Lesson Learned!
Well I was pretty excited about fishing today because I heard from 2 reliable sources that the Albies were going nuts off of Watch Hill yesterday. So I launched before dawn from the Barn and headed for what I thought was Napatree. I was halfway across the bay before I realized that my heading was for the high section of Sandy point,about the middle of the island. (gotta get a GPS!) So I changed my course and finally got to the vicinity of the pilings in a roundabout way. The tide had changed over an hour ago so it took me quite awhile to get there in my little trolling motor-powered yak. When I did get there the situation was just what I feared. When they say seas of one foot or less,it is almost never that at Napatree. More like steady 3 to 4 footers with 6 to 8 foot rollers breaking on the rocks and pilings. So I dilly-dallied around a little,drifting southwest of the point,trying to stay out of the big waves,hoping it will lay down,watching the birds,waiting for them to tell me something,biding my time as I talk myself into a bigger set of balls. Finally I said screw it and went for it. I made my heading for the red can,gotta take that turn around the point wide to stay out of the breakers. So I'm making head-way,getting the hang of gunning the motor up to the crest of the waves and throttling down the backsides. Not too bad. Sure I'm taking quite a few big ones over the bow that completely fill the cockpit with water but it's draining quickly so I'm fine. I'm trudging along and I look up and what do I see? Birds. LOTS OF BIRDS! They're going in the water and covering an area the size of a football field a little over a quarter mile southeast of the can. That's it,that's what I've been waiting for! So I gun the motor,no more throttling back on the downslope! I'm getting there,making good headway,about to over-take the can when something goes wrong. The tide was really ripping now and all of a sudden I'm getting sucked into the eddy behind the can. REAL FAST. All I see is this really big piece of steel getting way too close for comfort. I try to power out of it but nothing is happening. In a panic I pick up my paddle and get the hell out of there. In all honesty I was scared there for a minute. When I started paddling I even had my doubts that I was going to be able to get out of that and had a vision of the situation ending really badly. It wasn't until I was well clear of the hazard that my mind turned to trying to figure out what went wrong. There is ALOT of wood in the water,tree-sized wood. In my haste to get to the action I whacked something and broke the shear-pin in the prop. I had another pin with me but I would have to hit the beach to change it out. Basically by that point I had had enough and resolved to prepare myself for the roughly 3 mile paddle in. When I got to the launch and got ready to put the yak on the car I discovered that there was aleast 5 gallons of water in the hull too. Also not good. So that's the morning I had. No Albies for me. If anyone knows of a closer place to watch hill to launch a yak other than the Barn I'd love to hear about it. Maybe in R.I.?
WOW!!! Too close for comfort! Glad your ok! Be safe out there!
Glad it turned out ok.
Be patient, they will come inside soon enough if they are not already by millstone.
Once you cross the line at Napatree point you enter Block island sound, things are different than in Long island sound.
Wow is right
Wow! What an adventure. Wonder if you could put in near Watch Hill Cove from around the lighthouse??? Timing the tides is also a big factor for a yaker. Once they pass through Watch Hill Passage you can also fish them along the shoals and clumps in Fisher's Island Sound. Chasing them in a yak or small boat does present challenges! I hope to give it a go Sunday if the weather cooperates.