Tag: Thursday

Horseshoe to Angel Island

The plan was to launch our kayaks from Horseshoe Bay in Sausalito and to paddle to a beach near Point Blunt where we would land for lunch. After reviewing the paddle plan, a safety briefing and a radio check we were on the water at 10:30.

From Horseshoe Bay the nine of us paddled out in the clearing fog, with fog horns bellowing and ships horns bellowing. By paddling into the bay a bit, we were able to pick up a current to carry us towards Angel Island. Approaching the island, we found a patch of confused and lumpy water just off of Point Knoxx, not unusual for these waters. A peek around the Point suggested that our intended plan would involve a surf landing given the wind. The consensus of the group was to avoid the surf landing and to land at Fort Reynolds (West Garrison). The wind had come up more than we had anticipated, making conditions a bit more challenging.

After lunch we were back on the water. In order to avoid a long slog into the wind, we paddled across Raccoon Straight to Peninsula Point and then changed course for Sausalito. For this leg I was too busy paddling to pick up my camera. With part of our group apparently anxious to make a short path to Yellow Bluff, we had our work cut out paddling into the wind. A more efficient route would have been to paddle to the Sausalito coast before turning to Yellow Bluff. This was actually suggested as the preferred route, but pod dynamics being what they were, we worked a bit harder than we needed.

Once we were all gathered up inside of Yellow Bluff, we rounded the point and met the full force of wind blowing 20 knots or so. It was hard work covering the last quarter mile. We all felt like we had a good workout when we were back on the beach at 2:45, logging 8 miles. More photos are available in an online gallery

Low Tide Kayaking: Journey to Windsurfer Beach

Planning a paddle on a low tide can be a challenge. Many of the put-ins around the Bay are mud at low tide. For today’s paddle our leader, Alan, scoped out a paddle starting at the Loch Lomond boat ramp and paddling to Windsurfer Beach. Both locations are accessible on a low tide. Fourteen of us congregated on the grass next to the boat ramp, ready for a paddle on a glorious day. The plan was to follow the channel out towards the southeast corner of the Marin Islands. From there, once in deep enough water, we headed south under the Richmond-San Rafael bridge and then west to Windsurfer Beach.

Our assembly raised the eyebrows of the harbormaster. While he’s quite sympathetic to kayakers, he did express concern about such a large group of us launching from the boat ramp. He asked us to consider launching from the beach at the north end of the harbor in the future. We’re always careful to minimize our time on the boat ramp, but even so we’ll use the beach for future paddles.

We were on the water at 10:30 with a low tide of -0.55 feet at 11:18. Staying close to the edge of the boating channel we managed to stay out of the mud.

Clear skies and calm waters made for a glorious day. Arriving at Windsurfer we picked our way between rocks to find a few sandy and gravelly spots to land our boats.

After lunch we were back on the water for the return trip. The majority of the group opted to return by paddling around the Marin Islands.

Over the course of the day we logged 9.1 miles. More photos are available in an online gallery.

Tomales Bay: Marconi to Inverness

Having loaded the boats on the car the day before, we were ready for an early start to make the drive to our launch site. It’s a 50-mile drive to Marconi Cove. We were on the road at 8:05, arriving at 9:30. Traffic across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was normal for the morning rush hour. We seemed to have time to spare for a 10:30 launch, so in addition to the usual safety talk and radio check we took a few minutes to do some stretches. We launched on flat calm water under grey skies.

On the water I discovered that my skeg was jammed. I’m paddling a Dagger Stratos 14.5S. Attempts to free it were unsuccessful, so I was putting extra energy into boat control, trying to keep the boat on course. Good practice.

We paddled across the bay and followed the shore to Inverness. Our original plan was to have lunch near the wreck of the Reyes. I actually have a photo of this wreck taken when it was still an interesting photo subject. That photo is available in my art store. Now the wreck is looking rather dilapidated. You can see it over the back deck of the kayaks in one of the following photos.

It was too early for lunch when we reached the wreck, so we opted to paddle back across the bay to Millerton Point in Tomales Bay State Park. During a quick stop while scouting lunch locations Joann and Steve swapped boats, with Joann paddling the Romany. Once we landed for lunch, I was able to free the skeg. Some gravel had become jammed in the skeg well and the pull tab I had put on the skeg to assist in this process was missing.

Jellyfish were quite plentiful on the paddle, and I was tempted to stick my camera underwater (iPhone in a dive case) and snap randomly hoping I would capture them. To my surprise, I actually captured something. More photos are available in an online gallery. We were back at our launch site at 1:50 having logged 8 miles. On the drive home we stopped at the Tamale vendor at the Platform Bridge. Tamales for dinner. Yum!

Back in the Boat

My last paddling venture was on August 24. I wrote about that in a previous post. On August 29 I underwent surgery for a knee replacement. Today marks my first time back in the boat, 77 days post-surgery. Joining my BASK paddling buddies, nine of us assembled on the beach at Eckley Pier and launched at 10:30.

Given the hiatus, I was anxious about getting to the launch with all of my gear, my ability to get in and out of the boat, and my stamina for the paddle. We managed to launch without missing any piece of gear, although my wife and I picked up the wrong paddles. We were both thinking something wasn’t quite right until I noticed I was using her paddle. My paddle is a little longer and has a little bigger shaft. Amazing how much this affected our sense of well-being.

My knee is still a bit stiff, but by sitting on the back deck and sliding into the cockpit I was able to get into the boat comfortably. From the beach we paddled towards the middle of Carquinez Strait to pick up the current. As we passed Benicia Shoals, we were riding a 2.5 knot current. Making quick time, we landed at the Martinez Marina boat ramp at 11:30.

Once we had all the boats off the boat ramp, we broke out our lunches. It seems to be a tradition in this group to share chocolate, and today there was no shortage: Ghirardelli, Baby Ruth, chocolate-covered caramel and more!

After lunch it was time to move the boats back down the boat ramp and onto the water. Our plan was to stay close to shore and eddy hop as needed until the current changed. It seems the current was with us on the return, so we made good time.

We didn’t get very far on the return leg before my camera battery died. (Note to self: change the battery during the lunch stop.) With the dramatic clouds and lighting, I didn’t want to miss the photo opportunities, so I made a quick dash to the little beach at Port Costa and changed the battery.

Staying close to shore gave us the opportunity to play in the pilings. Those of us that didn’t mind risking scratches on our boats made our way through the pilings, while a few with composite boats decided to stay outside and avoid the risk.

We were back at the beach at Eckley Pier at 2:05, having logged close to nine miles. After sitting in the boat for an hour, I found that I could hardly stand; my knee had stiffened up from sitting. With the help of friends, I got out of the boat, and we got the boats off the beach and back on the top of the car. I don’t quite have the range of motion I’d like to have to get in and out of the kayak easily, but that will come with time. It was great to be back on the water paddling with good friends. Here’s the track of our course.

More photos available in an online gallery.

Geezers Go Paddling

At 73 years of age, I’m the youngster on today’s paddle. The five of us range in age from 73 to 81. Never mind that Alan tapes up his hands with duct tape before climbing in his boat. Our launch point is Jean & John Starkweather Shoreline Park near the west end of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. We were on the water at 10:30 launching on calm water under blue skies, a welcome change following several days of rain.

Our course took us out past the Marin Islands, padding by several barges and some dredging equipment. We paddled on to Point San Pedro. From there The Sisters looked quite inviting. Two paddlers decided to head to our designated lunch site at Loch Lomond. Three of us paddled out and around The Sisters, stopping to play in the slot in the rock called Grendel’s Needle. We had a high tide and very little current. Sometimes there can be some dynamic water here. Today it was quiet.

Then it was time to head for Loch Lomond Yacht Harbor for lunch, landing on the boat ramp and carrying our boats up the ramp and out of the way to keep the ramp clear for other boaters.

After lunch it was back on the water. Alan had acquired a unicorn figurehead for his boat. Then it was back across San Rafael Bay to our launch site.

We were back at our launch site at 2:15 pm having logged 9 miles. More photos available in an online gallery. I had to look up the definition of “Geezer,” Vocabulary.com says “A geezer is an old person. It might hurt your grandfather’s feelings if you refer to him as a geezer, since he thinks of himself as being youthful.” So, apologies to my paddling buddies; paddling keeps us young.

Paddling to Paradise

Our paddle today takes us to Paradise. Paradise Beach on the Tiburon Peninsula. Our Lauch site is Windsurfer Beach. Given the tide prediction for the day we decided to launch at 11:00. Yea! I can miss the morning commute traffic on the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. It took me less that 30 minutes to get to our launch site. There were 12 of us assembled on the beach at 11:00, quite a turnout for our recurring Thursday paddle.

The temperature was a bit chilly, so I put a second thermal top on under my drysuit and glad I did. I was quite comfortable despite the chilly overcast.

Our course took us across the ferry channel. We stopped to let ferries go by going both directions, then it was across the channel, past Paradise Cay, and on to Paradise Beach.

We landed at 12:05, grabbed our lunches and made the short walk up the hill to the picnic tables in the park.

The overcast sky provided nice lighting for portraits, and a nice view of Mount Tamalpais and we made our way back to Windsurfer Beach. I’m experimenting with my iPhone in a waterproof dive case. It seems some moisture condensation inside the case resulted in a soft-focus effect.

We were back on the beach at 2:30 having logged 8.5 miles. The battery on my iPhone went dead on our return leg, so I lost my GPS log i normally track with GAIA GPS. I was also carrying a Garmin InReach and an Olympus TG-5 camera. It was good to have a backup, both for the GPS log and for photos. More photos ae available in an online gallery.

Up the Creek

Ten paddles and eight boats. More paddles than people since you wouldn’t want to be stuck up the creek without a paddle. Some of us carry spare paddles. I broke a paddle a couple of years ago so it’s nice to have a spare available.

Our day began with an early start, with a stop at the Bovine Bakery in Point Reyes Station for breakfast. Their Morning Bun Coffee Cake is extraordinary. After our breakfast stop, we continued on to Miller Boat Launch. From there the plan was to paddle up Walker Creek until we could paddle no further. A king tide would afford us access to the upper reaches of the creek that are not normally accessible. Since this was mostly a flatwater paddle, I decided to take three cameras: my iPhone 14 in a waterproof dive case, my GoPro mounted on the deck and my trusty Olympus TG5 which is my camera of choice for kayaking. If I’m paddling in active water where managing a camera can be a challenge, I usually stick to my TG5 or my GoPro mounted on my helmet.

We were on the water shortly before 10:00 a.m., ahead of the posted OTW (on the water) of 10:00. When you are paddling with this group it’s best to be on time. Our navigation was a bit off. We missed the entrance to the creek and ended up dragging our boats over a bit of marsh. Once we were back on the main waterway it was smooth paddling.

We paddled up the creek and under the Highway 1 Bridge, continuing on as the waterway narrowed, keeping an eye out for snags and an occasional branch slapping us in the face. At the 5-mile mark we could paddle no further, so we turned around and paddled back to a little beach for lunch. 

After lunch we were back on the water, anxious to get back down the creek while we still had water. The current was now moving down the creek and it gave us a bit of a push. We saw a number of birds: egrets, herons and white pelicans. They evaded my photo attempts. More photos are available in an online gallery. You can also view more details about our track online. We were back at our launch point about 2 p.m. having logged 10 miles over the course of our paddle.

I was quite happy with the photos I got from the iPhone, although the shutter actuation on the dive case was a bit problematic. That’s something I need to work on.

Picture Perfect Day

I have yet to master the art of capturing photos from a kayak. When I come back from a paddle, I’m often disappointed by how few of the photos meet my expectations. Invariably the photos are out of focus, blurry or have the wrong exposure. It’s a challenge to hold the camera steady with one hand while bobbing around in a tippy boat and holding onto the paddle with my free hand. And then the composition is always changing. I’ll see a potential opportunity forming and by the time I can get the camera in position the scene changes. Then while I’m trying to snap photos my paddling buddies are continuing on their journey. Time to put the paddle back in the water and catch up. And I’m always trying to position myself within the pod to take advantage of the light and composition. Glare on on the viewfinder is another issue, which means I’m more likely to just point and shoot and hope I get something. I like to capture candid moments on the water, water dripping off the paddle blades and the play of light and reflections and clouds. And then there’s the risk of getting water drops on the lens, or worse yet, a smudge of sunblock.

So this past week I decided it was time to master the art of kayaking photography. I use an Olympus TG-5 and on Thursday, November 4, I was determined to see if I couldn’t improve on the quality of the images.

Our launch site was Point Isabel on the east side of San Francisco Bay. One of my paddling buddies suggested this put-in since it is a short drive and I can just sort of fall out of bed and be there. I pulled out of my driveway at 9:02 and parked at the launch site at 9:13. A welcome change from the previous week when I spent two ours getting to our launch site. Our paddle took us to the north end of the jetty on Brooks Island. We had calm water, no wind, and dramatic clouds against a blue sky. Great conditions for photography, with the water offering nice patterns and reflections.

We could see the skyline of San Francisco peeking through the clouds in the distance. We kept our distance going past Bird Rock so as not to disturb the birds.

We were paddling on a high tide, 6.8 feet at 11:40, and as we paddled along we noticed that there appeared to be gaps in the jetty. The tide was so high that it was flooding over the jetty with enough clearance to float our boats. You can see David, riding a little bit of a tide rip over the rocks. We paddled over the jetty and back and continued on to Ferry Point where we stopped for lunch. Then it was back on the water for the return trip. We paddled across the shipping channel and along the inside of the jetty to avoid any shipping traffic. We were back on the beach at Point Isabel at 2:00 having logged 8.5 miles. You can take a closer look at our track here or on the map below. On uploading the photos to my computer, I found that that I had some 424 images! Quite a chore to sort through. But I discovered that the habits I had developed for land-based landscape and architectural photography were hindering my ability to capture photos from a kayak. On land I tend to use a small aperture to maintain a good depth of field. On the water a wider aperture and a high shutter speed seem to work best. I was quite happy with a number of the images. Of the 424 images I captured, I marked 44 as keepers. You can view those photos here. Overall it was a picture perfect day.

Paddle & Party

April 1. Our adventure today includes a paddle on Tomales Bay followed by a party at Heidrun Meadery to celebrate David’s birthday. Seven of us were on the beach at Marconi Cove ready to get on the water at 10:00. We launched on a low tide and paddled across the bay to the Point Reyes Peninsula and then north paddling in flat calm without a breath of air. Temperatures were predicted for mid-70s so I opted to leave my dry suit behind. The calm water gave us a view of thousands of jellyfish just below the surface.

I stuck my waterproof Olympus TG-5 under the surface of the water and snapped a bunch of photos hoping my might capture some of the moon jellies. Low and behold, I actually captured a few images that were worth saving.

Once across the bay we paddled north along the peninsula landing at Tomales Beach for an early lunch. Then it was back to our launch site. Our paddle was just shy of eight miles. You can view the track of our paddle below or click here to see more details. We were in no hurry, but anxious to go taste some wine.

We packed up or kayaking gear and drove the short distance to the Heidrun Meadery for a wine tasting with wines made from honey. These are sparking wines made with the Champagne method. Who knew there could be so many flavors of mead, with the flavors based on the source of the honey. Buckwheat, sage and wildflowers were among the flavors we tasted. Once we were lubricated with bubbly we broke out the cake.

Since we were all sufficiently vaccinated we opted to enjoy the camaraderie sans masks. The last time I was without a mask in this large a group was March 14, 2020, when we had a party to celebrate my birthday. Plenty more photos to share. Go here to see them.

San Pablo to Pinole

March 25. Our adventure today takes us from Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor to Point Pinole for a lunch stop and then back to our launch. Eight of us were on the beach next to the Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor at 10:00 ready to get on the water. Our paddle north felt like a bit of a slog. We were hoping to have the tail end of the flood helping, but our progress seemed to suggest we were experiencing a bit of an ebb.

  • Ready to launch
  • On the water
  • Approaching our lunch stop

We decided to head further out into the main channel to get out of any eddy that might be working against us. You can see the jog in our course on the map below. Needless to say we did not pick up any speed. We landed on the beach just south of Point Pinole at 11:30 and moved the boats up the beach out of the tide zone.

  • The beach at Pt Pinole
  • Getting back on the water
  • Return paddle

After a suitably socially distanced lunch we were back on the water at 12:20 and back at our launch point at 1:30. It took us an 90 minutes to cover the 4.25 miles to Point Pinole and 70 minutes to make the trip back. It felt like a quick trip back after the our paddle out. We logged 8.6 miles.

  • Alan, Chris & Joann
  • On the return
  • Map of our course

Another glorious day on the bay paddling with friends under blue skies with calm water. You can see more photos here. And view more of the track on my GiaGPS account here.