Dover Point to South Berwick Maine,

[Paul Sylvester]

In an effort to get away from the SOS paddles:

Left from Dover Point (Hilton Park) 7/29 Monday at noon and headed up the Salmon Falls river on the last of the flood current. Paddling my Explorer in the summer heat I saw just a few other boats all day. Made my way up past the Cocheco River turn off and continued up the Salmon Falls River. Stopped for a break at the Rt 101 So. Berwick boat launch as an ebb was starting. I had never been beyond the bridge and wanted to head up to the South Berwick dam so I could check it off my list. Only a few houses and very quiet with brackish water and shallows on the edges of this wide river. The river narrows quickly and soon I was at the historic Hamilton House. Then passed an old dam on the right that we called "Lee's Mills" when we used it as a swimming hole as teens. The dam is in disrepair and car travel over the top has been stopped due to safety concerns. Maybe this dam should come out?

   The water was dropping fast and the river was getting skinny but my Explorer did not complain. Went past a fresh smelling farm on the left and the Vaughn Woods trails were on the right (prior to Hamilton House)

  Soon I was at the dam and ready to turn back. The water under the dam is full of weeds and not that pleasant. No smell fortunately..

Trip back was uneventful with some minor headwinds on a very small ebb. Stopped at the So. Berwick launch for a stretch and found a very gross mud. Before long I was in sight of the put in and done. 

About 15 miles total and off the water by 4:30. 

PS: On the river I grabbed what I thought was a rubber ball. It had a bulge and crack in it...when I gave it a squeeze it exploded all over me and the kayak while emitting the most foul of smells. It was some kind of duck or seagull egg I guess. White and almost the size of a tennis ball. After some rinsing most of the smell was gone thankfully.  That was a first for me...