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March 27, 2010 - Kayaking from Lafitte, LA to Larose, LA
Until today, my longest paddle was 6 miles on Lake Pontchartrain. The plan was to first kayak from Lafitte, LA, across bays Rigollettes and Perot. Both are marked as "Bayous" on maps, but those are no bayous at approx. 1.5 miles across each! After crossing the bays I would spend most of the day paddling down the Intracoastal Waterway, then finally a small leg in Bayou Lafourche. Due to incredible abdominal pains, I chose to stop in Larose, 6-7 miles shy of Cut Off. 22.3 miles in 8 hours, 10 minutes. Here are some notes from the trip:
7:50 AM; Start in Lafitte, LA / 8:34 AM; Strong winds and 1-2 ft. waves from the south propel my speeds to over 6 mph; almost lose control as I surf waves. / 9:00 AM; Winds from the south almost push me into rock wall; with no spray skirt I am being soaked as I cut through larger-than-expected waves; battling waves and head on winds my speed decreases to 2-mph as I use all my remaining strength to get into the Intracoastal Waterway. / 9:31 AM; Enter the Intracoastal Waterway; 17 minute break. / 10:37 AM; 42 minute break; Watch a few tugs go by, follow pig/deer tracks onto land, turned on the VHF just in time to hear a tug captain say in a thick Cajun accent, "Boy wouldn't that be nice... paddling around in a boat!"; photographed solitary spider lilly. / 12:41 PM; 18 minute break; Floated on a pad of lilies for a bit; snacked; rested. / 1:45 PM; 12 minute break. / 3:00 PM; 10 minute break on small beach just before Larose; snake slithered up to my landing and had to be escorted away with my paddle! / 3:30 PM; paused to photograph Edison Chouest Shipyard in Larose, LA. / 4:00 PM; paddled around a stationary tug and entered Bayou Lafourche; headed Southeast through the Flood Locks and under the Larose pontoon bridge. / 4:30 PM Stop in Larose, LA; Ended at W 10th St (Pyramid Plaza) Called my dad who picked me up and secured the kayak in the back of my grandpa's old 1985 Ford F-150. Total Miles = 22.3 Time Traveled = 8-hr 10 min
Things I learned from this experience:
Bring the spray skirt ANYTIME I cross a bay; Double-bag electronics; Learned to pace my paddling when tired (4 strokes then rest two); Placed waterproof pack on deck in front of me - worked well as a snack bag (wouldn't want to weigh it down too much in case of capsize; need a small rope to use when resting at logs, docks, or docks; vhf radio can make a boring stretch quite entertaining (boat captains are hilarious!
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November 27, 2009 - Lake Pontchartrain: Cold Weather Kayaking
Back on the horse! Replaced our faithful 2000 Ford Focus wagon with the '06 model, set up the roof rack, and finally took the kayak for a spin. It was cold this morning on the lake, 49 degrees, but once the sun came out, I'd say it was quite comfortable. I might want to try to get some waterproof insulated shoes though. Aqua-socks left my toes a little cold. Looks like the city is beginning work on the levee near my favorite launch site. I'm going to have to find a new spot soon. On a sad note, my old Nikkon Coolpix Camera died this morning, so no shots from the water today.
Things I learned from this experience:
Cold weather doesn't necessarily mean no kayaking, but I do need to protect my feet a little better.
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Our new '06 Ford Focus Wagon with roof rack, ready to go to the lake.
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July 31, 2009 - Fourchon Beach: Rough Seas
A practice/training trip was scheduled for July 31, 2009. The plan was to launch at Fourchon Beach and head west, cut across Belle Pass, and straight through the bay to East Timbalier Island. I crested the small bridge that leads to Fourchon Beach, and before I could even see the beach itself, I momentarily glimpsed a wall of water shooting several feet straight up into the air. I even remember thinking to myself, "That couldn't have been what I thought it was, right?" Then, with the car parked, I walked out onto the sand and stared, jaw dropped, at a Gulf of Mexico that was much angrier than I'd witnessed in quite some time. The marine forecast reported that winds were still high (above 15 knots), from the previous night's sever thunderstorms, and coming out of the worst possible direction for a Fourchon launch - the southwest. The seas became unruly due to 4-6 foot waves. I stared out at the Gulf long and hard for half an hour, trying to figure out if a launch was wise in such conditions. I decided to give it a try, promising to myself a quick retreat if it became dangerous.
The fourteen mile round trip journey was cut short after paddling into waves that looked like they would swallow the boat whole. I made the decision to abort and began to paddle ashore after about a mile. Before returning to the beach, I surfed on a large breaker for several seconds at about 13 MPH (according to GPS data for over 250 feet). That wave finally put me down, and the next breaker lived up to its name, as it smashed into the kayak. I lost control of the boat as it turned parallel to the wave, my center of gravity betrayed me, and the kayak turned over. I instantly performed a "wet exit", that's the kayakers' term for exiting the boat in an emergency instead of remaining in the cockpit and executing a roll. I surveyed the small disaster and noticed that my hat, GPS, and kayak were all floating away in different directions. The hat was drifting towards a rock wall, so I chose to not risk that rescue. I decided to save the kayak first. I quickly flipped it back over and pushed it ashore (I was only about twenty yards from the beach). Then I grabbed my GPS, saved by the air-filled zip lock bag in which it bobbed. Later, I would painfully realize that my friend Dane's waterproof camera was also in the cockpit of the kayak and therefore was thrown out when the boat flipped. The camera now sits somewhere on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. With a bungee cord attached to the bowline, I pulled the boat through the surf back to my car and called it a day.
The day of the botched excursion, I was angry and discouraged. Honestly, selling the boat and every piece of gear associated with it crossed my mind, but looking back on the experience, I can't think of a better time for that wipe-out to have occurred. I needed to be humbled early in my kayaking. Isn't it better to spill everything early on rather than when I'm halfway into a 20-mile crossing? Though it may happen again, as I'm sure it will, at least I'll know what to expect. Gear will either be stowed or secured.
Things I learned from this experience:
4-6 foot waves and winds exceeding 15 knots are not optimal for kayaking; all gear should be stowed or secured; just because it's waterproof doesn't mean it floats; landing in breakers is significantly harder than launching in breakers - need some practice with this; pulling a boat in surf is difficult and requires a taught rope - not bungee; not all dry-bags are waterproof when submerged; chums on the sunglasses might be a good idea; need to practice working with the spray skirt much more.
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This is what the trip actually looked like:
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Breakers crashing on the seawall.
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It was even rougher than it looks.
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July 19, 2009 - Lake Pontchartrain: Bayou St. John to the Airport
My longest paddle to date (6 miles). I started at Bayou St. John and paddled East toward the Lakefront Airport, stopping only at the beach behind UNO for a rest. Out by the airport, I ran into another paddler. He told me that he'd never seen another kayak out there, that I was the first. I should have gotten his contact information so that we might meet up for future paddles.
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GPS track
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Bayou St. John Launch
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Lakeshore Drive overpass
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Sunset on the lake
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Beach behind UNO
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Lakefront airport
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Very calm
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Me
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Sunset on the lake
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June 21, 2009 - Lake Pontchartrain: Maiden Voyage
Harper's Ferry's maiden voyage took place at the point where Bayou St. John meets Lake Pontchartrain. My friend Dane borrowed a boat from his workplace and accompanied me on this adventure. We went east for a while then back-tracked west along the wall of the lake. I was initially surprised by how easy the boat handled - very stable and yielded excellent speed without over exerting myself. |
Me
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Me
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Dane
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Dane
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Free Water!
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Me
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June 8, 2009 - Houston, TX: Purchased Kayak from Canoesport
Through a Craigslist.com ad, I found a sweet deal on a sea kayak in Houston. It was quite a drive, but my friend Chris kept me company all the way to Houston and back. I named the boat Harper's Ferry after my god-daughter, who we visited while in Houston.
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Sitting on the new kayak
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Kayak storage solution
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Taylor
Lasseigne |
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Dane
Faucheaux |
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Jeffrey
Beck |
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[click for full image - very large file] Map of labeled barrier islands
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sea kayak |
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pfd |
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paddle |
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collapsable spare paddle |
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spray skirt |
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rudder system |
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nautical charts |
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pelican case for electronics |
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waterproof camera |
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satellite phone (rental) |
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SPOT - Satellite Personal Tracker (in liu of sat. phone) |
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weather radio |
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GPS |
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VHF marine radio |
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mosquito gear |
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front and rear float tubes |
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bailing (bilge) pump |
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waterproof storage bags |
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waterproof deck bags |
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expedition-size waterproof first aid kit (separate list) |
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food (separate list) |
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water |
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fishing gear (separate list) |
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deck compass |
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kayak repair kit |
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whistle |
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