kate

Thanks for the report. I assure you that the wave is very retentive and fun in a ww boat. I think Mark's record for a single continuous surfing of the wave is something around 30 minutes. Like I said, not so much so in a larger boat. There's definitely a point at which it will wash you out hopelessly - because it's tidal and constantly changing. I know of no tidal rip in Mass/NH/SouthME that is better than this one. (you might be interested to watch the Wild Turkey Paddlers site for postings of group gatherings at Cohasset wave, often followed by grilling-picnics..) Here's one of my videos of the wave with some NSPN friends.: https://vimeo.com/29222494 and one that is older: https://vimeo.com/29216260 Kate

I've tried it. Really not a big enough wave to hold a sea kayak, and not much room to maneuver the boat through the many swirls and eddies. I found it frustrating and didn't take a long boat there a second time. Little Harbor is more fun in long boats. Also probably frozen right now. As always, YMMV on the fun factor, but my sea kayaking friends who go there always go in ww boats.

It is still very much a thing on the incoming tide. When it's not frozen. I haven't been down that way this winter, but given the amount of snow and cold we are still having, I wouldn't be surprised if chunks of ice are jammed in there right now. If you go, though, let us know how it is. It's my husband's fave place all summer.

I didn't read the report yet, just looked at the photos. Breathless. Absolutely breathless.

Choking up on the paddle would make it easier to control if wind is tugging on the blades. The farther the blade is from your hand, the more difficult it is to overcome the wind's force. #4 is one reason why I like a greenland paddle (less wind resistance) and why storm paddles are used (serves as both #4 and #2). It might be boat-specific but I find it less arduous to paddle directly into the wind. The slightest tack and I'm pushed farther and farther off-line, as more of the boat is exposed to the wind. Directly into the wind, only the width of the boat - 21" or so, instead of 17' - is exposed, and it's shaped to cut through water or wind. Personally, I would have started the trip on the upwind leg, thereby knowing that I'd definitely have the energy to make the return trip....

I lived in central Maryland and was an avid whitewater kayaker (that beginning is another tale) for about 10 years before the first big drought hit. Western Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, western PA - all the usual venues were dry. With no water in the rivers, a friend who had moved to my area of Maryland from Boston suggested I try sea kayaking in the Chesapeake Bay. Eh, it was okay, but when rain returned I was back to the rivers. I did a little more sea kayaking (none of it in the open ocean), and then a 5-day trip with Maine Island Kayak Co. in downeast Maine. That opened my eyes to the possibilities. Once I moved up to Boston, so close to the ocean, I split my free time between sea and whitewater kayaking. The Walden Pond Scum introduced me to the Greenland paddle. The sea/ww balance continued to skew more and more toward the ocean, until finally the only action my whitewater boat sees is at Cohasset Rip. Not an ultimate thriller by any means.... but it's been a happy process with many good friends and amazing places along the way.

I really enjoyed presenting to the very receptive audience (every one of whom is able to do that Fortune Bay trip!) and enjoyed even more hearing Melissa and Josko's talk. True wilderness expedition, done with a lot of planning and no small amount of guts, to a place that I've dreamed about for awhile now. I especially appreciated the glimpses into past lessons learned, and how they influenced this trip.

Just for the record, I have worn my OR rain jacket on the water in rain (admittedly won't fasten over pfd), and around camp as a windbreaker. Lot cheaper than a cag, but I know most people are very happy with their pumpkin costume

I too owned the PreCip jacket and used it for backpacking and kayaking trips for years. Finally the waterproofing failed and could not be revived. I figured I'd gotten my money's-worth and, after a lot of research on jackets, moved on to an Outdoor Research Revel, found inexpensively on Sierra Trading. It's more heavy-duty and has served me very well so far, in some extended heavy downpours. I have never been disappointed in OR gear, for the perfect balance of price and functionality.

Have not had any ear infections from these plugs, but your suggestion is a good one for those who are prone. k

Not sure this is what you have in mind, but I have come to rely on these Mighty Plugs earplugs to help me sleep when near the noise of waves on cobble, or in wind. Also helps with crinkling sounds of other people's sleeping pads or whatever. The regular foam earplugs don't work at all for me. I sent for a trial pack of every kind and size of earplug - some 40 different kinds - and these were the best for me. Close second was Mack's earplugs. Both these plugs mold over the outside of the ear opening, rather than being stuffed inside the canal. There's nothing better than getting a good night's sleep!

I have never used anything but heavy-duty trash bags slit open (biohazard bags work well). For the current tent, I used two, overlapped in the middle of the tent space. Whatever protrudes beyond the edge of the tent gets folded under (I once made the mistake of leaving those edges hanging out, which I will never do again!) The plastic lasts a very very long time, and folds up thin enough to place on the bottom of the kayak hatch unnoticed. It doesn't make any sound as I move around in the tent. Also works for multiple tents of about the same size. Never understood why one would buy a footprint, but then I'm a cheap old fogey.

Wow, that's a great first effort at videography, Warren! Nice job, and it reflects what you enjoy about kayaking with friends.

A very enjoyable read, here in my warm slippers and dry clothes. I give you big credit for heading out in the cold. Just one suggestion: pogies for Cathy. I am always astonished by how warm they are. No right or left hand issue, either

Regardless of where we go and how long the slog, I'd like to join you, before ski season trumps kayaking. I'll send you a PM to ask what is this thing called "float plan info". K

Thank you, Warren, for a fantastic presentation! Not to mention the demonstration of how to pack an expedition kayak in 5 minutes. I was impressed by your attention to every detail of the trip, which undoubtedly influenced the camaraderie of the group at the end. And also thanks to Kathy for excellent lasagna and dessert bread. A fine evening with good company. Kate

It looks like a marvelous destination. I wonder, is wind often an issue, given the long straight configuration of the lake along a northeast-southwest axis?

Josko, I happened upon Melissa's facebook photos of your trip to Labrador. What a spectacular trip! I am exceedingly envious. I hadn't realized it was just the two of you. Such beautiful austere places you paddled to. I can't wait to see your presentation in January. I have many questions!

I thought about doing the manicouagan ring as a 1-week circumnav, and researched it for some time. Finally decided not to, the photos I'd seen were pleasant enough but not really a dramatic place. A sort of sameness to it, throughout. The road there posed some issues too, large trucks not infrequently kicking up enough stone to break windshields, and sharp new gravel puncturing tires. I wasn't willing to travel it alone. The lake itself is certainly isolated though, if that is one's main desire.

Outer Hebrides (take me, Lorrie!) Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland (to see icebergs) Labrador anywhere south of polar bears Isle Royale, Lake Superior (I go hot and cold on this one) Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories (somewhere way far north in Canada but not as far as Great Bear Lake because that's just crazy talk) Prince of Wales Island, AK (going far out into dreamland...)

LOVED this trip report! What good weather you had. I am impressed by the 4-mile crossing - and by the boulders at Big Be-atch. It all looks so delightful (except for the 3-day-old Indian food) that I want to go right out and do it too. A trip well-planned and executed. (btw, I use a 15-degree mummy bag even mid-summer and have never been sorry for its warmth.) thanks for sharing, Kate

Yes, it's a huge difference between what I would tackle with a group and what I will do on my own. Much more conservative. I do a lot more early rising to paddle before the wind starts, in areas where wind/waves might create more risk than I am comfortable with. I carry a SPOT device and a radio (that's true for group trips too though). Fortune Bay was a really good solo venue because it was isolated and yet there was the ferry partway across the bay, and aquaculture here and there. I've changed my plans during past trips when shoals were worse than I'd envisioned - so being able to choose a different route due to weather or unexpected difficulty is something I look for. (It would make sense for a first solo trip to go somewhere you know, but I've never been able to say no to the allure of new territory.) Current doesn't worry me so much - there was the Bay of Fundy trip with the strongest currents I've encountered in a sea kayak, but then I come from a whitewater kayaking background and am comfortable in current. I try to find areas where there are multiple routes (clusters of islands, for example) - more exposed for good weather, less exposed for rough weather. I am really really careful when clambering from my boat onto rocks, and when moving around in camp. I practice rolls and braces a lot ahead of time. I'm doing these trips for fun, not to prove my mettle, and I try to always keep that in mind. Safety is absolutely priority one. That said, there's no such thing as risk-free.

I actually really enjoy the people interactions during these trips, few though they often are (perhaps because they are few). People are part of the world too. And yes, it's pleasantly different to be focusing less on people and more on everything else. (Maine's coast is fabulous, IMO - and, my personal appreciation of Maine in winter runs more to Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Saddleback.... ) Josko, I think Warren's your man for winter camping.

I suppose that in terms of human company, that's true. But honestly, I didn't feel alone at all. The whole world was there. Waves held their incoming-splash conversations, wind butted in and tried to snatch stuff away, a whole flock of chickadees gave their opinion of my campsite (didn't like it one bit), rocks felt like old old friends that I could always count on. The sky brought around clouds, stars, the full moon for visits. It seems like the longer I'm out there, the more I feel the good company of all things. Not to be all woo-woo or anything, just telling how it is for me. Try a solo trip, see how it is for you...