two great day trips

[jonsprag1]

I took advantage of the absolutly fabulous weather this weekend to introduce my step-daughter's boyfriend to kayaking on the Maine coast(He's from New Brunswick, Canada). The first afternoon was spent at a local lake, Pushaw, practicing paddle strokes, paddling in wind and waves, rolls, attempted rolls,(his not mine) and then wet exits. The next day we went to Saturday Cove in Northport, just south of Belfast on west Penobscot Bay. We put in about 10:25 am and paddled to Islesboro via Seal and Flat Islands on flat, calm water. We then headed south along the Islesboro shore to Grindle Point, past the ferry dock over to Warrens Island State Park, arriving at 11:45. After lunch we explored Warrens on foot. At 1:45, it was into the boats for a very short tour of the summer homes in Gilkey's(Dark)Harbor. We retraced our route back to flat Island where we took a break and met the only other sea kayakers we saw that day, a young(to me everybody looks that way) couple from Mass. We had 2-3 foot following and beam seas on the way back to Saturday Cove for an easy and relaxing trip. We got back at 3:30. July 4th, my friend Jim called at 8:00 am looking for company for an independence day paddle. After getting my wife Sue's permission(my third straight day of kayaking!!) we drove to Little Deer Isle on the east side of Penobscot Bay and launched at Swain's Cove boat ramp. We paddled past Pickering, Bradbury, and finally to the east end of Butter where we stopped for a break---about a 10knot headwind on the way out with a 10-12 knot tailwind and following sea on the way back---the only fly in the ointment was a foot peg which popped off its rail on my boat about 20 minutes into the trip. It was quickly repaired on a nearby beach and the reminder of the time was without incident. Total distance covered was 10--12 nm. Both days we say plenty of seals and Saturday at least 5-6 Harbor Porpoises. All in all a great way to spend the 4th of July weekend.