Tag: kayak

Drakes Estero

14 of us, all BASK members, were ready to get on the water shortly before 10:00 am. With tide being low we dallied a bit, getting on the water at 10:20. You can see the muddy footprints in the photo. The tide prediction for Drakes Bay indicated 3.0 feet of water at 11:00, and we were hoping that by the time we reached the sand bars near the beach we would have enough water to paddle, assuming we could find the channel.

Our course took us south along the west edge of the estero until we ran aground. At that point we paddled east inside the sand bar and eventually found a channel that would take us to the beach. We landed just shy of the point at which the incoming current threatened to send us in the wrong direction. Along the way we saw a group of river otters, pelicans and bat rays.

After lunch we were back in our boats, paddling back along the eastern edge of the estero, and turning into Home Bay.

Paddling along the shore we found the airplane propeller, the remains of a It seems hard to imagine P-39 Airacobras. I wrote about this in a previous blog a few years ago. We also found a few Leopard Sharks and Bat Rays.

We logged 10.4 miles over the course of the day, paddling into a slight current and wind on the way to the beach and taking advantage of the same current and wind on the return. A perfect day to be on the water at Drakes Estero. More photos are available in an online gallery.

Galapagos: Day 6

May 2. We awake to find we are anchored off the northeast end of Isla Santiago near Puerto Ergas. At 8:45 we are in the pangas heading to the beach for a wet landing. After getting our feet wet, we put our walking shoes on for a hike around the northwestern tip of the island.

Our walk takes us past volcanic tidepools with sea lions, and we see a number of birds including Oystercatchers along with the colorful Sally Lightfoot crabs.

After our walk it’s back to the ship and then off for another snorkeling adventure. The underwater world is just so amazing with brightly colored angel fish and parrot fish.

Lunch is at 12:30, and at 3:00 we’re snorkeling again. At 4:30 we get our chance to kayak, paddling around the little bay in which the Passion is anchored.

We paddle past some amazing formations of volcanic rock. One of the formations is called The Apostle. At 6:40 we have a briefing reviewing the day’s events and hearing about tomorrow’s adventures. At 7:00 dinner is served.

More photos of the day’s adventures are available in an online gallery.

Kayak to Quinn’s

Quinn’s Lighthouse is a bar and grill on the Oakland waterfront. It was originally constructed as the Oakland Harbor Lighthouse in 1890 and sat on a wooden pier marking the entrance to the Oakland estuary.

On July 8 I joined some fellow BASK members for a paddle that included a stop at Quinn’s for lunch.

At 9:45 we were on the boat ramp at the Grand Street Boat Ramp in Alameda for our usual safety talk and radio check. Across the water sat three Coast Guard cutters tied up at Coast Guard Island. I suppose if we needed help we could simply yell. At 10:00 we were on the water with our route taking us southeast under three bridges–Park Street, Fruitvale and High Street. This section of the estuary was dredged to create a waterway in 1913, turning Alameda into an island.

Once under the High Street Bridge we paddled past the houses lining the shore and across San Leandro Bay, stopping at the boat ramp at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline. A couple members of our party saw a huge bat ray near the bridge, and numerous pelicans were wheeling overhead as we crossed the bay. We also passed several rowing shells that were out training, with their attendant coaches giving chase in their powerboats. After a brief stop at the shoreline we decided it was time for lunch, so we climbed back in our boats and paddled past Arrowhead Marsh retracing our route.

The dock at Quinn’s is a little awkward for disembarking from a kayak; there is not much to hang onto and a bit high. We took turns holding boats steady and scrambling onto the dock. Then we found our way to the outdoor dining deck at the pub. We noted that the main dining room was closed. It was quite fun to be dining with friends without having to worry about social distancing and masks, at least among ourselves. The staff wore masks.

After lunch it was back on the water, with one of our members proposing a stop at California Canoe and Kayak in Brooklyn Basin to pick up a hatch cover. From there we completed our circumnavigation of Coat Guard Island, returning to the Grand Street Boat Ramp. Over the course of the day we logged 9.3 miles. You can view more photos here and look at more details of the trip log here.

Middle Harbor

On December 18, we decided to launch from Encinal Boat Ramp in Alameda and paddle to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland.

We launched at 10:30 on a flood current, which meant we would be paddling against the current going towards Oakland, but with a small tidal change, the current would be minimal. In the afternoon we’d be riding the current back. I plotted the course using the BASK.org trip planner, measuring about 4.3 miles to our intended lunch location. I printed a copy of the map which I studied, looking for a landmark that would mark our turning point to paddle into the beach. Then I stuck the map in my dry box, which I keep in a hatch.

I opted to paddle my Dagger Stratos rather than my wooden Coho. Why? Because I hadn’t paddled it for awhile.

All was fine, paddling on calm waters. As we approached the port, I kept an eye out for the jetty I had noted as our turning point. We arrived at the end of the pier at the port and poked around the end thinking we’d find the park. What? No beach? I fiddled with my GPS unit trying to pull up the map on the tiny screen. Then it became clear that I had picked the wrong landmark for our turn into the park. Note to self: Carry a waterproof chart on the deck .

We backtracked and found the beach. A fine sand beach lined with palm trees. It seemed out of place with container ships to the north and south. It was 12:45 when we landed for lunch and we had worked up an appetite after six miles of paddling. We made a note that this might be a fun place to take the grandkids. There is a viewing platform you can climb to watch the tall cranes moving cargo, a nice beach at least on a high tide, and a dolphin sculpture to play on.

After lunch we were back on the water retracing our route, but sticking closer to the shore. We saw a few harbor seals and thousands of birds including cormorants and brown pelicans. We were back at our launch site at 2:45 having logged 11 miles. I was reminded why I like my wooden Coho. On a long paddle on calm water, it moves with less effort than the Stratos. Want to see more photos? Click here.

Paddling Big Break

 

Kayaking at Big Break
Kayaking at Big Break
Kayaking at Big Break
Kayaking at Big Break
Kayaking at Big Break

While tradition seems to support ringing in the new year with a celebration as the clock turns over on New Years eve, I prefer to wake up to the New Year well rested with an early start, a clear head, and an opportunity to get out doors.  So today we strapped our kayaks on top of our rig and headed east to one of our local regional parks, Big Break Regional Shoreline. Local is a relative term, since it’s a 50 mile drive, but having recently heard that this is a good spot for a flat-water paddle we decided to check it out. We had very calm weather with mild temperatures and no wind. Big Break is located in the delta region of the the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, an area that is noted for rich farm land, with farming established at the time of the California Gold Rush. As time progressed, farmland that was originally above the level of the river has subsided and levees were built to protect the farms. In 1928 a big break occurred in the levee and the resulting flooded farmland is now a waterway with a variety of islands and wildlife. On today’s paddle we saw seals, otters,  egrets, herons, ducks and scoters. There were thousands of scoters scattered in a number of flocks and as they took to the air, flying in formation, they produced a sound like a loud wind, with thousands of wings flapping the water.

At one point in our paddle, I spotted a flock of ducks and I was curious to see how close I could get in my kayak. They seemed unperturbed as I approached, and I was paddling stealthily hoping not to upset them. As I drifted close I was surprised to discover that they were decoys. I had been sneaking up on some fake birds! A duck blind not far away should have been a clue.

We had hoped to land on one of the islands for lunch, but with the extreme high tide and the thick reeds we found that landing was not feasible, so we rafted up and ate on the water as we drifted lazily with the current.

If you plan on paddling here bring a dolly for your boat. The kayak launch is 1/4 miles from the parking area. We paddled a little over six miles over the course of the afternoon. You can view a track or our course here. You can view additional photos from our trip here.

 

 

 

BASK Thursday Paddle

Treve with the Pygmy Ronan

Thursday November 10. Seven of us launched our kayaks from Paradise Cay for a paddle to Angel Island where we landed at Immigration Cove for lunch. This was the first time I had my new boat on the water, a Pygmy Ronan. We had a perfect paddle with light winds, slack current and an amazing display of clouds overhead. We paddled about 10 miles round trip. You can view a partial track of our paddle here. Unfortunately, the battery in my iPhone, which I use for keeping a track log, died before I completed the track.

Wind in the Rigging

Ready to launch from Ferry Point. BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle March 30, 2017.
Radio check. BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle March 30, 2017.
On the water. BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle March 30, 2017.
Admining the iew od San Francisco and the Golden Gate after roudning Brooks Island. BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle March 30, 2017.
Old tug.

Being a sea kayak, my boat doesn’t have much rigging, just a few deck lines. And today as we rounded Brooks Island a gust of wind hit, creating a howling sound as it raced over the deck. Earlier, at our appointed time of 10:30 the five of us were contemplating the weather. Small craft warnings (isn’t a kayak a small craft?), steady wind of 17 knots with gusts to 25. We decided we’d launch at Ferry Point and paddle along the Richmond waterfront, protected from the northwest wind. With the wind at our backs we paddled up the shipping channel, and across to Brooks Island where we followed the shore. We rounded brooks Island, and it became clear that we had two options, paddle back to the Richmond waterfront against a strong wind, or paddle along the south side of Brooks Island and the breakwater hoping to find a little protection from the wind. Paddling along Brooks Island was a chore, but not too intimidating. We eyed several beaches hoping for a place to stop for lunch, but Brooks Island being a nature reserve, is off limits to visitors, so we continued paddling. After rounding the jetty we headed for fellow kayaker’s house in Brickyard cove, having lunch on Gordon’s new deck, overlooking the yacht harbor.  As we were finishing lunch we noticed that one of our boats had taken off on adventure of it’s own, so we promptly jumped back in our boats, rounded up the rogue boat and paddled back to our launch point. Overall we paddled seven miles, starting out with a wind which eased up a bit as the day went on. More photos here and you can view a track of our paddle here.

Gone Paddling

BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle 3/16/17
BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle 3/16/17
BASK Thursday Lunch Paddle 3/16/17

A welcome opportunity to get away today. The last three weeks have been quite intense with clients working hard to meet a deadline for a local design competition, but with the deadline come and gone I strapped my boat on the top of the car and joined a few fellow BASK members (Bay Area Sea Kayakers), and headed for the Coast Guard Station at Horseshoe Bay, just inside the Golden Gate. Paddling out the gate is not something you do without paying attention to the wind, the tides and the current. We had good conditions with light winds and a slack tide in late morning and an incoming current in the afternoon. We paddled out past Point Diablo and then returned to Kirby Cove for lunch. Back on the water after lunch we had a fast ride with the current and wind with us for our return. I returned feeling refreshed and restored from the trials of the past few weeks. Nothing seems to charge my batteries, so to speak, more than getting out in nature. You can view more photos here and view a track of our trip here.