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KENNEBUNKPORT / Cape Porpoise / Biddeford Pool


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Posted

Kennebunkport to Biddeford Pool... I'm thinking of this destination if there is interest for Saturday the 15th. Anyone with prior experience paddling in this area would be a welcomed addition as I have never navigated this route in the past. Hi tide is 6:30AM in Kennebunkport. Not sure of the best put-in. Advice is appreciated. Please post possible interest and ideas to see what may evolve.

Doug

Posted
Kennebunkport to Biddeford Pool... I'm thinking of this destination if there is interest for Saturday the 15th. Anyone with prior experience paddling in this area would be a welcomed addition as I have never navigated this route in the past. Hi tide is 6:30AM in Kennebunkport. Not sure of the best put-in. Advice is appreciated. Please post possible interest and ideas to see what may evolve.

Doug

The Cape Porpoise area dries out at low tide--really dries out. For example, locals walk out to Vaughn Island on the lower half of the tide to party. Redlin, Trott, Cape and Goat Islands are all on one big mudflat at low tide. Ditto Vaughn, Bass and Green Islands. The channel is clear to the town warf on Bickford Island at all tides, but there is no parking for boaters at all, so you'll have to park elsewhere and walk. There is a small launch at the mainland end of the causeway to Bickford Island (north side), but only room to park one or two vehicles at best and, like the other areas, it is almost a half mile to the nearest water at low tide. Below half tide, your options start to get very limited. A mid-day high tide makes it easier for a shorter day paddle, while an early morning/late afternoon high is better for camping or all day trips since you can get to your island campsite or takeout later in the afternoon.

So pay close attention to your charts: NOAA Chart 13286 covers the coast from Portsmouth to Cape Elizabeth with inset charts for Kennebunkport Harbor and Cape Porpoise, the latter of which shows the mudflats in 1:10,000 detail. Best bet for an early morning high tide is to launch early and stay out all day, returning to your takeout later in the afternoon. This would let you wander up the coast to Biddeford Pool and make a day of it. Otherwise plan on slogging through very deep mud mid-day. You could launch elsewhere so you have a low tide takeout, but options are limited. For example, the channel into Kennebunkport Harbor remains clear but you still need to find a place to launch and park in Kennebunkport (somewhat more options than Cape Porpoise but still limited).

Parking in summer is always difficult, so do your homework. In Cape Porpoise, you could unload vehicles and then park on a side street in town, about a 10 minute walk from the Bickford Island causeway. We parked on the side of Langsford Rd. in June last year without hassle, but I'm not sure it is tolerated in mid-summer. If you are launching very early, you may get a spot in Kennebunkport Harbor near the river. There is a public parking lot behind Dock Square on the north bank of the Kennebunk River upstream from the Rt. 9 bridge; it looks like you could launch from the back of the lot but you'd have to scout it. There may also be time limits in the lot.

Otherwise a wonderful area to paddle: a variety of very protected and outside ocean routes, a real Maine coast feel less than an hour from the Massachusetts border.

The Cape Porpoise Islands are owned by the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust and their website has maps of the three camping islands. http://kporttrust.org/maps-of-the-island/

But they won't help you navigate around the area. All of the Cape Porpoise islands are on the Maine Island Trail, so if you're a member, the MITA Guidebook has more detailed information on each island.

Posted
Not sure of the best put-in. Advice is appreciated.

Best put-ins might be the best of a bad lot. <g>

Generally, things are much easier in September and launch sites that "do not exist" become available.

In Biddeford the town dock at Camp Ellis to the north of the Pool is likely the best bet.

Don't know status regarding fee for parking and launching.

In Kennebunkport, Colony Beach would be site of choice. Parking is an issue unless you are there early.

I think that is around 12NM trip one way and could be a nice trip.

Conditions might be too benign this weekend or might be just right depending up predilections.

I think Theresa of Coastal Maine Kayak in Kennebunk (207-967-6065) would be a good source of info for launch sites and the trip in general as she guides in the area.

Ed Lawson

Posted

Thanks for all the information above. Now this is starting to sound difficult. I knew there had to be a good reason I never paddled in that neck of the woods. Possibly not the best of options this time of year with the crowds and mud is just, well....you know....mud!

I'm open for anything... Possibly York to Brave Boat Harbor could be OK. Or lets do a complete switch-a-roo and consider Lanes Cove toward Rockport. I'm game for anything. There is Essex Bay but not sure of the green heads.

Posted

Hey Doug how about a Plum Island Circumnav? We could start early and do it counter clockwise starting at the launch in the Plum Island Wildlife Reserve catching the slack at the river mouth on the way around. Or Paddle up the coast from North Beach Hampton to Odiorne and back. Either trip is very close to 20 miles.

Or!!! Do Great Bay to Piscataqua from downtown Exeter to Little Harbor. High tide at Squamscott River Bridge is 8:45 which is about 9:15 in Exeter. We could spot cars at Odiorne beforehand. Approx 25 miles but all down hill :)

Neil

Posted

NEW casual trip posted from LANES COVE to Straitsmouth. "moved to new topic"...

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