Century Club: Tim Ford

Monday, February 17, 2025

Number of days:

1 day

old alum mine remnants
needs a bit of work...

Look, OK there was a 57 kn puff at Gibson Island earlier, but by the time I put the kayak in, the closest data buoys were showing nothing above 30 and 33 (TPML and FSKM). So I wasn't worried about it. If you see a big puff barreling down the creek, put the nose into it and honker down to lower the center of gravity and reduce windage. You can ride out anything up to 35 that way, easily. 45-50? I don't know. Never tried it in a kayak.

One thing I do know: with all the north wind bowing most of the water out of the Northern Bay and Blackhole Creek, it was pretty easy to stay in water less than knee-cap deep. I mean, it was shallow. So shallow I repeatedly ran aground in the kayak. Beaches I land on, in normal times, where I can step onto dry sand, I couldn't get within 60 feet. I could've almost walked to Blackhole #3.

The remains of the alum mine were quite visable in the clear, late winter shallows.

RAINBOW was ridiculously aground. I got a great view of how bad it needs a bottom job. Really bad.

Friday, February 7, 2025

Number of days:

1 day

Feb 7 - paddle & solar check

Good things about kayaking the Magothy in Feb.:

- no other boats out

- no screaming Ospreys (yet)

- extreme water clarity

- gorgeous clouds and lighting

Just don't dump the boat.

Checked the solar/BMS and voltage on RAINBOW, and quite happy with 12.84 on arrival!

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Number of days:

1 day

Feb 4 - solar & paddle

Ice had finally receded enough to actually go some where! This time, just to the back of the creek. But that was enough.

And, I finally installed the solar panel and the Battery Management System, it was a cinch and I should've done it six months ago. But the weather was perfect and things went pretty smoothly.

Will check the battery on Friday and pray it's not down to the paltry 7.94 volts I found this morning.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Number of days:

1 day

Jan 30 - Can't Get There From Here

52 degrees below and time to make a project list
Cannot get there from here
Lunch spot

Had to put a charge on the battery so I hooked it up and went for a paddle. Once again, did not get far...just too much ice in the creek. I was extremely tempted to get out and pottage to open water, but it meant getting at least one wet and very muddy boot. Or taking off the boots and wading barefoot on to solid ice.

Just wasn't up for it, and after five minutes of deliberation, paddled back to the dock.

I have been called "crazy" for going out in 25 to 44 degree weather with water temps in the high 30s. But I've been canoeing and kayaking for over 60 years and never dumped one. I understand about loss of form stability in small boats and never push it, especially in cold weather.

Not trying to encourage anyone else to go out in these conditions. And one thing: you can learn the hard way that open water leads can close up suddenly with a change in tide and wind direction. I learned this off Fort McHenry about 40 years ago in a small sailboat that also got reduced to fiberglass splinters on the riprap surrounding the fort.

But that's another story!

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Number of days:

1 day

Jan 26 - Hard water

OK, I probably shouldn't count this as a "day on the water," but I literally was "on the water." Standing on it, slipping on it and endangering life, limb and hound on it. But still, a day "on the water?"

The scene at North Point looked more like Baffin Island. Huge flows attached to the shoreline from the pack ice getting pushed up over the rocks on shore.

I venrtured out a little but did not want to risk a cold water survival episode. But the ice was very solid. Maybe not DN racing solid, but walkable.

We heard some "booming" noises offshore that could have been mistaken for thunder, had it not been so incessant. Turned out it was a pusher tug with a bunker barge ahead, bashing its way up the Brewerton Channel. We watched it go by and quietly applauded its accomplshment. I shot some video. What's creepy is there were a flock of birds on the ice out further, past the tug, and their vocalizations sound like people shouting "HELP! Help help HELLLLLLLLP!" I guess they were gulls. Or maybe cormorants. Rest assured, it was not human.

So, no boats were involved and it was just cold feet on hard water, but it was a day. Quite a day, in fact.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Number of days:

1 day

Jan 15 - Day 1

Dead end 1
RAINBOW is high and dry
snow ballasted
Dead end 2

Long lay off, for me. Weather and other Little Disturbances of Mankind. So this will be a late start to the seaon.

To Do List: charge battery on RAINBOW; float mock-up of dinghy to get waterline and balance data, Kayak out to the island for lunch if not too cold and windy.

Hit on all three cylinders....well, maybe not the island, but...

Batt up 0.7 volts from prior. Little dinghy cardboard mock-up performed well...until it became waterlogged. But I can rip it apart and loft the full size patterns with a few minor adjustments.

Kayaking was very, very limited due to ice. And not just the crash thru the brash variety, this stuff was thick. I could've done a 125 yard portage out to open water but I said the heck with it. Why take chances? Yesterday I accidently did a back dive into 24 inches of ice cold stream water and it was an uncomfortable schlepp back to the car and the heater. I figure I was already ahead of he game, just by getting a kayak out.

And as Mark Knopfler can validate: staying just Ahead of the Game is important.

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Number of days:

1 day

Dec 28 - Last Day of 2024

OK, lesson learned. Having a lot of boats doesn't necessarily translate into a lot of days on the water.

I accumulated a palrty 71 days in 2024. Probably had another 20 - 25 in boat work days, but such is life. A short paddle on Dec 28th in less than perfect conditions (39 degrees and raining) tops off my year.

Hoping for a few more days in 2025.

Sunday, December 8, 2024

Number of days:

1 day

Dec 8 - quick paddle

Needed to put a charge on RAINBOW's battery, so we launched the plastic kayaks for a leisurely float while the charger did its thing.

Temps were saying 61 on the car's thermo, but it was a bit cooler in the creek. We soon found out why, encountering some thin brash further back into the east side cove. Nonetheless, it was pleasant enough. Breeze was light to non-existent in the backwaters. Water clarity/visibility is a huge plus this time of year. And the season had sculpted an interesting take on a springing squirrel in drfitwood media close to the sea oats' shoreline.

Hardly seeing any other boats on the water, aside from a club member's sailboat, the solitude of December boating is wonderful.

Saturday, November 30, 2024

Number of days:

1 day

Nov 30 - EYC Leftover Bowl

winds have died a little at the bridge
DW leg, boats to catch
Skipper praying for warmer weather
blurry shot of Parade
There's a nap in here somewhere

Whoa, dress for conditions!

I think I ended up with 3 layers on the legs, 5 on the central core for the delivery home. 34 degrees and puffs over 15 kn on the nose. 22 knots AW under motor at 6.94 kn.

By the time I got home (40 minute drive) I could actually feel my toes again.

Fun race but I took a nap instead of heading into EYC for chilli and beers. Who needs a beer in 35 degree temps with a 2 hour delivery on the card for later.

We were halfway up the river and I was on outdoor watch when I checked astern and saw a bunch of lights that did not make sense, a true WTF moment. Then I realized it was a Parade of Lights! Prety cool, with fireworks to boot.

All-in-all a fantastic day and thanks to the Incommunicado folks for having a geezer aboard and, for the race, on the bow....

Monday, November 18, 2024

Number of days:

1 day

Nov 18 - Motor stuff

I went down to try out a new motor bracket fitting to see if the shorter shaft 3.5 HP motor would work, as it's a heckuva lot easer than trying to wrestle the 6.5 HP into place on the transom. I made a mock up out of a well-aged piece of Georgia yellow pine and two pieces of douglas fir. The motor, seated on the modified bracket, did sit low enough to bury the exhaust port and, more importantly, the intake for the water pump. But it also blocked the gear shift so that I cannot get the motor into "Forward," which is sort of important, and it also blocked the pin that gets pushed in to keep the engine in the "Up" position and the prop out of the water.

So back to the drawing board.

Then I put a kayak in to take a quick paddle out to the point and also get a better look at the bracket. Maybe, just maybe, if I flip the bracket over 180 degrees, it'll lower the O/B enough to not need the new configuration.

Century Club: Tim Ford

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