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Josko: This link may have the answer to your question. http://www.kayarchy.com/html/01equipment/006fibreglass.htm#reinforcements Basically, there are uses for which CSM is OK and might be preferred application. Its not a good/bad situation. Unless you know how the hull and deck are laid-up it is rather hard to say anything about the quality of the build. Of course, there are many opinions about this. Just ask about NDK construction. Ed Lawson

Gary: Just in case there is a problem with PM, just a note to add me to the planning email list. Ed Lawson

Regarding boat traffic. The Casco ferries which run to Peaks, the Diamonds, and Long operate pretty late so would be prudent to check the current schedule. Personally I would avoid being in the middle of the passage between Peaks and Long if there is much wind, swell, and current. Just a funky place at times. I guess I'm just timid and no fan of crossing, but I suspect that expanse of water across Luckse Sound might look a good deal wider in real life than it does on the chart at home. Having the bell on R6 would be a nice beacon though.

Assuming a cloudless night and near full moon, isn't it basically bright? I don't mean really bright like it is in winter with snow covered ground, but bright enough to see most things of interest? Not suggesting the sea state cannot provide surprises, but boomers and landmasses would be OK? Just checking if my recollection is accurate as it has been awhile. Ed Lawson

Hmmm. Night paddle to Jewell on Thursday. Sounds enticing. Launch at South Portland? Ed Lawson

"can be quite a slog,especially with a headwind at the end of a day." Is there ever not a headwind slogging back to Witch Creek? Or am I just unlucky? Ed Lawson

Andy: Have you ever thought about spending time WW kayaking? I suppose it is a question of location, but there is so much decent WW around in NE it would seem an easier venue for playing in current, etc. At least in the Spring. Ed Lawson

Oh man. Could have lost Rick and Yvon in the same incident. Hard to imagine after what all three had been through over the years. I guess that mantra of "Its not the consequences of the fall, but the probability of the fall that determines when to use a rope" finally caught up to them. Last night I watched the film "Meru". Wonderful film about climbing on big mountains, the demands it makes, and what it takes. Ed Lawson

Based on my experience and what others have said in other clubs/groups who transferred to or started with a MeetUp setup, I believe MeetUp essentially provides the same functionality in terms of online discussions. However, that is not its focus and is not its strength. For the sake of brevity, I believe it is best suited for an activity focused group as it makes it quite easy to announce, join, and report on activities. By that I mean it is best suited for groups which exist in order for members to engage in an activity of joint interest. It also may lead to more people becoming aware of a given group and joining. How it would work with the "CAM" mode as practiced by NSPN is a question to be answered. Whether it is better at feeding info by email that the current site is a question as well. It has the "feel" of a modern "social media" site. Overall it seems people who use it like it and it seems to work well for those groups who have adopted it. Ed Lawson Who is not stating a preference

Picking a date when the foliage will be great a year in advance is very iffy business. IMHO, any time in Oct. will be nice regardless of the foliage. I always take a day to wander about Squam that month. Hopefully there will be yearling bald eagles around next year. Lately the nesting pair has not had good fortune which is sad. Especially combined with Loon population trends. I have tended to see yearling eagles more on Winnisquam in the last few years, but it is not as nice a place to paddle as Squam. Lake George, eh. Sounds interesting. Ed Lawson

Sad and ironic. It seems that often people who survivea lifetime of adventure/risk end up dying while doing something prosaic. For an understanding of why he ended up in Chile, the film 180 Degrees South is worth a viewing. Ed Lawson

Al: You might want to ask folks at the NH AMC Paddlers as some from that club have been doing long canoe trips on remote rivers in Canada for years and years. Odds are they have done a trip on the Nahanni. Ed Lawson

Concerning CH 83A; make sure your radio is set to use the USA channels as opposed to the International or Canada channels. It should have been set that way by default, but it can be changed. CH 83A (US) is not the same as CH 83 (International/Canada). CH 83 is one of the few International channels which is duplex, while CH 83A is simplex. All USA channels are simplex. A simplex channel has the transmit and receive on the same freq. while on a duplex channel they are different. Ed Lawson

Andy: PM your mailing address and I will sent you a couple. Ed Lawson

Andy: Regarding the loose screw, I have used 3M 4200 or 5200 fast cure to seal/glue those pesky little devils ( I dab a little on the screw and file the hole before installing) so water does not intrude into the laminate along with a small blob of putty epoxy underneath to assure no water in the hatch and no sharp points to tear up stuff. I also trim the screws to a shorter length and pre-drill. I suspect all this is totally OCD compared to practicality, but fun to mess with boats and it has worked over time for me. No problem loosening if needed either if it moves off the lubber line. Ed Lawson

Okay, I get the point. In a non critical activity and some ambient light anyway, you can just use a headlamp and not worry about the details. I tend to forget the importance of the frame of reference. I'll stand by my opinion/comments when it is important to maintain a high level of night or scotopic vision. BTW, here is a test for true night vision situations. Can you see an object in your direct line of sight or do you have to look at an angle to see it? Or, more interesting, can you see an stationary object when you are stationary without moving your eyes or head? Ed Lawson

Regardless of the opinions about whether red light is useful, I believe intensity of light is quite important. Always use the lowest intensity that enables a person to see what they need to see. Using a bright light is going to wreck havoc on you night vision and it can take nearly an hour to recover. Ed Lawson

Andy: My pontifical $.02 When you have the opportunity, watch the "masters" and I suspect you will find they actually do use the essence of all those fancy strokes. Its just that they don't perform them in isolation and according to the textbook. I assume there is no conscious decision about using x or y, its just an instinctive flow. As craftsmen, their technique is an assimilation of mastered skills not a demonstration of mastered skills. You master the strokes not to use them, but to empower your ability to use the blade to accomplish a goal. As for use of braces just to stay on thread so to speak. I don't see the high brace or any brace as being something to help getting across an eddyline. I always think of a brace as something to help get past a bit of "uncertainty" as opposed to helping do something. I was inartful as usual previously. Ed Lawson

Isn't it true that while people like to brace with the blade on top of wave/water (which seems one reason for the high brace) it really doesn't mater where you stick the blade? As in it can be half way down the wave and still work just fine. Only issue is releasing the bade fast when it is submerged, but as long as water is flowing over blade it will offer support whether it is on surface or submerged. One advantage of the high brace is how it is, in theory, a more natural transition from and to a forward stroke depending upon where you are in the stroke sequence when needed. Personally, my shoulders have had enough trauma over the years, and I avoid using a high brace. I can visualize how a high brace would be useful in a WW boat when peeling as it would be a natural progression from the last stroke getting you across the line. Almost like a hesitation at the end blends into a brace or draw until things have settled down. Mainly due to the fact, at least for me, that things can happen really fast in a WW boat compared to a sea kayak. Especially in fast current. Ed Lawson

I suppose reasonable minds can differ about the value of using a red light and a quick search on Google will provide lots of fodder for the debate. Once upon a time when preserving night vision and having a means of illuminating maps at night was a matter of some importance as in you wanted to see and not be seen, the use of a very dim, indirect red light seemed to work well. Since dimness is critical, I second Peter's suggestion of using a glow stick and personally would select a red one for the task. There are small red LEd flashlights using AAAA batteries which I have carried, but they are not waterproof. Ed Lawson

Just to be a contrarian, consider the ways you could reasonably wander about without needing to closely review a chart while on the water. As in working on specific navigations details while ashore, writing notes large enough to read while traveling, memorizing chart in area of travel, and squinting to help focus when all else fails. Loss of near vision due to age is a nuisance not doubt about it and simple solutions elusive is it seems to me. I guess that is why I think of having a vague idea of position an adventure as opposed to being lost. Not sure that is a reasonable adaption; it definitely is not a solution. Ed Lawson

If the Nav-Aid is not obtainable, it is easy to make a similar device using a marine protractor. They have a hole in center so adding the course string is simple. http://www.amnautical.com/products/5-square-protractor?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&variant=110597662&gclid=CILeyd7sqMgCFYoUHwodsk8PxQ#.VhEf0-pqzIE Ed Lawson

Nice tip about carrying half a foam pad. Ed Lawson

Amazingly, the technique they use to create sheets of metal for the pipes is the same technique used hundreds of years ago. I had the privilege to see it done once before Rob "retired". Ed Lawson

Gary: It was a productive day for polishing/practicing skills for paddling in fog as well as just nice paddling during the times the fog lifted. Gliding along shores in the fog can be a very neat experience. At the same time realizing how disorienting it can be to paddle in the fog if you do not watch your compass can be sobering. Our litle group mostly navigated by a series of "on the fly" decisions. You can do quite a bit of navigating with a finger and a chart. The one I remember most was at the end when we realized while off the SW end of High that the bearing to the N end of Oak would take us back to the beach. For once the radios served a practical purpose as without them we would have missed you for sure. Hopefully it will continue to be a meeting of paddlers from various clubs even it it results in a large group. I believe there is value in seeing how others approach paddling. And perhaps more paddling in nearby venues as well. The Mosquito Head/coast and the islands off Port Cloyde and Friendship certainly worth a day each. Ed Lawson