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Bill: Is the issue of creating daily track files while on a multi day tour or creating daily track files of day paddles? If the former I can understand there is no easy solution even if process is simple. If the latter, wouldn't deleting the log after downloading the data after each paddle suffice? Confess this is academic for me as more interested in where I might go next than looking at where I have been. That said, I do like basic GPS info for writing log entries. Ed Lawson

Bill: Just in case you do not already know, there are GPX specific editors which might allow easy editing, but given GPX (and KML for that matter) are just XML files a good text editor should be able to search for the date element to allow for easy editing and parsing file into separate files by date. Ed Lawson

Bill: OpenCPN will import GPX files and display track on chart. Ed Lawson

Gary, has the yellow school bus gone to that great dry dock in the sky? Ed

Interesting comment about "mast light" requirement. I thought the Maine state requirements were the same as the Federal rules in which case no light required for kayak beyond having a light available for use as needed. That said NH requirement is for 360 white light to be displayed. Ed Lawson

Ricardo, Not currently a MITA site, and I believe it is privately owned which means getting permission of owner. I could never understand why anyone would want to camp there even if the sheep/goats were absent. Nettle and Doliver are luxurious in comparison and many question camping on either of them. Ed Lawson

Liz: The shock or bunge cord size you need is 3/16". That size will work with Valley RDFs and others. My SWAG is 4.5 to 5 MM cord would also work, but 6MM is too big. Ed Lawson

You just never know what will show up. To say this is a rare and historically important kayak is not a big overstatement. https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/d/lee-baidarka-explorer-kayak/7629132879.html Ed Lawson

Not sure there are strong reasons to favor calendar over notices on the trips forum or vice versa. Certainly there are advantages and disadvantages for using either. Planning trips more than a week in advance is always a crapshoot. A few days ago it was @ 90 and a nice day paddling from Odiorne appealed. Instead of a nice warm day paddling today as expected, I am writing this in front of woodstove as it is still in the 40s outside. OTOH, I have enough going on that it is often hard to respond to 48 hour notices. Seems each have their place and balance for paddles so far OK If I understand the reason for the thread, it is not people having difficulty finding NSPN paddles, but the paucity of paddles to find. One good reason for trips to be announced well in advance and on calendar might be a higher probability of getting a broader range and larger number of members participating as opposed to the usual suspect who appear to dominate the paddles announced on short notice. Ed Lawson

Fred; This was helpful info as today I had to deal with a very stiff skeg on a just purchased boat. If fully retracted it was almost impossible to deploy the skeg, but once partially deployed it was manageable although with too much effort. Cleaning helped only a little so I needed to inspect the cable. I found this thread which gave me the courage to dig in as removing the black box with the four screws is necessary to pull out the cable from the stern enough to check for an unusual bend. I foolishly thought the black box lifted out and was flummoxed for awhile. Instead it has to be pushed forward to slide off the poly cable housing. Doing so without dislodging the brass ring is important, but with a little lubricant and a gentle tug it all came apart. I looked at the info from Kayak Academy which was also helpful. Jim inadvertently posted the pre 2011 page and the post 2011 page is here if anyone encounters the same issues. https://www.kayakacademy.com/pages/valley-sea-kayak-skeg-cable-repair-replacement-for-2011-and-later-models Pulled out about six inches of cable and there was a sharp bend. With modest manual manipulation it was back to a normal gentle curve and skeg works fine now. BTW, some 5200 or 4300 had been spread around where the cable housing came out into the cockpit so your issue may not be an isolated one. Again, thank you for posting. Ed Lawson

Greatly enjoyed your report and pictures which brought back fond memories and maybe some not so fond. Certainly true that when tide and wind oppose in that area, especially around Swan's, it focuses your attention to the here and now. Much to enjoy by wandering about Marshall and Swan's. Besides getting there from Stonington and Brooklin, I have thought about starting at Seal cove or Bass Harbor on MDI to explore the islands between MDI and Swan's which are worth a visit. A suggestion for those heading to Marshall is to consider visiting Frenchboro on Long Island. An enchanting, quintessential fishing village. Ed Lawson

I understand this trip was cancelled. Will it be rescheduled for later this year? Ed Lawson

Jim: Interested in paddle. Ed Lawson

I was going to make stove suggestions, but discovered those great @$20 stoves seem to have disappeared and the @$75 plus systems predominate. Sad. My $.02 is the type of stove you may find suited to you will depend upon whether you are someone who simply adds boiling water to pouches or you do more elaborate cooking. Stoves designed for the mountaineering and to some extent backpacking market are primarily designed to melt snow and boil water as fast as possible with simmering being an afterthought. Stoves with a larger, multi hole burner tend to be better for simmering and cooking. Rob made a great point. Don't worry about equipment at first. If you need something specific, but are unsure what might work best for you, then borrow. Or buy something serviceable, but low cost. You can get fully equipped with serviceable stuff for low cost at Walmart. I know, but you can. After all, you don't need some high end expedition tent , stove, or sleeping bag to spend a couple of nights on Jewell. Especially since it will take awhile to know what gear you like just as it takes awhile to know what kayak traits you like. As for being prepared, I suggest the following. Wait for a good rainy day/night and put up the tent. Does it leak, does it handle the wind? Modify as needed. Try out the food you are thinking of taking at home to be sure you like it and easy to make with the tools you will have. Make a list of all the stuff you are going to bring. Then assemble all the stuff, check each item, put it into an Ikea bag and check it off the list. Then you take those Ikea bags with all the stuff and see if it all fits in the kayak. Then check if the weight of the stuff behind the seat is somewhat heavier than the stuff in front of the seat. The heaviest stuff such as water and adult beverages of choice should be closest to the seat. Finally, as Rob said use the Jewell trip as an educational experience. I'm sure your fellow paddlers/campers will be happy to show and tell why they use the gear they do and, more importantly, how they use the gear they have. Don't be surprised if A says X is great and Y is junk while B says Y is great and X is junk. Each can be right based on what they do and how they do it. The trick is finding out if you are A, B, or C. After the trip review the list of stuff and add what you wished you had brought and delete what you now believe was needless so you have a better list for the next trip. Does not hurt to keep a trip log so you can review how things worked after the trip as well. Ed Lawson

Well, FWIW, the HX80 is lighter than the plain vanilla HX 380 and is same size other than being thicker, but that added thickness does make them seem bulky to me at least. The CG monitors CH 16 and the coverage of the new Rescue 21 is very good given its antenna system so even if there are no vessels nearby, odds are the GC will hear you and you will hear them. Ed Lawson

To follow up on why I said the difference between 5 and 6 watts is meaningless even though 1 more watt is a 20% increase over 5 watts. As a general rule it takes a 3 db increase in power to make a noticeable difference and a 3 db increase represents doubling the power. Often overlooked is the quality of the antenna. Regardless of the power output, it is the antenna which radiates that power and any issues with the antenna can have major impact upon how well you are heard. FWIW, most handheld units have "compromised" antennas and the only way to compare radios in terms of radiated power is by using a field strength meter...but that is getting in the weeds. Playing around on a paddle using different power levels and holding the radio in different positions might be enlightening or at least fun.

Barb: A few random comments. The difference between 5 and 6 watts is inconsequential. I would not make power output a criterion as essentially all VHF marine handhelds have at least 5W output, and you will never notice the difference between 5 and 6 watts. I am not a fan of USB charging ports because they are an obvious weak point in terms of water intrusion and corrosion. I always seal any USB port with electrical tape on a device that is not kept in a waterproof container when taken kayaking. FWIW, I have never needed to charge a VHF radio while on a camping trip, but YMMV. There are many reasons to have a DSC radio, but they are bigger and heavier. If I had to choose between a DSC radio or some cellphone app to get vital info to the CG when things go wrong, I would pick the DSC radio. That said, I do not have one. Ed Lawson

Or, and very "Mainey", follow the lead of those recycling blown out sails and old fishing gear into items to sell to those "from away" and create items from used paddle clothing, etc. Ed Lawson

Gary: Perhaps it is time to consider the possibility, perish the thought, that your dry suit has done yeoman duty and has reached the point where it needs to be replaced. Gear becomes beloved companions after many journeys together that we are loathed to replace, but sometimes you just need to say good bye. Especially gear whose job it is to protect you. I read somewhere that even Goretex takes the position their fabric should not be expected to last for more than 200 full days of use. Ed Lawson Who will never get rid of the Svea 123

Some random comments: My one experience with rocket flares resulted in a strong desire to never fire one in the future so I carry 12 Gauge pistol flares. Since I am not a user of smart phone apps while on the water, I keep mine in a waterproof case in the day hatch. A signal mirror is a very small/light device, but very effective for signaling over substantial distances. I am a big fan of laser flares and always carry one . For group paddling a whistle is useful, but not sure about otherwise. Still, I always carry. VHF is simple. Never leave home without it. I usually carry a DeLorme InReach SE on camping trips or long sketchy day trips and have found it fills several needs including allowing others to track where it and, hopefully me, are located. The events detailed in the book "Where You Will Find Me" regarding the accuracy and timeliness of reporting by PLBs in a rescue setting is a bit sobering, but the environmental issues there were far more severe than typical and probably played a role. "Not entirely sure what her test protocol was". Perhaps more important question is what was the testing procedure used by Ocean Life. I see nothing in their documentation suggesting the unit was certified as complying with any IP protocol which seems odd to me. If you go to the trouble to have an independent lab test and certify your product, wouldn't you say so? If they didn't, what are claims based upon? In any event, my biased view is an IPX7 or 8 rating should not be relied upon as suggesting any device subjected to typical kayaking use/abuse will not be damaged by saltwater ingress after it is used for awhile. IMHO, it would be better if they were rated IPX6 or maybe IPX6-K, but that is never going to happen let alone IPX9-K Ed Lawson

I forgot to mention you can visit Seguin from Beal's AMC Cabin which is a wonderful place to visit and on occasion a rowdy paddle. Ed Lawson

It is a nice place with good kitchen and meeting area on first floor with sleeping upstairs. As Bill says there is no running water nor is there electricity. I have been told that the Back River is a nice way to do the circumnav of Georgetown as small and scenic compared to Sasanoa. Also easy enough to visit islands in Sheepscott, Boothbay Harbor, Burnt I. or down along Southport I. to the Cuckholds. So several areas for nice touring and potential of play as well. Think Dan is right that it would make a great club trip that would appeal to paddlers of all levels. Ed Lawson

Suggest monitoring Craigslist and Ebay. Stuff might show up there. Ed Lawson

My $.02 is that it is more important to keep the cable/tube clean than it is to lubricate it. I believe the cable/tube assembly does not need to be lubricated to work well and when it gets sticky it is usually the result of grime getting into the tube. Definitely do not want to use product to lube the cable/tube which tends to retain/collect/attract dirt/sand as that will just gum up the works. Once had occasion to drag boat across mud flat, the skeg box was clogged with muck, and there was no way the skeg would move. Thorough cleaning with hose along with moving skeg up and down under spray from hose did the trick. Ed Lawson Who since has paid more attention to tide tables and charts.

Joyce: I have no dog in this hunt as not attending and others have more expertise, but some sources of info you may want to consider. If you go to the NOAA Gray Maine website, under marine forecasts you will find options for point forecasts and graphical wave forecasts. With these you can get a better view of what conditions will be like at a given location within the broad zone forecast area. Note the winds are NW which limits the fetch on the west side of the bay. The above not meant to suggest everything will be fine, just sources of info you might find helpful in making a decision about when and where to paddle. Ed Lawson