Ben Fuller

Penobscot Marine Museum ( where I work) has been given two lightly used barely scratched kevlar Current Designs kayaks, a Gulfstream and a Slipstream. Decent Werner paddles with them as well. Asking $2000 for either with paddle; we could deal on both. I have pics and additional information and can put them on a rack for southern Maine or points as far down as Connecticut. Best to email me at bfuller@pmm-maine.org

Gempler's does not seem to be selling rolls of fluorescent plastic tape any more. Anyone found an alternate source? I am out and have some new paddles to tape.

Thanks

Ben

Did you notice that it says "Use indoors, unless noted"?

We have been using it in block form in lots of outdoor apps such as boat skids so I am not sure what the use indoors is. Maybe the adhesive. I don't understand the use of velcro tape and other rough stuff for keel strips; seems to me that these are pretty draggy. Packing tape has no abrasion resistance and not much strength.

I am going to order some up and try it out.

Ben

Has anyone tried Ultra High Molecular Weight plastic tape? Better abrasion resistance than metal, teflon. I have used it in thin sheets on the bottom of a rowboat and it wins when it is around rock. You can get 18 yards of 3 inch for about 40 bucks.

If you can get by without the 50Cal, this one might do.

Ed Lawson

50 cals can be retrofitted. But there could be a recoil and weight issue. An M-60 is much more use friendly doable. Worked great on my marine corps green boston whaler many years ago.

So why doesn't the CG, Portland Fire Department and any other people that operate outboard boat who expect to ground them from time to time carry a nice 12 foot long spruce setting pole?

We got them in the MITA skiffs which go ashore hundreds of times each season. We have done some lower unit damage but its not been in grounding out.

The hunter was not in a real kayak.... in a double paddle canoe as L F Herreshoff called them; today's rotomolded ones are a far cry from the elegant craft of Rushton, LFH and Bart Hauthaway.

I am in the process of rehabbing my 1978 Nordkapp SS. Its one of the first imported into the US by Ken Fink. It is what would now be called a low volume kayak ( the first S; they had a H that was higer volume.) Sized so that not much more than 9 1/2 booties will fit. I know that Nordkapps went through some changes. The M model had a built in skeg. Then there was the Jubilee and now another generation. I bought the old one without bulkheads and hatchs which I added, and it has a splendid solid bar foot rest. I added a rudder ala Paul Caffyn. Boat is reasonably light by modern standards for conventional layup at 57 pounds.

Anyway I wonder if anyone out there has paddled old and new Nordkapps and for that matter other designs whose name stayed the same but which got tweaked. Any comments?

I don't think the ability to demonstrate a roll would be a sound indicator of ones ability to get home safely on that day. I can roll on both sides and have self rescued by both reenter & roll and cowboy , in conditions, and I would not have attempted that crossing, alone, at that time of day & year , in those conditions. I'd like to think that I would have asked for help or broken into or talked my way into a building to spend the night. I probably wouldn't do that kind of solo crossing even in the summer. Some sort of judgment test would have been more useful than some sort of hard skills test.

Like you I would have not done that run event though I have rolled in conditions fairly frequently especially in my serious whitewater days.

But the Coast Guard does not have the ability to make a judgement test, I do not believe. They do have the ability to stop something deemed unseaworthy. Problem is that to most folks kayak crossing is unseaworthy. So it would be well to have some criteria that they could use. Certainly the willingness to roll in a seaway would be something that could have stopped the crossing right there.

What kind of tool kit can we give the CG? So that they don't stop trips when they don't have to?

Seriously - who of you out there would try to do a solo crossing to Isles of Shoals in February in 37 degree water, high winds forecast with only a wetsuit and no VHF?

I suspect everyone on this board has better judgment.

Even with a good drysuit and a VHF, I'd be worried about my hands getting too cold. There's also the general hypothermia problem of blowing wind, even with a dry-suit and not being immersed - sweat and all that kind of thing.

And practice them thar rolls in windy conditions!

Yup, at the end of the day we have a judgement issue here.

I wonder what would have happened if the CG had asked the paddler to demo a roll which would have been really the only reasonable rescue in 15 knots and 37 degree water. Can't or unwilling to roll, reel the paddler in. Objective test.

Does anyone know where to find kayak ergometer training data? Similar to what Concept II has for rowing? Various searches come up with marketing for kayak ergs and technical training papers.

Thanks

Ben

I think we all have an interest in what was on the boat and person. Even then, we are forced to speculate. Will the Coast Guard release any detailed info on their findings, when all recovery efforts are exhausted?

I should see Al Johnson who is the Coast Guard person responsible for monitoring boating fatalities in New England at a Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors meeting mid April and will ask him.

What has been learned so far is that he did not have a VHF only a cell phone. He seems to have been wearing a wet suit not a dry suit, which if a surfing wet suit may not have been a bad choice. And he made a really really bad decision to do a solo open water paddle in what started out as a brisk winter day at 15 knots. I suspect that the CG will examine why they did not make him abort when they first stopped him.

Ben

I LOVE Hermit Island and have planned organized groups, classes and clandestine paddles from there.

The ONLY time the 1 car per campsite rule is relaxed if at all is the VERY last weekend that Hermit is opened. That is usually Columbus Weekend. That is also the weekend that dogs show up although strictly speaking they aren't allowed either.

So, don't count on the 1 car per site rule being relaxed... There is an overflow parking lot up the hill where you can pay to park your vehicle for the weekend. Best to just plan to have your own site if it is hard to do without your car.

Sounds like a good time Ben and might be fun to have a big get together of kayakers.

Suz

We will check on the cars per site rule; I have to check my correspondence with them. I know it is 4 adults per site, but that usally means two cars. Perhaps dropping off one cars worth of gear. It may also be that things are relaxes because they are setting aside one part of the site ( along the harbor).

This all started with some skinny stickers thinking about inviting folks from the lower 47 to Maine; other folks would be welcome but there will a lot of skinny stick and SOF's and some pretty experienced teachers so would be a good opportunity give it a go.

ben

Some of us skinny stickers have been interested in organizing a fall unstructured informal paddlers get together.

We have done so. I have secured a base at the Hermit Island Campground the last weekend of September, 26,27,28. No program. There will be locals that know the area; Popham Beach is not far away, and some of us are familiar with opportunities for play in the mouth of the Kennebec. If the weather is foul there are opportunities to tour up river or if things are nicer, the nesting islands to the west are open after the end of August.

But what we really want to see is if adults can getting together to see if they can have fun and maybe learn a few things. Thirty two dollars a night per campground which can accommodate two cars 4 people. Easy carry to the water and a pavilion for pot luck. We'd be along Harbor Grove. Wander around on their website to locate it if you are not familiar with the area.

I have listed this on the QUSA web site as well. All the Hermit folks want is some idea of numbers, so if you are interested drop a note on this list or contact me or Ed Lawson who lurks on this list who is maintaining a roster which we will give the campsite. Money goes right to them.

THANK YOU ED!

We've been paddling on Muscongus Bay for some part of the summer for over ten years. Ed's list is just about exactly the procedures and sensibility we follow when on the Bay. Our encounters with Lobster Boats have nearly all been benign. Only once did it seem a boat intenionally charged us. We've had no close calls. It is not uncommon for Lobstermen to note we are being considerate and trying to stay out of their way. We've gotten a number of nods, waves, and smiles over the years. Once when encountering a lobsterman whose engine had died we offered use of our VHF radios and a tow

The up side of all those lobster pots on Muscongus is that it cuts down on the pleasure power boaters.

BTW, when heading into port at the end of the day many lobster boats are on auto pilot. So, it is particularly wise to give as wide berth as possible and be very alert.

All good advice; lobster pots also make paddling in the fog easier. Use them as moving ranges.

On the Bremen ordinance, it may not be sensible it may be illegal, but it is. So for folks that paddle to Crow or Strawberry or Hungary, be aware that you are in Bremen waters. Hog Island Audonbon is in Bremen water. Thief is not nor is Round Pond.

It would be useful to let people know if you are warned.

Ben Fuller

Cushing Me

Does anyone know if the Garmin 76csx is compatible with Maptech??

maryb

Garmin uses proprietary maps. You can import and export named routes, waypoints and marks. If you want to import a track from the GPS you will need to turn it into a named route first. If you want charts on the 76 or on any of the other ones you need to buy them.

Double AA is essential to me as I use these things on other boats besides yaks when I might be a week away from being able to charge.

My old Standard HX 350 has a pretty bullet proof aa tray, which actually was not a tray but a cartridge. The new M34 is which is now available as a with 16 hour li pak, maybe less so. Some O ring grease on the seals of these radios is good. Merits of the 34 is that it floats....but not high. If you put a clip on the lanyard it might not, so use it without the belt clip or hook the belt clip onto some minicell. Also some orange tape on same.

I have had more trouble with the battery case seals on GPS cases. Toasted a magellan and got water into a Garmin 76 C case.

Otherwise still wise to bag them unless you feel compelled to put into a PFD pocket.

I remember one year when Brave Boat harbor entrance was about closed out. I looked over my shoulder, rowing my ducker, and could see all the way into a double whitehall or some such that was ahead of me. Not many kayaks then. And a couple of us rescued a few kayakers that had gone out to test their skills on the breaks on one of the off shore ledges. Then there was the sight of Kinley Gregg in sliding seat boat going totally submerged as she ran inside one of the ledge systems. Off shore storm swell kicked that one up.

Its worth doing if you have never done it or if you have.

Another source is Shaw and Tenny. Paddle that they have was designed with the help of some pretty experienced GP paddle builders. Couple of sizes which fit most people and enough meat to trim to fit.

Where this began was the experienced whitewater and canoe trip leader that lost several kids I think in Florida several years ago. ACA realized that they had nothing in the courses other than Open Water Instructor etc that spoke to trip leading, which as most of you know is more about head and environmental skills than about paddling skills. On a more advanced level its what 5* is about. Even the basic instructor training is more about teaching than leading groups rescues etc. When the curriculum was being developed several of us who also guide and lead, helped develop curriculum. Many instructor trainers who offer Maine Guide training are letting people test for the ACA cert. Its not about the cert its about the knowledge. For clubs like NSPN with a vigerous internal trip leader training system there is likely little to be gained other than the insurance.

Kevin,

Size seems comparable to my old Standard 360; 5.56 long, 2.44 wide 1.68 deep. Li time is indeed shorter than the M88. How I think they get flotation is give away some space for battery weight. So I would not be surprised if there was a problem with the alkalines. The 88 and similar sized VHF's are not big enough to float their weight. I noticed this when I got my new model GPS. My old Garmin 12 had four batteries and a small case. The 76 series and Magellan equivalent run with two batteries and a larger case.

How well do the good pens hang out in salt water immersion?

These sound lots better than the old standby grease pencils that you have to wrap in duck tape to keep in one piece.

Folks,

The nicad on my venerable Standard HX 350 is dying or is dead.... replacement is about a hundred bucks. So the temptation is to continue to use it as a backup with alkaline batteries and get a new radio. Size is not an issue, as I use a North Waters gear vest; the ability to use alkalines is important as it is often used in non recharging situations. So the new floating IC M34 is pretty tempting. My VHF often lives in a dry bag as when I am guiding I need the ability to pass the radio.

Have any of you looked at it? Sale running that gets it for 150 bucks.

Thanks,

Lobster boats generally pick up on the starboard or right side as most lobstermen like the rest of the population are right handed. But some are not. Look at the boat. If the davit is rigged to the left it will circle left.

Ben

You are traveling in the lobsterman's work place. Depend only on avoidance. They use radar and alarms to deal with the big stuff but are usually head down working, pretty much the way that I suspect that most of us are working.

You can hear lobster boats and that is your chief defense. If you can hear them, they can hear you. You'll note that the music is turned down in the fog. Plastic foghorns are deafingly loud. If you are in a party, give some one foghorn duty. Don't rely on an airhorn: they corrode.

Sailboats are more difficult as you can't hear them coming..... but you should not be where sailboats live. And its likely that they are listening to the radio and for foghorns.

Avoid especially any point on a chart that has GPS coordinates written on it.

Fog is fun.

I know that there are a bunch of hard core paddlers and erg users in the group. Does anyone have any web information on workouts, training hints and standards similar to the one that Concept II maintains for their rowing machine?

Thanks