Nancy Hill

Item is sold. I have a well-used, slightly faded neoprene tuilik made by Brooks. It will fit an ocean cockpit only. It is shown on a model with 45" chest, 5'10" tall. Even though it shows some fading, it will probably last for many more years. I will accept any reasonable offer (it's well-used, so not expecting a lot of money). It will be bulky and heavy to ship, so pickup is preferred. Located in Westborough, MA.

I did look up the rules and found: "No watercraft of any kind can be launched from anywhere on the Crane Estate. This includes canoes, kayaks, and sailboards." I do not think the intent of this rule is to keep people in kayaks from landing on the beach. My thought is that they don't want you to drive up to the parking lot with a kayak on your roof and carry it across the beach to launch it. The rule does not say no landing on the beach, only no launching. So if you land, you just can't launch. Would you be like Charley on the MTA and not able to get off? It might be worth a call to the Trustees to discuss. I've landed on that beach numerous times and never had anyone tell me to leave, or to anchor my kayak off-shore. That's utterly ridiculous.

What a great resource for all of us. Thank you so much!

I'm glad you all had a nice paddle and I'm happy to report that my trip home was pretty good with very little traffic. Even though it was not what I had originally expected for the day, I walked around Deer Island and the Belle Isle Marsh and had a nice time. My mood improved greatly with the fresh air and beautiful wildflowers everywhere. Here is a picture taken when you were all pretty far away. Belle Isle is such a pretty place and I'm glad you had the chance to explore a little bit of it before heading back to the launch.

Why does anyone need a compass rose on a chart? True north is up. Plot your course and add for variation (15 degrees for MA, about 17 degrees for mid-coast Maine). People now use variation and declination interchangeably (for historical reasons - nautically it was called variation because it was observed how the compass varied with location), but what ever you do don't call it deviation - that is something entirely different) http://compassdude.com/i/declination-us.png

Most of my dry bags are either Sea to Summit, Outdoor Research, or SealLine. Last summer, after returning from a kayak camping trip, I hurriedly emptied the contents of my car onto the garage floor. This included all of my gear that was still packed in the Sea to Summit and Outdoor Research drybags. Overnight, we had a leak that flooded the garage floor where my stuff was. Sadly, almost every bag leaked. There was about an inch of water on the floor surrounding the bags. They leaked through the fabric/seams, not the rolled top. I sometimes carry a bag on my deck with the rubber-like coating material. That one has not leaked, but as others have said, they do not slide into hatches easily. All of my bags still look like new and are in very good shape (and what people consider quality brands), but still, most leaked after sitting in water for an extended period of time. Am I upset about the leaking? Well, yes and no. I have been kayak camping for nearly 30 years and (knock on wood), I haven't flooded any of my hatches or gotten enough water in to leak through a drybag and ruin a trip. I still use drybags for sleeping bag, clothes and other items but I do not worry about leaking because I trust the integrity of my hatches. For me, drybags are more about sorting things out and compressing them and offering "splash" protection more than absolute waterproofness. If I have something that really needs to stay dry (drugs or electronics) I will use a ziplock bag inside the drybag. Otherwise I am not going to worry about it. The drybags will work well enough when loading in the rain, or if I accidentally drop one in the water for a second. So, bottom line for me is that if I have water leaking into a hatch to the degree that it will flood my drybags, I will fix that rather than buying different drybags or worrying about they ones I have. The only drybag that needs to stay dry is one I might carry on my aft deck. The rubber-like coating on those seams to be very waterproof. I agree with Dan about the Outdoor Products 3-pack. They are terrible. Do we worry unnecessarily about how waterproof our drybags are (other than one we might carry on deck)?

Some of us have paddled past and around Allen and Benner Islands in Muscongus Bay. Both Islands have been purchased by Colby College. Interesting. Read more here: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/colby-college-andrew-wyeth-maine-islands-1234617910/

Wayne and I would like to join you.

Wayne and I are interested if weather cooperates.

That's great, Mike. There will be 5 of us (2 other friends are coming who did not sign up through NSPN). See you tomorrow.

Please join Wayne and me on Saturday for a trip along the RI coast, from King's Beach to Easton Beach. About half of this paddle is along the Newport mansions on the Cliff walk. Round trip around 10-12 miles depending on route. Winds are forecast to be light, so it should be an easy, enjoyable paddle. The restrooms at Easton Beach are open. We will take our lunch break on the beach. Water temp 61 F and air temp around 50 F. Drysuits required. Use King's Beach, RI for the launch address. Please arrive in time to be in your kayak and ready to paddle by 10:00 AM. -Nancy

Jane Cobb and I plan to launch at 10:00 at the ramp/beach in the "Scuba Diving Lot" at Fort Wetherill, in Jamestown, RI on Wednesday morning. For those who would like to join us, a proper sea kayak 14+ (bulkheads, deck lines), and a drysuit will be essential, and a helmet if you like to get close to rocks. This is a rocky area. Forecast calls for sunshine, air temp in low 50s with water temp around 60F. Plan on about 10 miles, but route will depend on interest and may be shorter. We will take our time in the more interesting areas. There will be a few opportunities for a stop on shore. It is possible that we will paddle to Beavertail Light and back (about 10 miles RT). Current forecast is for 1' seas, 5 seconds. Primary and secondary swells may add a little to the mix. Winds, 4-8 Kts, NW becoming W in the afternoon. There is no charge to enter the park. To find the launch, use Fort Wetherill Scuba Diving Lot, Jamestown, RI as the address. Please arrive in time to start paddling at 10:00 AM. -Nancy Hill

A recent trip report that included mention of raccoons stealing food prompted me to write this. I always hang my food, toothpaste and trash unless I am in an area with unacceptable or no trees (unlikely, but it happens). Recently, I was sitting by a fire and looked over at my tent and there was a raccoon in my open vestibule, looking completely at home. There was no food or anything smelly in my tent or vestibule. I think he was just curious. Hanging my food gives me peace of mind and it's easy to do. I use an arborists line that glides smoothly over the bark and does not damage the tree. I also use a 12 oz. throw weight, but you can use a small bag of rocks. I use the PCT method. https://theultimatehang.com/2013/03/19/hanging-a-bear-bag-the-pct-method/ . A tent stake works better than a stick because you can slide it off the line (without untying) when taking the bag down. You can find videos to demonstrate the method if that is more helpful to you. It takes a little practice to get your line over the chosen branch. Here are some tips. https://www.bartlettman.com/blogs/news/how-to-use-throw-lines I've come across some odor-proof bags that live up to their name that have a variety of uses, included DIY WAG bags (doggy bag inside the odor-proof bag). So, if no trees are available, the odor proof bags might be good enough. They area available in different sizes. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y2WLY4K?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-ypp-rep_ypp_rep_k0_1_8&amp&crid=B9V8KS27XNUU&amp&sprefix=odor+pro

Head shapes (in general) are either round or oval. Some helmets are good for round head, some for oval. If you find that your helmet feels tight against your forehead, you may have an oval head and a round helmet. If you helmet is tight against the sides, you may have a round head and an oval helmet. It's really hard to tell what fits unless you wear it for hours. I had a helmet that I thought was great until I leaned over and raised my head, only to have the back of my PFD push the helmet over my eyes. I could not adjust it to fit right. Now I have a WRSI Current Pro and I can wear it all day and do not notice I have it on. WRSI has two models - Trident (more oval shaped) and Current (more round). It took me years to find a helmet that fits properly. I took a chance when I ordered it and am glad I did. I have a small head, too, and that made matters a little more difficult.) Good luck.

Thank you, Jane, and to everyone else who showed up to make it a great day on the water.