Paul Sylvester

By trip reports I mean just a couple sentences below pictures.. Should have said caption? Will look at Picasa. Thanks,

Hi, I need advice on the best user friendly, low or no cost photo service to use on the web. I want to post trip reports, post pictures with captions and such online. I had three journals of trips on webshots and they were bought out and it all was deleted. I like ease of use and the ability to buy prints. Photobucket? Snapfish? Ideas? thanks, Paul

Pierce Island ramp is closed in that they are not collecting a fee and there are no porta potties out. You can and should use Pierce as Odiorne has a gate that should be locked up. Odiorne has the small parking spot by the bridge but with 16 it would be too tight. There are other options but again w/ 16.....Dover Point has parking and more protection (maybe) but is further for drivers from the south. You might have a good go around Gerrish..

It is about 30' and maybe that old in years. I would say it broke free somwhere and drifted in maybe during Sandy.Would love to know the story... It was nice to get out with you guys.

Joppa Flats on the Merrimac river was a favorite years back.

It is hard to believe what the waters in this area do. You think south, warm.....flat,placid, and peaceful Long Island Sound? It is warm and south but also the most interesting water this side of Fundy.

Can it be repaired with epoxy and an insert?

I wear mine in my vest and hardly turn it on with a group unless the group gets broken up and I suspect a problem. Use it to notify that you are crossing a foggy channel. The large boats will thank you.. On a busy summer day I might listen to the chatter if I am by myself but it is mosly chit chat about fishing. For emergencies I just watch whats around me. If I see an issue I would respond as called for. Once heard a call for a person in the water and within minutes saw the CG rushing there but we were at least a mile away. Time and distance.. You should put out a call if you are going to do a lot of rescues in an area that might look inhospitable due to concerned shore dwellers and gawkers with cell phones.

Leon, Such a lonely topic that seems over my head...... In current I sometimes head to the shallows. May rethink that now to avoid that 14% slowdown??

Anyone up for some friday longboat surfing? Heading down to Jenness or Hampton harbor friday for a 9 am launch. Expect 2'@ 8 sec. so it will be level 3. Not sure how clean they will be... I'll stay out for 3-4 hours depending on the conditions and mood. If Jenness, I may put in at or near Rye harbor and paddle over. thanks, Post here or psylatmetrocastdotnet

Pick an angle and stay with it.I like 60 deg... If you start changing feather angle to wind speed you will swim more..... You want to know that your bracing and roll is as good as can be and a slice can mean a swim.

I would check your indexing on your right side (knuckles lined up with the top edge of the blade) and arm extension/ torso rotation to make sure that the paddle enters evenly and at the right spot on both sides.

I was there: The tough part for me was trying to hold my breath while getting churned under in those breaking waves. We were swimming with all we had and I did not want to get too out of breath. I needed to have some reserves for the breakers that held me under. Believe I had my paddle while swimming.....suggest swimming with your paddle...good work out. Two very experienced local paddlers had to be rescued by the CG out of this same area a year or two after our incident. Had we been further south it would have been much worse. Possibly pinning us between the ebb and swells. It was such a joy to see three intact NDK Explorers waiting for us down the beach.....

Learn something new every day......

Don't want to turn this into a commercial post but: CT and RI have a lot offer and Greg is tops. Worth the trip.. I would love to run a rough water intro course up in this area and it would prep and prime anyone for time with Greg and Paula in CT catching the ebbs and floods. Can't beat surf and rock play. Remember that the Piscataqua river has 2-3 knot flows and offers many teaching spots.. All good rough water paddling starts with boat control and stepping up your basic skills in bigger water...simple as that. Paul, ACA lvl 4 instructor

Don't recall if we stayed at the Jonesport campground but I know we left our cars there for the trip two years ago. We camped at Halifax and ___ Islands. Day paddled to Cross and others. Have you seen the Brothers? Worth the trip... Found it more interesting north of Great Wass. Check the MITA book for the latest. Hope to get up near there this year myself.

The Big Agnes sleeping bag is the best for me. I bought the wide, long and rectangular 40 deg.bag. The 24" wide by 2" thick mattress that goes with it is for car camping and I use a 1-1/2 x 20" in the slot for kayak camping. I have to have foot room and am tall. Have not used my 20 deg mummy bag in years... Never slide off and it is quiet. Freestanding tent, MSR multi fuel stove, Ditto warm dry clothes....socks very important at night Fixin's for margaritas is always nice....

If you check the chart depths near the bridge at Gurnet you will see a 90' hole where a whirlpool has flushed it out. Been around some of these areas and they are interesting. Just requires proper planning with the flows.

Count me in.

As said below, avoid anything too large. My first was a Cape Charles 18 and it was a tank. Could not get away from it quick enough once I started paddling and learning more. The Night Heron might be a good choice. You have to consider your building method. Stripper or stich and glue? For a first boat I would lean towards stitch and glue. You will get it done much faster. It will have a hard chine which,{IMHO} will speed up your learning curve. Concerning Ed's comment: I agree with him but it sounds like you want a project.

On page six of the new Sea Kayaker mag. (Feb.) NSPN's own Bob Burnett (the founder of NSPN) has been recognized by the magazine and now is a member of Team Sea Kayaker. Sounds like travel perks and fun to me. Congratulations Bob! Anyone that is in his area should look him up as Bob one of the best on the water.Those looking to step up their skills will not find a better teacher and coach. All the best Bob.

Just saw Nanook of the North on dvd from Netflix. Very interesting for any of us interested the Inuit culture. What their days were like and how they ate..... lets just say I like my western civilization. Well worth seeing.

The resistance in the foam (hand cut custom) is a minor problem with most of what I wear.Does anyone have a good plastic product that will glue down to the foam? Had Greg Barton blow right past me in the Blackburn while in my RBA (fast sea kayak)...best form I ever saw....Trust him and Leon

"in veno veritas"? Make sense or myth?

Found a oval rubber hatch cover on the side of Rt 1 north just above the Tobin bridge. Near rt 60. Drove by it in the stop and go traffic fo 3-4 days then picked it up,though I still wonder why......First saw it monday 6-13 Measures 12x20 inches and does not fit Valley. Black with a gray shaded center oval. Possibly WS? Had beach sand all over it.... Post here if it is yours or you can match it up to a boat.