Rock Rescues

If you spend enough time playing in rocks you will eventually come out of the boat. How you respond depends on the conditions you are in and the availability of help.

The first order of business if you come out of your boat in the rocks is to get yourself into a safe position. You never want to be in between the rocks and the boat, so position yourself with the kayak between you and the rocks. Once you are in a safe position, you can begin to think about how to get out.

Swimming out is a proactive way to get yourself to safer water. If the distance is short, you can simply grab the boat and go. Flip the boat over, swim to the end of the boat furthest away for the rocks, grab the toggle, and aggressively swim out of the feature. You can either stow your paddle in the deck lines or hold it in your hands as you swim.

If the distance is longer, it may be easier to attach your tow line. Once again, get to the end of the boat furthest from the rocks, clip on your tow line and go. Once in calmer water you can pull in the boat, unclip and tuck the towline in your PFD to prevent it from getting tangled in the rocks, and do a self or assisted rescue.

If someone is nearby and the distance is short you can do a toggle tow. Flip your boat over, and move to the toggle at end furthest from the rocks. The rescuer paddles in and presents the bow or stern toggle for the swimmer to grab, and paddles out of the feature. Once in calmer water you can do an assisted rescue

If conditions are rough it might be better for the rescuer to use the tow line. The swimmer gets in the safe position on the rescuer’s boat while the rescuer clips the tow line on the swimmers boat and paddles out. Once in calmer water you can pull the boat to you and do an assisted rescue.

Once the rescuer has the swimmer out of the rocks, it is often helpful to have a third member of the team clip on to the rescuer’s boat for an anchor tow that prevents them from drifting back into the rocks during the rescue.

Nashua River - Peperrell to Nashua - September 8, 2024

Peperrell Covered Bridge

I got an email from Jonathan looking to do some tandem paddling on Sunday. We bounced around some different options, and decided on the South Branch of the Nashua River from Peperrell to Nashua. It is a section that I hadn't done before.

The Nashua River has two main stems. The South Branch of the Nashua River arises at the Wachusett Reservoir in Clinton and flows generally north for 56 miles through north-central MA and southern NH before emptying into the Merrimack River in Nashua. The North Branch of the Nashua River arises west of Fitchburg and flows generally south for 30 miles until it joins the South Branch near Lancaster.

Below Runnells Bridge

I have done several sections of the Nashua River over the years including Leominster to Lancaster on the North Branch, and Lancaster, the Oxbow Wildlife Refuge in Harvard,  Ayers to Groton,  Groton to Pepperell, and now Peperrell to Nashua on the South Branch. 

We met at the take-out at Mine Falls Dam (16 Riverside Street, Nashua, NH 03062) to leave a car and ran the shuttle back to the put-in at the Nashua River Access (14-4 Lowell Street, Pepperell, MA 01463) just below the Peperrell Covered Bridge. The river was at 1.4 feet, 195 cfs on the East Peperrell gage - low but fluid. 

Deadwater approaching the Mine Falls Dam

The start of this section seems surprisingly remote as it winds through pretty woodlands. We saw skydivers coming down as we passed the Peperrell Airport. We ran the rapids at Runnells Bridge down the center, and only got hung up once. It would have been better with more water. We took a break for lunch at a bench across from the Overlook Golf Course. 

Below the golf course you enter 4-miles of deadwater behind the Mine Falls Dam. Fortunately, the wind was to our backs or it would have been a real slog. We checked out the dam at Mine Falls Park before shuttling back to the put-in to pick up my car. Nice trip.

Take out at Mine Falls Dam

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Nashua River Gage - East Peperrell

Nashua River Watershed Association

Launching and Landing - September 7, 2024

I had some repair work done on my sea kayak (skeg and bulkheads), so I decided to check it out at Lincoln Woods. I also decided that I would spend some time on launching and landings.

Being and open boater, I find one of the hardest parts of kayaking is getting in and out of the boat. I am OK launching and landing using the paddle as a brace, but that doesn’t work so well in surf. Mike tried to explain a surf launch at the RICKA Meeting on the Water,  but it didn’t work out so well.

I knew I needed to get better at a surf launches and landings, so I practiced today. Here is what I came up with for launching:

• Pull the boat out into the water – it should be floating, but the stern can rest slightly on shore for support.
• Straddle the boat, and drop into the seat - I found it easier if I didn’t settle all the way down in the seat.
• Using the paddle as support, bring your first leg in – not the leg on your paddle side.
• Continuing to use the paddle as support, bring your other leg into the boat and slip all the way into the seat.

I didn’t have the skirt on, so I’ll have to try it with the skirt next time. Landing is similar:

• Paddle in to shore bow first – bow can rest slightly on shore for support.
• Pull one leg up and out of the boat – I find it easier if I push myself slightly up and out of the seat.
• Using that leg as support move the other leg to the center of the boat.
• Holding onto the cockpit combing push yourself up to a standing position.

I paddled around Olney Pond stopping anywhere that I could to do a landing and a launch. I got pretty good at it by the time I got all the way around. I did cheat a little by have the bow and stern resting slightly on shore for support.

Pawcatuck - Potter Hill to Westerly - September 2, 2024

Heading out from Potter Hill

I’ve been paddling my sea kayak a lot this summer, so I decided to take my canoe out on Labor Day to paddle the Pawcatuck River from Potter Hill to Westerly.

The Pawcatuck River arises at Worden Pond in South Kingstown and flows southwest for 34-miles to Westerly where it flows into Little Narragansett Bay on Long Island Sound. Perhaps nowhere in Rhode Island has dam removal and river restoration been more active than on the Pawcatuck River. In 2010, the Lower Shannock Falls Dam was removed and replaced with a short rapid that allows fish to swim upstream, and paddlers to run downstream.

Paul running the Kenyon
Fish Weirs in 2014

In 2013, an 85 foot long fish ramp was added to the downstream side of the old Kenyon Dam. This ramp is made up of five gradually ascending stone weirs, which serve like terraced steps. Gaps were left in the weirs to create channels for water to flow and fish to swim, including the main current down the middle that forms a nice channel for paddlers.

In 2016, the White Rock Dam on this section of the river was removed. For nearly 250 years, this dam had blocked upstream passage to Rhode Island’s largest watershed. The dam redirected much of the river’s flow down a granite-lined raceway whose rapids made a fun run for paddlers. With the dam gone, the river now flows through a restored riverbed.

Lined up to run the Bradford
Fish Weirs in 2024

In 2017, work began on the removal of the 200-year old Bradford Dam. Like the reconstructed Kenyon Dam, the Bradford Dam includes a fish ramp that allows fish to swim upstream to their traditional breeding grounds. The ramp also includes a 10-foot wide channel allowing canoes and kayaks to pass downstream.

Combined with fish ladders at Potter Hill and Upper Shannock Falls, the removal and modification of these dams has opened up the 34-miles of the Pawcatuck River to migratory fish. In 2019, the Pawcatuck River and its tributaries received National Wild and Scenic designation.

Restored riverbed at the site of the
old White Rock Dam

I met I met Sharon, Paul, Aaron and Burr at the put-in at Post Office Landing. We dropped off our boats and headed down to the take-out at boat ramp on Main Street in Westerly. Parking is limited, but we were lucky and found enough spots. There is an intermediate take out at Route 78.

The river was at a nice level – 3.7-feet, 225 cfs on the Westerly gage – low but fluid. Below Potter Hill the river is mostly flatwater running though woods and fields for 3½-miles until it reaches the remnants of the White Rock Dam.

Quickwater below the
old White Rock Dam

The original White Rock Dam was built in 1770 and was replaced in 1888 by a stone crib dam. When the old stone dam washed away in the 1938 hurricane, it was replaced with a 6-foot tall concrete dam that stretched 108 feet across the river.

Before the removal of the dam, the typical route around the dam was down the millrace. Depending on the flow, it could range from quickwater to class II rapids. I ran it once in 2012, and we found Duke Wavewalker enjoying the playhole with a couple of friends.

Quickwater in Westerly

With the removal in 2016 all that remains of the White Rock Dam are the stone abutments on river left. The restored riverbed is nice, but not as exciting as a run through the old raceway. The old raceway is high and dry, but has not been removed. We took a break for lunch just downstream from the old dam, and I was able to hike over to find it.

Below White Rock, the river is mostly flatwater with a couple of short quickwater sections before we reached downtown Westerly. We took out at the boat ramp on Main Street.

The crew at the take-out

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Aaron's Video

Westerly Gage

Bristol Ferry - August 24, 2024

Heading out under the Mount Hope Bridge

Usually a warm summer weekend will find me on one of several dam-release rivers around New England with my whitewater canoe. This summer I have been trying to get out more in my sea kayak, so when I saw that Tony had a Level 2 sea kayak trip scheduled at Bristol Ferry in Portsmouth I decided to join. He described it as a “real” Level 2 - about 6-miles in mild conditions. There were 6 sites we would visit - Bertha K. Russell Preserve, Mount Hope Bridge, a small saltwater inlet, a large triangular pier, a tiny waterfall and a coastal skyscraper.

I met Tony, Mike and Don at 10:30 at Bristol Ferry Town Common, a.k.a. Mount Hope Park. Before the completion of the Mount Hope Bridge, this was the site of a ferry between Portsmouth and Bristol. We would be paddling in Mount Hope Bay – an estuary at the mouth of the Taunton River that flows into the East Passage of Narragansett Bay and the Sakonnet River.

Founders Brook against the tide

High tide was 12:29. Forecast was winds out of the west around 5 kt, becoming south in the afternoon with waves 1-foot or less. We put-in and headed out under the shadow of the Mount Hope Bridge. Completed in 1929, the Mount Hope Bridge is one of three bridges crossing Mount Hope Bay – the Sakonnet River Bridge to the southeast, the Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge to the north, and the Mount Hope Bridge to the southwest.

The Mount Hope Bridge connecting Portsmouth and Bristol is a 6,130-foot suspension bridge with a main span of 1,200 feet between piers. The deck is supported by two massive cables, each eleven inches in diameter, and 2,020-miles of wire. The Mount Hope Bridge was the first bridge not to be painted black. It was painted green to better fit into the surrounding scenery.

Hog Island Shoals Light

We headed east to the Bertha K. Russell Preserve. With the tide coming in, there was a strong current running down Founders Brook, where Anne Hutchinson and the founders of Portsmouth came ashore after signing the Portsmouth Compact of 1638. This was the first document in American history that severed both political and religious ties with England. It was easy to get down the brook, but a little more challenging to paddle back out against the current.

Then we headed west under the Mount Hope Bridge and along the beach to a small saltwater inlet with great views of the Mount Hope Bridge and the Hog Island Shoals Lighthouse. The Hog Island Shoals Lighthouse was built in 1901 to protect ships from the rocky shoals around Hog Island. The lighthouse is now privately owned and the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Portsmouth Station

From there we continued west to explore an old wooden pier and small waterfall before taking a break for lunch at the beach. There were lots of boats out on Mount Hope Bay, and we had great views of Bristol Harbor and Hog Island.

After lunch we continued west out into the East Passage and down to the Carnegie Abbey Tower condominiums. This 22-story high-rise seems out of place in otherwise suburban Portsmouth. The complex is built on the site of the Kaiser Aluminum plant that fabricated aluminum and copper wire in the 1960’s and 1970’s. When that industrial complex was demolished in the 1990’s, this residential development was allowed to replace it at the same size and height.

Sailboats under the bridge

We paddled into the marina that was part of the original Portsmouth Station. Built in 1855, Portsmouth Station was a critical piece of Rhode Island’s coal mining industry. In the early 19th century this area was the center of a vast network of mines crisscrossing the northeast of Aquidneck Island.

From there we headed back in light winds and easy waves to the put-in. Tony said my kayak stroke was looking more “kayaky” compared to the vertical, canoe-style stroke that I had when I paddled tandem with him at Fort Wetherill back in 2018. I took that as a compliment. We had a nice flotilla of sailboats come through just as we were leaving. 

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Tony's Video

Slocum’s River - August 18, 2024

Russells Mills Landing

I wasn't able to paddle last weekend, so when Paul sent a text suggesting that we do the Slocum’s River I was in.

The Slocum’s River (AKA Slocum River or Slocums River) is the tidal extension of the Paskamanset River that arises in the Acushnet Cedar Swamp in New Bedford. While the freshwater Paskamanset River kept its Native American name, the saltwater Slocum’s River took its name from early settlers in the area. The Slocum’s River flows south through the Town of Dartmouth for 4.3-miles before emptying into Buzzards Bay.

Beach at Demarest Lloyd State Park

We met at 10:00 at Russells Mills Landing off Horseneck Road. We had 10 boats with mix of flatwater paddlers and sea kayakers. High tide was at 7:30, and low tide was at 1:00, so we would be paddling down on an outgoing tide. The river winds its way past farms, waterfront homes, and the marshlands of the Slocum's River Reserve and the Demarest Lloyd State Park.

Fishermen lined the banks as we paddled past the beach at Demarest Lloyd State Park and paddled out into the open water where the Slocum’s River opens up into Buzzards Bay between Barneys Joy and Mishaum Point. We could see the waves breaking on the sandbar at the mouth of the river, and the Elizabeth Islands in the distance.

Paddling out into the waves

The water was low, but we managed to work our way out to the sandbar to paddle out into the waves. We had a couple of minor incidents on the way back in (one rescue, one walk to shore) before we paddled/walked back to the beach for lunch.

After lunch it was an easy paddle on an incoming tide back the put-in. Mike called it a Level 2.2 - 7.5-miles round trip. The sun even came out as we were loading the boats – it figures.

The crew at the beach at Demarest Lloyd State Park

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Tides at Slocum's River
Russells Mills Landing
Alternate put-in - Gaffney Town Landing
Slocum's River Reserve

Lloyd Center for the Environment

Demarest Lloyd State Park

Time to Step-up – URI Bay Campus – August 3, 2024

Heading out

The last time that I paddled out of the URI Bay Campus was July, 2019. Tony needed to return the Volunteer of the Year trophy, so we decided to paddle the West Passage checking out the lighthouses. This time, I would be doing the RICKA Sea Kayak Step-up trip, and getting the Volunteer of the Year trophy from Cat Ratcliff. I wonder who will be getting the trophy this year.

The URI Bay Campus provides access the West Passage of Narragansett Bay. To the south lies Bonnet Shores and Whale Rock - a frequent rock gardening site. From there, more experienced paddlers can cross to Beavertail at the southern tip of Jamestown - one of the most scenic and exposed-coast locations in Rhode Island. To the west is Dutch Island and Conanicut Island. To the north is the Jamestown Bridge and the more sheltered waters of the West Passage.

Rounding the point at Bonnet Shores

We would be doing a step-up/training trip to give paddlers who have done mostly Level 2 or even flatwater trips the opportunity to paddle in swells, current, rocks, and other dynamic conditions. We met at the Bay Campus for a 10:00 launch. We had 11 paddlers with 4 step-up paddlers, including me. Conditions were SW winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt. Waves 2  ft. Tide going out with low tide at 1:00.

We headed south from the Bay Campus toward Bonnet Shores. The swells increased as we left the more protected waters of the West Passage and ventured out into Rhode Island Sound. Some played in the rocks on the way out. I stayed a little further out to get used to the rolling swells.

Bonnet Rock

When we reached Bonnet Rock we gathered up for the crossing of the cove at Bonnet Shores. We were now paddling across the waves and the wind. The water on the other side of the cove along Anawan Cliffs was considerably calmer, and we played in the rocks as we continued south.

With an outgoing tide and a wind from the south, the swells were 2-feet as we left Bonnet Shores and entered into Rhode Island Sound. It was a bit of work paddling into the wind, but fun to ride up and down on the swells. We could see waves breaking over Whale Rock in the distance when the decision was made to turn around and head back to Bonnet Shores.

The crew at the lunch break

On the return trip we were in a following sea, and riding down the face of a wave for the first time was a blast. The main concern in a following sea is broaching when the wind turns the kayak sideways in the waves. A stern rudder can help keep you going straight.

We stopped for lunch inside the cove on a small rocky beach with a great view of Jamestown and the Beavertail Light. We played in the rocks as we worked out way back down the cove for the crossing.

Rock gardening on the way back

The wind had picked up in the afternoon, and I found myself repeatedly having to correct my course while crossing the cove. With smaller swells and stronger winds, I also felt the boat’s tendency to broach in the following sea on the way back to the Bay Campus, but it was nothing that I felt uncomfortable with - I’m making progress.

Once back at the Bay Campus we did assisted rescue practice - I was a rescuer and rescuee, and did fine with both. We also did some towing demonstrations. Rick said this was a solid Level 3 trip, so I felt good about that.


Bay Campus Step-up Paddle from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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Cam's Video
Tony's Video

Video of 2024 RICKA Sea Kayak Training Sessions