Nancy Hill

Kokatat MsFit women's Large, chest 42-46", very good shape ($50) Kokatat Outfit, men's XL, chest 48-52, very good shape ($50) Men's NSR Vaporloft Neoprene boots, men's size 11, good shape, but some wear on the bottom ($10) North Water under-deck bag, 16" long, 8" wide, never used. It has 4 round tabs at each end that are intended to be glued to the underside of the deck. ($25) Harmony Deck bag, 15" long, 14" wide, with zippered opening, unused ($30) Nylon short sprayskirt for ocean cockpit. Waist size small, good shape. ($20) Body Glove "claw" glove, 5mm neoprene, new, never worn, size L (slightly big on my normal sized woman's hand) ($30) NRS Toaster Mitts, size M, never worn. ($30) (Fit me perfectly, but I prefer pogies for cold water paddling) NRS Desperado water shoe, new, size 9, (more like a women's 8, I think. I can hold it up to my size 8 woman's shoe and it looks like it would fit, but I can't get it on (high instep). ($25) Neosport X-Span, thin (1.5 mm) neoprene long pants. New with tags. Size XL (waist 37"-39"). They are super comfy and very stretchy. I have 2 pair. I have one pair that I've put in the washer and dryer (bad, I know) and they are holding up well after two years of abuse. ($80/each, or both for $120). These are way more comfortable than the NRS pants - more stretchy and a little thinner - perfect for when a drysuit is too much, but you want a little warmth. North Water paddle britches, used and slightly faded, but in very good shape otherwise ($25) I've priced most things less than half the price of new. I think the prices are fair, but make a reasonable offer if you think otherwise. The pictures did not show up in the order of my listings, but most are obvious except for the PFDs. The women's MsFit is the one with 2 side pockets with zippers. Items are in Westborough for pickup, or I may be able to get them to an upcoming NSPN event.

Ah, thanks, Gary. I was unfamiliar with M representing nautical miles. So, now I see where you went. I am in the lead because it's just Vick and me replying. Come on everyone, surely lots of you know these places. See if you can beat me!

Thanks for the fun, Gary! I wish I could say that I know all of them, but alas, I do not. I am a little confused by #1, because if you mean 13.3miles and not 13.3 nautical miles, I end up at a buoy in Muscongus Bay.Maybe I am starting in the wrong place (Lighthouse in the middle of Monhegan Island) #2 Bangs #3 Dix #4 Isle au Haut #5 East Gosling #6 Saddleback #7 ? I guess I need to get out more! #8 Halifax #9 Monroe #10 Mistake (I never did find that boardwalk!) #11 ? #12 Umbagog - I was there, so I should remember that! #13 Roque Island #14 Seal Cove on MDI #15 I don't know where you are going, (N haven maybe, but I think that is more like a 6 mile crossing), but my guess is that you are eating a veggie sub from Amatos in Portland

I've got 4 Thule "square" bars, 42" x 2, 46", 48", 4 saddles, and 4 straps. Everything is in good condition. (Not pictured are the plastic end caps for the bars - I will try to find them). If anyone can use any or all of this, it can be picked up in Westborough, MA. A fit-kit can be ordered from Thule to attach the bars to your roof. Not pictured is an older Thule "J" bar set that I will include, if needed. All I ask for payment is a donation to World Kitchen or Partners in Health, any amount.

I have two pair of NeoSport X-Span 1.5 mm neoprene pants, each size XL. They are new, with tags attached. Here is a link: https://neosportusa.com/product/1-5mm-xspan-pants/. The size chart is pretty good. I have a pair in my proper size (XL would be way too big for me) that I bought in 2016. They are still going strong after much abuse, including always putting them in the washer and occasionally in the dryer. They are super stretchy and way more comfortable than my NRS thicker wetsuit pants. I'd like $80/pair. You can pick them up in Westborough, or we can figure out something else. -Nancy

Thank you for the humorous response, Dan. I may give it a try again and will try not to glue my fingers to anything.

Has anyone had any luck with a contact cement for attaching foam thigh pads under the deck/thigh braces of a carbon-kevlar kayak? The product I had the best luck with (Pliobond) is no longer made in its original formula which was very waterproof. The new version is now listed as water-repellent, low VOC. I've used Weldwood in the past with mixed results. I'd like to find something that will work well and last. I'm wondering if there is something out there that I've overlooked. TIA

"This boat is very low volume so with the foot pegs in not much will fit between-" Maybe I am misunderstanding, but if, while loading, you move one footpeg aft as far as it will go, you can snake gear between the two offset pegs, then return the peg to where it belongs.

Pintail's sentence started with the word "Evidently". Look up the definition of that word and tell me if you still think it is a question, rather than a statement.

On Sunday, August 6, five of us launched out of Herring Cove to paddle up along the coast of Campobello, around the northern tip, up into the Fundy Isles. About 10 minutes after we left the beach, a small, private fishing boat rapidly approached us with a plastic, yellow kayak across its back deck. Wayne was the only one that spoke to the boater and learned that the kayak was found off of Liberty Point on the SE tip of Campobello with no kayaker in sight (he looked extensively), but filled with camping gear, cell phone, passport, and car keys. A map of Grand Manan was found in a hatch. When he spoke to Wayne, he had already called the Canadian Coast Guard. We continued on our way north and expected an immediate response and search from US and Canadian SAR/Coast Guard. About an hour into our trip a Pan-pan was issued by the Canadian Coast Guard in Halifax, NS asking if anyone had seen the kayak in the past 72 hours. Another hour passed before we heard a Mayday relay from the Canadian Coast Guard for a possible person in the water in the area of Liberty Point. Four hours later, we saw the first helicopter in the area of Lubec Narrows and it appeared to be flying a grid. The delayed response was surprising. The body of Martin Spahn, from Augusta, Maine was found 24 hours later on Monday morning just off Raccoon Pt, a little over a mile from where we had launched the previous day. Had we known that the response from SAR would be so slow, we would have turned around and helped in the search. With heavy hearts, we regret our decision to continue north. Yesterday, I found the F/B page of the man who found the kayak. He had a picture of the overturned kayak in the water, off his stern. It was covered in bird droppings which makes me think that this accident did not happen immediately prior to the discovery of the kayak, but much earlier. I assume that Martin had perished before his kayak was found. Our hearts go out to his family and friends. From all accounts, he was a wonderful man. https://original.newsbreak.com/@rachel-perkins-1593055/3115570787443-tragic-discovery-body-of-missing-maine-kayaker-martin-spahn-recovered-by-fishing-vessel-off-canadian-shoreline

I'll plan on joining in on the fun!

Here is a link to an article I found fascinating, especially since lots of us kayak-camp without refrigeration and are not always careful with left-overs (particularly foods that we don't typically associate with food poisoning). Have you ever considered you could get sick from unrefrigerated left-over pasta or rice? Rice and pasta are not the first foods that come to mind when I think of food poisoning. Perhaps we have all been lucky, so far. Wow! Who knew? https://www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2022/04/are-leftover-rice-and-pasta-bad-for-your-health https://www.nifa.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource/Preventing-Foodborne-Illness-Bacillus-cereus.pdf

For those who live a little closer to me and want an easy, relaxed paddle on a pretty lake, Joyce Carpenter and I are planning to paddle at Whitehall in Hopkinton, MA tomorrow (Thursday 5/18). Launch at 10 AM and return by 2:00 PM. That should help most people avoid rush hour. It's a fairly large place and it's predominantly tree-lined with very few houses visible. There are coves and islands, loons and an eagle (usually). We can take a break along shore for lunch. Bring layers for lunch, as the rest-stop is usually in the shade and it may be breezy (although winds are "supposed" to be light). Temps mid 50s to mid 60s. Use 300 Wood Road, Hopkinton as the address for the parking lot/launch. Let me know if you'd like to join us.

I prefer a stove that simmers well (some do, some don't - read reviews). I also prefer a stove that uses a remote canister so that a windscreen can be used around the stove. Using a windscreen around a stove that sits on top of a canister is dangerous. The MSR WindPro II All-Condition Camping and Backpacking Stove is on sale at Amazon for $97.99. It looks like a great stove, can be used in cold weather, and the reviews say it simmers well. A wider flame base it good, too, so all the heat isn't directed at a small spot in the middle of your pot. If you look at that stove, you'll see that the tube that carries the gas passes over the flame. That will insure that your fuel vaporizes if your canister is inverted. There are lots of good features in that stove. Of course, if you want to wait and see what everyone else has, Jewell is the place to do that! There are other ways to go such as alcohol or liquid fuel stoves. I find the canister stoves to be convenient, affordable and easy to operate. If it is going to be cold, I put my isobutane canister in my sleeping bag overnight.

I missed this last year and would love to go this time around.