Paul Sylvester

If believe the mouth of the Kennebec, aka Popham beach hits a max ebb at 11:30am this Saturday. And there should be swell coming into it. Could be great for any that can get there.

A couple years ago at the skippers meeting for the Blackburn race the announcer asked for a show of hands for age groups. 20-30/ 30-40 etc. The majority were 50-60-70 years old.

I put a Stellar footplate in a boat I built but it was two peddles for rudder control. The type used in surf skis. It is a nice set up and well built. Bit of work to install. I had to fabricate wood rails that were parallel for the back and forth adjustment. The one Matt shows above would be simple and give you better options IMO. Plus you could easily fabricate and affix a lower plate to set down on the hull to give full foot support.

Do your heels lightly touch while paddling? Would raising you heels give a better foot position? My two cents: I like my heels to lay together, feet angled slightly forward and set the peg height for maximum push with the best body mechanics. In my Explorer the size 12's just land perfect. I have no use for foaming out bulkheads. I always switch out my seats. I make custom foam seats a bit longer which give more support where needed. Yes they might be a little sticky but I can usually stay in the boat a long time.

Short article below. This is the first picture I have seen of a trolley on the tracks. There were many different share options so I assume it is ok to republish since credit is given. Dianne Fallon, The Maniacal Traveler Remnants of the Gilded Age at Brave Boat Harbor Posted on August 21, 2015 by Dianne Fallon Kittery Point, Maine — I dip my paddle in the water, push the kayak into the channel, and glide away from the causeway. I’m paddling into the marsh, heading out to Brave Boat Harbor for high tide. At least once each summer, I paddle these quiet waters, squeezing my trip in between the tides and the rest of life. Even though I’ve paddled the marsh many times, I always feel on the brink of a discovery that might be significant, even if only to me. Back in the 1600s, Brave Boat Harbor was a significant discovery for the explorers and early settlers who first came here. The shallow harbor provided safe anchorage from the angry Atlantic. But the entrance is narrow, and the surf makes passage tricky. Hence, only brave boats dared to enter. Today, I am floating level with the marsh grass on an incoming moon tide. The astronomical high tide gives me longer window to explore the marsh, but typically I count on three hours around the published high tide (e.g. if high tide is at noon, I can set out at 10:30 a.m. and plan on returning to the causeway by 1:30). I’ve learned the hard way that if I linger too long in Brave Boat Harbor, I will end up scraping mud, or stranded. The marsh is close to home, but feels remote and wild. I spot a kingfisher, skimming across the grass and up into the trees. A family of snowy egrets wades on the flooded plain. In the distance, the surf thuds at the harbor’s entrance. A great blue heron lifts off along with a snowy egret. The egrets, once a source of plumage for ladies’ hats, were on the verge of extinction but now are common site on the marsh. They are here not by accident, but because thoughtful people took action to conserve the marshes on Maine’s southern coast. This marsh isn’t wilderness. As I navigate the series of S-turns towards the harbor, I can see the occasional house on its perimeter. But this marsh, officially designated as the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, offers refuge both for me and the birds and animals who dwell or pass through these waters and grasses. Fewer than a hundred years ago, the marsh was a domestic landscape. For three centuries, horses and oxen dragged people and tools across these spongy fields so that farmers could harvest the grass for animal fodder. In the channel, human-made rocky paths once allowed animals to safely cross the mucky bottom. Then, during the Gilded Age, when droves of tourists began flocking to Kittery Point and York Harbor, workmen sunk pilings deep into the mud of Brave Boat Harbor to build a trolley trestle. For fifty years, the Portsmouth, Kittery and York (PK & Y) Electric Railway delivered vacationers from the ferry landing on Badgers Island in Kittery to York Harbor, with the clattering trolley cars traversing the marsh eight times a day during the summer months. The PK & Y electric trolley doing a run from Kittery to York Harbor on the trestle built across Brave Boat Harbor (New England Electric Railway Historical Society). This hand-drawn map shows the routes of the different trolley lines in Kittery and York, including the PK & Y line that hugged the coast and then crossed over Brave Boat Harbor. The trolleys ran until 1923, when the new Memorial Bridge facilitated the rise of the automobile (Seashore Trolley Museum Collection). As my paddle pushes the kayak forward, the vegetation changes, with less saltwater grass and more of the sedge-like salt meadow grass that was harvested for hay. The current stills as I approach the harbor. I push the boat around another bend and into the flooded pool, the still water tinted pink from the clouds above. Even though I’ve been out here many times, this moment of gliding into blue emptiness of Brave Boat Harbor always feels exhilarating. Black cormorants roost on the line of rotting pilings. The birds stand with their breasts thrust forwards, their necks held high, as if standing at attention. At the harbor entrance, between Rayne’s Neck and Sea Point, small waves crash. Relatively few kayakers venture out here. On this day, I spot a three or four others, but on the rocky beach, I eat my lunch in solitude. The remnants of the trolley trestle falling into the marsh. Almost 100 years have passed since the trolleys stopped running. The pilings won’t last forever. Many have withered to anonymous stumps. People who aren’t familiar with the marsh’s history don’t know where they came from, or why they are there. A few older folks in the region still recall riding the trolley as small children, but in a few years, all human memories of a bustling Brave Boat Harbor will disappear. Here, these shorter pilings sit on a solid bed built up to support them. The bed usually forms a low barrier but was flooded during the full moon tide. Exploring these remnants of history of the marsh enriches my time here. Still, I’m glad the marsh is a quiet place today, one that offers a mental escape from a mind intent on relentless planning and doing. Kayaking here is a meditation in letting go. The ebb and flow of the tide dictates my itinerary. If I ignore the tide, I will end up stuck in the muck. If I note it, I glide on an authentic source of flow. Sources and resources The Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge was established in 1966 in honor of its namesake, although Rachel Carson did her work further up the coast, near Boothbay Harbor. The Refuge protects 50 miles of marsh and coast in southern Maine. For more on the Memorial Bridge and its relationship to the rapid decline of the Gilded Age “big hotel” era in Kittery, Maine, see my post, On Bridges and the Jet Set. Experienced kayakers might enjoy the loop paddle through the marsh and around Gerrish Island to Pepperrell Cove and up Chauncey Creek to the causeway. However, you need an ocean-worthy kayak to do, as ledges off Sea Point create waves and swell. It’s not a paddle for novices, and I wouldn’t recommend doing it alone. Share this: Email Facebook Twitter Google Tumblr Pinterest Reddit Like this: Like Loading... Related On Bridges and the Jet SetJune 3, 2012In "Seacoast (mostly) History" Skulls of history in a forgotten tombJuly 19, 2015In "Seacoast (mostly) History" A trail ride for Father's DayJune 20, 2016In "bike paths" About Dianne Fallon Maniacal Traveler Dianne Fallon writes from a house in the woods in southern Maine. Her interests include travel, hiking and the outdoors, and history, and she is quickly becoming an Instagram-aholic, @themaniacialtraveler. View all posts by Dianne Fallon → This entry was posted in Family and Kids, Kayaking, Seacoast (mostly) History, Travels and tagged Brave Boat Harbor, easy kayak, Kittery history, Kittery kayak, Kittery Point history, Maine coast, PK & Y Railroad, Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge. Bookmark the permalink. ← Island living, Adirondack style A Ride on the Wild Quiet Side: Exploring Acadia’s Schoodic Peninsula → One Response to Remnants of the Gilded Age at Brave Boat Harbor Michelle says: August 21, 2015 at 8:44 am Great story! All the history wrapped up in words & pictures. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment Name * Email * Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. 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Three inch might be fine if you put a small cant in the foam. Do you want the foam to match your foot angle for most support?

Congratulations on a great accomplishment. Well done,

Glad things went well. It is a nice area to paddle but not for the timid. Thanks for the report.

Looks fun, Wonder what happens if it window shades in surf,,,? I would need a breakaway part that could be replaced easy.

Been out quite a few times and been to Boon also. I would only do this with very experienced paddlers who fully understand the things that can come up. Watch for the larger boats out in the open. Sometimes they clear Portsmouth and seem to be on autopilot and certainly don't expect to see speed bumps out there..)

Well done, Congratulations

Thanks for the report. Well done and a good weekend away. thx

Very nice trip and report. thx

I often paddle solo in Portsmouth and always have my tow belt with me. Sometimes it may be in a hatch. I have seen too many clue less newbies out in plastic and would have a duty to care if someone was in trouble. Ditto about tying up and clipping off in surf.

Very small might sway me towards an easy fix. What matters is the damage to the inner lay up. I was thinking you just had foam seat glued down.

I would remove the seat and get a little patch on the inside and then fill and polish the outside. Your simple repair would not have enough strength in an area like that to hold up under the stress of another flex. Glued seats come out easy with a chisel like tool. Work slowly so you don't scratch the inside CF layup. Many CF hulls flex in the broad areas and I assume yours is lite built? My two cents....

Looks like a good time, Gary, So you did complete the southern section? How was camping in Kennebunk? I know there are dull stretches but that section is on my short list.

There is a small waitlist at this time which I will add your name to. I will PM you to get that figured out.

well done, congratulations to you guys

Sir, Too bad we don't live closer. Maybe I could have just glued it for you.... I get a much better rate buying by the gallon. $98. for the resin and another $45+ for the hardener. West System....top shelf, aka the best imo.

I should be there. What time and put in? Prefer 9 am and odiorne. I did it last week at low tide and it was ok I had been planning to get out anyway. Would be a very strong flood running up river to mess with or Gerrish? Looks flat outside.

Hi all, I have been able to reserve the Saddleback Island cottage for the weekend of July 15th - 17th for three nights. Saddleback is part of the Stonington Me archipelago with easy access from Old Quarry and easy access around Isle au Haut and numerous other islands. There are 4 cabin spaces to fill and 5 open spots for those that want to tent. There are a few tenting spots on the island and you need not be too far from the cabin. For more info please see the Maine Coast Heritage trust website. Although it might be a level two trip to get there I believe you will get the most from the day trips if you are level 3 or better. I am splitting the cost over the 12 participants so figure on $44.00 each for the three nights . Plan on first come first serve and I will do a waitlist for cancelations. Please PM me and as I get the group together I may move it to an e-mail format. thanks, Paul Sylvester

Rather stupid/ selfish/ uncaring/ family...or is there a large life insurance policy on her ?

Just finished "Ten hours Until Dawn". It finally came up on my reading list and it was a good read. Too bad it was such a tragic story. Never realized the details of the story and how the tanker crew could have rode it out as speculated by some. So next season I am planning a Can Do memorial paddle to the spot of the tanker and the area where the Cando was found. The re named Can Do was moored in Salem harbor or nearby for sometime after being bought and rebuilt. Does anyone know if it is still in the area or what it is being used for now? Now reading "Desperate Steps" by Peter Kick. A good compilation of what can go wrong on a mountain even when you know what you are doing. For a rock and roll story with a local connection and a great story, I really liked Al Koopers "Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards" He got around the business more than anyone I ever heard of. Amazing life.... For a story of a slightly twisted, kind of sad and tormented singer read" I'll Sleep When I am Dead". Written by Crystal Zevon. It is a compilation of stories from his friends and business acquaintances. It was hard to read at times partly due to the way it was written and because he was very troubled and often took it out on those around him. Happy winter,

How much do they charge for this unneeded layer of regulation?