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Selling unused Epic Mid Wing paddle in Club Carbon construction, with length adjustable from 205 to 215 cm. List price on Epic web site is $399 (see https://www.epickayaks.com/mid-wing-paddle). Asking $300. Located in Hamilton, MA.

The plan is to MEET at 10:00 AM at Fort Stark ( https://goo.gl/maps/5na2U28B6q3pEy1AA ) head out of Little Harbor, and have some fun. The trip is being run as an AMC trip. So please register soon at https://activities.outdoors.org/ as we have limited capacity. Personally, I usually change the Activity Search field to Paddling - Sea Kayaking then hit the Search button leaving everything else at the default settings. If you do that, you should quickly find PORTSMOUTH OPEN OCEAN SEA KAYAK PADDLE - CIVILIZED START TIME on August 24th, 2023. Then click the Register Now button, and fill out the float plan and liability waiver information. I hope to see mostly NSPN paddlers there.

A little surprised to see canoes on what is predominantly a sea kayaking club message board? Three years ago I would have been too. After all I was a first joiner when Bob Burnett got NSPN started, the first VP of the organization, etc. Paddled a Romany Explorer back in the day when both words were in the name and currently paddle a Current Design Prana. But for going on three years now I'm also paddling a Mad River Malecite tandem and a Northstar Trillium solo canoe and frankly loving it. Both types have something unique about them and both also have a lot of overlap (particularly if you're a high angle paddler). So if you've ever wondered why anyone would paddle with a single blade, want something that might be a little easier to move around on the smaller inland waterways, or just curious about canoes, you might want to read on... “Jumpstart into Canoeing” - Session 1 Canoes, Paddles and Places - an Introduction for the Curious Curious about canoes? Trying to find a boat you can solo or maybe one to take the family (kids and critters) or a friend paddling, fishing or camping? Or maybe one boat that can do both? Thinking about buying or just bought a canoe and have questions? Or just plan curious about canoes? Then join us at the free Canoes, Paddles and Places session on May 5 This first of three free sessions hosted by Newbury Kayak and Canoe is intended to answer these questions and more, and provide you with a jumpstart into canoeing You’ll hear, see and get answers to your questions about: Why a canoe - A quick overview of the legacy and amazing versatility of the canoe Gearing Up - How to select a canoe, paddles, and basic gear Starting Out - Paddling basics, the “rule of the thumb”, trimming the boat Heading Out - Places to paddle, folks to paddle with, where to get more info When and where: Sunday, May 5, 10am to noon. Newbury Kayak and Canoe, 291 High Road, Newbury, MA 01950 To register or get more info: Go to https://www.newburykayak.com/contact-us and fill in the “Contact Us” form. To register - put the word “register” in the first line of the “Message” block Please also include a contact number in case of a last minute change and let us know how many folks you’re bringing. To ask a question - put the word “question” in the first line, or call us at 978-465-0312 Future sessions and topics: Session 2: Getting wet - on water session: Date and Location TBA Getting to the water. Paddling basics. Handling wind. Session 3: Staying Out, Eating Out: Date and Location TBA Camping tips, tricks and recipes

Many of us at NSPN were saddened to hear of Gene Cosloy's passing in November. He was active with NSPN, kept a boisterous spirit, and personally mentored many paddlers over the years. In keeping with Gene's giving nature, his wife Lois has graciously offered an opportunity to purchase Gene's paddling gear, with all proceeds going to Gene’s favorite charities, Granite State Dog Recovery and Habitat for Humanity. The gear will be on display at Shari Gallant's house in Gloucester on Feb 17th from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m. The plan is for an on-the-spot sale during the day with participants picking up the items directly. A more detailed listing of gear will follow, but there is a Werner paddle, original Lendal, a drysuit, books, kayak wheels, and much more. There will also be a paddle led by Kevin leaving from Niles Beach at 11 am with the eventual plan based on participants preferences. It will utilize Shari’s house as a base so folks can buy gear, give to charity and paddle all in one day! If you are interested in attending, please send a PM to Shari and Kevin for further information.

Come down to Osprey for our end of year clearance sale! All in stock P&H plastic 15% off, and all glass models are 10% off. In stock SIC is 15% off last years models. Astral Greenjackets, YTV's and MTI Lifejackets are 15% off. And there are still plenty of used SUP's, Kayaks, and paddles for sale!Call the shop for details at 508-636-0300.

I'm upgrading some of my paddling gear, and would like to hear the criteria you've used when selecting a spare paddle. I currently use a 215 cm bent-shaft Werner Ikelos, and my spare is a low-end, generic low-angle paddle that was purchased for my wife's use on flat water. While I welcome specific recommendations for me, I'm more interested in the questions or criteria you used to select your spare. For example: A smaller blade might cause less strain at the end of the day. A cheaper, stronger paddle can be the primary paddle in surf and rocks, and for rescue practice. A one-piece Greenland paddle may be quicker to deploy in an emergency than a two-piece Euro paddle, and opens up new tricks at the summer Walden sessions. What other considerations am I missing? Some general questions: Is your spare the same length as your primary paddle? Is your spare the same type (high-angle, low-angle, Greenland) as your primary? Why or why not?

Has the 50 degree weather started you thinking about the upcoming season? Well get out your calendars because below are a slew of trips to participate in this season. This is just the beginning of a list to get everyone started - you'll see official postings on all of these by the organizers over the coming months and definitely many more trips added as the weather warms. Feel free to post trips at any time and I'll keep this Master List updated. If you already have trips planned that you would welcome others to join, pm me and I'll be happy to add to this list. Then post to the calendar and the message board when you're ready. REMEMBER when you post a trip to also post it to the calendar - and remember if you cancel a trip or move the date, don't forget to update the calendar and let me know so I may update the master. Happy Paddling! April 4/20 Sat New to Sea Kayaking Workshop - Gould Barn (Bob Levine) May 5/4-5 Sat/Sun New to Kayak Camping L3 Trip - Location TBD (Warren Parlee and Prudence Baxter) 5/11 Sat New to Sea Kayaking Pool Session - Haverhill, MA 5/24-26 Fri-Sun Annual Jewell Island Camping L3 Trip - Casco Bay, ME (Gary York) June 6/8-9 Sat/Sun New to Kayak Camping L3 Trip - Location TBD - Warren P and Prudence B 6/8 Sat Kennebunkport to Cape Porpoise L3 Paddle - Kennebunkport, ME (Doug Mogill) 6/9 Sun Annual Ladies L2 Paddle - Location TBD (Katherine R) 6/22 Sat Annual NSPN Solstice L2 & L3 Paddle - Marblehead, MA (Peter Brady) 6/29-30 Sat-Sun Ladies Camping L2 Trip - Location TBD (Katherine Ryan) Monday 7/1 is optional - some are staying July 7/4 Thu July 4 Fireworks Paddle - Boston (Peter Brady) 7/13-14 Sat-Sun New to Kayak Camping L3 Trip - Location TBD - Warren P and Prudence B 7/13 Sat York River L2 Paddle - York, ME (Peter Brady) 7/13 Sat Gloucester to Marblehead L3 Paddle - Gloucester, MA (Blaine Bjornstad) CHANGED TO SATURDAY 7/13 7/27-29 Fri-Mon Roque Island Camping L3 Trip - Near Jonesport, ME (Peter Brady) August 8/4 Sun L2 Paddle - Location TBD (Bob Levine) 8/17 Sat Fort Gorges and Peaks Island L3 Trip - Portland, ME (Cathy Folster) 8/24 Sat Salem Sound L2 Paddle (after Swim and Fin Race) - Salem, MA (Bob Levine) September 9/8 Sun Chauncey Creek L2/L3 - Kittery Point, ME (Katherine Ryan) 9/13-15 Fri-Sun Cobscook Bay Camping L3 Trip - Cobscook, ME (Peter Brady) 9/20-22 Fri-Sun Muscle Ridge Camping L3 Trip - S. Thomaston, ME (Gary York) 9/29 Sun NSPN Annual Membership Mtg and L2 Paddle - Topsfield/Ipswich (Peter Brady) October 10/19-20 Sat-Sun 2nd Annual Derek Hutchinson Memorial L2 Paddle - Squam Lake, NH (Doug Mogill) Cancelled Some things to note: It's okay to post a paddle on a day when there's already a paddle. It's great to have options and paddles might appeal to some and not others. Remember to post if your trip is CAM model or otherwise - we've cross posted some AMC trips in past years that are Leader-led - and it's okay to cross post - again, options are great! Remember to respect MITA guidelines to not discuss private islands in public places - refer to an island as best you can and have people pm you to get more detail

http://www.etsy.com/listing/115889407/collapsible-canoe-and-kayak-paddle Video here (mostly still shots, some video): This is certainly interesting and probably fun for one paddle, but I can't imagine it's sturdy enough. Has anyone seen them in person?