Release Date 7/14/2013

Released the message on the ferry halfway between Isle Royale and Grand Portage on Lake Superior. I was on my way home from a really cool 8 day canoe trip inside and around Isle Royale.
 

 




 The entire island is a national park and the number of people who visit it is limited by the ferry service that runs to and from Minnesota and Michigan.

We did the classic canoe camping thing where we loaded all our gear into two canoes which we paddled in the lakes, and “portaged” on hiking trails between the lakes.  

The ferry ride from Grand Portage took all day since it first landed at the West end of the Island, Windigo, then went on milk run around the island picking up and dropping off campers to leave us at Rock Harbor after about 8 hours of traveling. We spent the night there, and then headed out on the ferry again the next morning to Malone Bay to begin the trip. 

We did a short portage into Siskiwit Lake and started to paddle. The wind was 15 knots or more right into our face, and the canoes were so heavily loaded that they started to take in water over the bows so we had to stop after less than a mile and make an early camp for the night to wait for the wind to die down. This was a bit of a drag, but were able to get up and going before the wind picked-up the next morning and make up for the lost time.

Early in the trip when windbound exhausted and cold, the troops turned against Tim when we accidentally dumped the pasta on the beach.

We then camped for 2 days in Chickenbone lake. We did some catch and release fishing one evening and caught a few Northern Pikes. This was kind of a buggy boggy lake, but it was raining and we stayed 2 nights to wait for better weather.

Next we portaged through the island out to Lake Superior. We picked-up a food drop from the ferry that we had arranged and spent a night on Birch Island and a really nice campsite. Although the campsites are much nicer, and the scenery is really amazing on the “big lake” the weather is much more touch and go, especially for heavily loaded canoes.  Conditions that were no problem for a sea kayak were no paddle days for the canoes. The water is below 40 degrees in Lake Superior, so a capsize would be a very “serious situation” since we weren’t wearing any exposure protection. Baths were quick and painful...

We next spent 2 nights at Bell Harbor where were again wind bound and prevented from really paddling for one day. This was a really nice spot with great campsites and hiking, and very few other campers.

We managed to catch and eat fresh lake trout here.

After that we paddled and portaged back to Rock Harbor to finish out the trip, and had a long all day boat ride to get home.
 
 

Gowanus Challenge 6/15/2013

Kate and I raced in the Gowanus Challenge boat race in Brooklyn.

It was an amazing show of wackiness, all for a good cause, the Dredgers!!!

My friend Jonathan took these amazing pictures, but link back to the race page, for full details..

The name of our team was "Greased Lightning" we dressed-up like the characters from Grease.

The start of the Canoe and Stand-up Paddle board class.

Kate and Tim literally blow by this dude in an inflatable boat, he never heard us coming. Check out the cool lightning bolts Kate put on our boat.

Yes We did get a bit competitive. We paddled a bit dirty by pushing off other boats, but karma caught-up with us when the guy doing the time keeping got confused and forgot to record our time. For the record we were first in the kayak class.

We Didn't actually release a bottle there was already so much crap in the water we couldn't bear to.

Release Date 6/9/2013

We did our annual Figment Festival event on Governors Island on 6/8 and 6/9.

It was a big success just like the last time, maybe even more people who participated.

There are a ton of great pictures over on the website:

http://www.windNwavesONwood.org

Also checkout this YouTube of the building demolition on Governors Island. Shot from a kayak just South of the Island on 6/9/2013.

The marchers in the "Peace Parade" helped us launch all the sculptures.

We had a great crowd both days. Once I got them started I could pretty much just hang out in the shade and let the festival goers handle the whole thing.

Release Date 6/1/2013

I volunteered to help lead a trip for the Brooklyn Bridge Boathouse.

They have a very nice new dock, and wonderful volunteers and equipment. It was a real joy to paddle a "public" boat, that was actually nice where everything worked, even the skeg.

There was a nice little spot of very heavy current with a tiny race under the Williamsburg Bridge that I had never seen before.

We went North from their facility all the way up to Barreto Point Park in the Bronx. This is a waterfront park that has been under construction for ever, but is now open for business and super busy. It's probably the only park around for miles and miles and there were tons of people there. I scored an excellent BBQ plate from "Father and Sons" BBQ stand. It was a little bit heavy for paddling food, but tasty.

On the way back we decided to go along the North side of Wards Island. I had never done this before and it was cool and fun. We found a tiny whitewater wave on some rocks where the current was draining out into the Hudson. Just like on a whitewater river you could actually see the level of the water being lower.

We stopped at Hallets cove to put lights on for the return trip home in a stiff current.

Truth: BBQ is good.

Release Date 3/30/2013

I paddled from Red Hook up to Randall's Island, had a quick lunch and came back home again.

We left at 8:30 AM, and got back right at 13:30.


High Water at the Battery was 11:15.

We had mild current at the start and it built-up throughout the trip. We didn't hang-out long enough so the current was against us at the start of the return trip.

It looks like the Parks department has really cleaned-up Mill Rock and added a bbq pit and picnic table, so the area is really calling out for a kayak based cookout.We could have a backup location on Randall's Island, where it is actually allowed in the official rules.

It was still very cool, but the sun was intense, clear, and bright, and spring is well under way.

The pictures are boring, but do capture the crisp clean glow of the day.

Truth: Girl Scout Cookies are getting smaller.

Release date 2/10/2013 Found date 9/20/2015

Update. See the comments Section. This was FOUND 2 1/2 YEARS later in NJ, just below Staten Island.

This is by far the longest I have had one out in the wild that was recovered. Really amazing. Unfortunately the finder didn't register or leave many details.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

It was a cold snowy day so we decided to paddle around Manhattan and see the city in white. It snowed about a foot 2 days before, but it was already a bit dirty and melty by the time we got out there.

  
We left Red Hook at 8:15 with high water at the Battery at about 8:00. We got up to Hell Gate around 10:00AM or just after and the current had just turned for the last 1/2 mile in the East River.

We took a short break on Mill Rock, I haven't been there in many years, but I was cold and hungry and didn't want to go all the way to to Randal's Island, and since this is past the current change mark the longer we waited the better the ride would be up the Harlem River.


We only hung out for about 1/2 an hour then we headed out. We got a nice current up the Harlem River, as well as in the Hudson.

We stopped at Mitsuwa for a much needed hot lunch, and spent a bit of time eating, drinking sake, and shopping. 


By the time we left the tide was well out, but we had planned ahead and we stopped down by the driving range, so we were able to get out without too much trouble. 

We had a nice Ride down the Hudson with current, and stopped at Pier 25 to check out the new boathouse. Its coming along but will it be ready by summer? I couldn't get into the boathouse part, but I checked out the restaurant. 


We got back to Red Hook right at 17:15 so 9 hour trip, but lots of stopping along the way, and a near perfect current plan.


Truth: Low Tide is Muddy.

Release Date 1/29/2013

Released this msg while hunting in the Suwannee National Wildlife refuge in Northern Florida.

We were hunting wild hogs in the swamps. The weather was really nice for this time of year, sunny and warm, up to 75 during the day, in past years it has been below freezing.

We did pretty well and got one of the first day, and one on the second. Even though I didn't personally get any, or even see one, it was still a nice time in the woods.

We met an author named Ken Callahan on the island who had written a novel that takes place in the same area. He was bow hunting, with a Mare's Leg backup.

Truth: Its hard to stay quiet.