scamlin

The MITA website has an article on Harbor Seals and Small Boats: http://www.mita.org/learn/history/seals Besides useful info for small boaters, it has these numbers to contact for live strandings: From Kittery to Rockland, call the Marine Animal Lifeline's 24-hour Rescue Hotline pager at 851-6625 (you will not need to dial 207 in Maine). From Rockland to the Canadian border, call Allied Whale, College of the Atlantic, at (207) 288-5644. Not sure if they take calls about dead seals, but imagine they would be interested for research purposes and probably can tell you if there is a number to report dead animals. Scott

Leon: On average, the flood and ebb at the mouth of Plum Is. Sound are about the same (1.6 KT flood, 1.5 KT ebb). On some tides, the current gets to 2.1 KT or more, but only once or twice a month. The NOAA current and tide charts for Oct 16 show max flood is about 3 hours after low water, and the max ebb about 2:40 after high water. (Only checked today's predications, so not entirely sure it generalizes.) For planning purposes, use a rule of thumb that the current reverses about an hour after high and low water. There are weak eddies against either shore, and it's common for the current to be running in many different directions at the same time during the period an hour either side of high or low water. See Current and Tide charts for comparison. Average Currents http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/currents11/tab2ac2.html#8 Current Oct 16 http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/get_predictions.shtml?year=2011&stn=2652+Portland&secstn=Plum+Island+Sound+%28south+end%29&thh=%2B0&thm=12&tlh=%2B0&tlm=37&hh=*0.94&hl=*0.94&footnote= Tides Oct 16 http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/get_predc.shtml?year=2011&stn=5054+Boston+Harbor&secstn=Plum+Island+Sound+entrance+&sbfh=%2B0&sbfm=36&fldh=%2B0&fldm=50&sbeh=%2B0&sbem=48&ebbh=%2D0&ebbm=07&fldr=1.5&ebbr=1.2&fldavgd=316&ebbavgd=184&footnote= As for where a tidal race might be located--there are ripples many places where the water passes over a shallow sand bar, but you'd be hard put to find a real tidal race, in the sense of standing waves and eddies. The only place that has reliable standing waves from tidal action (and they are small--a foot or less) is a small patch of maybe 50 yards on the flood at the southern-eastern tip of the island, as you round and head up the shore to the north. You're not going to do much surfing on them. I don't recall quite as much a fuss on the ebb in the same spot. You will find some 1-2 foot or even 3 foot wind waves set up when the wind is against the current. Last year at the Cold Water Workshop, for instance, the trip from Pavilion Beach across the cove south of the House on Plum Is. was sporty with tightly spaced 2+ foot waves coming down the sound against the flood. An hour or so later, with the same NW wind but slack water, it was completely flat. Not sure if this answers your question. Scott

Yes, Joel is doing deep discounts to move stock of all kinds. But he's not moving New England Small Craft (NESC) very far: just to the other, sunnier side of the building (his version of solar heating). He complains he's too old to run a business, which is why he needs to get rid of the stuff rather than move it. But after watching him single-handedly load a 14' Hobie fishing kayak into his pickup, plus assorted other gear, I realize the getting old is an excuse: he really just wants to go fishing. By the way, while he's moving to Hobies as new boats, he's likely to still sell sea boats on consignment. And he will continue to have all the accessories for sea boats, just not the new boats.

The other ICOM in common use is the M88. It's a compact model with very long battery life and a range of features. It's $50-60 more than the M72 due to size and more features. Easily fits in a PFD pocket. I like it a lot. http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|301236|29102|441543&id=161689 I got two of them five or six years ago: one died of physical abuse, but the other is still going strong despite being worn on a PFD shoulder strap or in a PFD pocket, in water and out. I do wash in fresh water after every trip. Scott

I've used the Yakima system for years: the racks themselves (posts and bars) have locks built in. Many but not all of the attachments can also be locked to the bar. Yakima sells lock cores in sets, so you can get enough for all your gear and the rack itself keyed to one key. See: http://www.yakima.com/shop/rack-systems/ for photos. While on the subject of locking, I learned something from Joel at NESC this past weekend: the Lasso brand cable locks for kayaks come in two sizes: touring kayaks and tandem kayaks. Needless to say, the tandem has larger loops at the ends, so they will not work for a touring kayak. Scott

It's been a while since this has been posted here, so a gentle reminder for members of the Maine Island Trail Association: While the public islands on the Maine Island Trail are, well, public and anyone can visit, the private islands are placed on the Trail by their owners with the understanding they will be listed only in the MITA Guidebook for use by current MITA members. That means that we should refrain from mentioning private islands in public discussions, such as postings on the NSPN message board. While some island owners would have no problem, others may feel their property is being publicized to non-members in a way they didn't expect or want. It's easy to be enthusiastic about the Trail and want to talk about it with other boaters. We just need to do it in a way that honors MITA's commitments to the generous owners who agree to let total strangers enjoy their islands. Any MITA member, including me, would be happy to chat about MITA sites offline via email. Or simply call the MITA office for advice. Thanks for your consideration and support. Scott

Tom: I'd be interested in your experience at Libby Campgrounds: based on a GoogleEarth look, it appeared to be wall-to-wall RVs with no place to take out given the bluff. How did you land? Where did you camp? Thanks, Scott

Phil: MITA is currently working hard on developing camping and day use sites on the southern Maine coast, Portsmouth to Portland. We've identified a number of potential sites, but we're months away from confirming them. I'm one of the co-chairs for the project. Ed's suggestion of Cape Neddick Campgrounds is a good one: there is a gravely beach up Neddick Harbor to the left just inside Route 1 that appears to be a good take out. Not sure if they welcome kayak campers as I've not scouted it yet. Another option that I can suggest is a commercial campground in Wells: Ocean View Campground. It's about a mile up a salt creek in the Rachael Carson refuge in Wells Harbor. You can land at the foot of a grassy hill and carry to the tent sites. Call and ask for Todd, one of the owners I spoke with when scouting in June. http://oceanviewcampground.com/ I'll connect off line for more options. If anyone wants to get involved in scouting or simply offering suggestions for camping and day use locations, please let me know. Our current focus is Kittery and York/Ogunquit/Wells, but any ideas or contacts east of Cape Porpoise would welcome. Scott

Heard about this accident over the weekend but have not seen it posted here. Here is the newspaper write up: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/former_agawam_man_eric_hogan_d.html And a good analysis with more details about conditions: http://touringkayaks.com/blog3/2011/06/%E2%80%98perfect-storm%E2%80%99-of-conditions-leads-to-kayaker-death/ A real tragedy. Scott

Cape Pier Lobster at Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport. You can paddle up next to the town wharf, leave the boats at the top of the beach, then enjoy lobster on the deck across the parking lot. Great stop for a trip among the 14 islands owned by the Kennebunkport Convservation Trust and on the Maine Island Trail. Three of the islands are camping (but watch for brown tail caterpillars on Vaughn). The Cape Porpoise area dries out completely except for the channel at low tide. The good news is that the channel leads right up to the wharf; bad news is the beach dries out at low tide so you'll have a walk and I don't know the bottom to the low tide line. http://www.capeporpoiselobster.com/t-capepier.aspx Scott

Amen on the low blood surgar--and as Rick says diabetics will really get the umbles when they crash. Also, want to second Ed's advice on insulation from the ground: when we do the Wilderness First Aid scenarios in early spring outdoors, we are reminded that when you lay on the cold much less wet ground, in minutes your body temp will plummet. 1" of foam makes a huge difference. Hot sugary drinks work, just watch the crash about 30 minutes later (insulin spikes, metabolizes the sugar, etc.). Scott

David: Good to work with you on the water. Below are the online resources we covered in the April 10 workshop. You may find it useful to cut and paste into a Word document for easier reference: you can just click on the links. It's not the "knowledge on using a chart and compass together" you asked for--that was covered in John Huth's workshop earlier in March--but rather how to find the information you need for pre-trip planning. Chart reading and topo map reading are not that much different: mostly it's the symbols that differ so you just need to get to know them. The best source on the symbols is the U.S. Coastal Chart No. 1 maintained and published by NOAA: the link leads to a pdf file of the entire publication. While it has everything (in color) and is free, many boaters find the paper version more useful to refer to while reading charts. The charts themselves are available as RNC files you can download from NOAA for free (see below). You will need a viewer such as the Chart Navigator, also available from the publisher for free (again see below). The knowledge? I guess it's also free, but takes a bit of work to acquire. Scott NSPN Pre-Trip Planning Workshop Online Resources April 10, 2011 Forecasts and Predictions National Weather Service Marine Forecasts http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/box/ NOAA Tide Predictions http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tides11/tpred2.html#MA Tide Prediction Changes 2010 to 2011 http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tides11/tide11changes.shtml NOAA Current Predictions 2011 http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/currents11/ National Data Buoy Center Wind, wave heights, wave periods, air temps, water temps, etc. at buoys in New England http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/obs.shtml?lat=41.640078&lon=-69.971924&zoom=7&type=h&status=r&pgm=&op=&ls=false Chart Sources NOAA RNC Chart Home Page Starting point for NOAA charts. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm NOAA RNC Chart Downloader http://www.charts.noaa.gov/RNCs/RNCs.shtml Link to download page for free NOAA charts in RNC format. NOAA RNC Charts/Free Demo Viewers List of "free" viewers on the NOAA site (not all links work). http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm Alternate listing of RNC Charts Another list of free viewers. http://www.navsoftware.com/charts/rnc.php MapTech Chart Navigator Viewer (ftp) Application to view RNC charts on your computer; this is the ftp download page on Chart Navigator's own website. ftp://ftp.maptechnavigation.com/ Source for Chart Navigator Another download source for Chart Navigator. http://findfiles.com/list.php?string=CHTNAV_ENGLISH.exe&size=48888832&db=Mirrors NOAA Online Chart Viewer NOAA's own website for online chart viewing. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/OnLineViewer.html Google Earth: Earth Gallery A third party source for charts as overlays on Google Earth; the charts are a transparent layer over the satellite view. Also, has map and topo layers which makes it an extremely useful tool for planning trips as you have four or five views of the area, each with different information. Search “EarthNC NOAA Charts”, then View or Download Other Resources U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center Starting point for Coast Guard resources. http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/ Local Notice to Mariners LNM is the weekly update on all CG information of use to mariners, everything from changes in the status of lights (out, moved, etc.) to bridge repairs, dredging, changes in channel markers, whale restrictions, etc. Everything, updated weekly. http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lnmMain Current Light Lists A comprehensive list of all aids to navigation. http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=lightLists NOAA Office of Coastal Survey http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/cpdownload.htm U.S. Coastal Chart No. 1 Lists, pictures and explanations of all symbols used on NOAA charts. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/chartno1.htm#toc Coastal Pilot 1 Comprehensive description of all coastal U.S. for mariners: hundreds of pages of info of use to boaters. http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/coastpilot_w.php?book=1 MA Coastal Zone Management – MORIS (Ocean Resource Mapping) MA gov mapping site with dozens of layers of data in GIS format. http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/map_ol/moris.php?Yes=Yes Maine Island Trail – Online Guide Guide to 192 camping and day use islands and mainland sites on the Maine coast, plus launch sites, marinas, etc. Ten state sites available to public; current membership required for access to the rest (same info as in the paper Guide with sites shown on NOAA charts). www.mita.org Boating Access MA Office of Fishing and Boating Access Lists and maps of launch sites. http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/pab/pab_facilities.htm MA Coastal Zone Management – Coastal Public Access Sites Viewer Online viewer of access sites. http://maps.massgis.state.ma.us/czm_access_locator/viewer.htm MA Coastal Zone Management – Coast Guide Guide MA coast. http://www.mass.gov/czm/coastguide/online/index.htm

Jason: Because it was a silent auction at the location, they didn't announce winning bids that night and I don't think they are planning to post the them. I'll check. Scott

Jason: Not sure what kind of results you're looking for. Auction was a success: all but a small handful of the 60 or so items were sold. Haven't heard the total net fund raising for MITA but it had to be in the thousands of dollars. Over 200 people attended the film festival, who had a lot of fun socializing and watching the films. A guy drove over from New Hampshire specifically to bid and win John Carmody's donation of two days of private advanced instruction. Someone else got a good deal on an all-carbon Lendal. There were at least a half dozen pieces of original artwork in the auction, along with ski condos at Sunday River, rounds of golf and other non-paddling swag. Beth and I won an overnight in an inn on North Haven. It took a lot of work from MITA staff and trustees, plus generous donations from supporters, for which we are grateful. Scott

Carl: Thanks for the pics. Just curious, though, why you no longer play the ebb at the Race? Scott

We're starting a new thread to encourage people to RSVP if they are coming to the CAM workshop this Saturday. If you have already responded on the previous thread, no need to confirm here, unless plans have changed. If not, please RSVP here so we know how many handouts to copy. Date: Saturday, April 28 Time: 10 AM - 4 PM Location: Gould Barn, 1 Howlett St., Topsfield MA Lunch: Potluck Bring: Notepaper and pen/pencil This workshop is designed to get club members up to speed on trips using the Common Adventure Model (CAM) that the club follows. We will describe the CAM model and practices, go into detail on expectations of trip initiators and participants, as well as how to work as a group when on the water. Bring your questions, ideas for trips and own experience to share. Here's the program for the day: CAM Trips (Classroom) 1. CAM trips: principles and practices 2. Trip Selection 3. Conditions and Route Planning 2. Pre-Trip Prep and checklist 3. Beach briefing and equipment check 4. Moving On the Water 5. Trip Scenarios 6. Emergencies/Incident Management Any questions, please post here. Scott

Just a reminder about the MITA 4th Annual Paddle Film Festival tomorrow, April 28. It's in Portland and last year it was the social scene of the season. Food and cash bar at 5 PM, then the paddling porn starts at 6:30 PM. http://www.mita.org/node/7419 This year, MITA is also running a Silent Auction to help support the Trail. Many interesting items such as two days of private instruction with John Carmody, a lobster bake for 8 on Little Diamond (wine included), kayak tours and lessons, golf, massage, inns, dinners, art, paddling swag and a helicopter ride. For those who cannot travel to Portland, it's possible to submit your Absentee Bidding and still be in the running. http://www.mita.org/auction Scott

John: The idea of extending the Maine Island Trail to NH, MA and beyond comes up regularly in MITA circles, including strategy sessions of the Board of Trustees. I can tell you that for the foreseeable future, MITA is committed to developing the Trail within the State of Maine. As America's first water trail, we field inquiries and visits every year from groups interested in starting trails in their own regions. MITA staff provide advice and moral support and would encourage and cooperate with groups wanting to build trails in the rest of New England. So while MITA is willing to provide support, it's up to to paddlers and other boaters in MA, NH and the rest of New England. One of the challenges in southern New England would be the fact that there are relatively few island and even fewer wild places. In part, this is due to development--on average a lot more densely populated--and partly due to geography--predominantly sandy shores, barrier beaches and low hills. That's true of the southern Maine coast as well, which is why our current initiative to fill in the Trail from Portland to Kittery will be a long process. Scott

One of the criticisms of past kayak legislation is that it illogically singled out kayakers, despite the fact that canoeists have at least as high a death rate, and the fact that small power boaters in aggregate have many, many more accidents and deaths. Also, the difficulty of trying to define a kayak. At least this legislation covers all boaters, so we can focus on the freedom vs. safety tradeoffs, not the discrimination toward kayakers. Also, for once, the kayak community is not the only one speaking up. Scott

To illustrate the comments above, in the trip pre-planning workshop yesterday, we were looking at the NOAA tables for currents and noted that for some locations, the column for slack water had currents listed--meaning there is no slack at all. In fact, the complex mix of currents is three dimensional: not just ebbs and flows occurring simultaneously in the same channel, but also surface water going one way and deeper water going the other. I imagine it's a combination of different densities due to temperature and (in rivers) salinity, plus momentum as local circulation patterns emerge to allow flows to pass each other rather than collide. The physics of fluids and turbulence is one of the more difficult natural phenomena to model. Scott

Thanks to Rob for posting this workshop. Sorry for the short notice, but we had difficulty locating an appropriate venue. This workshop is not officially part of the CAM series later in April and in May, but more of a prep for those who feel they need more background. A little more detail: Date: Sunday, April 10 Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Location: Gould Barn, 1 Howlett St, Topsfield, MA Potluck lunch. Bring your own charts, reference books, chart software and favorite online resources. Bring a laptop if you have wireless internet access as you will be able to surf during the workshop. RSVP here please so we can get a headcount for handouts. Pre-Trip Planning Workshop What kind of preparation and planning should a NSPN paddler do before a CAM trip? The club expects each member of a CAM trip to be personally familiar with the trip area as well as conditions expected for the trip. But how do you do that? This workshop focuses on getting this basic information before heading out as well as doing more serious research for extended trips. We will cover some of the following topics: • Planning overview. Environmental factors and basic principles of what causes conditions on the water. • Nautical charts. Where to get them, chart symbols, how to read charts, how to infer likely conditions. We will provide online sources of NOAA charts. • Tides and Currents. Where to find tide and current predictions for the area of the paddle and how to interpret the information to predict conditions. • Weather. Where to find marine forecasts and how to combine them with other information to predict conditions. • Other resources. Coastal pilots, light lists, Notice to Mariners, cruising guides, etc. • Local information. Launch sites, public sites, public access, etc. • Online resources. Google Earth including NOAA and topographic overlays, online mapping services, MITA Online Guide, etc. • Route planning. Based on all predicted conditions, plan routes given trip goals and experience of participants. Includes planning for contingencies (changed conditions, bail out points, etc.) This workshop is hands on. While we will provide a lot of information, the spirit is sharing what people know. While suited for all levels of experience, it is especially aimed at paddlers who want to participate in CAM trips, but are relatively new to charts and marine forecasts, how to find them and interpret them. This is not a navigation class (we won’t be teaching compass reading, course headings, piloting, etc.), but rather planning for the paddling environment. This workshop is designed to prepare club members to take part in the CAM workshops later in the spring which will focus on the trip itself.

A few more tips for the burrito wrap method: 1. Never pee on the newspaper (that's what the ground is for); wet newsprint falls apart. And one layer is enough for poo, really. 2. Mineral oil-based newsprint can leave a black ring in the toilet bowl; use newspapers with soy-based ink instead. Mineral-based newsprint is the kind that comes off on your hands when you read it (think NYT). 3. A fully loaded burrito is likely to clog the toilet, which will unnecessarily discourage you from using this very practical method. The key is to launch the burrito from the zip lock bag into the bowl and let it soak for 10-20 minutes. Newsprint disintegrates (the more folds the longer it takes) and flushes easily. Breaking up the package with a stick, coat hanger, etc. will speed the disintegration and ensure a smooth flush. Best part about the crap wrap method? It's extremely low tech. It's cheap. You don't have to think about procuring it: you probably have the pieces in your house now. If you forget, you can buy the stuff in any grocery or convenience store on the way to the put in. It is hands down the smallest package to carry (I stick extra sets into my daypack and my car). I've used it about as often at put ins as on the actual trip. It's the smallest package to carry full (size increases only as used). Can be disposed anywhere there is a toilet. Scott

And, the light called for is a "rotating" (Flashing or physically rotating?) YELLOW light. A yellow light could cause confusion. A flashing light is a distress signal; running lights are steady lights. So this one is redundant, confusing and in conflict with CG regs. Write your rep: it's how the last one got killed. Scott

We've been hearing about cowboy rescues and ladder rescues in recent years. Similar self-rescues where the capsized paddler scrambles back into the kayak without a float or a roll. The difference is the cowboy is from the side while the ladder is from the stern. Some like them and some disparage them as "party tricks" meant for flat water only. I came across a couple of clips demonstrating they are useful in conditions. Note in both cases the key is to keep the legs in the water and the torso tight to deck--both which keep the center of gravity low. The cowboy clip shows the value of a brace during the crux of putting the feet back in the cockpit. The ladder version shows it's possible without a brace. As usual, the techniques take practice. Cowboy rescue at Golden Gate: Ladder rescue in lumpy conditions: Food for thought. Scott