kate

Wonderful report from an admirable paddler. I feel certain there's another star in your future.... Kate

I'd like to put in a plug for Don Beale's paddles , two of which (storm paddle plus regular paddle) I have used exclusively for sea kayaking for the past 10 years for everything from day trips to surfing to expeditions. Not only are the paddles excellent and durable, but Don is a really kind and friendly human being. If you decide to purchase after all, I hope you'll consider his paddles.

I'm very glad you all found it useful. I have had a good time with it each year. Thanks for coming! Kate

Yes, aware of this one and aware of the gasket issues too. Hopes dashed ...

I've had several Pentax Optio's of various models, and then several Panasonic Lumix of various models. They all failed within 2 years. For the optio it was the gasket. For the lumix, it was corrosion of the aluminum case (hopeless in salt water). I gave up. Then my husband gave me a new lumix for Xmas so here we go again. The others have such egregious limitations in terms of quality of either video or photo that I wasn't interested. I'm still waiting for the industry to give us something with a decent gasket and a decent lens. kate

I third the suggestion to try whitewater paddling. You will learn a huge amount about how to read what the water is doing, how that affects your boat, and how to maneuver through it and use it. Okay, wait until it warms up a little. Then go visit Zoar and spend a weekend or two on the river. Before you know it, you'll be hunting out the roughwater places to go have some fun.

Please read my trip report, starting here: http://www.cathyhartland.com/mingan/mingan_bergeronnes.htm Paradis Marin is absolutely the best place to stay (camp) to see and kayak with whales, and the word is out about this place, so do make reservations early. You won't get in otherwise. I was lucky, going there slightly off-season. I did a day trip to the Saguenay and kayaked with belugas. You sure don't need an outfitter to do either of these locations. And you will almost certainly see whales. It's an astonishing experience. It took me 2 easy days to drive there, staying overnight at Sherbrooke, as detailed in the trip report http://www.cathyhartland.com/mingan/mingan_getthere.htm Hope the info in the report will convince you to go! Kate

Tie the kayak securely at night so it can't float away when the tide comes higher than expected. Have one breakfast that can be eaten on-the-go w/o cooking, in case of insane buggy location or the need to beat wind/bad weather. Mark chart with declination lines before starting trip. No need to add/subtract magnetic north from true north on the fly. And a contrarian suggestion which I ONLY use for expeditions: use a deck bag. Items to have immediately at hand: wool hat (in a ziplock bag), paddling gloves, ibuprofen, sunglasses, sunblock, foghorn, flashlight, quick-energy food, throw rope, multi-tool. I keep my backup GPS in there too (usually just use compass). I have never had this backfire on me or be a problem, even in surf landings. And I've been very glad to have quick access to these items, without popping a hatch cover. Kate (who is embarrassed to admit that she found out the hard way about keeping the tent zipped up while gone)

this is a pretty clear explanation glad you asked, because I didn't know either

Tragically fascinating. One misstep at the beginning and the rest of the tragedy followed inexorably.

I didn't know that! I think the term is commonly used to describe heat deformation, whether rightly so or not. I've never heard it used to refer to the phenomenon you describe, but it certainly makes sense.

I zigzag too, surfing and then turning and going back into the waves (which is more enjoyable than riding the troughs) and then surfing again. Little by little, headway is made, and it's mostly fun. As for finding a way to maintain a high angle - I agree with Rick that the boat makes a difference, and that there's a point beyond which no boat can go. Fun to keep exploring that edge though!

What boat were you paddling? A boat with a lot of rocker, and/or a high deck, and/or swedeform (more bow than stern) will catch more wind than a low-decked fishform kayak. I own a kayak that has all the catch-the-wind characteristics - and no skeg. I don't take it out in windy weather, just too much work (awesome surfer though). I have found one thing that helps: I load the front hatch with water bottles, rocks, anything heavy to weight it down so it doesn't act like a sail. Also, sitting more forward in the cockpit helps to shift the weight toward the wind-catching bow to hold it down. Sure, it's good to know how to paddle a kayak without the skeg, but it's there for a purpose. Why paddle all day on one side? Go ahead and deploy it. Kate

Really lovely ending to your story. Excellent list of goals, that will last for every trip you make. So glad you were able to do this trip, and then share it with us. k

I was fortunate that at Bay of Fundy I didn't have strong winds (in fact, I postponed the trip by several days due to a hurricane moving through). Much smaller body of water too, less volume and fetch. If I understand your scenario, seems to me that the waves are the more powerful force, so bracing into them would be the way to stay upright. Not rounding the headland - even better. Always preferable to make a good decision and avoid undesired risk. The difficulties at Fundy are with the very cold water (better have rescue skills down) and the strong and unpredictable currents (better have some whitewater skills down). (Well, and also navigating a seascape that looks radically different six hours later.) It's very much like paddling a river - a river that changes direction twice a day! Anyway, your SJI trip sounds much more challenging than my Deer Island trip. k

So happy for you, and envious of your trip! Looking forward to reading about it in more detail, and seeing pictures. Such a grand big world, so many places for kayaking.... Kate

Very nice photos, makes me want to go back again. Sorry to hear that puffins are so few at the Brothers Islands. When I was there in 2009 there was a cozy clump of them.

Enjoyable read, as always, Pru, with the added pleasure of the intercalated photos. I too was kayaking on Casco Bay on Saturday, inspired by your trip reports to check out the mid-section of the bay. My resulting trip report, apparently non-PC due to inclusion of the names of MITA islands (I simply took names from the chart, not knowing which are MITA and which are not), was disappeared from this site. Either that or I never actually hit the "submit" button - never been very good at submitting. Ah well, I posted the report on a less-scrupulous site here: http://www.wtpaddlers.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3228 I did see kayakers here and there, and was always sure they were you and Warren, even if there was only one kayaker. Somehow I assumed the second was back at camp awaiting the other's return. Reading your report, I realize that it was never the two of you, but even so I cling to my delusions. It was nice to see you! p.s. Warren, I'd enjoy hearing what TJ cuisine you demo'd, for my own future edification.

Delightful report, as always. You do have a way of bringing poetry and reality together in your reports, Pru. So glad the weather gods smiled on you. Sometimes it feels like all coastline is the twilight zone - my mind seems to fill in its own picture of what should be here, and then feels offended by the actuality. Mostly it thinks the destination should be much closer than it is. k

Spider pretty much said everything I was going to say. So please read it twice. Good format for the trip report - narrative punctuated by photos. Very enjoyable read, and makes me want to go there. I'll bring lots of oatmeal (I do love oatmeal for breakfast), and eat it probably half the mornings. Sometimes you just want to get up and out. Kate

It seems a pity that they received such short notice given their long occupancy of that space. Hard for a location-specific business to pick up and move in a few months during peak season. That seems just wrong to me. I'm sorry to hear it and I hope they come through it well.

Here's an unexpected one: Perhaps 6 months after posting the first Newfoundland trip report from 2008, I began receiving emails from people who either lived there, used to live there, or had family there. They wrote to thank me for reminding them of what it was they most loved about their island, and stated their intention to pass on the report to other friends/family. Clearly they did pass it on, as I received in excess of 150 emails from people all over the world, telling me the fond memories evoked by the photos in my report. One fellow said it was his uncle who had offered us a place to leave our car (and his phone number in case we needed help). Another told me about the person whose fishing cottage we stayed in for a night, and sent a news clip about an arson to that person's lobster pots. Yet another told me about ghost stories associated with one of the harbors we stayed in. Every email was a story of pride, nostalgia, gratitude. A few years later, a young man told me that he kept the trip report bookmark on his desktop as incentive for his intention to move back to Newfoundland. He said he'd been in an accident and had nearly died, and he promised himself that if he came through it, he and his wife would go back and buy a piece of land there and move back. I was very happy to meet with him and his wife last summer - just a few months in their new home - when I returned to Newfoundland, and I now count them as my friends. This is a reminder that we can't know how far the ripples of our actions will carry and who they will affect. Our goodwill comes back to us by unexpected routes. Lovely idea, Warren, to solicit these stories! k

That WAS pretty cool, and unexpected, Lorrie!

I love this sort of unexpected occurrence. One of life's great gifts. And Warren, you are a good ambassador for the joys of kayak-camping. I hope I can join one of your trips sometime. NK

At risk of being counterrevolutionary in the middle of the camping discussion, one of the books I refer to is "Hot Showers: Maine Coast Lodgings for Kayakers and Sailors" which includes campgrounds and launch sites. By Lee Bumsted. And yes, spider, that bird IS trying to poop on you. Blasted gulls.