto, Peshtigo, Deerskin, and Wisconsin rivers originate from. Along the Wolf River, the Bear Paw Adventure Resort, in White Lake, Wisconsin, has been open since 1994.

At Hansen's Rapid, Scott demonstrated how to side-surf a hole. When it was my turn he climbed a rock right next to it and when I paddled over he took my paddle away and had me do it without the paddle while he was nearby to catch me "just in case." Most people trust their paddle for balance here and it usually sinks. He had me stick my hand down into the wave to feel the current below it. It was fun to just play follow-the-leader because I didn't have to think about it all and I could just "do it" since I saw Scott before me. Scott Berry has 20 years of paddling and extensive river rescue experience. He hosts ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor’s Classes at Bear Paw and is a fully certified ACA Swiftwater Instructor. He is also a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Wolf River and a volunteer on the Wolf River Search and Rescue Squad.

On June 7, 2007, a tornado moving at 50 mph with wind speeds of 160 mph wiped out the resort. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Owner Jamee Peters rebuilt with new co-owners Scott Berry, an instructor, and Craig Knapp, who had been a guest when the tornado hit. They reopened a year after the tornado (6)

As soon as the boy scout group finished their training at their bridge on Boy Scout Rapid, we ferried across and I surfed a very small wave for the first time. We paddled back and forth at the foot of the rapids, angling our boats slightly upstream. It was really fun to just follow Scott and mimic his moves. We had ample practice with our draw and rudder strokes as we eddy hopped and aggressively zig-zagged through boulders always moving faster than the current or slower as we ferried forward and backward to find our lines.

Whether you go faster or slower than the water you are in control. Stop paddling and you are now moving at the waters speed. The water is in control and will do what it wants with you. The river was low and we had some technical rock gardening at times that would not be there if the the boulders were covered. We scouted down the river to see where the current was the strongest. Where there's a train of waves, the water is the deepest and we'd cruise right through them. Sometimes, however, a boulder can mimic a wave and the ride gets a bit bumpy by surprise....

Bear Paw teaches paddling and skiing and rents mountain bikes as well. Their accomodations include chalet suites, rustic cabins and a campground. The Wild Wolf Inn , overlooks the Wolf River, and has a great view of Gilmore's Mistake and great sandwhiches, too. Both nights I had servers who grew up with Scott Berry and could not say enough good things about him. Katie, in particular, shared how he not only spent time teaching her how to paddle, but ski as well.

Mfairlady

Paddle/Hike/Play

References

1. "Whitewater Paddling Strokes & Concepts," Eric Jackson; 1999.

2. "Sea Kayaker Deep Trouble," Broze & Gronseth; 1997; p. 130.

3. Bear Paw Adventure Resort

4. Inland Sea Kayak Symposium

5. Surfline, "Nigel Dennis Kayaks."

6. Midwest Weekends Bear Paw review, "Whitewater Kayaking 101," 3/11.

7. Wausau Whitewater.org, Scott Berry bio.

Harrington Beach State Park Trip Report: June 3-5, 2011

Kayaking Wisconsin: Finding new trails from hetherh on Vimeo.

 Harrington State Beach Park Trip Report

by Hether Hoffmann

 Harrington Beach State Park is a beautiful park on Lake Michigan about two hours north of Chicago. I hiked at this park when I was a kid and during college. Milwaukee sea kayak instructor, John Browning, developed the Wisconsin Lake Michigan Watertrail website (http://www.kayakwisconsin.net/watertrail/countys/ozaukee-wisconsin.html). I read about the planning of a kayak campsite at the park several years ago via his very informative website. In 2009, a 75-site campground was completed at Harrington Beach. In addition to the kayak campsite, there are several walk-in sites, one group campsite, and car campground.

On Friday, Pat L. and I headed up to Port Washington, WI to check out the launch site at the harbor. I had called the marina the day before about overnight parking. The overnight permit is $2.50 available in the main building. We had talked about several alternate trip options in case we decided not to launch that afternoon. We arrived at the marina at about 4:00 p.m. The decision was made not to launch due to building waves, late launch time and not having paddled this area. We continued driving to the state park, registered, and were given an overnight kayak camping parking permit. After hiking ½ mile, we set up our camp, made dinner, explored the quarry lake, and enjoyed our evening campfire.

On Saturday, Pat and I drove to Hwy D and launched our kayaks. We headed north about 5mi, landed at Amsterdam Park, and ate lunch.  After paddling back to our campsite, we decided to explore the local area and the Cedar Beach Inn (only serves Friday night fish fry-call ahead). After we got back, Ken B. and his wife Mary were chatting with Russ and Jen as they also set up camp. We all decided to paddle a bit more during the late afternoon hours. After dinner and a gorgeous sunset hike around the quarry lake, we enjoyed a campfire, tea, and a bit of wine.

On Sunday, we gladly fueled our tanks at the park’s pancake breakfast with the profits going to projects within the park. After breakfast, Russ, Jen, and I paddled back to Port Washington where Pat met us for a late lunch.

Harrington Beach State Park is great place for a quick weekend trip. It has options for everyone from non-paddlers to advanced paddlers. I found the early summer trip to be a great incentive to get gear organized for summer season, review skills, and of course reconnect with paddling buddies.

KAYAKER DEATHS AND THEIR MEANING

_{Kevin Dammen}

 

By: Tom Bamonte 

The recent news of the tragic death of a young kayaker in Lake Superior has prompted lots of discussion in the paddling community. Kevin Dammen sounded like a great guy. The reporting on his death portrays someone who was fully engaged in life. His obituary summed up his life as follows:

He was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, co-founder of the Winona State University Ski Club, member of the Winona State University cross country team, and co-founder of the J.C. Hormel Nature Center Ski Race. Kevin enjoyed running, skiing, unicycling, storm chasing, kayaking, slack lining, online electronic repair, hiking, camping and spending time with family and friends.

When the news of the incident reached the university a large group of his fellow students gathered spontaneously to mourn. Clearly, he will be missed.  

The news reports indicate that Kevin died in an honorable fashion. Kevin, his brother and two others were paddling together in the Apostle Islands and ran into trouble when they traveled from sheltered waters to the open lake. There was a small craft advisory that day. One member of the group went in the water and Kevin tipped over when he tried to turn his kayak around and come back to aid his companion. With Kevin and his paddling partner both in the water Kevin urged the two kayakers remaining in their boats to rescue his partner and come back for him later. As a result he died alone in 47 degree water. His paddling partner lives.

It is important to analyze what went wrong on this trip and learn from the mistakes. The lack of a marine radio, not wearing one's wetsuit, the evident lack of self-rescue skills and equipment (e.g., paddle float) all deserve mention. There may have been a failure to consult the marine weather forecast. Surely, there was a point when the group left protected water and first encountered the full force of open lake conditions where they could and should have turned back. The decision of the two rescuers to take Kevin's direction and tow one swimmer to shore while leaving Kevin alone in the open water is debatable.

The lessons of this kayaking death and others go beyond technique and judgment, however. Let's face it, death and the risk of death permeats kayaking, or at least the "serious" form of kayaking to which many paddlers aspire. Many of us are probably inspired to kayak because it is precisely the risk of death that awakens in us that special kind of alertness that makes us feel truly and fully alive.

If we aren't considering the prospect of our death and the death of our paddling partners each time we kayak then we are fooling ourselves. So much can go wrong. A boat roars out of the fog and collides with a kayak. Dehydration, cold and exhaustion at the end of a long day make one tippy just as the waves pick up and you're over. The grab loop tucked in the cockpit holds one under just long enough to panic and gasp. A sudden off-shore wind tips you over and blows your boat away and you had the bad luck to chose to chance it without your wetsuit that day. An unexpected breaking wave pops your sprayskirt and suddenly you are sitting in cold water in an unstable boat miles from a landing spot. The list goes on and on. As we learned from Kevin's death, even a group of four able-bodied kayakers not that far from land is not enough to prevent a death.

The meaning of a kayaker's death is akin to the meaning we draw at Halloween. Halloween is the time of year when the boundary between the dead and the living supposedly becomes thinner, even permeable. In a similar fashion the death of a kayaker is an opportunity for us to acknowledge and come closer to Mother Nature, the Forces of Nature, God's Creation (pick your metaphor) and take special note of its relentless ability to thrust death upon the foolish, the smart, the innocent and the deserving alike. As the deputy sheriff involved in the incident so aptly observed, "Lake Superior is unforgiving. . . people underestimate the power of the cold and the power of this majestic lake."  

Death gives the sport, the way, of kayaking its meaning. If no one died kayaking then we would be practicing something like tiddlywinks or knitting. Interesting and enjoyable, even useful, no doubt, but not something that engages body and mind so completely as kayaking. The risk of death gives kayaking a sort of mythic dimension that these more routine activities lack. Each time we put it on the line with a lengthy crossing or by challenging big surf or taking a long trip along unfamiliar shores we are reenacting in our own way the great nautical adventures chronicled by Homer, in the Bible, and by fleets of novelists and adventurers since then. Their words and our practice come down to trying to make sense of a world where people like Kevin are snatched from life way too soon.

However tragic and unnecessary their deaths, we should thank the kayakers who died for reminding us of Death, our ever-present paddling companion. Obviously, we should study the failings that may have led to their deaths and adjust our techniques, equipment and risk-tolerances accordingly. We should go beyond that, however, and ask ourselves each time we paddle the ultimate questions--are we ready to die and are all the good things associated with kayaking worthy of death.

We don't know if Kevin asked those questions as he floated alone in Lake Superior, the life-giving heat draining from his body. I would like to think that he considered the richness of what he had received and given back to his family and his community and felt that he had lived a full life in his 20 years. I hope he had faith that his two companions in boats would be able to get his buddy back to shore alive. He may well have understood the heroic nature of his decision to stay in the water and give his buddy a better chance to live. In that moment of reflection Kevin might well have decided that he had no regrets about dying.

Shouldn't we use the stories about kayaker deaths as an injunction to live our lives and paddle our kayaks in a way such that if death comes to us on the water we're ready and reconciled to its arrival. We want to be able to say, as this young man hopefully said to himself, I've lived a full and responsible life and I've done the best I can on the water to make the right decisions. The rest we must leave to the forces as powerful and as mysterious as Lake Superior that determine our fate.

Blazing a Plath: Saturday's Lake Michigan Water Trail Celebration

 

Bill Burton Approaching Burns Harbor in Sweet New Boat

 

By: Tom Bamonte

Saturday was a day of celebration for the region's paddlers. Erik Olson, Bill Burton, Gary Steinbauer and I got an early start, launching from the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk (PLR) at about 9 a.m. For the next hour and a half we explored the industrial area to the east of this pocket park.

Entrance to Burns Harbor--Where's the Warning Sign?

When we got to the entrance of Burns Harbor a fisherman warned us against proceeding into the harbor. We had wanted to paddle to a moored freighter. The fisherman mentioned $1,500 fines and unfriendly security personnel in fast boats. Sure enough, at one side of the harbor entrance--but not the side we were on--there was a warning sign.

Burns Harbor Warning Sign

From Burns Harbor we paddled to Marquette Park in Gary to join a flotilla of paddlers who were paddling to the PLR for an celebration of the dedication of the first leg of the Lake Michigan Water Trail. It appears that there were over 30 paddlers in our group. Other paddlers joined us later from a route up the river that empties into Lake Michigan next to the PLR.

Part of the Kayak Flotilla

Along the way, I got a chance to talk to Dan Plath. Dan has been one of the key forces behind the Lake Michigan Water Trail and perhaps the person most responsible for the opening of the first stretch of the trail, which extends from Chicago around the southern curve of Lake Michigan. The trail offers camping spots and other support facilities for kayakers at regular intervals along the route. Dan is also one of the key members of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association.

Dan filled me in on some of the challenges faced by the Water Trail organizers and outlined how he and his colleagues (including CASKA's Gary Mechanic) built a coalition of public agencies, private industry and landowners to support the Water Trail. Other than a few folks who at public hearings raised the specter of kayakers bringing mayham, diseases and more to local communities (Dan has the tape),there has been little opposition to the Water Trail. Dan did report that he expected the most difficult challenge to be finding landing sites and camping areas in the stretch of Lake Michigan that runs through the North Shore suburbs of Chicago. Watch for upcoming opportunities to make your support for the Water Trail known in those communities.

Pavilion at Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk

The celebration was held in the pavilion at the PLR. It is a LEED-certified structure that has inspired me ever since I first visited last fall. There is a simplicity and grace to the design that is very nice. The swoops of its curves express quite nicely the forces of the winds and waves that have shaped the Indiana Dunes.

Bill Burton, Erik Olson and Gary Steinbauer at the Celebration

Dan was one of the speakers, sharing his vision of the Lake Michigan Water Trail as the longest water trail in the world. I'm sure I'm not the only one inspired by his quiet, self-effacing model of effective leadership.

Dan Plath

There was more to celebrate that day. Kristen and Tim Flentye were spotted doting on their youngster, approaching a first birthday in August and no doubt expecting a new Epic racing boat. Tom and Peg Heineman were there. Tom's circumnavigation of Lake Michigan a few years ago and the struggles he had to find camping spots in many stretches helped inspire the Lake Michigan Water Trail effort. Humberto Garcia was back on the water for the first time in many months, after a difficult year, and it was great to seem him pulsating with energy once again. Jim Des Jardins and Beverly Serrell added their usual good cheer and panache. I even witnessed Mike Croak back where he belongs, in a sea kayak.

And let's not forget Captain Michael Taylor. Earlier in the week he had made what I thought was a very rash move, namely, making it known on the CASKA Yahoo Group that he had gotten his roll. My experience--personal and otherwise--is that the gap between hitting your first roll and getting a reliable roll is measured in months if not years.

When I saw Michael on Saturday I teased him a bit about his bold proclamation and made him promise to show off his new roll. I fully expected him to fail and I planned to use this as the basis for a blog post on hubris, roll techniques, the school of hard knocks, and the like. Darned if Michael did not just hit one roll, he hit several in succession with aplomb. That too was cause for celebration on this sweet day of friendship, effective leadership and the successful opening of the Lake Michigan Water Trail

Bill Burton--Still Looking for His Paddle Blades

Navigating Bermuda and Cumberland Island: Intrigue, Flux, and Current

Last week our family took a cruise to Bermuda.  We spent our first day at Snorkel Park Beach where we snorkeled and kayaked on sit-on-top kayaks.  It was very windy and we had a nice little surf to play in out by the bouys which marked off our beach zone. 

You can see the storm that was off to the left in the picture.  Although it got much darker and ominous, fortunately, it never came any closer.

Our ship docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard which is at the very tip of the notorious Bermuda Triangle.  The nineteenth century fortress is now an entertainment complex.  Once used for naval offices, the North Tower clock keeps the time and the South Tower clock marks the tides... 

(Picture taken from our cruise ship as we pulled away from Bermuda)

Bermuda's upper layer was built by corals that thrive in the clear, warm waters pulled up by the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream that runs through the BermudaTriangle is swift and turbulant.  It flows at 4 to 5 knots along the shelf break until it deflects out over the open ocean off Cape Hatteras.  A constant succession of massive eddies and upwellings peel off the Gulf Stream's western wall, carrying life from the tropics to the temperate sounds of North Carolina.

The ocean floor has shoals around islands as well as some of the deepest marine trenches in the world.  Uncharted navigational hazards abound as strong currents interact with reefs creating a constant flux. 


It is here that rogue waves 80 feet or higher occur with regular frequency. Rogue waves could be one possible explanation for the loss of many of the ships.

The area appeared to be quite protected by the fort that bordered one side and a jetty on the other. 

(Snorkel Park Beach, Bermuda)

Later that afternoon, while snorkeling, my brother-in-law struggled and finally swam back to shore against waves and a strong current.  Somehow he had found himself in deep water, waves, and current before he knew it.  None of us knew about it until he told us later that night.  The National Weather Service believes that deaths from rip currents are also under reported.    

The University of Southern Florida reports that the sandy bottoms of Florida beaches are constantly shifting shape and making them more vulnerable to rip tides.  U of SF also reported that researchers found, in most cases, it was wind-driven waves towards the beaches that produced the conditions leading to rip currents. (8) 

Surfers actually use rip tides to help bring them out to the waves.  They can also help rescue a swimmer caught in a rip tide.  Charles Paxton, Science & Opertions Officer for the National Weather Service and avid surfer who has studied the area, explained that the rip currents are formed when water from breaking waves that has collected in the shallows is funnelled seaward through a narrow channel, creating a powerful stream of water that swimmers can't see and don't know is there until they are in it. (8)  

Rip currents can be dangerous if you are not familiar with them.  Most surfers learn to paddle out right in the middle of rip currents to catch a ride out to the break, and then surf right alongside them. YouTube: Rip Tides. 

Although it is a haven for surfers, locals at Sagres Beach on the Algarve said tourists frequently get into trouble because strong currents create hidden whirlpools around a large rock in the middle of the bay.  The water is especially dangerous because it is where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean, meaning waves can change quickly, catching swimmers unaware. (2)

Earlier this year I went on a kayak expedition around Georgia's Cumberland Island and kayak surfing was one of my favorite memories from the trip.  People who like to surf, including kayak surfing, will look for the shoals where waves break.    

Mary R. Bullard, author of "Cumberland Island: A History," writes, "... the entrance to St. Andrew's Sound from the ocean was considered dangerous.... mariners were often reluctant to cross it because it was full of shoals... you enter over a shifting sandbar that extends about five miles offshore.  Two large rivers, the Great and Little Satillas, empty into the sound carrying thousands of pounds of silt, which means the sound changes its underwater configuration with dangerous rapidity.  Sandbars appear and disappear with no particular evidence."  (1)

 

Cumberland Island is located in the South Atlantic Bight (gradual bend that forms a large, open bay).  This is the name given to describe the U.S. coastal ocean from North Carolina to the east coast of Florida.  Rock reefs covered with attached algae and animals makes up to 20% of the bottom of the continental shelf found in the South Atlantic Bight. (1)

"...Be Careful Surf Kayakers--Rougher chop and more dangerous conditions than usual are par for the course for South Florida seas in the winter.  This weekend will prove the point with a storm system off the East Coast which is predicted to bring in heavy winds, waves, and rip currents.  While this will undoubtedly (and thankfully) keep many out of the water this weekend, it could be an opportunity for some surf kayaking..." (12)

Mfairlady

• Paddle/Hike/Play
• Baja Winter Kayak Expedition:  Wind, Waves, and Lipstick
• February:  Falling Back in Love With Sea Kayaking
• Kayaking Cobscook Bay and Coastal Maine with Geneva Kayak
• Kayaking Cumberland Island: Surf Workshop With Geneva Kayak
• Navigating Bermuda and Cumberland Island:  Intrigue, Flux, and Current
• Tybee Island Sea Kayak Surfing
• Menominee River Piers Gorge in Sea Kayaks

References

1.  Cumberland Island:  A History, by Mary R. Bullard; U of Georgia Press, 2005; p. 7.
2.  Algarve Drowning--Sagres Beach, Portugal.  Mail Online  UK ; 10/7/2009.
3. The Gulf Stream ; wikipedia.
4.  Ocean-in-motion--current--coastal currents; Office of Naval Research-Oceanography.
5.  Rip Currents--Everything You Need to Know; Long Island Like You've Never Seen it Before

6.  Bermuda Attractions.com
7.  Cumberland Island:  Kayaking the South Atlantic Bight
8.  Examining What Fuels Deadly Rip Currents ; University of South Florida, 5/16/11.
9.  Atlanticbeach.com; General Information on Drowning.
10.  Surfing; Wikipedia
11.  Rip Tides:  They Will Get You Every Time; Wayne Spivak. Paddling.net
12.  Be Careful Surf Kayakers--Large Waves and Dangerous Rip Currents Are Expected in South Florida;  George Sayour; About.com/kayaking, 11/12/10.

Nearly Another Nasty Saga at Saganashkee

I've been paddling at Saganashkee Slough in the Palos Forest Preserve of Cook County since I got my first rec boat 13 summers ago. Back then I gained some renown -- or I should say ridicule -- in local paddling circles for a harrowing experience I had there. Today I just wanted to take a quick shakedown cruise after replacing the backband and foaming the thighbraces in my new boat, but I nearly repeated that earlier misadventure.

Saganashkee is one of the larger lakes in the CCFP system. It lies just north of the Cal-Sag Channel and has an outflow to it. About equidistant from my home as Busse Lake, and considerably closer and easier to get to than Lake Michigan, Saganashkee is really my home waters. Compared to the highly convoluted Busse, it has a lot less shoreline, but is in a much more rustic setting, with few humans and abundant wildlife. The surrounding skyline is the Palos forest canopy rather than Schaumburg's office buildings. And I know the water is cleaner because it could hardly be any dirtier.

But Saganashkee has a most imposing hazard: the CCFP constabulary. Back in 1998, I took my new plastic tub to Saganashkee and had just come ashore when two FP police, straight out of central casting, stopped me.

"Say! That's one of them kay-yaks, isn't it? Kay-yaks ain't allowed here."

My pleas and explanations that canoes and kayaks are legally the same were to no avail. I was given a ticket and notice to appear in court for "kayaking in FP waters." I took a day off work to show up at court. The officers did not, apparently having learned in the meantime that the charge was bogus. Among our folk, I attained instant fame, and much laughter, as the Outlaw Kayaker.

So today I was fearing the worst when a squad pulls up and the officer says, "What do you call those things?"

"It's, um, a sea kayak." Gulp. I was trying to tell if it was the very same public servant behind the mirrored aviators, and if I was now going to be ticketed for not being in the sea.

But to my great relief he just asked a few more lame questions before cruising off and leaving me to my paddle.

It was windy! I rode wind waves to the east end of the lake, by the outflow, before turning around to slog back upwind. Rolling practice satisfied me that my cockpit fit was much improved.

So by all means take a trip south and enjoy Saganashkee Slough. But in addition to the usual gear and safety devices, you want to be sure to add one thing to your packing list:

Bail money.