Sue H.

Thursday at 09:17 PM

It’s looking like I could do this !

April 14

Hello Fellow NSPNer's,

From all of us, I want to express a big "Thank You !" to Bob and Shari for presenting our first Skills Session of 2024. Yesterday morning they held a Cold Water/Weather learning roundtable at the Farms Library in Beverly and then bravely headed out to sea with their charges. These hardy souls spent time in their boats and in the water ! From all reports it was an informative and fun day. I also want to thank the participants for their interest and commitment to furthering their sea kayaking skills, both benefiting them personally and helping to strengthen our Club.

Safe and Joyful Sea Journeys Everyone !

Sue

March 29

I'm away otherwise I'd happily be part of the fools pod !

March 12

This kayak is turquoise over white, $2200. The hull is carbon kevlar with a fiberglass deck, ordered with wide keel and seam strips. Included are paddle britches and a Burton compass. The gel coat on the hull has the usual scrapes and one nick the size of a pin head. This boat has been stored in my garage and periodically treated with a protectant all around its exterior & hatch covers. This boat does not have foot pegs, the feet rest on closed cell foam in front of the bulkhead, so you use whatever foam width you need for your leg length. The skeg is in working order and there are no known leaks. This kayak is located in Amesbury, MA.

Contact me at: shriciga01@gmail.com

March 10

Hi Jim,

I am interested and would like to be on the trip thread in case I can work things out for Thursday. Thanks, Sue

March 10

Hi All,

I am extending a big thanks to Joe Berkovitz for the in-person trip planning workshop he developed and presented 3/2 and 3/9 2024. This special thanks is not only from me, but on behalf of all the membership !

Participants were engaged in both the lecture format and the hands-on activities... and oh, did I mention the homework ! Paper charts, laminated charts, Floating Trails (floatingtrails.com) and handheld compasses were used, and through small working groups many possible trips were outlined.

I also want to extend a thank you to all the participants. I could see the wheels turning in their heads and was appreciative of their efforts. I would be remiss if I didn't mention and thank the several folks who spontaneously brought food, which helped to keep those wheels turning.

If you attended this workshop, or missed the opportunity, and want to engage in additional trip planning study, go to Trip Planning Workbook, which can be located under "Paddling with NSPN" in the drop down menu. This workbook is extensive and a bit daunting initially, yet if you pick your way through a little at a time, you will master the intent of the material. I say the "intent of the material" as there were a few exercises, when I spent time tackling the material, where I was unsure of the accuracy of my answers ! Remember, competency is possible and attainable, perfection is not !

It's all good that ends well,

Sue

March 6

Hi Suz,

It's wonderful to hear you are moving back east! It seems that window will work for me to help, but I'm currently set up for carrying 2 boats. I've been meaning to change my boat carrying set-up and if I can sort it out to carry 3, I'll let you know as soon as I am able. I still live in Amesbury, so not far from Greenland.

Best Wishes, Sue

February 20

Kayaking Trip Fundamentals: An On-The-Water Workshop 6/1 & 6/2/24

Instructor: Todd Johnstone-Wright, Synaptic Sports LLC (see Todd’s Bio here: http://www.pinnipedkayak.com/aca-bcu-sea-kayak-instructors)

Assistant: Lorrie Allen, NSPN Member and BC Sea Leader

This workshop is for NSPN members and will take place in moderate open ocean conditions, at a to-be-determined North Shore location. The focus is on refining skills needed to actively participate in ocean kayaking, on both day and multi-day trips. Refine and active are the key words here, this is not an introductory workshop to teach basic skills from scratch. Yet it is not for highly advanced and credentialed paddlers either (Former 4 Star or BC Sea Leaders are not the target group of this event.) Most NSPN paddlers are somewhere in-between, so this likely means you ! Paddlers comfortable in Level 3 conditions are the target group, see NSPN’s Trip Levels here (https://www.nspn.org/trip-levels/). A reliable roll is not required to participate or a formal class in rescues, yet some basic practice & experience with rescues is expected.

The purpose of this workshop is to enhance one’s skills, confidence and overall capacity as a participant and contributing member on-the-water. This workshop falls under the umbrella of NSPN’s education mission, to support paddlers in their development journey. The deeper the capacity of each NSPN member, the safer and more enjoyable our trips will be, adding to the enduring strength of our club. The areas to be covered over the 2 days are:

1). Personal Paddling Skills On-The-Fly

Woven into the overall workshop is the practice and review of personal kayaking skills. The efficient use of these skills in moderate sea states are useful to enjoy a day on the water and sometimes are critical to the overall safety of individuals and the group.

2). Practical Navigation On-The-Water

Applying boating rules & etiquette, identifying and using navigational aides while underway, handheld and deck compass use, identifying bail out locations and more.

3). Incident Management

Learning what to do when things go south. Practice incident management scenarios to include various rescue skills as appropriate to the situation, and different methods of supporting, transporting and towing an impaired paddler or impaired boat.

4). Safety and the Environment

Things to consider:

Monitoring & observing the environment (what does that mean?)

Noticing water features and hazards (what do we do with this info?)

How to change the day’s plan when changes happen in the environment, or in the condition of a paddler or the pod.

Group awareness and what it means to be a responsible group member.

VHF radio scenarios if time allows.

5). Safety Continued: Transitioning to Facilitator Principals & Group Skills

Topics of interest:

What are the principles to facilitate paddlers on the water?

Herding Cats, you know… people management skills.

Facilitating judgement & decision making in a paddling group.

Recognizing & facilitating safety awareness & risk management.

Facilitating group through recognizing the general welfare of other group members.

Tops Tips and Handy Hints.

$$$ The Cost:

NSPN is offering this event at bargain pricing ! The fee for the entire 2 day workshop is $150 ! Typical cost for a training workshop like this is $320-$350. It gets even better… participants in this emerging paddlers development workshop will qualify for reimbursement under our Leadership Training Fund, ( https://www.nspn.org/leadership-training-fund/ ). Note: parking fees may apply depending on the venue.

The skinny is, If you subsequently post 3 club trips (don’t be shy to ask for help or to recruit a co-initiator) and write up the associated trip reports, you will be reimbursed the $150. Over time, the cost to enhance your skills will be $0 ! Now that’s a good deal !

The Sign Up Process :

Participants are expected to have basic boat handling skills, applying them in a variety of moderate conditions. The Board is asking folks to email us at nspnboard@nspn.org to express interest in attending the event. A board member will follow up to discuss the suitability of the course for you. (If you are interested, but have questions, please contact the BOD to discuss your concerns.) Once this step is completed, NSPN will collect your fee and your spot will be secured. The workshop will be open to 8-10 emerging paddlers and the deadline for contacting the board to express interest is 3/16/24. The board will make every effort to address the inquiries as soon as possible.

February 16

Thanks Dan for your well researched presentation and your willingness to share a pdf of your slides.

If folks are interested in maintaining energy over the course of the day whilst paddling, take a look at Dan’s slides. There are tips and resources to calculate your individual hydration & caloric needs. Sue

February 15

Hi Folks, In case you haven't been following our Events/Trips Forum or our Calendar (now a single heading titled Events), tonight Dan Carr is conducting a Zoom presentation regarding nutrition for kayakers. The zoom link has been listed on the forum announcements, but can also be accessed here:

https://mit.zoom.us/j/94956743497

Cheers, Sue

February 15

Just a reminder folks, Dan's presentation is tonight. at 7:00 pm !

February 5

To participate in this zoom event 2/15/23 at 7:00 pm, click this link (https://mit.zoom.us/j/94956743497).

Dan states: "This talk reflects my personal exploration of food and hydration planning for kayak tripping which was conducted over about a six-year period. Given some unpleasant experiences with multi-day paddle trips, I systematically looked at the energy demands of sea kayaking and nutritional information for typical foods that I took on trips. On those findings, I researched food supplements that would increase the nutritional value of my adventure foods and not detract from the culinary experience. "

The result of this research is some simple practices that can help you be better fueled and:

Improve your athletic and cognitive performance.
Improve your sleep.
Limit injury and illness; and
Help your body recover more quickly from those big challenging days.

I have found that application of these practices has made my subsequent trip experiences more rewarding and fun. After all fun is what is important!

My presentation will provide:

1) a summary of published information on energy demands of paddling and the findings of several years monitoring energy burn rates with a sports watch, that supported the published information.

2) I will review nutritional guidelines and application of the guidelines to meal planning.

3) I provide a summary of food supplements that can be used to increase the caloric content, and the content of fat and protein, which are deficient in most dehydrated foods.

4) Finally, I will review a listing of food items for on the fly fueling to supplement your three-meal day.

January 31

Thanks helpers ! I’m bringing a main dish, haven’t decided what yet !

January 29

Hi Folks,

Just a reminder for you all to go to Events (our calendar) to indicate you are 'going" to the Annual Winter Party. I hope to see you there and Board members in attendance would welcome your ideas regarding how to move our club forward.

Cheers, Sue

January 16

Come One and All to Revel in the joy of past paddles and paddles to come! (2/3/24 from 5:00 to 9:00 pm at the Gould Barn)

This is a pot-luck event.

The nights events are as follows: arrive at 5:00, (5-5:50 pm) Nibbles and Chat, (5:50-6:00 pm) a brief statement from the President and Treasurer, (6-8:30 pm) Let's Eat & Converse ! 8:30- 9 pm Clean-up.

The Club will provide coffee, tea and sparkling water, cups, plates, utensils and napkins.

Members to bring their beverages of choice and a food item to share. If you are so inclined, you can indicate below (appetizer, main dish, side dish, dessert) what you plan to bring so we don't end up one type of food.

Please indicate if you are going in our calendar here:

https://www.nspn.org/events/event/1444-annual-winter-party-2324-5-9-pm-gould-ba...

I'm looking forward to seeing you there !

Cheers, Sue

January 15

Hi Folks,

If you are available to help me set up tables etc, and later to break things down and light cleanup, please PM me. Your help would be greatly appreciated. You would need to arrive at 4:30 and help break down the event from 8:30 to 9:00.

Thanks, Sue

January 9

Hi Folks,

If you haven't looked at the recent post titled "Spray skirt question" and read the entirety of the subsequent dialogue, I would highly recommend you do ! Nick not only got great advice regarding types of skirts and proper fit etc, but the thread sparked a valuable discussion regarding wet exist procedures and a few cautionary tales. Below is a link to Joe's recent spray skirt incidence within that thread, detailing his own cautionary tale. Although he, as many of us would, implied he got a bit unnerved by the incident, his take away was to chalk it up to lesson learned. Knowing and practicing the various techniques of removing your spray skirt, and freeing oneself from your kayak, are important skills in your tool kit ! They will become second nature when learned and subsequently practiced at regular intervals over your kayaking career. In fact, paying attention to skills across all areas of kayaking and practice, practice, practice makes (near) perfect, as the old adage says. Can you tell I am looking forward to this summer's skills sessions ? We learn some stuff, have fun, build our sense of community and become more skilled, more safe on-the-water.

Thanks to Nick for asking the membership for advice and to all who contributed their knowledge and experiences. It warms my heart! And thanks to Joe for his candor and detailed description of his cautionary tale, and sensible conclusion !

Cheers, Sue

https://www.nspn.org/forums/topic/11696-spray-skirt-question/page/2/#comment-89308

January 9

Hi Folks,

Over the weekend I spent some time cleaning up & organizing my garage. In this process, as the near foot and a half of snow was falling here in Amesbury, I was examining the condition of my kayak kit. Much to my surprise I discovered my primary paddle, a relatively new Cyprus Werner 205 small shaft paddle was missing ! I have been having more-than-usual difficulty separating it upon returning from a trip. I'm thinking I must have set it aside while I loaded the rest of my kit in the car, planning to try again to separate it before departing. I'm not sure where I last paddled, but it was about 6 weeks ago. If anyone has seen this MIA paddle, send me a PM and I'd be grateful. Also if anyone has a comparable paddle to sell, let me know !

Thanks, Sue

January 8

Hi Folks,

If you are looking for things to do and are interested in various boating safety educational options,? Check out the Auxiliary's courses for your area. at

CGAUX.ORG i

Cheers, Sue

Boating Safety Education

Become a better, safer boater. Find a course near you!

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boating courses provide instruction to boaters at all levels, from the fundamental to the advanced. Our courses (virtual and classroom) are taught by experienced and knowledgeable CGAUX instructors committed to the highest standards of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. They are offered in two modalities: virtual, video conference with CGAUX Virtual PE Instructors, and classroom setting with CGAUX PE Instructors.

The links below provide short descriptions of each course.

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Abbreviation	Course	Length	Audience
BA	Boat America	8 hours	All boaters
BS&S	Boating Skills and Seamanship	8 to 13 lessons	Power Boaters
BnKids	Boats N' Kids	Variable	6 - 12 year olds
GPSFM	GPS for Mariners	8 hours	All boaters
IBBSESP	Introducción a la Seguridad Básica de la Navegación	2 horas	Novatos
IBBS	Introduction to Basic Boating Safety	2 hours	Novice Boaters
KNPC	Kids and Paddle Craft	Variable	6 - 10 year olds
NAVAM	Navegando América (en español)	8 hours	All boaters
PGS	Paddler's Guide To Safety	Varies	All boaters
PWC	Personal Watercraft Course	1 hour	All boaters
SS&S	Sailing Skills & Seamanship	8 to 13 lessons	Sailors
SIC	Suddenly In Command	4 hours	All Boaters
WHBS	Waterfowl Hunting and Boating Safety	2 hours	Hunters
WYPTS	Waypoints	1 hours	6 to 10 year olds
WN	Weekend Navigator	8 to 13 lessons	All Boaters

Page Last Reviewed or Updated: April 20, 2022

January 8

Hi Everyone,

We sign a Participant Waiver in order to participate in club activities, once signed it is good for 3 years. This is a bit confusing as the general description of participant agreement says we sign it every season, however near the end of the waiver it indicates the validity for 3 years. You can find the Participant Agreement description and wavier by going to NSPN's home page, click on Paddling with NSPN and scroll down to Participant Agreement. As you read through the agreement you will find a link to the wavier.

It's easier to sign it every year, that's what I do. I can't remember the 3 year thing !

Mike tells me you'll get a reminder to sign the wavier when your club membership renews.

Sue

January 8

Hi Karen,

An innovative idea and generous thought, bringing new meaning to pay-it-forward ! I imagine there are significant details to be considered on your part, as well as on the part of NSPN. I will bring this legacy fund idea to the board. Please realize this will take time to thoughtfully reply.

Thank you, Sue

December 18, 2023

Hi Barb,

recently ordered the Seals Surf Neoprene with the shorter 6 inch tunnel. This shorter tunnel is a custom request & increases the cost over the standard by approximately $25. You can order them from various places, I used

topkayaker.com

I was told it would take a month or so before I would receive it. The kayak boots I ordered were in stock and came right away. I have ordered hatch covers from them in the past & the service was good/accurate.

Best, Sue

December 17, 2023

Hello Fellow Members,

On behalf of all of us, I want to extend my gratitude and appreciation for the many hair pulling hours Jason Kates and Mike Habich spent upgrading our website, in cooperation with our newly integrated management system. I trust you have seen Mike's posts keeping you updated on the progress, which is now, dare I say, complete. Should you encounter any glitches, please contact Mike so kinks can be addressed.

Again, thanks to Jason and Mike for their yeoman efforts to support our club !

All my best, Sue

Posted November 29, 2023 · November 29, 2023

This workshop is now full. Register for the waitlist at the end of this post. Workshop Dates: 9 am - 1 pm, March 2 and 9, 2024.

Joe's message regarding the workshop:

It's easy to pick a date and announce a paddling trip. However, it's more of a challenge to gather and interpret all the information you need, and then turn it into a trip that's truly fun, rewarding and safe. This interactive 2-session winter workshop (for NSPN members) will help us all plan great paddles, from day trips to longer outings. This presentation is open to all levels, as we can all aspire to deepen our trip planning skills!

I have organized many sea kayaking trips, from short day paddles to week-plus expeditions. In collaboration with others in the sea kayak community, I have developed a set of learning materials and tools that cover the essentials of planning paddling trips.

The workshop will include:

- Understanding nautical charts and their relationship to the real world

- Understanding and gathering weather and sea conditions

- Working with tide and current predictions

- Bringing it all together by actually planning some paddles and reviewing each others’ plans.

- There will be homework between the two sessions, and both sessions will include breakouts into groups with real-world planning exercises.

A lot of the subject matter is covered in the NSPN Trip Planning Workbook [ https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uY8i2L7OdBwiPnkAHmg8nguez-INWV6twn5kXLqKZ3k/edit?usp=drive_link ] which we’ll use freely in these sessions.. Much of the material will make use of my free paddle planning website, Floating Trails (https://floatingtrails.com) and we’ll check out how to make the most of it.

Registration information : the workshop is now full, register for waitlist below.

To register for the waitlist, click this link ( https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNUh9Fvs3EESI6yfsf9gBvYcGefPX1lsCsiSZC7X0OOHk2QQ/viewform?usp=sf_link ) and complete the form.

Location : Parker River National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA 01950

Please follow this event for any updates.

November 28, 2023

Thanks Mike for all your back & forth with HHS to make this happen. As with many things NSPN, there is often a lot going on behind the scenes ! Sue

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