Century Club: Tim Ford

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Wednesday, February 9, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
No Ice for You!
  • all clear with re: ice
  • scouted the building southerly...brrrr
  • high tide and lucky to get this far
  • the old man of this cove

Premature glimspe of spring!  But the 8-12 kn southerly, coming across a mile or so of 36 degree water, was bracing.  Headed back to the small coves to get out of the wind and HEY!  They are free of ice! Well...free enough to enable heading all the way in to the skinniest of water. These are my favorite parts of the creek, places where there is no visible sign of development, even with all the leaves down.

Wx:  sunny, low 50s, Winds south 8-12

Gear:  bibs & top - had to lose the spray top after an hour

Critters:  the grand old man of the creek - an aging Great Blue I refer to as "Cranky" for some reason

After the paddle, a little bit of boat work, too...getting melted ice out the bilges.

 

Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Groundhog's Day Paddle
  • 50 yards of ice to get to open water
  • 18 inches deep and clear as a bell
  • Inquire here about a great deal on a swim ladder
  • Lead back to shore remained open thank goodness
  • stout icebreaker paddle boat!

A long time ago, I co-owed a small keelboat with a friend of mine.  We were slightly crazy and more than slightly obsessed and we'd pick odd times to go sailing.  Like Feb.2 every year.  This was a tradition that went on for about 6 years.  One year we got boarded by the Coast Guard who asked us repeatedly what the HECK WE WERE DOING OUT THERE!

So to keep the tradition alive I thought I'd go out and maybe just put the jib up for a little while and ghost around in the very light breeze.  But there was so much ice in the creek I knew that was out.  I put the kayak in with not a huge set of expectations.  The ice had the harbor locked in except for where there were bubblers cranking away.

But it pays to persevere.  After pounding away at the ice for 30 minutes with the icebreaker kayak, I made it to open water.  About 200 buffleheads were not happy I did, but they just paddled out of range a bit and ignored me.  I love how clear the water is in winter and I can make someone a great deal on a swim ladder.  Just email me and this baby is yours....

Cheers to the Blackhole Creek east shore resident who yelled out, "Never seen a kayak used as an icebreaker before!"

Wx:  calm and 45 F

Gear: bibs and spray top.

Critters:  dabbling ducks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Warm Day in January, Finally
  • 1218 hrs
  • raft of buffles
  • 1313 hrs - still no wind
  • 1043 hrs - work to do

On the way home my car thermometer read 48 degrees!  I'll take it. 

Went to the boat on the ostensible purpose of removing the boom to bring home and paint....it really does look shabby.  Also needed to chip ice out of the bilges.

But then the kayaks interceded.  Got in a great two hour paddle, but again, ice kept me out of my two favorite gunkholes. 

Temp:  mid 40s  - predicted 15-20 breeze never showed up - I'm fine with that!

Gear:  bibs, spray top, neoprene gloves until it got warm enough to not need them (yay!)

Critters: huge raft of buffleheads in the river, one sole black duck and one solo bluebird.

Other vessels under weigh:  ZERO

 

 

Saturday, January 15, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Too Cold to NOT Paddle
  • 1045 hrs
  • really low tide
  • blocked by ice
  • temp repair
  • numb fingers take selfish portrait in the creek

Went down to the boat to effect a repair, in advance of significant precipitatoin. I'd noticed that the weather/ice the week prior had left one of the (many) inspection ports somewhat compromised.  What better way to do a repair in 23 degree weather? Tape!!!

So having taped I thought...huh...wonder if it's too cold to paddle?  Went to the car and geared up and heck, I'm ready to paddle!  The temp has risen to a comfy 24 degress and the breeze hadn't topped 15 since I'd been there. Let's do this. One motivation was I'd never explored the creek in a tide this low and I wanted to suss out the sand bar on the southwest side of the little island in Blackhole Creek...a shortcut I take with the board pulled all the way up on the i550. 

The tide was super-low (springs I guess, and a bit of a North wind blow-out).  And though we'd had a day or two of warmer weather in the interceding days since I had paddled last, there was a disappointing amount of ice, especially in the coves I like to paddle into.

One thing for sure: I gotta get new gloves, ones that actually work in mid-20s temps!  My Henri Lloyd neoprenes result in unusable digits after 15 minutes of contact with a metal double-ended paddle.

Weather:  mostly cloudy, 24 - 26 degrees F  Breeze N 8 gusting 14

Gear: tech base layer, thick flannel shirt, thick wool sweather, ultra thick fleece top, old battered spray top and SLAM bibs

Critters:  two great blues and a lot of buffleheads, which surprisingly I could get very close to...too cold to fly!

 

Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Number of days:
1 day
Thrash Through the Brash

Put a kayak in at the club (PSA) for a quick paddle...which actually turned into a longer one, as it wasn't anywhere near as cold as I figured it would be.

Gear:  4 layers, base, flannel shirt, thick wool sweater, Ronstan spray top.  Also Henri Lloyd neoprene gloves.

I was pretty much constrained to the creek, as there was fast ice, up to about an inch thick, between the harbor and the Maogthy.  It would have been a chore to get through it.  Plus I get nervous putting the nose of a kayak up on ice.  This is a good way to put yourself sideways as the inherent stability of a kayak can disappear in an instant with the nose up on a hard surface.  Water temps at 39 degrees, ummm....no thanks.

But the back end of the creek never fails to satisfy, especially on a cold clear January day.

Animals seen:  great blue (in flight), many many downy woodpeckers hard at work, a handful of buffleheads. 

Other vessels sighted: ZERO

Lovely and refreshing mid-day excursion on the creek.

 

 

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