Jeff Charette

Are you a solid level 2 aspiring sea kayaker, perhaps attended a few of the skills sessions and now are looking to take the next step. Join me and co-organizer Jim Snyder for this level 2+ ocean trip. The goal of this trip will be to introduce aspiring sea kayakers to the ocean environment in a fun and safe manner. With this in mind, we will be looking for mild conditions closer to level 2 in terms of wind, waves, and current. Location - TBD, possibilities include Cape Ann area, NH coast, or southern Maine. In an effort to keep this trip within the predetermined skill level I will choose a venue once the weather / marine forecast for this date is available. If weather conditions do not cooperate we will seek out more protected waters or cancel as a last resort. This trip is open to NSPN members with solid level 2 paddling skills. You should be comfortable with wet exit and assisted rescues as well as comfortable paddling for approximately 4 hours, or 8 - 10 miles, with appropriate breaks. Equipment requirements - Sea kayak, 14 feet or longer, with front and rear bulkheads, paddle, spray skirt, PFD, and appropriate attire for an ocean paddle (neoprene and a light weight paddling jacket work well at this time in the season). Spare paddle and pump are also recommended. Other things to bring along include hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, camera, plenty of drinking water, lunch, and dry bags to protect anything that shouldn’t get wet. Please post interest in attending to this tread. If you are unsure about skills or equipment please feel free to PM me with any questions.

I plan to be there.

I’m in.

It was a fabulous day. I also paddle out once, approximately 2 hours each way. Hitching a boat ride out allowed us to spend the entire paddling time exploring the islands. Great trip.

Based on the weather forecast and sea state I have decided to make alternative plans for Saturday. Prudence and Sue, thank you for organizing.

Count me in.

DM2787, I am about the same height and weight as you and I also paddle an Explorer. My Explorer has a stock seat. I have not experienced the same issue, with with the thigh grips, as you describe. I find the Explorer to be a pretty good fit. How do you compare in size to the seller? Is there already minicell foam glued in for a more customized fit? If there seller has built up the thigh braces with foam for a custom fit this should be an easy fix. Remove or shave down the foam. If that is not the case I would second the comments mentioned above. Tom Bergh with Maine Island Kayak is an expert on boat fit and always happy to help. If nothing else works, then this is not the right boat for you.

Another source for foam is kayakoutfitting.com. They have a larger selection of sizes and better prices than NRS.

I saw more than one MA plate in the Odiorne parking lot yesterday. Since an advance reservation is required to get in I'm assuming it is ok for MA to use NH launch facilities.

I drove by Ordiorne last week. The gate is open but the lot was not plowed. There was enough natural snow melt that several cars were in the lot. I'm sure this week's weather will help even more. I do not know if the gate will be staffed and reservations required once the boating season kicks off.

I'm interested. Like a few others, I have also paddled out and back. Loved paddling around the islands but the crossing is about as much fun as watching paint dry. I think catching a boat ride out and back is the way to go.

I'm in.

Congratulations Joe.

Cath, you're right, the price he charged was a little vague. Thinking back, I believe we paid one price to park one car, $10 per day, and another fee to launch 2 kayaks.

In past years, during the busy season, we have always unloaded boats and gear down at the ramp, then parked across the street, near the owners house. A few weeks ago there was not a lot of activity at the marina and the owner directed me to park in the marina's main parking lot, down near the water. This is where the signs are. I was wondering if the price was different for kayakers parking across the street, but there was no one there to talk to at the time.

Prudence, this is the place. I spoke to the owner when I arrived. He charged me $10 per day to park, which I was happy to pay. There was no mention of a price increase. Upon return, 2 days later, these signs where up. There was no one around to speak with for further clarification.

I parked at Muscongus Harbor 2 weeks ago. Paid the usual $10.00 per day for overnight parking. This sign was not there when I parked. Upon return one of these signs was posted at each parking spot.

Count me in. Will book parking right away.

There is a lot of good advice offered above and I would second all of it. Along with all of this good advice I would also like to add the importance of proper posture. How one sits in the kayak can have an effect on how stable one feels. You should strive to sit in an upright position and remain relaxed in the hips. By relaxing the hips the paddler allows the kayak to behave as it was designed to. Generally speaking if the paddler gets nervous and tenses up they will feel even more unstable. It often helps to take a few lessons with a qualified instructor. Add to this a bit of experience and with proper boat fit a paddler should be able to feel comfortable in any sea kayak.

The small parking area across the bridge is blocked off. Currently there is no parking anywhere along Rt. 1A. The small parking area, off 1A, at Rye Harbor is also blocked off.

I drove by the Odiorne launch today and it is still closed. NH will be opening beaches on a Monday, 6/1. I think there’s a good chance that the Odiorne launch will also open on Monday, but I don’t know for sure.

Nice brace Jim. I was only about 30 feet away, but outside the ledge where the wave broke over Jim. All I could do was watch Jim disappear into a wall of breaking surf. After the first wave broke I saw Jim was still upright, only to have the second wave bury him again. Another nice brace and still upright. While this was happening I had a few thoughts run through my head. "I'm glad I practice rescue skills", " This is not a good place to be doing a rescue", "Is there ever really a good place for a rescue?", after all, if conditions were not challenging then there would never be a need to do a rescue in the first place. In the end no rescue was necessary, Jim paddled out with a smile on his face. I'm also confident that had a rescue been necessary we both would have handled it routinely. I also want to say "Thank You" to Bob and Joe for organizing these Wednesday paddles. We had a number of great trips this summer and I would say all of them were a huge success.

I’m in. See you there. I’m also interested in continuing these paddles. I can’t make it 9/4 due to other obligations, however I will post a few Wednesday paddles in Sept.

I'll be there.

I’ll be there