Paul Sylvester

I have always wanted to paddle through this when the current in running. Maybe this year? Agree w/Nancy and not good with fonts and colors...low tech here..

A reason to put on your drysuit !

When appropriate to shop in stores: EMS has flat tube webbing in the climbing area. REI should have it also. I use it for back band straps when needed.

Just got off the CDC site and I stand corrected on the stats for H1N1. I can't argue or dispute seasonal flu or estimates for Covid. Time will tell on Covid and Sweden will be interesting to watch. I don't wait for 70 deg days to walk York beach. We walk them in the winter. If I can be trusted to grocery shop and do other essentials I think I can be trusted to keep my distance on the sidewalk and beach. Last Saturday Mt Major near me had a large number of cars overflowing down the street. Probably hundreds of hikers on a one mile trail? I have had many come close to me in the stores....sprayer of bleach awaits in my car... I hope the mutual aid societies of AA and NA can figure this out online because these people depend on the groups meeting.

Agree we have a health care crisis on a few levels. It is nice to see the Army Corps and others setting up facilities and mobilizing for NYC and getting the ships into LA and NY is great. I actually watched the news tonight.. Joe, Agree early comparisons should be avoided. My editor is of questionable value...

In the USA in 2009 H1N1 infected 20 Million Americans and killed 4K of them I believe? No media panic. No social panic. No social media mob for daring to color outside the lines. I have had enough of the media frenzy and only take the word of the medical community on Covid. Today when we use language like "shelter in place" let us remember that is the language for active shooter situations. What message are we sending? Panic? Horde? I have stayed home and laid low now for a couple weeks. I have my bleach sprayer and rags when I go out to the store. Soon I will be on the water solo with no regrets. I know of put ins not usually used. When they closed the beaches to walking that was too much IMO.

I would consider this just to fix and sell so someone could have a playboat but would not drive more than 1-1/2 hours or so. Have already owned a Pintail so I would not keep it.

Leslie, A boatload of "we don't knows" there..thanks, One thing I know is self check outs at the stores are freaking me out. Never see anyone clean them. Be safe, this will pass.

Looking for Yakima foot braces and a back band. These are for a project of mine. I know people like to remove and foam the bulk heads. New are available but maybe you can clear out some stuff you don't need and make a buck? thanks,

You will know after trial and error. If you glue the foam up in layers you have opportunity to work with foam wedges to get the angle right. I use duct tape and try them OTW before gluing them in. I only have foam on one kayak because I didn't want to buy a backband at the time. Not my thing...

Buy a 24" x 24" sheet of 2" minicell (closed cell) foam from ?? (CLC maybe or New Found Woodworks?) . Grab a serrated blade bread knife and layer it up to fit what works for you. I might use duct tape to see how it works for a bit prior to using contact cement to glue it in. Maybe you could use some packing foam (open cell ,cheap and free) to support your present back band? They only need to be 6-8" wide.

The Somme bay incident is very sad and tragic and I can't imagine how the families and club deal with this. It is distressing to read "at the start there was no risk" when the water was 46 degrees. That is inherent risk for experienced kayakers IMO. It says experienced kayakers from a club but does not reference an adult that was on the water and says nothing of their cold water protection or boats and gear. Closer too home we had two notable incidents in Essex Bay due to currents, tides, shallows and wave actions. October 2004 and one later maybe 2006? I thought at least one of them was in the NSPN archives.

Brian I agree it is doa but I have a slight distrust of the state to do the right thing. Andy, Sadly.........The term pisspots comes from when I worked in a high end yacht yard summers as a teen. It catered to wood boats and the term was referring to fiberglass boats. I have just borrowed it for my own amusement.

Pool roll might work but try it on the edges of the river where it can get snagged on the bottom, mooring lines or pot lines. Yes this probably is doa but better to kill it now then to have to reverse it. Below is my mail to Rep Vincent. Probably too long and direct but my filters are faltering as I age. There is a problem with education and teaching people that kayaks have NO RIGHT to occupy a channel or thoroughfare. We have a right to cross safely and as a cohesive group in a safe place when needed. Us “real kayakers” who know and teach safety cringe when we see the small plastic boats getting in the way of larger boats and we often will speak to them. Fact: A flag on my kayak would be a danger because if I flip over I roll my kayak back up with out exiting the kayak. Anything sticking up on either deck poses a hazard to my ability to sweep roll my kayak. Rolling is the experienced kayakers first means of self rescue. If my paddle didn’t hit the pole it could snag on the bottom or get caught in a lobster pot buoy line. Pretty scary thought for me. What about when I surf waves with my kayak and rolling is a regular part of the experience? Fact: The real problem is people with no understanding of on the water etiquette getting in the way of powerboaters. Powerboaters are only supposed to make headway speed within so many feet of another watercraft. The big boats don’t want to get slowed down in their channels and thoroughfares and I don’t blame them. Fact: Small cheap plastic kayaks are inherently dangerous because they often have no floatation of any kind and are often paddled by absolute beginners with no concept of cold water hypothermia, self -rescue or rules of the road. Fact: Many colleagues in the business have wanted to see safety manuals sold with all kayaks that detail the rules of the road and kayaking do’s and don’ts. Fact: We would welcome more active intervention and enforcement by the marine patrols of existing laws and to help with education. Fact: I am part of several paddling groups that paddle lakes, rivers and the ocean. When we go out we all carry an array of safety gear that includes handheld VHF radios in our PFD pockets. When we cross a busy channel like the Portsmouth Harbor entrance we will get on the VHF channel 16 and announce that we are a group of (x? ) number of kayakers crossing at a specific location. Then we get back on the radio and let them know we are out of the channel. Please contact me for further information and I will be glad to talk. It is an education problem and flags are a real danger for us. How about warnings for idiots that think it is ok to get in the way of powerboaters needlessly? Thanks and I await your response,

Here we go again: House bill -1593-fn sponsored by Ken Vincent of Somersworth NH is a bill that would require vertical flag poles on kayaks in NH. Don't know much else but have contacted him and awaiting his call back. Co sponsor of the bill says if flags don't work then maybe lights or strobes at the bow and stern for daytime use....What are they thinking?? I guess some of the plastic piss pots sold at Walmart and piloted by people who think they have a "right " to go anywhere at anytime have got the attention of bumbling bureaucrats with little knowledge of the issues on the water. The WW community has a good argument against and we need to get ours ready and reach out to them. Ken Vincent 603-396-4120 Co sponsor Casey Conley, Dover NH 207-232-1992 Copied below, HOUSE BILL 1593-FN AN ACT requiring visible flags on kayaks. SPONSORS: Rep. Vincent, Straf. 17; Rep. Conley, Straf. 13 COMMITTEE: Resources, Recreation and Development ----------------------------------------------------------------- ANALYSIS This bill requires that kayaks display visible reflective flags while on public waters. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics. Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.] Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type. 20-2311 11/10 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty AN ACT requiring visible flags on kayaks. Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened: 1 New Section; Boating and Water Safety on New Hampshire Public Waters; Kayaks; Reflective Flag Required. Amend RSA 270-D by inserting after section 7-a the following new section: 270-D:7-b Kayaks; Reflective Flag Required. No person shall operate a kayak without attaching to such kayak a flag pole that extends at least 4 feet in height from the deck of the kayak and affixing to such pole a reflective flag. Any person who violates this section shall be given a warning for a first offense, and shall be guilty of a violation and fined $50 for any subsequent offense. 2 Boating and Water Safety on New Hampshire Public Waters; Penalties. Amend RSA 270-D:9 to read as follows: 270-D:9 Penalties. Any person who violates any provisions of this chapter or any rule adopted under RSA 270-D:8 shall be guilty of a violation, except that any person who violates RSA 270-D:7-b shall be subject to the penalties in that section. 3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage. LBAO 20-2311 12/3/19 HB 1593-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS INTRODUCED AN ACT requiring visible flags on kayaks. FISCAL IMPACT: The Legislative Budget Assistant has determined that this legislation, as introduced, has a total fiscal impact of less than $10,000 in each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2023. AGENCIES CONTACTED: Department of Safety and New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

Thanks to some Merrimac Valley WW paddlers we have an update as I could not get to Concord Wednesday. The boat registration stickers part is gone (we think) and this has (somehow?) morphed into a voluntary user fee along the lines of the hike safe card. It will only apply to paddle craft at state owned or state maintained boat ramps or car top launches. It is supposed to be voluntary the first two years and is making up for fed funding losses. Don't believe it has anything to do with SAR. It was said the voluntary hike safe cards bring in a lot of money. Some years I have bought hike safe cards for myself and my kids at $25 per. Most hikers I know buy them to help the state. I have always been okay with user fees that are targeted and well managed so lets see where this goes? They want something that will pass the Governors desk so maybe...just maybe some two party systems are working? Next hearing is 11/5/19 at 10am.

It does not call out anything specific for parking. Just general language. Agree and willing to pay for targeted services but this is not a good way to pay and this seems poorly thought out.

Early is good for me,

Thanks Jim, I had not found the specifics of the bill and now that I have read it I have many concerns. I did not realize people who launch from private spots are exempt. That seems unfair to everyone that has to pay. When they get this $10.00 fee after they pay the agent 3.00 and the sticker cost then they have top allow for $106k reprogramming expense for state computers and maybe adding staff at local towns? They say .32 for stickers and I call BS on that. In my town the dump stickers are about ten times that cost to the town. I know because I heard the whole story from the transfer manager. So are they trying to set up a new Navigation safety fund? Stop and eradicate invasive plants? Build and maintain ramps? I am all for user fees at ramps and access fees but adding this is short sighted and not right. Why not have self pay kiosks at larger ramps where you self pay and put the paper on your dash? It would do the same thing and would work for trailered boats. The ideas behind these bills in NH have always been SAR expenses. But the vast majority of SAR money spent is on hiking and wilderness injuries. When it comes to watercraft injuries many are power related and the hand paddled craft problems are mostly launched from private spots. (IE: midnight after a few drinks) Every year I buy a couple of Hike Safe Cards to help out the NH Fish and Game revenues. Revenue is down from hunting and fishing and the state is having a hard time funding SAR and F & G. The fines for SAR are great but how many are actually charged? Why not start charging and ticketing everyone who parks along the highway at Lafayette and MT Major and many other trailheads? What about out of state paddlers who use a ramp? Not all ramps charge a fee so they would get a pass? There are better ways to get money out of people using existing systems without adding to state bureaucracy.

Brian, I am not good with web links. The state website is something like NHgencourtNHstate. https://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/committees/committeedetails.aspx?id=28 this should be the committee link.

Calling all NH paddlers: This Wednesday there is a hearing on HB 640-FN. LOB room 307 at 9 am It will establish a fee and registration structure for NH residents who want to use a canoe or kayak. There are many reasons this is wrong for NH and a poorly thought out way to raise money. Please write or call your legislatures to try to kill this in committee. Sponsors are Goley and Hill and all contacts are on the NH website. We are low impact and most people that need SAR on the water are poorly equipped and have not taken the time to learn safety. This bill needs to die in committee. I am trying very hard to get free from work to go to the hearing. I have seven kayaks and a canoe. Some I might only use once a year. How many do you have? No idea what the provision is for out of state people. thanks, Paul

When I first heard the story they played the mayday tape and it just did not sound right. He was too calm imo. Then when they suspended the search I figured they had suspected a hoax. Who would go 10 miles out in a 14 boat with three kids?

Let me know as I have been wanting to paddle around that area.

Paddling out of Odiorne in Rye and going around Gerrish Saturday. 9 am BIB This is a cross post with another group. Expect 12-14 miles, moderate pace, breaks and possible surf play. Must have drysuits or neoprene protection. Helmet for surf play. Level 3-4 trip. HT at 11 am so the marsh will be easy. Off by 3 pm. Please let me know you are coming by post or PM by 8 pm tomorrow.

When the sh hits and you miss your "reliable roll" it is demoralizing and can be a bit scary. Having a drysuit on, (being comfortable for some period of time in the water) and all the safety gadgets will be huge while you figure it out. From the archives experience....