Michael_Crouse

Topkayaker has the Ritchie F-50 listed, maybe give them a call and see if they’ll order Silva 70p? They are listed as a dealer and since they sell mail order maybe they will want some in stock.

Camped on Peddocks before the big renovations and after. The nice thing about Peddocks is it’s big, you’ll see wild turkey, deer, etc.. you won’t get that on Bumpkin. If you’re looking for exploring the island Peddocks is a great choice, you could also camp on a smaller island and paddle to George’s to explore the forts or over to Peddocks for a day. One bonus of Peddocks is it actually has fresh water at the campsites but the campsites are pretty far from the shore. Best trip I did might have been when we went to Bumpkin and the ferry wasn’t working. I think there were 3 groups on the island and we all had waterfront sites!

YES YES YES on the pouring some hot water in your gloves on a break. Obviously you dump it out and wait a minute, no one wants to treat burned hands on a winter paddle. also yes on the XXL gloves ?

TracRac on (of course) a truck, bars are almost 70” and it’s rated for 1250lbs. The original ad for this rack had a large truck with a small Toyota on the roof rack! ? I’ve had 4 kayaks on the rack and I could probably carry five.

As others have said a warmer sleeping bag will help, you could also add an overbag to your existing bag. I had one I used for a summer bag and then for a layering system in spring/fall. A better sleeping pad makes a huge difference, I love my Exped DAM (down air mattress) and they make a less expensive synthetic filled mattress. Be warned since it’s warm, packs small, and is light it’s not cheap. As they say strong, light, inexpensive.... you only get to pick two. As far as tents IMHO those really light weight all mesh tents should be called 1.5 season tents. Get something that has good ventilation but isn’t all mesh. My favorite all around tent is/was the Walrus Terromotto, 3/4 season convertible tent with big mesh panels on the inner tent that could be zipped closed in harsher weather. That said that REI tent sounds fine.

I still lurk from time to time, lol I've got to get out again soon, lately I've fallen into the role of "Dance/Theater Dad" drive Zoe to 8 million lessons/rehearsals. My first paddle back will be a rescue clinic because I'll be swimming a lot.

If you carry a foam paddle float something like this might be helpful. https://northwater.com/collections/paddle-floats-re-entry-aids/products/fourplay-multi-use-paddle-float

I wouldn't use a dry bag or paddle float on a rocky shore, too much of a puncture risk.

They are generally higher volume, A 17'9" Cetus MV is 88 gallons (all hatches and cockpit) a 17' 11" Mariner II is 105 - 111 gallons. "West coast" boats tend to be higher volume, look at old North West Kayaks, Pacafic Water Sports, etc..... They are not Greenland style boats. Having said that by most accounts they're nice boats. I would want to paddle one first. What is your friend paddling now?

A club member had a Coaster, but I’m drawing a blank on his name. I remember he loved that little boat. I’ve got an old Mariner 1 with the sliding seat hanging out in the barn. I liked it but for speed I preferred my Foster Shadow. The Mariner definitely had more initial stability. Definitely try to paddle it, higher volume boats can feel a bit like a cork sometimes, bobbing to the top of every wave.

Someone, maybe kayakfit.com, sold foam called thin skinz. It was thin and durable, perfect for glueing to the inside of your hull. btw. I've worn through the heel of booties that didn't have a rubber cap, so I feel your pain.

I would check out Kelty tents, they actually have a full rain fly unlike most car camping tents. I have an old Mantra 7 that is so large it's frightening, but it built really well.

Sears sells an inspection mirror that should give you a view of the nut. One one those and an extension ratchet should do it. It's important to get the sears inspection mirror because the mirror detaches and it turns into a magnetic pick up tool.

I've got one of those Thule roller/slider pad combo things that I've been meaning to sell. Not sure if that would work or not.