scamlin

Vin: The main reason for the difference in membership dues is the fact that NSPN has chosen to affiliate with the ACA (American Canoe Association) which provides additional benefits (such as a subscription to Paddler magazine and some discounts) and protections (mainly liability insurance for the club, officers and trip leaders). Someone on the board can give you the exact dollars, but I believe that most of the dues goes to ACA and not NSPN. If NSPN charged only the part we keep, our dues would be similar to other area clubs which have chosen not to affiliate. I recently joined a club in the San Francisco area that is also ACA affiliated: the dues structure is similar ($35) and has the same difference in cost compared with non-ACA clubs in the Bay Area. NSPN is a club of volunteers who give back to a sport that has given so much to them. We do not provide services for the dues. Members of the club who volunteer to lead trips, teach workshops or serve behind the scenes as committee or board members receive no money for their efforts. The ACA affiliation is invisible to most members, but the ACA liability insurance is important to those who volunteer to lead the trips and organize the events that are visible to members. Area sea kayaking clubs such as NSPN, BSKC, ConnYak and RICKA each have their own history based on the philosophy and personalities of those who built the respective clubs. While there are some differences in style, activities and approach to managing risks, the similarities outweigh the differences. Each is a postive, welcoming community of people who like to paddle and to share that with others. Each is based on the volunteers efforts of its members. Many of us who are active in NSPN value the friendships (old and new) as much as the paddling opportunities. Some of us belong to the other clubs as well as NSPN. Some who were active in NSPN have migrated to other clubs or paddle on their own now that they have paddle partners. We even have some who are active with us on the website and on the water who are not dues paying members for reasons of personal philosophy or the cost. These options are a natural evolution for some. If the time members have spent with NSPN have taught them something about paddling, safety and the sea, or enriched their lives in some intangible way, then the club has served its purpose whether or not they stay as members and pay dues. We have always taken a relaxed view of this, offering much to the public (such as full use of our message boards to get advice or set up private trips) without worrying about whether you are a paying member. Of course, club trips and events are for members, so you'd have to join to participate. We believe that people will join as members because they want to support the club and its mission. It's not a business, it's an opportunity to get involved and contribute. For many of us, the circle of giving is the biggest benefit of all. So, what do you get for your NSPN dues? If you are looking for a community of paddlers who share knowledge, passion and fun, it may be the place for you. If you are looking for services for your money, that's not really the mindset around here. We're more likely to suggest you organize something for the rest of us. ;-) Scott Camlin

When our resident Park Service ranger Jonathan teaches Leave No Trace, he points out that the ethic extends to not taking rocks home from trips as souvenirs. Apparently the campaign to protest the pilaging of rocks has gone international: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1495333.html Scott

Reminds me of many canoe trips to Umbagog, mostly before the bugs in May or after Labor Day to fish. Some of the lasting memories were loons mating in the shallows and the full-grown bald eagle that glided past at eye-level about 30 yards from our tent. And pushing a couple miles up the Rapid River like the River of Darkness. Scott

OK, I broke down and bought the Optio WP. Haven't paddled with it yet, but took two hundred plus pictures on the Big Sur coast last week and have some preliminary observations. The size is very seductive: it slips into a pocket or a pack. Besides the waterproof rating, about its best feature. Haven't tested the waterproof rating. The entire camera is sealed: the zoom lens is entirely internal to the camera. The battery, SD memory, USB port and DC in plug are all under one light plastic cover with a rubber gasket which appears adequate but not robust. Fairly delicate construction. It won't take much abuse; the manual warns not to open the cover when the camera is wet or dirty, or with wet/dirty fingers. The manual suggests having the gasket replaced once a year to maintain waterproofness, probably a factory or repair shop job. Hmmmmmm. Not my idea of a consumer item, but probably no different than VHF, GPS, headlight, etc. gaskets. Brian and David warned about the lack of a viewfinder and indeed this is a significant issue. In sunlight, you get a image on the LCD panel somewhere between faded and faint. Really didn't work with sunglasses but then viewfinders don't either. And in truth, viewfinders on cameras in waterproof cases are difficult to use. It will always be a compromise. I also missed the stability of the physical contact of the camera/hand against the forehead. You hold it out a foot or two from your face and try to more or less frame the shot while trying to steady your hand. Those of us north of 40 have to hold it further out to compensate for far-sightedness. Handling is mostly OK with well-placed controls. I didn't have the problem of hitting the function key on the back like David reported for the Optio WR. I did regularly get a finger in front of the lens since there is so little room on the camera. The slick design is a bit too slick: all slipery chrome and sure to be a bar of soap when it gets wet. One-handed operation is really difficult since there is little in the way of protrusions to grip. I actually found it most secure to palm the camera like a cell phone and use my thumb to snap the picture, but then you really can't see the LCD. The camera is laid out for two-handed use which is not good for action paddling shots. The menus are pretty intuitive though like all of these cameras, many functions are buried several levels down a menu. At 5 MP, there is plenty of resolution for enlargements if that's your thing. The main disappointment to date is that the auto exposure tends to find the darker sections of the picture which often forces overexposure. The spot focus/exposure can be set when the shutter button is depressed half way, but like about everything electronic, in the default Program mode, it thinks it is smarter than you and actually hops the spot around anywhere but the spot you want to focus or expose. It does have manual focus and exposure but these are very klunky menu oriented features that you will rarely use. Overall, no major complaints. Did I mention how small it is? Based on Brian's experience, I sprung for 1 GB SD memory and was glad I did. At 5 MP and medium compression, I shot almost 300 pics over the week and still have over 200 shots to go. I'd advise getting the high-speed version of the SD chips to make downloading to your computer faster. I got a couple of spare batteries (about $35). The first one lasted about five days of shooting; the second about three days with a lot of fill flash. Several reputable retailers are selling the camera for under $300 (I used B&H). With the extra batteries, memory, case and shipping, I paid closer to $600. How would I improve it? Add a viewfinder. Change the surface to something with better grip. Ruggedize it for outdoor environments. Wonder of they could do this without adding weight or size.... Is this the ideal paddling camera? No, given the compromises. Is it suitable for a marine environment? Time will tell. Are the size and ease of use compelling? Yes, so far. I'm keeping it, even if it doesn't end up being workable for paddling. Only further comment: before two dozen NSPN'ers run out and get one, remember the group buy on Standard Horizon HX-460 VHF radios. Great design, failed in use under field conditions. Let's give this one some time. Scott

I'd second Kate's opinion about the plastic Avocet. When I'm not in the Explorer, I'm in my Avocet. Scott

These days, there are many plastic boats with hull shapes and fittings that are similar to glass boats and have similar performance. The main tradeoff is cost, weight and durability: you can have two of these, but not all three. Generally, the advantages of plastic are cost and impact resistance. Plastic boats are durable in the sense they bounce off of rocks and are difficult to hole. You don't think twice about dragging it over rocks. The cost is a about 60% of glass boats of similar performance and outfitting. The downsides? Plastic boats are 5-15% heavier and less durable. For instance, the Tempest 170 is listed as 58 lbs. in glass and 61 in plastic. The Valley Aquanaut is listed as 59 lbs. in glass and 63 lbs. in plastic. The Current Designs Gulfstream is 51 lbs. and the same boat in plastic, the Sirocco is 60 lbs. After a few seasons, the surface of plastic hulls can get quite gouged and scratched. Even if you don't care about looks, the raggedity surface will slow the boat, on the order of a half knot or even a knot for the same effort compared with a new boat. They also tend to deform over time, especially if you overtighten your roofrack straps or particularly the fore and aft tie downs on your vehicle. I've seen plastic boats with pronounced waves or ripples along the keel from just this error. Heat (as in sitting in the sun) makes it worse as the plastic softens. Even if you don't overtighten it on your roof racks, bulkheads will become visible and hulls may bend. Most plastic boats are pretty tired after 5-7 seasons of normal use. Some plastics are much more durable than others so do your research. Plastic boats are also much more difficult to repair should they need it. The reason is that most adhesives won't stick to plastic and it is difficult to blend in a patch. Glass boats are somewhat lighter and more rigid and will resist scratching and abrasion better. A well-used boat will develop scratches and gouges, but they are less deep since the material is harder. It is also much easier to fill scratches or buff the hull to return it close to new. This translates into less of a speed penalty. Glass boats can be more vulnerable to impacts such as being dropped from the shoulder or landing on a sharp rock precisely because they are more rigid. Particularly heavy, rigid glass boats are pretty bombproof (NDK Explorer has this reputation) while some light kevlar makeups (Necky or some Current Design models) can have flexible glass hulls that absorb shocks well. Glass boats rarely deform or bend, though I've seen glass boats crack from overtightening (rack straps and particularly fore and aft tie downs). They are also much easier to repair: with decent skill, the repair is just a strong as the original boat and is not visible to casual observation. Glass boats are typically going strong after 15-20 years even if they do not look as pretty as they once did. Another factor is that glass boats have a theoretical advantage in performance (speed and handling) since glass is more formable (i.e. finer bow or concave hull sections) and somewhat more rigid (more power is transferred to the boat instead of being absorbed by flexing). With the advent of high end plastic designs and materials over the past five years, these differences have decreased to the point where they are minor. Bob is right that you can pick up high quality used glass boats for about $1800 give or take a few hundred. This is only marginally more than a typical price for a high end plastic boat of $1200-1500. However, it is also true that you can get a good used plastic touring boat in the $800-1000 range. The difference is the used glass boat is often in better shape than the used plastic boat due to its inherent durability. More important than material, pay attention to how the hull performs and how the cockpit fits your body. The differences between boats on these dimensions affect your performance and comfort far more than the materials. Hope this helps. Scott

I took the coaching processes class with Jean at the Georgia symposium last October and can say she was great to work with: smart, listener, compasionate, supportive. I didn't take any classes but believe she taught some of the 3 and 4 Star classes. Some of those who got their 4-Star may have more info on her as a teacher. Scott

Admidst the detailed discussion of the fine points, Jed points out an important technique that can avoid all the sculling: An extreme high brace: last year, Sea Kayaker had an article that turned on the light bulb for me. It described a simple concept that makes a roll unnecessary in most capsizes. If you are about to capsize and have the time and presence of mind, simply put your paddle in the "Queen's Salute" position as you fall: vertical on the offside (away from the capsize) and against the gunnel. As you capsize, the paddle will be in the correct set up position for a C-to-C partial roll. Don't fight the capsize or try to prevent hitting the water. Land in the water and immediately begin the hip snap using the paddle in the normal way. To do this correctly, you need to counterintuitivfely push the onside blade of the paddle AWAY from the water as you capsize so it won't spear the water and dive. By keeping it up and on the surface, there is no need to find a way to bring the blade back up to the surface. This may sound complicated, but it is really easy (assuming you have a roll in the first place).

Jed: I'm not sure if this is what you are describing, but I find myself doing it instinctively and have since I learned to roll: After capsizing and getting into the setup position, I want to check if my paddle is on the surface before initiating the sweep. I've found a quick back and forth scull while in the setup position (NOT perpendicular out to the side) confirms where the paddle is and confirms the blade is in the right orientation. How? By feeling the lift. In fact, the support of the sculling blade allows me to do a bit of a pull up if needed to get my body near the surface. The 'test scull' is actually integrated into the sweep: out away from the hull a foot or so, back to the hull and out for the sweep in one motion on the next scull. Takes an extra half second. If I don't feel the reassuring support, an extra back and forth scull pulls me to the surface and then on to the sweep. Again, the shaft of the paddle is still parallel to and next to the hull while in the setup position. Of course, this is a different issue than Dee first raised: how to get into the setup position in the first place. For that, are you describing a scull, or a repeated scull, with the paddle perpendicular to the hull? It seems you describe starting a roll, which would suggest parallel to the hull when you start the sculling. Just wondering. What I saw you do several years ago was a scull from the other side of the boat and I remembered it as perpendicular as if setting up for a C to C roll (paddle setup perpendicular to the boat), not a sweep roll (set up parallel to the boat). Scott

I stand corrected by Mr. Christopher Godfrey, Strunk and White Professor of Syntax, Spelling and Style. Hopefully with grace. Your Humble Student, Scott

Dee: Have experienced this problem in drysuits myself. Obviously, the air acts as extra floation. Correct form such as bending at the waist (kiss the deck) can help: it keeps the center of gravity close to the boat and the air inflated drysuit has less distance over to the other side. I often one-hand dog paddle over to the other side if stuck. Once upon a time, I saw Jed demonstrate an underwater skull, starting from floating on one side of the boat, skulling under it to the other side and rolling up. Besides being handy, it forces you to have a good skull. Scott

Just a note: I suspect the reason David is thinking of a test fire is that flares have an expiration date of three years. The expiration date is printed on each flare. Good time of year to check your flares (you carry at least the Coast Guard required minimum of three at all times don't you?). Get some new ones if yours are out of date. I keep my old ones on board in the day hatch as backups to the ones in my PFD pocket. Even new ones have a significant failure rate. At a past July 4 celebration (names withheld to protect the guilty), almost half of flares (some expired, some not) that were tested failed to fire. Published tests have similar failure rates. This is not reason to forget about flares but rather to carry extras. Besides, there is no guarantee somebody will see the first flare anyway. Scott

Mike: The coast guard requires a minimum of three flares and they are therefore usually sold in sets of three. Plan on about $20 for a set. Scott

Passing 3 Star with Steve requires a lot of attention, practice and dedication. Congratulation! Now go out and enjoy paddling! Scott

The following is a true story: When Brian does the January outfitting workshop, he stays with us since it's just down the road. So two years ago, as we groggily stumbled around on Sunday morning (no it was not excessive imbibation but rather a late night of Shakesphere after what was apparently a very early morning loading up in NH), I offered to fix lunch for Brian since he was so much in demand at the workshop. As one always interested in food as long as it is prepared by someone else (see the remainder of this thread for evidence), it took Brian about a half a second to say yes. So I fixed him a tuna sandwich that Brian swore was the BEST TUNA sandwich he'd eaten in his whole life! The recipe: Tuna, water packed Gray's Dijon mustard Hellman's mayo Celery, diced fine Capers, minced Salt Fresh ground black pepper and.....ONION! The secret? The right proportions. As in most recipes, if you can taste an ingredient, you've probably added too much. I grate the onion superfine so it is basically a surypy paste and only put in a quarter or a third of a teaspoon. Not enough to taste oniony but it is essential to give a full, savoriness to the tuna. The celery for the earthy flavor and the crunch. The capers, also very minimal, are add depth to the perfect tuna sandwich. (And light on the mayo and mustard, too, so the dominant flavor is the tuna, not the condiments.) Put on wholewheat, unsweatened sourdough bread (Baldwin Hill in my case) lightly toasted and top off with Romaine lettuce for crunch and to keep the bread from getting soggy. Good enough to get Brian to rave about tuna and onions. Scott

Besides Brian's wise comments, I'd add a couple of suggestions and two small difference of opinion. Besides NSPN practice sessions at lakes, you might consider a day or two of instruction at area outfitters. While we have many experienced paddlers in the club, the outfitters do it for a living and you can help you make a lot of progress in a day or two. One caution is that they may be oriented toward closed cockpit kayaks so check with them if you want to paddle your sit on top. A couple of outfitters near Boston that historically have garnered good comments from NSPN members include: Charles River Canoe and Kayak in Newton and ERBA up in Essex. There are others in southern Maine, Buzzards Bay and Rhode Island. Look on the Links section of this website for more outfitters. Post back on the board if you see something you like and want to get advice. By all means, go on Level 2 trips. They require minimal experience and you can learn a lot from just paddling with others. Besides the point is to have fun. Realize, however, that most but not all paddlers in the club paddle kayaks that are significantly longer than your Frenzy. It can be a suitable boat for the protected water that Level 2 trips typically take, but it may be slower than the longer boats. So discuss it with the trip leader to see if it will be an issue for the goals of the trip. The vast majority of club members do not own a drysuit and paddle May to September with wetsuits. Brian is correct that New England waters stay cold most of the year, but his preference for drysuits is somewhat biased by his habit of being upside down in the water (strictly for fun). You will probably stay upright most of the time, so a wetsuit is insurance in case you capsize. If you capsize, you will get cold in a wetsuit but mostly likely safe from hypothermia. Brian is correct that paddling a sit on top means you are more exposed so you would likely want more protective clothing than in an enclosed kayak such as a wetsuit with long legs. As an informal rule of thumb, on club trips we require drysuits if the water temperatures are under 50 degrees, full wetsuits and paddle jackets if the water is under 60 degrees, and shortie wetsuits or comparable protection for water in the 60s. Brian's comment is that New England ocean water north of Cape Cod is only above 60 in July and August. As a reference, the water temps off Marblehead today was 57 degrees. To your current gear you should definitely add a paddle jacket and in colder weather wear polyester underwear under the 'shorty' wetsuit. If it gets windy and you get wet, you can get hypothermia even if it is summer. Don't forget a good hat, sunglasses and sunblock during the summer. Also, don't forget to pack a full set of warm, dry clothing (fleece is best) as well as a full set of wind/rain gear to go over it. Don't forget a warm hat. Get a drybag to keep it in. If you ever capsize and get hypothermic, spare clothing is essential. As for the radio, it can be a real lifesaver if you are in trouble. However, it does cost more than $200 and the majority in the club do not have one. I'd spend my dollars on more basic gear first, such as flares (Coast Guard requires them), a light (in case you stay out after dark), good protective gear (like a paddle jacket) and equipment you may need to do rescues. You certainly do not need a radio to be safe on the water. And to get a little perspective, if you are plunking around on protected waters, the above may seem like overkill and can be. The more active paddlers in the club plead guilty to being gear crazy. The point, however, is that the next trip or the one after that you may go a little further and the weather may turn a little worse a little faster and soon you are in a situation where you wished you were prepared. We try to be very safety conscious in the club and it is good to develop the practice of carrying the essentials every trip. See the link for equipment on this website for more things to think about. Enjoy the paddling! Scott

Adam: I have a heat gun that may be closer to you than Liz's. I'll be back on Friday if you want to hook up. Scott

I've replaced all my british backbands with Bomber Pro and been very happy: dense foam, good support, takes a beating: http://www.bombergear.com/5110.html Feedback on Paddle.net has some criticisms, primarily that the buckles slip. I've never had the problem. However, they have corroded in the salt water (despite regular rinsing) and I can't move them now. (No problem for me). I've heard good things about Immersion Research. Scott

We have a couple of slots available on our NSPN July 4 weekend trip to Bailey Island in eastern Casco Bay. We'll be there July 1-4. (Note Calendar posting is in wrong month: it should be July 1, not June 1. If interested, RSVP to scamlin@restructassoc.com. ****************************************** Does your spouse or partner languish at home while you are out kayaking? Does he/she roll his/her eyes when you mention tides and wind conditions? Do you keep your spare sleeping bag in the doghouse just in case? If so, then this relaxed weekend of paddling and shore-based activities may rescue your relationship! The key is civilized accommodations and lots to keep a non-kayaker happy. We will stay at the Driftwood Inn, a rustic Maine inn perched on rocks with the surf crashing at our feet. Bailey’s Island is at the end of a long neck of islands stretching out into eastern Casco Bay. Fully exposed to the sun, wind and salt air, it can be an idyllic place to relax, read a book and enjoy the Maine islands. The Driftwood Inn is a bit of an artist’s hideaway: many guests come to paint and some leave their work hanging on the walls of the inn. Others contemplate the ocean from rocking chairs on the porch or wander up the shore along a conversation trail. If you are looking for shops and excursions, Alice can point you in the right direction. The Inn offers breakfast and dinner in its old-fashioned dining room, but don’t be late or you’ll miss out! There are also several restaurants in the area. Paddlers can launch onto a small protected cove from a cobble beach right behind the Inn. Each day, we will organize level 3 and level 4 trips as participant interest indicates. Level 2 trips are possible on the inner waters of eastern Casco Bay. Among the possibilities: visit the museum at Eagle Island (summer home of Admiral Peary), cruise under the world’s only cribstone bridge, make an open ocean crossing to Cape Small and Hermit’s Island. Last year, we practiced seal landings on the rocks below the Inn and entertained the crowds with stupid kayak tricks in the cove. While ambitious journeys may tempt some, long lunches and occasional naps are likely. You are welcome to come for some or all of the weekend. While we have reserved rooms at the Inn, you will need to make your own reservations at the Inn. Room rates are $95-110 per night (we will try to arrange a discount). Breakfast at the Inn is $5 and dinner $10-15. We will likely eat at area restaurants some of the nights. The Inn is family friendly, so bring the kids. You can come for some or all of the weekend. And of course, you are welcome without a spouse or partner—and even if your partner paddles!

Just a reminder to sign up for the Level 4 Solstice trip out of Marblehead this Saturday. The level 4 trip will be one of three trips on Saturday (see Calendar for other trips). We'll paddle out of Riverhead Beach, past Cat Island and out to the interesting waters around the Gooseberries in outer Salem Sound. We'll likely return around the outside of Marblehead Neck to Deveraux Beach and the takeout to the equipement demo and picnic. Total distance about 10 miles. While this is not an especially challenging trip, we may encounter strong winds, swells, breaking waves and confused seas. It is also an exposed trip which will require open crossings of over a mile. The usual skills and equipment will be expected We'll leave at 10 AM sharp and return by 4 PM. Please get to the putin early to get a parking space (it will be crowded). RSVP to Scott at scamlin@restructassoc.com Scott Camlin

Ben: The key in your description is the rain gutters. I sadly had my 1989 Camry wagon with 211K miles towed to the junkyard in January after not one but two accidents in the space of 10 days. In my view, it was the perfect kayak car. I looked closely at many vehicles, all wagons, because they have lower roofs, good storage, easy on the enviornment and, ideally, a place to stand out of the rain (under the rear door). In a pinch, you can sleep in one. Here's what I found: no mainstream wagons have rain gutters anymore. Most wagons are equipped with roof racks, but they start at the rear of the front door opening and by the time they swoop up enought to get a bracket on them, you're just about at the door post. This effectively puts the kayak 12-18" further back on the vehicle compared with a rain gutter attachment. As a result, the weight (not to mention the center of pressure) no longer centered on the vehicle and the kayak sticks out further in back. If it had rain gutters, you could put it further forward. Also, the rear door doesn't swing up as far because the fatter part of the kayak is sticking out in back. What did I get? A Passat wagon. Beth, junking her 1989 Camry wagon a month later, got a Suburu Outback. Both are serviceable but suffer the roof rack problem above. (I'll skip the rant about no room under the seats, under the back floor, or--on the Passat--to put cups and other stuff on the console.). Note the Outback in particular has a rear door that bends in at the bottom, making it virtually impossible to access the rear cargo space when a kayak is on the rack. If I had to do it again, I'd probably get a Saab 9-5 wagon which has the most robust rack of them all, reasonable space and more storage under the rear floor. I saw several 3 year old ones coming off lease for under $20K. If you're patient, you can get a low mileage one; I couldn't wait and got the Passat instead. I like it except for the seat which I find fairly uncomfortable. Another thing to watch for is whether the rear seats fold all the way to create a completely flat floor. Surprisingly, many wagons, including my Passat and a fancy Audi Allroad (A6 with variable height) leave the seat backs canted up about 15-20 degrees. Too bad Toyota stopped making wagons in 1996, just about the time the started making a comeback. Scott

Les: I've been going over our choices since Saturday and can add the following: We considered several evacuation options, including carrying her up some steep, narrow and winding cement stairs to a house (about 80-100 feet above the beach), paddle back to a beach east of the lighthouse (steep rocky beach with uncertain access to the parking lot), continue around the corner to one of the yatch clubs, and paddle back to the launch. Our focus was on minimizing movement of Leslie and secondarily minimizing time. All of the land options involved moving her up stairs, beaches and/or ramps. The launch at Riverhead Beach involved minimal distance and elevation from the kayak (In fact the distance from boat to car was about 15 feet). We estimated that by the time we figured out how to get Les up to the top of the cliff, called for a cab or waited for someone to paddle back to the launch and shuttle her car over, and got her back to the launch, we could have paddled back. We also were adverse to getting her in and out of vehicles too many times. The paddle back seemed the least movement and no more time than the other options. That much said, we identified the lighthouse beach and/or yatch clubs as bail out points should something go wrong. We conferred with Les at each decision point and agreed to continue on. The paddle around the point was bumpy due to reflected swell but it was 6-8 minutes by the time we turned the corner to calmer water inside the harbor--an eternity when you're in pain I'm sure. We could see her behavior change once underway but as Les says, even though we talked with her throughout, it took some time before her nausa became clear. I'm not sure I'd take the water option if we had it to do over again. Although there was little indication of how Les' condition would change once on the water, we should always consider whether the person condition can change. Obviously, we had a lot less options for dealing with things like vomiting, fainting or worse on the water than on land. However small the chance of significant deterioration of condition, I'm thinking the prudent thing would be to remain on land. I for one was thinking that while painful, the ligament damage was structural and stable. John appropriately checked several times for the indicators of more unstable injuries (mobility, circulation, nerve damage, etc.). I did not consider that pain itself or delayed shock might trigger an unstable condition. (I don't think Les was in classic shock in a physical sense: her description is more the mental shock of denial and reduced awareness). Given that we decided to paddle back, in retrospect I wish we had tried to stablize Les' leg in the boat. We offered several times on the beach to bind or immobilize the leg, but Les did NOT interested want anyone touching her leg. But once in the boat, some padding or bracing would have been helpful. Perhaps a paddle float or dry bag under the knee would have given her some relief. I for one was unclear which position was least painful (apparently leg slightly bent), which highlights the importance of careful communication. Of course, fiddling with padding in the cockpit would involve moving her leg around more and eat up a lot of time. As for the launch, the method devised was to get her in the boat on the beach. Four people then dragged boat to the water and waded in holding two on each side through the surf up to about chest deep, pretty much through the surf, and then shoved her completely out of the surf zone. It was as quick and non-eventful as Les describes. There was no tow line attached to the boat through the surf (remember: lines in the surf are dangerous). We wanted to keep her completely stable and not depend on her bracing or paddling at all. Bill Gwynn and I were on the water just outside the break zone, one on either side as Les came through. I don't remember Bill using a line at all: I think Les simply held onto Bill's grab lines at his bow for the 30 foot reverse tow out to where we rafted up. (Bill can correct me on this). From there it was a simple matter for John and Deb to come out, hook up the tow and we were off. Les' description of her evolving mental state raise a fundamental dilemma of any accident or rescue situation: how to allow the person affected to retain control or at least choices over what happens to them while taking into consideration the possibility of unacknowledged reduction in capacity to make decisions or even give accurate information? There is no easy answer to that one except to always be mindful of it while not discounting or ignoring the person needing help. To illustrate: On the phone tonight with Les, I told her that while both John and I repeatedly advised her at the take out to go an emergency room to get her knee checked, we acknowledged to each other that we would probably do the same thing she did (go home, rest, see how it felt and call the doctor if it didn't get better). Les' willingness to share her story gives us some insight into what goes on for the person in this kind of situation and we're all wiser for it. Thanks, Les. Scott

Becky: The more popular public sites are likely to be full up if you go on a Saturday night in late July. If you can't get there Friday night, go up early Saturday, paddle directly to your chosen island and hope there is a spot to set up a tent mid-day. Then go off for your paddle in the afternoon. Note that many island sites in Muscongus Bay have posted capacity limits that should be observed. If you join the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA), there are a number private islands in Muscongus Bay that are available only to members of the association. See the link below for information; you can join on-line. www.mita.org Members get a guidebook with each site on the trail with information and restrictions. It also includes a lot of useful information about paddling the Maine coast.

Also, if you ever have to patch the glass, it won't stick so well either. You'd have to grind or sand it off to get down to bare glass/resin. But silicone itself will stick just fine. Scott

MIKCO is still very much in operation, though with the loss of their boathouse, with more custom trips and instruction. The lack of a website is a web thing, not the business. Scott