I had to check the proper conjugation of "swim" for this question
June 5, 2008 5:20 PM Subscribe
Has anyone ever swum between the North Shore and Nahant, Massachusetts?
Whenever I pass through this area, which is relatively often, I wonder. Long-distance swimmers attempt much more -- it's only a fraction the size of the Channel. When I look at this region on Google Maps, I see a large channel in the sea bed towards the depths, which suggests there's drainage making the area too dangerous for such attempts.
Does anyone happen to know?
Whenever I pass through this area, which is relatively often, I wonder. Long-distance swimmers attempt much more -- it's only a fraction the size of the Channel. When I look at this region on Google Maps, I see a large channel in the sea bed towards the depths, which suggests there's drainage making the area too dangerous for such attempts.
Does anyone happen to know?
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The Lynn Harbor side, from Short Beach, Crescent Beach or Revere Beach to the Nahant peninsula, has long had water quality issues, due to years of industrial waste, sewage, ship bilge pumping, etc. It's still permissible for pleasure craft and ships to pump ballast and sanitary tanks there. In late summer, even as cold as North Atlantic water stays, there are still high levels of bacteria and algae, many days. Lynn Harbor also has 11+ foot tides (high to low) making for currents a cross harbor swimmer would have to take into account, to avoid being carried out. Still, from Grover's Cliff to Bass Point, it's a distance of only about 2 and 1/4 miles. I'm sure many seasoned swimmers have made it. You'd definitely want a safety boat.
posted by paulsc at 11:51 PM on June 5, 2008