Heading for Pansipit 01
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 09:36:08 AM MST
Tato & Kuya Ton on the modified Breeze-Baby
Heading for Pansipit 03
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 10:07:45 AM MST
Fish cages west of Volcano Island
Entering the River
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 11:39:01 AM MST
Joined up with Roy at Agoncillo and headed into the river
Lunch of Day 1
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 12:19:48 PM MST
Rafting up for lunch under the Agoncillo-San Nicolas bridge
Farther into the River
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 12:43:57 PM MST
Piper & son on Ceol Beagleading the way
Southern Fork Clogged
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 01:12:58 PM MST
Southern Fork was blocked by a thick raft of hyacinth. The locals advised us turn around and take the Northern Fork. We were forced to take our chance with the Problematic Bridge of the Northern Fork.
Lowest Bridge
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 01:30:10 PM MST
About half-way into the river. Everybody had to duck low: we only had a 5-inch clearance between the top of the outboard motor and the underside of this bridge. Paddle was used to fend off clumps of floating hyacinths as we went out of the Southern Fork.
Bamboo Structures
Date/Time: Sat 24 Feb 2007 01:45:11 PM MST
Seemed to be platforms for setting fishnets across the river.
The Camp 01
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 06:41:35 AM MST
Out of the Northern Fork and into Balayan Bay we turned left a few hundred meters along the shore and set camp in Leonor, one of the many beach resorts. Photo was at daybreak of Day 2 after a horrid all-night eardrum-busting karaoke concert from the neighboring resort.
The Camp 02
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 06:42:32 AM MST
after a 30-minute break the karaoke started again.
Pawprint Beached
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 06:42:50 AM MST
All the boats were hauled up the beach for the night and unloaded.
Breakfast in Style
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 07:23:39 AM MST
Gourmet breakfast was Cherrie's basil-oregano French toast and cinnamon dusted fruit, Tato's adobo rice and Marte's wild salmon on buttered rolls downed with a choice of perked barako espresso or flavored teas.
Where did all this stuff come from? And that does not include the tents and sleeping gear!
Where did all this stuff come from? And that does not include the tents and sleeping gear!
The Return Trip 01
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:03:03 AM MST
We waited late in the morning for the tide to go up high enough so we could negotiate the Problematic Bridge.
The Return Trip 02
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:03:41 AM MST
Big grins on Tato's and Kuya Ton's faces were of relief from leaving the karaoke in our wake.
The Steel Cable 01
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:16:07 AM MST
Rolly checking the GPS waypoint of the partly submerged steel cable strung across the river just beyong the mouth.
The Steel Cable 02
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:22:33 AM MST
The Breeze-Baby approaching the steel cable. Kuya Ton as Don Quixote readying to joust with it.
Problematic Bridge 01
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:27:15 AM MST
The monster's jaws as seen from the river
Problematic Bridge 02
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:44:28 AM MST
We floated a line from upstream and manually pulled the boats through as the crew fended the boats off the monster's maw.
Problematic Bridge 04
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 11:55:14 AM MST
Ceol Beag's turn. With the tide rising there was much less whitewater on the downstream side. Pawprint was the last boat through and I could have just powered in because the water was much smoother by that time.
Underwater Hazard
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 12:21:49 PM MST
A short distance from Problematic Bridge one of two sunken concrete objects that must have been part of a wrecked bridge claimed Roy's shear pin.
Lunch Day 2
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 01:11:03 PM MST
Beached the boats for a late lunch about two-thirds of the way back.
The homebuilt boats from near to far: Ceol Beag a B&B Spindrift; Boatbuilder's Handbook Breeze-Baby; Pawprint a Glen-L Zip
The homebuilt boats from near to far: Ceol Beag a B&B Spindrift; Boatbuilder's Handbook Breeze-Baby; Pawprint a Glen-L Zip
Grasscutter
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 02:35:59 PM MST
Tato cleans out the weeds from his prop.
Long-leafed water grass is thickest at the lake end of the Pansipit River. The locals harvest them for duck feed.
Long-leafed water grass is thickest at the lake end of the Pansipit River. The locals harvest them for duck feed.
Heading Home 01
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 03:07:42 PM MST
Powerboat weather: smoooth, glassy water the whole length of the lake
The Birds 05
Date/Time: Sun 25 Feb 2007 03:59:11 PM MST
The floating islands of fish cages must have been Kevin Kostner's inspiration for his movie Waterworld
