It has been so windy here on Cape Cod that I thought it would be interesting to write a blog about the Beaufort Wind Scale. “The Beaufort Scale is a scale for measuring wind speeds. It is based on observation rather than accurate measurement. It is the most widely used system to measure wind speed today. The scale was developed in 1805 by Francis Beaufort, an officer of the Royal Navy and first officially used by HMS Beagle.” (There are additional photos at the end of the blog.)
We always look at the wind conditions before we launch our kayaks or go out on the water. You don’t want to be surprised by increasing winds and higher waves where you may have a hard time getting back in. It is also relevant in case of storms or if you live in the woods as we do and there might be the possibility of trees being knocked down.
You can see by this photograph of the flag waving in the wind that the wind is about 20-24 mph. Seeing the flag frayed a bit means that the winds were probably closer to 39-46 mph, which is what we’ve had in the past few days.
I thought this next chart said it all in pictures.
Very informative, don’t you think? Have you ever used the Beaufort Scale?
It was another picture-perfect day for kayaking the Nauset Marsh out to Nauset Spit. We launched from Goose Hummock, so it was a nice long paddle. And yes, we did see a few seals along the way.
We remembered our folding seats that fit in the hatch, so that was a big treat at lunchtime. Just sit down, relax and enjoy those last days of summer.
It doesn’t get much prettier!
Yesterday was the perfect day to kayak Nauset Marsh…or any place… on Cape Cod. The weather was perfect… sunny and warm and hardly a ripple on the water.
We launched from Hemenway Landing on Nauset Marsh and were able to paddle out to Nauset Spit the “back way” by Coast Guard Station because it was high tide. At low tide, you cannot get through with all of the sandbars. The water is way too low, even for a kayak.
It was beautiful and we saw lots of different shore birds from Egrets and Great Blue Herons and Cormorants and Sanderlings and Yellowlegs and more. As we neared Nauset Spit we could see some heads bobbing in the water and then a quick splash and a dive under. Yes, the seals were swimming in Nauset Marsh near Nauset Spit. Hopefully the Great Whites won’t follow them in…
An awesome time to get lost in the beauty of Nauset Marsh and everything it has to offer!
