Guillemot Kayaks - Connecticut

Not so Deadly Waves

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:40:01 -0500

Tropical storm Noel swept by New England in late October and sent some fun waves towards Napatree Point. I didn't get much good footage while paddling, but the resulting video is still fun.

Rough Water Sea Kayak Play Video

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:58:31 -0400

More video from the reefs in the passage between Watch Hill, RI and Fishers Island, NY. This is out near buoy #2 on a day with about a 3 knot ebb. I'm paddling my Petrel. Also on the water were a Chatham 18 and a couple NDK Explorers.

Playing with Video

Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:37:58 -0400

I've been playing around with taking video using a Pentax Optio W10 that I have strapped to a helmet. The quality of the video is not great, but the results are kind of fun. The first is one is from a couple days paddling the reefs of Watch Hill, Rhode Island and the Race and the second is an afternoon surfing off Napatree Point.

In both videos, the boat I am paddling is the Petrel.

I hope you enjoy the action.

Seals and Gaskets

Sat, 04 Feb 2006 16:18:31 -0500

It has been exceptionally warm this winter. I would like some nice cross country skiing weather, but a nice warm day out on the water is always appreciated. Carl wanted to get out around 9, but I didn't feel like rushing out of the house early. Pete, Kate, John and Beth were planning on putting in at Esker Point around 10 and that was more like it. As it was I just got there 9:50, but I had everything ready so I just had to pull on my dry suit and lift the boat off the car.

The water was glassy as we crossed Fishers Island Sound headed approximately toward Middle Clump. There were a few seals on the rocks and they gave us a the hairy eyeball as we paddled by. The current was pretty strong, flooding in from the east. We headed in towards shore to get in the slower moving water and followed the shore towards Hungry Point. We tried to stick really close to shore to give the seals out on the rocks as much buffer as possible, but they still fell in to the water to check us out. We looked at them for a while and they looked at us. After a while we got the impression that they were just waiting for us to leave, so we headed to a beach for lunch.

Catumb Rocks, December 31, 2005

Mon, 02 Jan 2006 18:45:34 -0500

Carl and I were the only ones to show up. I guess other people looked at the weather and thought better of it. It wasn't particularly cold, but it wasn't exactly warm. They were talking snow, but the clouds were cracked, showing a little blue and the occasional glimpse of the sun. There were a few swells coming in on the beach, but the water was otherwise smooth, with almost no wind. It was a fine day for a paddle.

Carl brought his Chatham 18 and I was in my Petrel. It was a little early to catch the ebb out at the reefs so we headed towards Napatree. Although we saw some swells as we approached, by the time we got there, there was very little happening. There seemed to be some swell breaking on Catumb rocks so we headed out there. Although it was still early for the ebb, inspection of lobster buoys indicated that the current was headed our way.

Ender's Island - December 26, 2005

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 14:58:49 -0500

Pete sent out the plan last Friday before we had a good idea what the weather was going to be: "December 26 - Launch from Stonington Point and paddle out to Latimer Reef and beyond to Fisher's Island to look for seals." When I woke up on Monday it was raining hard, but it was warm at around 40 degrees F. I loaded up my Petrel sea kayak on the car and dressed for paddling, leaving my drysuit off until I got to the put in. The weather varied from thick fog and heavy rain to breaking clouds and sunshine and back again to fog.

I was the first one at the put in, and the fog was thick enough I couldn't see the end of the breakwater protecting the beach. At the edge of visibility a pair of Mergansers dove and surfaced. Pete was the first to arrive. As we looked out at the fog, the visibility opened up so we could first see Latimer Reef Light and then out to Fishers Island. This break in the weather was quickly followed by pelting rain. We hopped into Pete's car to wait for more victims.