Assabet Hatch Search

This morning the search resumed for my missing hatch cover.  It did not go well as the water is just too turbid at anything more than 15" of depth.  I worked a grid pattern probing the bottom with a long stick for more than an hour, before heading upriver for a change of scenery.  Along the way and into Spencer Brook a bit, some trash was recovered.  I made one last effort at the search site and then the search was officially suspended until water levels recede.  On my way back to Lowell Road, I encountered this extremely bald Goodyear tire near the base of the Leaning Hemlocks.  The tire and the trash helped to salvage something from the morning's otherwise fruitless efforts...

Later in the day, I had the good fortune to locate a replacement hatch cover at Billington Sea Kayak in Plymouth, MA.  Now my boat is whole again, and so am I!


Assabet Misadventure

This afternoon's trash patrol of the lower Assabet River seemed fairly typical until one of my boat's hatch covers decided to go swimming.  It was like one of those accidents that only gets worse as events progress.  First, I could see it on the bottom, but when I touched it with my paddle blade, the swift current swept it beyond my reach.  It teased me again with another glimpse before finding one of the deeper holes where it could hide.  The fact that it is black in color didn't help.  So, I waded out a little ways, feeling the bottom with my paddle.  Then I waded further using a stick.  I waded and waded until up to my shoulders and soaked to the bone.  No luck!  To my hatch cover lying somewhere on the bottom of the Assabet I say "I will find you!  I will."
Until that day, they'll be no "batten down the hatches" commands!

Today's haul numbered 33 and consisted of 18 recyclable containers (2 redeemable) and 15 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as fishing line, a bait tub, a plastic bag, and a spray bottle of Deer and Rabbit Repellent.  YTD total stands at 4154.

Bird Island Challenge Only Five Days Away

Having seen this group of terns last Friday in Salem Harbor reminded me that the Bird Island Challenge is fast approaching.  Bird Island, in Buzzards Bay is a significant nesting site for roseate terns.  More information and a video about the event can be found at this link.

Unwinding in Salem Harbor/Salem Sound

Yesterday morning, after working another graveyard shift, I again faced the choice of rush hour traffic on Route 128 (aka "The Banzai Pipeline") or a detour to Winter Island Park in Salem.  It was an easy choice and soon I was afloat on the calm waters of Salem Harbor.  Since I'd never paddled into the inner harbor I decided to check it out.  The picture at left shows the area of Pickering Wharf and there appears to be a 3-masted schooner in the distance.  This area is also where the Salem Ferry operates from as it makes scheduled journeys to Boston and back.  Following the shore further to the south took me past these modular units...

Still further south was Forest River Park...

As the tide was falling away, I decided not to enter the river and instead turned towards the Marblehead shore.  Doing so brought me by a floating platform occupied by more than a few terns...

Clouds were rapidly displacing the blue skies. 
I encountered a few pieces of trash while paddling parallel to the shore.  This little wandering wastewater wafer caught my eye as it floated along more than 50 miles from its intended home at the Hooksett, NH Wastewater Treatment Facility...

 Its 5 month long journey came to an end in my dry bag.  If I had my harmonica with me a redition of "The Wild Rover" would have been in order.

At Peachs Point I turned to the north and paddled over to little Coney Island and landed for a short snack break...

The thought of a short nap crossed my mind, but the resident seagulls suggested I not get too comfortable on their turf.  After re-launching I was heading back towards the giant smokestacks of the electricity generating station.  With low clouds now providing a backdrop, the usually non-discernible stack emissions were revealed...

This closed the loop, so to speak, as the first thing I had seen today was the large coal pile for this facility...

To satisfy our appetite for electricity, that coal is burned in the process.  For me, it brings home the need to use as little electricity as possible until cleaner and renewable alternatives become available.

Back at Winter Island, my small trash haul of 16 pieces prepared for a post rush hour journey home...

There were 5 recyclable containers (2 redeemable) and 11 pieces of miscellaneous plastic trash.  My YTD total stands at 4121.

As I write this today, my week long stint on the graveyard shift has come to an end and I can slowly return to my usual schedule.  It does leave me wondering how long term graveyard shift workers deal with weekends.  Do they remain on their nocturnal schedule? or try to transition out and then back again?

The Misery Island Detour

After working another graveyard shift, I found myself getting out of work, this morning, just when everyone else was going to work.  A clogged Route 128 usually stands between work and home.  This left me with the following choices: jump onto Rt. 128 and endure the misery or drive in the opposite direction and get in a saltwater paddle.
So, I drove to my new favorite saltwater launch site at Winter Island Park in Salem, transitioned from car to boat and paddled out to Misery Island where there was no misery to be found..
Leaving Misery Island and heading back to Winter Island, I had clear sailing all the way...

By the time I got back to my car, the mornings traffic problems had been resolved and my drive home was most mellow.


Today's trash haul was very modest with most of the 11 pieces recovered on the beach at Misery Island...

There were 5 recyclable containers (0) redeemable and 6 pieces of rubbish such as plastic bags etc.

YTD total stands at 4105.

New Trashpaddler on SuAsCo Waters

Late this morning I was joined by my grandson, John, for some SuAsCo paddling in the vicinity of Egg Rock.  In the picture at left we are enroute to Concord's Old North Bridge.  John enjoyed paddling close to the many painted turtles that were basking in the sun this last day of July.  At one point, he came upon this chipmunk that seemed to be hanging with the turtles...

John did the chipmunk one better by actually "counting coup" on a turtle.
Observing the turtles brought us close to some floating trash.  John espied this errant plastic bottle which became the first piece of trash he would remove from the river...

Soon the bottle was out of the river and under his bungee...

and John couldn't hide his satisfaction.

After paddling a bit of each SuAsCo river, we landed and John stood beside our trash haul of 9 pieces...

There were 7 recyclable containers (2 redeemable) and 2 pieces of rubbish (disk drive and plastic bag).
YTD total = 4094.

The International Society of Trashpaddlers has a new member.  Can this force be stopped?!...



Concord River - Back on SuAsCo Waters

Egg Rock was looking rather nice early this morning as I found myself back on familiar waters.  In the photo at left my boat is in the Concord River and the view is looking upriver with the Assabet on the right and the Sudbury to the left.  After snapping the photo, I turned about and began heading down the Concord as far as Ball's Hill.
I began seeing cardinal flowers along the riverbank which is a reminder that August will soon be upon us...

A little further downstream was a larger patch of them...

Also in bloom are the buttonbush flowers...

On this day I would see my first American woodcock in the wild...

These turtles looked to be different species...

Other creatures seen were Canada geese, blue herons, mallards, a musquash, and a belted kingfisher.

By the time I arrived back upriver my trash count had reached 52 pieces of trash and they assembled alongside my boat's hull...

Today's breakdown: 29 recyclable containers (10 redeemable) and 23 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as styrofoam bait tubs, half of a plastic bucket, a flower pot, and a vintage looking bottle of "Old Spice".
My YTD total stands at 4085.