rick stoehrer

thin fleece liner and put on your hypo kit...you've got it with you anyways and the liner takes no room...added a bivy and the whole thing takes up very little room...more room for food, client gear....they wonder why my boat is so heavy...cause it's full of all the food and water you can't fit causes of that giant sleeping bag/tent. duh.

i had a group out saturday as well...newbies. we launched from an undisclosed southern casco bay location and went up to ft gorges and little chebeague on saturday. it was very much like paddling in a furnace. had a kelty wing tarp and it was a blessed piece of kit to have on the beach when we landed. they all abut passed out under it. they thought keeping the water in a mesh bag and in the ocean was a nifty trick...explained we had a refrigerator so long as we didn't need anything colder than about 64 degrees or so. fireworks from the locals next to us went on for awhile that night...they had kids with them and didn't get overly rowdy. the sunrise was indeed, spectacular. the paddle back was thankfully under that same cloud cover you enjoyed and we got only a few drops for about 5 minutes or so on the last crossing to the take out. only did about 6 miles each day and it was more than enough for them and their first taste of camping out of kayaks. most folks think 6 miles isn't very much but if it's all new to you...sure seems like it's plenty. introduced them all to the joy of camp pizza and a delicious spam sammie breakfast. glad you had a nice time...ice cream woulda been good.

National Outdoor Leadership School - NOLS, paper on the topic of lightning.

droid friendly marine weather - bluefin currents - yohana ides & currents - ? can't find an "about" on this app? my tracks - google app moon phases - there' a thousand of them

Linda - yes, that's helpful. I may send you an email about getting google map waypoints onto this thing.

Downloading a buncha marine charts now (so between $ for those and an expandable micro SD card - about doubles the price...quite a scheme) and we'll see how this goes...whether or not Ft Gorges is "discovered" on there.

i'm with you john - i can sort it out just fine with a chart and compass and nothing else...but it takes a skosh of time to do so...and these are races (even though i don't have a chance in hell - holy smokes these people are speedy) and need to concentrate on getting where i am going, fast. i will look up bluechart, sal and see what it says about getting that done. now, any suggestions on actually using the damn thing.... thanks

anyone have much experience using one of these things? specifically the garmin etrex 20? participated in the casco bay challenge this weekend (it was very foggy up there in the AM) and while i got it to work in a rudimentary way i was never entirely sure what the hell i was doing with the thing. it's my first departure from chart and compass (which frankly you don't have time or space for on a surfski...there isn't even a deck!) and i am having a hard time with the instructions. and the only map i can see on this thing sorta sucks....it doesn't show ft gorges/hog island ledge at all and that ain't exactly a small thing...surely big enough to give folks like us a refuge if we were in a jamb - took it on a bike ride last night and i can see what i think it refers to as a track...i went around lake gardner and while it shows me making that part of the loop...it doesn't show me a lake on the map/screen? huh? makes me wonder what i am doing wrong and/or what all else won't be showing up on this thing when i might need it. so far, not clear what i'm doing at all with it.

glenn charles - https://www.facebook.com/glenn.charles.37?fref=ts http://thetravelingvagabond.com/ a bit bohemian for me but it DOES strike a chord.

glad you had fun - it's beautiful up there. yes, surf when you can. it's easier and a helluva lot more fun. i don't know a greg but there is a glenn charles who works at cohills in the summer that did that trip...suspect you may have misheard or made a typo...or maybe there's a second guy. cohills is in a nice spot there.

So if we can agree that well informed, reasoned responses have merit and a place in the discussion, what would you call responses and viewpoints that are based on insufficient information? Are those viewpoints then just baseless conjecture or do those too have a place in the discussion and if they do have a place, are we exmaining the event or just gossiping and kibutzing on all the ways we're smarter and better based on what we {think} we know in an attempt to just whistle past the graveyard or what is that? I do find a lack of circumspection, perspective and reflection scary. That carries into many fields. Hope the family finds some peace and gets the answers they might be looking for cause it sure seems senseless.

Some of you, armed with only the merest scintilla of information as to the circumstances surrounding this incident or the experiences of this lady, feel so confident in your knowledge, skills and experiences that you condemn her for being "irresponsible" and ill prepared. ALL of that insight gleaned from a few words in a newspaper article. Impressive. On the other hand, one could make the argument that there's a lot of judgment being tossed around backed by very little fact. It's exactly the sort of thing that makes message boards and democracy so darn scary.

I'd go with sympathy on this one and maybe save the critique for another thread. Not having any idea what class of PFD the lady had with her, it's hard to say whether or not it would have aided an unconscious person had she been wearing it. We mostly wear type III category flotation aids that do not ensure face up position in the water so while it may have helped, there is no guarantee that it's a "life preserver" in this instance...probably wouldn't have hurt. It was a hot day, lotsa people out just trying to cool off. I'm with spider on this one...i can't throw any stones and there but for the grace of God and all that...

From Greg P / Kayak Waveology down outta CT... Greetings like minded sea canoeist. As we just returned from running an Outer Hebrides, Scotland Expedition, we are jazzed for the paddling season. Just some upcoming events to keep on your calendars. The NDK boat demo day is this Sunday June 16, at Esker Point Groton Ct. A full line of the NDK sea kayaks will be on hand, along with the gear we trust the most. Brands like REED, PEAK UK, Celtic Paddles, Lendal Paddles, and other Misc. safety gear. Our BCU course line up this year is quite full, with more dates still being added. BCU courses, trainings and assessments ranging from BCU 2 Star - 5 Star Leader training. Coastal and Open water nav. courses too. Along with our signature rough water courses to master the Surf Zone, Tide races, Rock Hopping, and Expedition Training. All this on your calendar, and we run well into November. Also, Paula's, Paddle Like A Girl, rough water series. Sorry guys this is for the ladies!!! Here's the link. http://www.kayakwaveology.com/event/paddle-like-a-girl-intro-to-rough-water-paddling/ We will be running our famedAutumn Gales event again this year, It's really taking on a life of it's own, which is exciting to see. With more international BCU coaches coming in and more guest coming from all over the globe these days to paddle our tide races in Fishers Island Sound. The dates are Nov 8th -10th, with some higher level BCU offerings the week prior. Here's the link; http://www.kayakwaveology.com/event/autumn-gales-meet-2013/ Web site for the event is still a work in progress, that's www.autumngales.com Looking forward to catching up on the water.Greg Paquin Kayak Waveology, LLC. Tel: 860-304-4000 coach@kayakwaveology.com Web: www.kayakwaveology.com Quality Paddle Sports Instruction NDK Dealer & Specialty Gear Sales

You helped more than anyone should expect and brought them to a safe shore. They were no longer in immediate danger. There was A problem, you helped fixed it - you aren't responsible for fixing ALL their problems. In regards to towing them back to their launch - if someone expects a service then they should expect to have to pay for it. Unless of course, it says "lackey" or "free tows - ask me how" right there on your boat. They could try Falmouth Harbormaster (don't know which HM would have jurisdiction?) Sea Tow and the Coasties....they had a phone.

Spider - An excellent example of the folks that don't want to see you? They live on House Island. Couple years back we were paddling and 2 wanted to go around House and 1 did not...so on this lovely day we left that lone paddler wallowing in the shallows directly adjacent and told him we'd be right back...he landed. As we came around the island we could hear and see the owner of House reading him the riot act about landing on those rocks and to vamoose. In my experience, Cushing has a similar ethos regarding kayakers. In part, the mission statement of the club reads as follows "...peer learning and community interaction. We are organized for educational purposes under the 501C3 section of the Internal Revenue Code and believe strongly in the need for personal responsibility on the water. We support each other to build our skills and become more educated paddlers. We are also a "Member Club" with the Maine Island Trail Association, and are the stewards of two MITA islands in Casco Bay. Most club activities combine the fun of paddling with the joy of learning." At the core, this kayak group is supposed to be about education and community outreach as it pertains to kayaking and part of that education is learning about the places you aren't supposed to go as it would certainly hinder community outreach. If folks think we're just a bunch of water lice that clog shipping channels and infest islands that we shouldn't be on then that does the club no good in it's stated role and none of us any good as paddlers as we're then all seen as an inconvenience. I think you may be missing that your molehill is someone else's mountain....someone comes traipsing into the flower bed once and it's an inconvenience, the hundredth time surpasses inconvenience by a wide margin. No one has dissed anyone in this thread, in fact it's been downright genteel. As far as photo's in other threads - they're lovely and they do encourage folks to paddle...seems to me though we've had countless discussions over the "where" and "when" parts about paddling and this isn't really much more than that, is it? All that's being said is that right now in maine, there are some places you don't have a right to land - clearly from the ensuing discussion folks are either surprised or just not happy to hear that they can't go anywhere they want to go.

"Right now it is somewhat vague but you can still land in that zone, take a break and continue on your merry way." - no Brambor you can't. if you aren't fishing, fowling or navigating (as used NOT what we do) then you can not use the intertidal zone of the private island. same when i landed awhile back and camped on a private island rather than proceed in pea soup fog, thunder and lightning storm...but then i started this with saying safety trumps all. there simply wasn't any other safe option. we were still trespassing. "But quick land and go is usually ok. This of course does not prevent a landowner to come over and give you an earful. In which case you can apologize and move on. Who wants to listen to that" - more appropriately, who wants to do that?

whether or not mainers own a specific island may be interesting but it's besides the point, isn't it? unless YOU own the private island then YOU don't have a right to be there above the H water mark. because someone has or has not posted a sign every 100 feet along a 6,000 acre perimeter of a private island shouldn't be the point. it isn't yours and it's a known private island, should you need to be told to stay out? if i don't post a sign on my fence saying no trespassing, do you think you have the right to come into my yard? if i don't have it on my door and it's unlocked, should you come into my house? how about if i need a ride somewhere and don't have a car...should i just take yours if i intend to bring it back? it's great that your land isn't posted and people can walk around - but that's how YOU see land use and maybe not others. nothing wrong with either point of view. for me it's simple...if it isn't yours and you know you don't belong there and you don't have permission, leave it alone. the reason that we try to not mention private islands that are on the trail is so that we do not advertise them to folks that are non mita members. mita and it's members have been granted access to those islands specifically by the land owners for whatever reason - possibly because of the conservation and stewardship values that they share. in any event, it would be impolite to violate that trust and say to paddlers that weren't mita members "hey, yeah, camp here even though you don't have permission"

by no means are property/privacy rights the sole domain of coastal maine islands but islander property and privacy rights are often ignored by paddlers that may not be aware that they are breaking the law, or are just willfully breaking the law. i think it's a different mind set on shore - you wouldn't think of walking into someones backyard uninvited in cambridge but often that's what happens on those islands. same mind set with with preservation or conservation areas - you might not even consider landing in a rookery lest you disturb the birds but often we don't think twice about landing, eating and taking a leak, in what is essentially someone's backyard. we oughta be looking at private islands and all private property in the same way - it may be pretty from the water but we shouldn't land if we can avoid it.

There are PRIVATE islands along the Maine coast. These islands are NOT on the Maine Island Trail and the owners of the islands DO NOT want us or anyone else traipsing around them uninvited. In landing and walking about, you are trespassing. You are committing a crime. If it were your land, your house, it's akin to someone walking into your yard uninvited and poking around the flower beds, maybe taking a leak over by the azalea's. As the landowner, you'd be rightfully concerned and probably a little angry if it happened more than once. 2 of the islands in Casco Bay that are PRIVATE are House Island and Cushing Island. They are private. There is no public landing or public beach. There is no ferry service. The islanders DO NOT want us landing and poking around their property. Given the freedom and the access to far off places that sea kayaks allow us, the solitude and privacy that we are afforded in our small boats, we need to take care to be respectful of those seeking the same thing. We bought boats...they bought islands or houses on islands. We want to get away, get offshore and find some downtime away from the rest of the world. So do they. Those islanders don't want to see you any more than you want to see someone in your favorite offshore campsite...difference is...they OWN theirs. OBVIOUSLY, under duress, you land where you NEED to land. If there's an emergency, you land, take shelter, you do what you NEED to do to keep yourself and your group safe and you can sort out property and privacy rights after the fact. Safety is the first priority and everything else takes a back seat....I believe you would still technically be breaking the law in trespassing but that's not really a biggie given some circumstances. Please keep this in mind when planning your trips and when out paddling. Those private islands can be a safety net if it hits the fan but please be respectful and don't count on them as a place to stretch your legs, have lunch, take a leak. That's someone's backyard and they don't want us there. You know what your trip circumstances are, you know where you should and shouldn't go...choose respectfully and wisely. Have fun.

"I'm sure Herr Doktor Professor Allen will have the ultimate truth..." ultimate truth 101 with professor allen...all i can think of is the keeper of the bridge of death in monty python/holy grail and his three questions...some poor frosh answers incorrectly and....aaaaiiiii - flung into the misty abyss. boy phil, you wanna really freak em out next semester write that in big letters on the whiteboard....what do you teach? ULTIMATE TRUTH. {insert law and order duh-duh sound effect here}

So you were trespassing but you were trespassing with justification? Pictures don't do justice to the conditions. Glad you boys made it back from a trip so harrowing that you'd land on a privately held island that absolutely, clearly and without any question, doesn't want you on it. Conditions so bad that you had to land there - I can't believe there's not a better story than the trip report you posted - lessons to be learned and all that.

where is that stone rotunda? i've never seen that on peaks and cushing is privately owned - there isn't any public access.

with deepest respect (and apology) to master tolkien ahem... all that is gold does not glitter not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost those are are clueless are not quiet, often they speak out their ass from those that talk loudest, don't buy it; a nav aid is not a compass sorry about the "ass" thing, i don't mean it that harshly...it just fit well with "compass", you know? yeah, my boat compass has done the same thing more than a few times...wrestle it around a bit and it oughta right itself. barring that, you can always un-mount it from the boat and wriggle it around a bit in your hands and then remount it...easy-peasy. fwiw, i always have a card compass in my PFD pocket and rather than using a nav aid (which, while handy, in no way provides you the same information as a compass does) i use my handheld to get the same information that i would get off the nav aid. the compass is a two-fer - it provides you not only critical magnetic directional information but once you sort out how to use it as a protracter, it gives you the same info you'd get from the nav aid....all from your pocket. sweet. a gps is awesome. while the batteries last...and it allows you to get lazy in your nav. on the other hand there have been some foggy transits where i thought, "huh, that would really be very handy right now" especially now that i am getting on towards the very, very very beginnings of my oh, so nascent middle age. yeah, my eyes are shot! at least i could hold that little gps screen up close when i can't read the *&%&^%$ chart on my deck! anyways, good luck wrestling the boat compass back to upright!

i've recently outfitted the flux capacitor in my boat with newly mined dilithium crystals and have been really happy with the results. i've really shaved the old parsecs off my kessel run times. sling psychrometer - wow. i had at least heard of the stuff above...major arcane points for sling psychrometer!