Doug

It’s been a while since I checked in. Looks like you all had a nice trip. Bob, your looking great.

Congratulations

I wish I had the time.

3M buffing compounds work best for me. A bit pricey but worth it. Then wax followed by polish. Doug

A good read!. Very ambitious trip. I especially enjoyed the dialog in the trip planning. I'm currently playing in some of the same areas north of Campobello but with a nice roof over my head at night. Nice going guys. Doug

I'm glad they kept the hull white because scratches on a painted hull, removes the paint which can look pretty bad. Beautiful Woody non the less. Wish I fit in one. Doug

Or maybe your not getting any younger.

I have 3 Gearlab paddles. All received within 2 weeks time. The folks at Gearlab have had some issues in the past as they developed new products and finishes. I would not be at all concerned with your purchase. They are very serious about maintaining a good reputation and I'm sure you wil be very happy with your purchase. Doug

Tom Berg and I went through this exercise over the past 2 years and my research found the following. The deck fittings are actually improperly placed for the mini hatch in front of the cockpit. I have seen photos of the bungies crossing directly over the hatch when installed with the mini hatch. If that doesn't bother you and you don't care about having a secure place for a chart, than go for it. A re-design of the deck mold is needed to have the bungies properly placed with the new hatch installed. I also hear the the compartment under the deck is too large and gets in the way of your legs. P&H designed their boats with the mini hatch exclusively in mind and placed the deck fittings in the proper location. It is an after thought with the new hatch and the old NDK decks. As far as I know they have not changed the mold and it's not known if and when it will happen. My guess is that it won't occur as Nigel is now busy building all the TIDERACE boats in his factory. Doug

I guess I jumped the gun. It looks like only the "Message Board" was altered. I could have sworn that all the original color photo mastheads and layout had disappeared but now I do seem to have full access to them. Very strange. I guess I'm not as computer savy as I thought. In any event, feel free to remove my comments as they are redundant. Doug

If it wasn't broke, why fix it? Was it necessary to do this drab upgrade? So much went into the one we had. Can we revert back to it? Doug

#8 is alien like!

If your referring to a GP (carbon GREENLAND Paddle) don't wax it if it's carbon fiber. You need some slippage for the strokes. If it's too slippery, take some wet/dry sandpaper to it. It won't shine but won't be as slippery. Doug

Nice going CATHY

Heck of a week. I'm going to pass on this one. Have fun. Doug

If I can clear my plate today, I'll see you tomorrow.

Call RackAttack in Framingham. They may have a suggestion for you. Doug

Rick, Not everyone approached this certification as a 5 star paddler or at least an aspiring one at the time as you most likely did. It also sounds like you picked from the bottom of the barrel of instructor when taking your course. It's true that there is a gaping hole in this process given that there is no on water cert included in the testing. This allows many non water qualified individuals to pass the test and get hired by guide companies opening up a whole new set of safety and liability issues. I felt fortunate to receive training from someone very reputable that included 6 days of on water guide leadership training. I was taken back that there was a newbie with 1 month kayaking experience taking the class for a local guide company to become a guide this summer. All I can say is "yikes!" The positive part of that was we had a newbie to lead on the water. I got a lot out of my course and wouldn't have passed without it. I have posted and led to a degree hundreds of trips over the past 5-10 years giving me some in site as to what I needed to work on, on the water during training. I must admit, my approach now to trips has become much more controlled and many safety measures are now regularly implemented. The group I post most of my trips on now is becoming an ACA PAC group and will carry insurance. Yes, you can polish up on navigation, birds, whales etiquette etc in an attempt to pass the Maine Guide test but the more qualified training you get by Maine instructors "in the know", the better your chances of passing. Doug

Hi Gary, Bob Levine and I took part in a 6 day prep course at Stonington ME with Nate Hansen of Pinniped Kayak. I don't think I would have been able to pass without his coaching and his approach to trip leadership took on a whole new perspective. I believe he will hold his next course in the Spring. Heck of the way to start the paddling season. Doug

http://www.paddling.net/launches/ Here you go. A few launch sites. Doug

If it were we, I would try the following. I can't guarantee this this the right thing to do. WD 40 .... Spray some on, let it sit a few minutes, try to move the legs. Spray again and try to work the lubricant into the areas that are frozen by manipulating the moving parts. It's important to get the WD 40 to penetrate the locked up hinges. Once repaired, wipe off excess lubricant. Doug

Picked up a nifty "Portland Course Plotter" recently. It's a great tool tool for planning trips. Easy to read and simple to use. It's an awesome tool to use to teach others navigation skills due to it's size. I was fortunate enough to find the Portland Plotter with a fist rate singlehanded 7"divider (shown in the pic) as a package deal. Picture shows handheld compass for size comparison. Purchased from American Nautical (Now ON SALE) http://www.amnautical.com/products/copy-of-portland-course-plotter-1#.VXmlous6aX0 Not meant to replace your handheld compasses while under way. Check it out. Doug

It's nice to finally see MITA on Meetup. I met Doug Welch, Executive Director of MITA and Organizer of the MITA Meetup at a WFAAFFLOAT course a few months ago while NSPN was struggling with the possibility of adding a Meetup for Trips and Events. MITA had some kinks to work out prior to formally launching the site but now they look forward to gaining additional support from all those interested in interacting with MITA through this venue. I urge you all to support MITA by joining their Meetup and partake in the activities and paddles they post. Sea you on the Maine waters. Doug

REMINDER..... Demo Day today! 1-4pm at Seabrook Harbor Beach. Plenty of parking and facilities available. Free instruction by "Rock Paddle Surf" Demo a kayak or come by to hang out! Join us at this gathering of "NDK, Sea Kayaking UK" kayaks. Some of us may be playing in currents or surfing locally. Doug