subaruguru

Five of us shared a most leisurely paddle up into Gloucester amidst light wind, punctuated by some Blackburn-star sprinting. Light rain dappled us upon the return of a fine 12 miler in light chop. Nice to be back on the water after a bit of a hiatus...and to shed some of Ellen's excellent blueberry tart. Pics Lisa?

Aaarrrrgh! What a bummer. I suppose you replaced said system with one with locks. Just be sure to lube them before each winter so salty air doesn't freeze 'em up. Otherwise if your buggy uses factory longitudinal rails then maybe a bike cable securing the new system to a rail will add deterence. I use one once in awhile to "belt" an unused second kayak to the roof...even though I suppose one could eventually slide the yak through with time. Happier paddling....

A few of the weekday gang are putting in at Tuck's Point Manchester for an L3 trip. Meet up at 11AM. Agenda to be decided at beach briefing. Cheers.

Congrats gal!!

Wow. What a great trip! My favorites are 30,32, 92 (something about Sal's gaze) and 111.

Tomorrow (Monday) looks like a winner. Anyone interested in going out of Tuck's Point for an L3? Maybe visit a few islands to Gloucester Harbor? Meet up 11AM, BIB and briefing 11:30. Ern

As for the day Sat we will have to keep the weather in mind: Saturday: Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming ESE 5 to 8 kt in the afternoon. A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Patchy fog before 11am. Seas around 2 ft. Darn! Thunderclaps and heavy rain accompanied my buzzing alarm clock at 8AM, so I decided to snore more. Now to convince Ellen that it really IS a beach day so she'll cook up something for the PPPO, but chances seem slim...have fun. Ern

Hi Jason. Probably will join you. Note heading says 6/19, so some folks might think this trip has passed? Perhaps best to repost? Ern

am waiting just a little for water to warm -- slightly. I had already been thinking about these...see you soon! Hi Christopher, Think it'll happen tomorrow (FM)? I'll be away in July's FM. August 13 seems ideal? Ern

Very cool, Lisa! Hope to paddle with you 'n King Leon soon. Ern

Hey Gene, Spent my birthday at the zoo with my 2 yr old grand daughter. Hope you had a fine paddle...windy down here! Ern

Looks like a fine forecast, but I have to work. Have a good one! Ern

Well said, my friend. Ern

Interesting book. Bob Indeed. I find it VERY interesting that the "acceptance (mimicry) heuristic" comes to control group behavior when pods exceed 6 members. Hmmm...! And the notion of "cognitive scaffolding" peaks my curiosity, but I guess I'd have to buy the book! Ern

Isn't the trip level thread a spring ritual too? Yup! And since it's an integral part of the CAM workshop agenda, timely springtime repetition to foster understanding is a good idea, especially for novices (e.g., we picked up another dozen memberships in April). Scott C said it best at the workshop when he indicated that rather than analytically parsing the Levels 3 and 4 into subgroups the point is to offer AS MUCH INFORMATION as practicable to inform a trip. The result is that more trips will be described as Level 4, with attached raison d'etre: distance, or open exposure, chop above 2', winds above 15kn, etc. The point is that more info is better, so that paddlers can safely choose when to advance their skills safely, NOT to prevent paddlers from attending "upscaled" trips. So reading the conditions "between the levels" (for lack of better nomenclature, Scott!) for each trip becomes more important when deciding whether to attend the many Level 4 trips we will paddle.

Nay Nay...I'm UNDER the weather with bronchitis. Have a great one! Ern

"Cotton kills"...oops: http://cgi.ebay.com/You-can-build-COTTON-KAYAK-Plans-/190529754018?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5c7553a2

Hey Gene, I'm only 50/50, as since Perrine left for Chicago a couple of weeks ago there's no one left but me to console Ellen on "her" day. I'll feel this one out.... Ern

Although minor, May 15 conflicts with the Mystic Herring Run Race (for which I'm the safety spotter).

Opinions as spring paddling begins? Bob I tend to not initiate conversations re clothing, but have less reserve when I see those without PFDs. I've been known to say: "It may not be possible for me to rescue you in this cold water before you die from hypothermia if you're not wearing a PFD." That tends to steer the conversation abruptly, for better or worse. I have even more fun when meeting tandem couples where only one is PFD'd: where she is adorned but not him..."How are you going to save HIM?" Innocuous enough. But where HE is adorned: "Where's your friend's PFD?" is either followed by "in the boat", or more often "she doesn't have one, I can save her", I've retorted: "That's homicide! Isn't it nicer to just take her out to dinner and break up with her over a nice bottle of wine?"

Touche! You brought a smile to my mornin' joe.

J&P, Thanks for sorting that out. They've already sold more than 300 of these. Phew!

http://sn126w.snt126.mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0

My optimism that my head cold (or is it tree pollen?) would've subsided by tonight was misplaced. So I'm sorry, but I'm going to try to sleep in tomorrow. PM to Barry too. Ern

Sun...NE winds 10 to 15 kt. Gusts up to 20 kt in the morning. Seas 2 to 4 ft. Mostly sunny; cool 54°F|40°F ....Having just returned from our CAM training refresher, we should be reminded that winds above 15 kt and/or waves above 2 ft each push this into Level 4 tolerances, or Level 3+ in the prevailing idiom. So tow ropes and spare paddles, as well drysuits de riguer.