Gcosloy

I have to agree with Rob. I don't think he was being smug or even scolding of the unfortunate kayakers involved but was simply addressing the Harbormaster's simplistic conclusion of the incident. On a general note however there are too many in today's world who are willing to shut down the meaningful flow of information and discussion of same lest someone's feelings get hurt. This kind of attitude appears to be rife in some universities and colleges today where students are provided "safe places" to retreat to if debate or discussion seems to hurt their feelings.

Gary,

If you're not familiar with the foam block substitute for a back band, here is a picture of one in my Explorer. Many paddlers prefer this to the factory back band.

I have enough trouble and anxiety getting ready for a day trip. Now I understand the benefits of camping solo!

Brava, Kathy!

It was a marvelous day to be out on the water-crystal clear views and conditions that respected our rusty bones. One caveat Bob: ou mentioned Leon in your report-to be confused with Leon is an honor-but I'm not Leon!

Bob,

Right now the coastal forecast for Saturday is gnarly. Conditions calm down on Sunday. Any chance of moving the trip a day forward? Also, if Saturday is fixed-its only Tuesday-sometimes the forecast changes later in the week. What is the last day/time you need a confirmation for a go/no go? End of Wednesday may not show much change!

Wonderful workshop-thanks to all the participants, particularly Bob who's presentation was great and Kathy who worked to provide great treats for the hungry among us. I had to leave early and regret whatever nuggets of information I may have missed.

Odiorne is almost in my backyard-how could I not look forward to this trip. Weather permitting I'm in.

Hi Dan,

Thanks for spotting this: I went to Kayaking Resources on NSPN home page and selected Piscataqua river currents. I used Henderson Point which is the narrowest spot on the river from Pierces down to Clark Island, which should contain the most current ebb or flood. Problem was this automatically provided data for 2012 which I hadn't noticed. To make matters even worse I was looking at January 2012 not even April. As Emily Latella used to say on SNL news-"Never mind!" In my defense leaving Pierces and entering the river against a flood current one could always eddy hop south which I have done and is doable. This early in the season however I would not want to do this.

Going back to NOAA tides and currents allows you to select the year and so doing I confirm your results. Under the circumstances I would rather not do this trip. Alternative is meet at Frisbee Wharf in Kittery Point and circumnavigate Gerrish/Cutts. Same put in time and current no longer needs to be a consideration.

High tide is approx. noon max minus current in the Piscataqua is also about noon. Circumnavigate clockwise. Drysuits mandatory. Meet at 11AM. Sunday April 19th 6-7 mile get the rust out trip. Because the current in the Piscat can create some challenges, this trip is L3. Please RSVP here, if no takers trip will be cancelled.

High tide is approx. noon max minus current in the Piscataqua is also about noon. Circumnavigate clockwise. Drysuits mandatory. Meet at 11AM. Sunday April 19th 6-7 mile get the rust out trip.

Wind represents a significant factor in determining the relative safety and comfort of a kayak trip. I'm relatively knowlegable about how wind is generated but am pretty ignorant about how gusts are. What are gusts? What causes them? Can anyone point me to a decent and simple explanation of this phenomenon? I've already tried researching this topic on the Internet and found the explanations to be too complicated for my feeble mind.

A lot of campers have these and I'm impressed by how quickly they boil water. Which model is preferred for kayak camping? I noticed at KTP they have a standard and also a smaller lighter model.

Rob-one topic you haven't listed and one that I encourage you to consider is "how to carry a loaded camping kayak safely". I'm sure this must seem so obvious and yet surely belongs in the category of physical safety. One wouldn't have a discussion of paddle strokes without considering what can go wrong with a poorly executed high brace. As some of our members age and begin to have joint problems or even joint replacements, two person carries of a loaded kayak sometimes over slippery rocks becomes more problematic and can lead to injury. I'd like to recommend 4 person carries as a standard method for all NSPN camping trips.

Andy-I can sympathize-I used to roller skate and almost every other time I went to the rink someone was being wheeled out to a waiting ambulance with what appeared to be a broken wrist. I myself survived with only a few serious sprains and finally learned to fall like a rag doll and never tried to break my fall with an extended arm. Sorry for your injury-hope to see you next season on the water.

I was at Walden Pond fooling around in my new Chatham 16, previously paddled only on the Charles or Sudbury rivers when I met this interesting guy furiously paddling a rec boat with a cane under the bungees. (He was recovering from a recent mishap with surf in Florida.) Leon Granowitz introduced himself and inquired if I had ever paddled on the ocean. Well no, I replied, I didn't know that anyone did that! The next day we were both putting in at Lanes Cove and paddling Ipswich Bay. It was tough to keep up with Leon but from that day on I never dipped my paddle in fresh waters again other than Walden and Chebbaco. Leon taught by example and since neither I nor anyone else I knew at the time could keep up with him, I had to learn everything myself. He was useful to have around if I needed a rescue however-but that didn't happen too often. Twelve years and too many boats later I still love it. Thanks Leon.

Swim for your life! Never been a fan of the breast stroke but think that the crawl while the fastest stroke does consume a lot of energy. Back stroke may have been his life saver in that more energy is conserved and it allows for rest while floating.

And if all else fails, the inhalation of helium is recommended by the Hemlock Society as the least painful way to go!

Let's see-over the years I've employed a granowitz, a beckwith, a levine and most recently a charette. They are all equally reliable. If I include CAM on the water sessions the list expands greatly. Maybe Hillary is right-it takes a village!

Paddle float re-entry has gotten a bad rap over the years which may be as unwarranted as criticizing cowboy re-entry because some of us can't do it. Performed correctly by insuring that the float deployed is down wind and down wave and securing the free end of the paddle behind the cockpit, preferably with a sling looped over the free end, under the hull and wrapped a couple of times round the opposite end leaving a loop in the water to serve as a stirrup, paddle float re-entry is a useful tool to have when the swimmer may be tired or even injured. I always carry one plus a sling and may practice with it once a season. Also re-enter and roll can be made easier for some by using the float on the end of the paddle. Paddle float re-entry should not be relied upon as your first or only method of self rescue but may need to be employed as your last method when all others have failed.

Since I'm no longer interested in producing offspring I will try it!

I find it remarkable that what had started as a fun award for misadventures on the water has morphed into a contest for the most serious happening including bodily harm as well as flying fiberglass. I too have a submission this year which I thought was most dramatic and would pale the competition but now after hearing about Josko and remembering Katherine's scary adventure in the current I'm no longer confident of gaining the coveted award. Does this years rise in competition signal a fundamental change in some of our member's behavior paddling: More chance taking, more risky adventures, or just more dumb luck. Something to think about!

Pru et al-I'm happy to have stood in my bed and curse'ed not that I wasn't with you folks!

Bill, at least your roll was successful which is more than I can say for myself. Thanks Pru for initiating a wonderful late fall paddle in a great area-the Gerrish circle never gets old! It was swell catching up with old friends as well.

I agree with what both Bill and Ed said!