Surfski Knowledge Base

David Scherrer
09/01/08 #4850

Ok I am throwing down the gauntlet to all you paddling types out there. Why, only a few years ago Dean B. and my self set out to see who could go around Lummi Island the quickest and we did manage a time of 2:54.(Dean was a little behind)…. So here's the deal. Anyone who can beat that wins a six pack of Dos Equis……yes quite generous! Only rule is that you are given a chance for a break at Lummi rocks for up to 1/2 hr. (with timer off of course).

Start anywhere you like, but I suggest the beach at our family's cabin on the East side. 1/2 mile south of Ferry landing. On Seacrest. 1865.
David S.

Re: Dos Equis Challenge
Michael Gregory
09/01/08 #4851

Hmm????? David, you are clearly riding on the crest of a big idea. However, how about we up the ante just a wee big. Make it a race! Entry is a six pack. Proceeds go to Peter M's party. Launch and finish off your little beach at 1865 Seacrest. 10am start next Sat am. Gives us time to trash your record, lick our wounds, and come back to party down at Peter's that eve. Whaddya y'all say? Mike G.

ps: It's official, Dean is back! Yeah, judging by the way he hammered this am that 2:45 is already toast.

Re: Dos Equis Challenge
Larry Goolsby
09/01/08 #4853

Having paddled around Lummi no less than 20 times, I'm pretty sure that I could beat this time. When I did my circumnavigations, I included my rest stops on the timer and most the time I finished at 3:15 - 3:20 (and I start and finish from the mainland). Before we jump at making this a race on Saturday, check the tides. The tide that day (9/06) isn't favorable unless you leave at about 4 am. Most of the day is a flood tide meaning that you will have to push against the current on one side of the island. However, I am game to paddle around Lummi next Saturday in lieu of our usual Saturday morning outing. Let's keep this idea alive….
LG

Re: Dos Equis Challenge
Larry Goolsby
09/03/08 #4859

This morning I left Gooseberry point at 9:21 and went counterclockwise around Lummi. I was taxed for time so I started my watch at Gooseberry just to see how long it would take. The conditions were flat with an ebb tide until about 2 pm, so I was going to have to push against the current while coming back up Hale's Pass. Fought a strong current until I went over the top of Lummi and then picked up speed all the way down to Carter Point. I usually take the S1-R when I go alone but this time I took the Special. After starting out, I wished that I had put my 4“ rudder on (had the 9”) because Eel grass was abundant in the north end of Hale's pass and I stopped twice to clear my rudder. Besides, it was looking like a pretty flat voyage. My first and only stop was Lummi Rocks (10:43 to 10:51) and conditions were still pretty flat except for some small wind chop going my direction. Just before Carter Point, I went through my third small rip (two were at the top of Lummi) and was 'launched' past Carter into the ebb coming out of Hale's pass. I actually passed Carter point at almost exactly 2 hours after I left so I had 54 minutes to get back to Gooseberry to tie the record. However, I fought both current and a 10-15 mph wind all the way back to my car. On top of this, the weeds were horrid. I stopped at least 6 more times to back up and clear my rudder. When I was near the ferry terminal, I could feel weeds on my rudder and both my arms were covered but I didn't stop because I was so close to finishing and each time I did clear my rudder, I would hit another eddyline of weeds and bog down once again. I finished my trip at 12:46 for a total time of 3:16 (minus an 8 minute rest stop). If I had taken my 4“ rudder, a GPS, and started/finished on Lummi Island instead of Gooseberry, I might have come pretty close to the 2:54 record. I will probably try again on Saturday but I need to do this on a day that the tide changes about the time I near Carter Point so that I can have a push going up Hale's pass. I think that whoever breaks this record must be the one that coughs up a 6 pack when someone else breaks it.
LG

Dos Equis Challenge
David Scherrer
09/05/08 #4874

Paddlers,
I suggest you start and finish your times in front of the cabin on the east side of Lummi, around 1/2 mile south of the ferry landing. I have a mooring buoy 100 feet off beach. Cabin sits on shore, overlooking Bumstead Spit (I kid you not). Larry B knows the way.

David S.

Dos Equis Challenge Results……
Larry Goolsby
09/06/08 #4888

Weather was perfect with some cool temps and not much wind. There were 5 single skis (me, DJ, Larry B., Reivers and Mike G.) and the tandem with the 205 twins (Rick and Marc). We paddled over to David's cabin where we started the clock and headed south going counterclockwise. I thought that we would have had the current in our favor but it hadn't started to ebb just yet so it was a slow push down to Carter Point. DJ thought that it was another Wednesday night and he took off like a race horse with me on his draft. I eventually lost him and jumped on the tandem with the rest of the paddlers as we passed the DNR. I happened to be the only paddler that was paying attention to our surroundings when we passed the DNR and I noticed that Don K. was on the bluff cheering us on. I yelled that we were racing and that we would see him at Peter's party later that night. By now we were all in one group except DJ who was still battling his inner demons about 30 yards in front of us. DJ took Carter Point wide while we hugged the rocks and we closed the gap to a few yards. DJ then went out into the current while we hugged the shore and finally he came inside and rode with the pack. About a mile before Lummi Rocks, DJ broke away and sprinted ahead and the rest of us came in behind him for an 'off-the-clock' rest period. After about 20 minutes, we remounted and headed north with Reivers and I going inside towards Legoe Bay and the tandem with the other singles going way out into Rosario Strait. The guys on the outside had the better current (high 7's) and slowly overtook Reivers and I.

At the end of Legoe Bay, I kicked it up and left Reivers and chased after the double that only had DJ riding their tail. Around the top of the island I noticed that DJ fell off his draft and team 205 stopped and let him catch up. I was back behind them about 100 yards and my only hope was that DJ was going to hit the wall and let me catch up. However, DJ reached Hale's Pass first and the current was finally going our way. The tandem crossed the finish first but DJ's actual time was almost the same as theirs, so both DJ and the tandem did it in 2:50. I was next at 2:55 (1 minute later than the previous record) with Mike, Larry, and Reivers finishing in that order. The great thing was that David was still at his cabin and he had hot coffee and chocolate waiting for us. Total distance from David's going around the island was 19.6 miles, which is only about 2 10ths shorter that if we measured from Gooseberry Point. The crossing over and back was 1.7 miles each way so my odometer showed 23 miles for the total paddled distance.

Next year, we need to make this a team race with two tandems. The tandem and single ski record now stands at 2:50 and today was not a favorable tide.
LG

Score one for Legoe Bay
Reivers Dustin
09/13/08 #4977

We had all agreed to work together for a fast run around Lummi.

Everyone got ready at the line and … waited for MG to fix his rudder. I was paddling about 1/2 speed just to stay at the line because the current was running against us before we worked our way around the north end. We had made a quick note of our paddle plan and who had radios before departure. Someone thought they saw Paul C. headed our way so we real-quick took off. (Just kidding Paul, we had no idea you were there.)

There were some of those rollers coming at us as we slogged against the current. When we got to the north end there was some interesting wave action. It continued along the NW side and some of us less responsible paddlers jumped on the occasional wave. The two doubles weren't able to get these rides. In fact the S1-X likes to do this little juke-move I've been a part of before. Maybe the seats are farther apart, I don't know. The motion is where one paddler, then the other do a corkscrew motion as one end or the other follows the quartering sea. Because in the double you are forbidden to break rythym you end up sticking your elbow in the water on one side, then grabbing air on the other. We are not in our happy place at a time like this.

So LG and Shawn kinda got dropped as the rest of us motored along. I was thinking that when Shawn was talking about doing this peleton style, he really meant telethon style. He must be chatting on the phone back there. Really loud, because once in a while I would hear something and would look back and see if there were still two heads on the boat. After getting across Legoe bay I looked and saw no heads, no boat, just waves. Ok, throw feet over and really look. Maybe one of LG's students perfected a cloaking device. Nothing. I start thinking about those S2-X remount sessions and realize that if they are out of the boat in the water they won't get back in w/o help. shit-ahoy. After pooping around in Legoe bay with Kirk, I try my radio and there they are - hiking across Lummi to the other side.

Meanwhile MG and the Rick/Marc double and even Paul have moved on with their lives. So Kirk and I motored the rest of the way around with close to 5hrs of wet-butt time. rivit. Actually we reconnected with MG and Rick/Marc at the parking lot. The hot topic was how do we stay in touch? When I'm paddling I can rarely hear a hail on the radio. I can't talk until I've got feet out and everything secured. It's a puzzle.

By the way, when Kirk and I got past lummi rocks the water conditions got a little 'ticklish'. We both had 4-inch rudders and I had trouble keeping my boat from doing a bad break-dance routine. Kirk slowed up for me as we went through the trash. In that stretch the S2-X would have played buckaroo-bonzai rock-a-hula dial-a-prayer.

Where's them water-wings LG?

rd

Re: Score one for Legoe Bay
rlingblo <rlingblo@…>
09/13/08 #4978

OK, my take on the odd day on the bay … Seemed like after we got into the goofy water on the north end we all split up and tried to find what worked best for each boat. Kirk pulled in behind us for a while and drafted. We could see the other singles and could hear the other double (LG & S). I figured the double would come screaming past us any second so we just continued plugging along. It wasn't until we were almost at Lummi Rocks that I realized people had peeled off. At the Rocks Paul said he didn't remember passing them so we thought the others were on the other side of Lummi Rocks at the other beach. After a little break we took off and headed on around the island. We finished (in 2:43:50 by the way)after a long paddle up Hales Pass into a headwind. Mike and Paul arived and the four of us sat on the beach for about 45 minutes worrying about everyone else. We finally headed back across the Pass to our cars and saw Larry's car was gone … yikes! Now we were really worried about the other two boats. Big sigh of relief when they came up the beach.

SO … do we paddle with our radios on all the time in case of situations like this? Should we stay on Channel 16 or agree on some other channel?

I'm feeling bad that we/I didn't do a better job of staying in touch with each other. Sorry guys. :(

Rick L.

Re: Score one for Legoe Bay
paul clement
09/13/08 #4979

So, I inadvertently found THE best way to get dropped… Show up late. I was about 50 yards behind the line-up and boom! they're off. So I take about five hard strokes and think “hmm, three hours and I am sprinting to catch a bunch of boats that will probably drop me later” so I toddle off to shore and reset the GPS so I can honestly brag about my not so spectacular time. I leave and the train is about 2-3 minutes ahead and I have them nicely in sight all the way around the North end. Here we hit a mini Bowen. I was glad I did Bowen because this was uncomfortable but manageable. Compared to Canadian Fear.

I nearly changed to the 4” rudder when I reset the GPS and I am glad I didn't. At Legoe I was dealing with my own demons and did not see the run to shore. When I got to Lummi Rocks I thought there would be seven people, but there was only Rick, Marc and Mike. My apologies to Larry, Shawn, Kirk and Reivers. Next time I will scan better regardless of my situation. I don't know what help I could have been, but it would have been a relief to know you were ok. I am glad it all worked out.

You will hate this Reivers but the surfing was pretty good from the rocks to Carter with the big rudder. When we turned the corner there I was only about 30 seconds behind the double but, Holy Cow, they dropped the hammer and soon Marc and Rick were a speck. Then they were pretty much non-existent. I chose the straight run up the middle because that is where my last hallucination of the speck was. With the North wind, Hale was big at times and I was taking waves on my stomach every once in a while. I looked over just after the gravel pit and MG goes smoking by over near shore. (I think he willed the water to be more calm over there for his passage.)

Finally, I reach the beach about 20 minutes behind The Speck and 5 minutes behind The Smoker. As I surfed back down to my car, I was glad to run across Kirk and Reivers and get news that all was well in the end. All in all it was a very eventful paddle. I'm glad I've had my nap.

Paul

Re: Score one for Legoe Bay
Larry Goolsby
09/13/08 #4980

This was the first time that Shaun and I were to attempt to take the S2-X around Lummi. On Monday, Kathleen is coming by my place on her way to the USSSC and she's taking our S2-X with her to get it retrofitted with the new gull wing stabilizer/rocket pack so this was our last trip in it for two weeks. The forecast was for sun and very light winds so we set off without doubting that we would break the record for a tandem circumnavigating the island. As we hit the north side of the island, there is an area where a rip occurs whenever the tide is flowing at a substantial rate. Today there was a small rip along with some echoe from the northerly swell and the S2-X lost all stability. The 4 other boats immediately passed us and were having fun in this stuff while Shaun and I fought to maintain control. After getting around Pt. Migley and turning south, the stability improved and we started catching up with the rest of the group. The wind was now blowing more than the weather liars had predicted and the further south we went, the larger the waves and the more they came from the west than the north. Now we were back to fighting the tandem for control with occasional broaches because we had to take the waves at an angle in order to head for Lummi Rocks. The group was pulling away once again and the further south we went, the bigger the water. At this point we had to access the situation: we weren't having fun and if this boat goes over, it would be impossible to remount in these waves without the the help of the guys. They all had their backs to us and we couldn't stop to radio them without risking a hulie. We made the decision to turn and ride the waves to shore and then make a call to Reivers that we were aborting. Once we landed on Lummi just south of Legoe Bay, I tried to hail Reivers on the radio but got nothing. We jumped back in the boat and headed north for Legoe Bay where our plan was to portage the 1/2 mile back over to Hale's Pass and paddle back to the car. Reivers finally called me on the radio but I couldn't stop paddling to chat so I told him that I would call back in a few minutes. We landed on Lummi again and I gave Reivers another call and told him of our plans.

From Legoe Bay, it's less than a half mile walk to the other side and we were back in the water about 20 minutes later. Once we were crossing the pass, we spotted Roger Lamb going up the channel so we chased after him. He had just gone around Lummi for the first time on his ski and had done the trip in 4:08 but had to fight wind and current all the way up Hale's Pass. Later Mike G. called me on my cell wondering where Reivers and Kirk were. He said that Rick and Marc had set a new record of 2:43 for tandem class but didn't say what his time was. While I was on the phone with him. Reivers and Kirk arrived and were about 1 hour behind the tandem.

In retrospect, we probably would have aborted even if the other boats had stayed near us. The S2-X doesn't handle following seas very well and there was no chance of breaking a record at the pace that we had to travel. However, for a group that was going to stick together, they didn't and they sure got even more spread out before the end. It's a good idea to turn around once in awhile and count the members of your group. If they are not there, don't assume that they will show.
LG

Lummi Redemption…..
Larry Goolsby
09/14/08 #4986

After getting our butts handed to us during yesterday's attempt to set a tandem record around Lummi, Shaun and I picked up the club's XT tandem and went back this morning for a second attempt. Conditions were almost the same except that the tide was now 1 hour later so we met at 10 am and then paddled across to the start line (green buoy and flagpole on gravel spit). There was less wind when we started which gave us a boost but then there was also less wind when we went down the other side. It wasn't until we were about a half mile from Lummi Rocks that we finally got some push from a NW wind. Our time to Lummi Rocks from the start was 1:05 (8.26 miles) with an average speed of about 8 mph. The wind kept building and we left after a 25 minute break and were in the 9's for the first mile but then ran out of current and dropped down to the 7's. By now the waves were getting up to 1-2 feet so we picked up speed by surfing. Once around Carter, we hugged the Lummi shore to take advantage of the back eddys and stay out of the brisk wind(6 - 6.5 top speed in the open) and kept our speed between 7 and 8. Once past the quarry we pulled out into the middle of the channel (with a 10-15 mph headwind and 1-2 foot waves coming at us)and picked up speed with the flood tide. We started out doing 7 mph upwind but this slowly grew to 9+, even with 2 footers hitting us head on. We crossed the line at 2:35 (2:35:05 actually) and agreed that there was a carbon XT tandem in our future. Most things were the same as yesterday except we had a better boat for mixed conditions. The south end of Lummi had some pretty mixed up water and I know that we could not have handled the S2-X in that slop.

LG