EEL

Andy: OCD is good. Consider what a slovenly mess the world would be without our tireless efforts to keep everything neatly ordered as it is supposed to be. Seriously, it is important to keep the floor and interior of the tent nice and clean so be diligent about cleaning it. I shake mine out every morning. All those little bits and pieces will cause wear and leaks. The conventional wisdom used to be that by folding a tent in the same general way would cause the coating on the fabric to prematurely fail which is definitely not good. That said, I would not second guess Pru as she is getting ready to go where staying dry is no small task. Ed Lawson

Andy: Don't mess around rolling the sleeping bag and then putting it in the dry sack. Just stuff it in the dry sack. Grab a handful of the foot end, mash it down into the dry bag and repeat until its in. Same technique for putting tent and fly in dry bags. Ed Lawson

Pru: Nice report as always. "Now, how about puffins 2016?!" Its only May!. Plenty of time left in 2015 to see the puffins and more islands to explore in Muscongus for the first time as well methinks. Ed Lawson

Lisa: While mummy bags are obviously more confining, most people easily adapt to them. More difficult for many is getting used to using the hood which is critical as the temps drop. A good hood will provide plenty of insulation around the head when it is cinched down to the point the opening for your nose and mouth is no larger than your fist on a three season bag and a cold weather bag the opening will much smaller. Another tip for when temps drop is to use a scarf to wrap around neck/shoulders to reduce the air flow in and out of the bag to reduce heat loss. Some cold weather bags have collars built in for this. When shopping for down bags pay attention to how the bag is baffled which is the internal structure for keeping the down in place.. For colder weather use this becomes very important as does the overall density and uniformity of the insulation regardless of insulation type. Make sure the foot section and the zipper area are built to provide adequate insulation. One nice thing about down in addition to weight and compressibility is its durability. A good down bag will last decades. Ed Lawson

"Heat up water and put in a nalgene and drop that inside your sleeping bag (CLOSE THE TOP TIGHTLY" A friend of mine had an issue doing this on a winter camping trip. It was so cold (@-15F) that ice formed on the threads of the bottle cap before he screwed it on. So it seemed to be on tight and did not leak..until later when it was at the bottom of his bag and it thawed out. Ended up with the bottom of the down bad hard as a brick and not so warm. So while a great tip, take care doing it. Ed Lawson

For three season backpacking and climbing in the Rockies, my bag of choice would be a slim 15-20 degree down mummy bag. I have used one for kayak camping as well and it worked well. No doubt in part due to fact down bags have a broad comfort range. Still it was definitely overkill for that application. As others have suggested my bag of choice has been a 45 degree synthetic bag for kayak camping. Mine is the Gabelas Evader which comes with a compression bag, costs about $80 and is small enough to go through any round hatch. Not from one of the big names, but it has performed very well for me. Ed Lawson

Is the Seawolf model the same as the Green except for the "rescue vest" Type V features? Ed Lawson

Cathy: First, ignorance disclosure. I do not know what the past and current BCU/ACA dogma is regarding low brace turns. I suppose I practice low brace turns in all the ways that have been described here, and I have opinions about how the different approaches work for me with my paddle and my style, but what that means nothing. Second, being able to demonstrate to students certain and specific strokes as an instructor is a totally different skill from using strokes while paddling to accomplish some task. In other words, as a paddler you should develop craftsmanship using a set of tools and skills to do what needs to be done. This is not done by selecting certain strokes done in isolation and learned in isolation, but by using your skills and experience with your boat and your paddle to adapt and create a series of movements based to accomplish the task at hand.. Third, how a low brace turn is to be performed in the real world is not a question with a specific answer as it is when the goal is to provide a new paddler with exposure to a basic technique on flat water from which it is hoped they will develop a skill set for use in the real world. Fourth, if you watch skilled paddlers who are true artisans paddling in the real world, I suspect you will seldom if ever see them performing the discrete specific strokes everyone focuses upon in skills sessions and which coaches are expected to be able to demonstrate to students. What you will see are them performing the essence of those strokes as craftsmen adapting to the demands of a given situation. For those who follow a more formula/mechanical approach, this is sometimes said to be linking strokes. Fifth, studying a book like Cooper's Rough Water Handling helps to reinforce the concept of viewing strokes as flexible tools you use in a variety of combinations according to your preferences and style to get you from point A to B. So by all means play in your boat, try out all manner of combinations and ways of doing thing as well as perfecting the ability to demonstrate the strokes expected by the certifying authorities. Get wet as Rick suggests. You will develop your style with your tools. I believe it will make you a far better instructor because you will know how and why and when the essence of a given stroke is used in the real world. Then you can talk to the student about the stroke not as some neat exercise on flat water that looks cool and if you do it this way it is correct according to the dogma of the day; but rather as a tool the student can adapt and use to dance on the water and get from point A to B. In short , to be a paddler. And don't forget. Do not learn from the masters. Learn as the masters learned. Ed Lawson Who usually just hacks at the water while floundering around

Rene: Love those tarps. Using paddles as poles? What a nice looking day. Dozing in fresh salt air: priceless. Is that a yellow Quest? Ed Lawson

Just to be picky (obviously I need to get on the water), she used a Valley Etain for the Aleutian trip. I believe she had used Explorers on her earlier trips. Said she liked it. Outen's sectional was held together by clips as opposed to bolts and it became sketchy as the clips failed so that was her take away comment about sectionals. Tom Bergh had a sectional (Nordkapp?) and might have some thoughts about transporting them. Ed Lawson

Last time I checked, kayaking is a recreational activity for most of us. So if it seems fine after trying it out, just buy the boat, paddle it, and have fun. That said, learning a few things via paddling with some knowledgeable folks or taking a couple of lessons sooner rather than later is a very good idea. Also be prepared for the possibility you will become interested in going farther and into more active water at which time you will see the need for a different boat. No big deal and happens all the time which is why getting a used boat is a good idea. No big deal if you don't either. More important to be out enjoying whatever part of the ocean you care to spend your time on in the way you want to spend it. Ed Lawson Who took years figuring out what boats he tentatively likes.

As Paul mentioned having a Drometary bag just in front of the seat is very comfy for the knees and puts weight is a nice place for trim. Unles special ordered, I believe NDK is the only one that still has as standard a nice FG seat that makes a backband seldom if ever needed. Which in turn means you can put a Drometary bag behind the seat, which is another good location for heavy objects and have something cushy to lie back on when you want. I can see the pros of the foam insert as opposed to the backband, but on trips I prefer being able to use all the space behind the seat and the foam blocks really cut down on the useable space there. As Peter said, too much weight in the front compartment can make for an obnoxious ride so while the extra space created by moving the bulkhead is great, just be careful of what you put in there. Be there on 2 mile crossing and had bow constantly diving to extent front hatch partially underwater. Not fun. Ed Lawson

Despite the feet of snow in my yard and ice on the lakes, I know warmer weather is on the way as the surest sign of Spring has just arrived. The annual NSPN discussion about the lack or not of posted trips as well as the angst over who does or does not post trips and how to remedy perceived problems of both. Ed Lawson The Devil made me do it

Josko: Just to reinforce what Rob has said. There are many ways to provide services to the club and sport. Not all or perhaps even most of them involve on the water activities. I don't believe there is a big need to hold "classes" for skill development as such. Nor is there a need to plan trips that have the avowed purpose of teaching people how to handle "conditions" or move from "L2 to L3" paddles...whatever those terms may mean. There are many opportunities for people with adequate interest to obtain professional training. Instead, just post interesting trips and/or go along on trips posted by others and along the way provide helpful hints to those who are open to being helped. One way to contribute is to go on trips that you might think beneath your skill level so you are there to mentor explicitly or simply by example. Folks should not have to sign up to go on a paddle over their comfort zone or which is posted to challenge or improve skills to gain experience and skills from the more skilled paddlers in the club. It should be a natural outgrowth of members participating in club paddles. When you think about it, it is a rather sad state of affairs if a group of paddlers of all abilities cannot enjoy a trip together and along the way get to know and help each other grow as paddlers. Less skilled paddlers gain skills, more skilled paddlers gain skills. They might be gaining different skills, but both are helping the other gain skills. Ed Lawson

Josko: This is not correct. If you look at the 4 and 5 * syllibii you will see they expressly state the a * award is not suitable for coaching beginners to the sport. Note the strong language "not suitable". * awards are awards for demonstrating paddling and leadership skills at different levels. It has nothing to do with coaching which is why the BCU has a totally dofferent track for coaching. I'm not saying anyone who is competent paddler and may have had that competence recognized by a BCU * award cannot or should not help others with acquiring skills, but to coach is something else. Ed Lawson

FWIW, there is a glove drying attachment for the Peet dryer as well. Ed Lawson

Nothing much to add since many good suggestions made. If you have not attended one of the BCU nav classes, that might be good since you will work with ordnance maps and UK charts which have many useful features not found on the USGS and NOAA maps and charts we typically use. Since you asked for a chart that had been used, I've added an image of a chart I used for a 5 day, 80NM trip I worked in this summer. What you see are the only marks I added to the chart and that was for a crossing. It looks primitive, but I spent some time the night before going over things so there is more do it than meets the eye so to speak. While I spent a fair bit of time just ruminating with charts and plotting software at home while dreaming of journeys, I tend to rely mostly on an unannotated chart, compass and fingers once on the trip. For this particular trip I ended up launching 15 miles from where I planned to and while I visited the places I wanted to, the route was also quite different than planned. So not having lots of stuff on the chart based on what I thought I would do as opposed to how the trip unfolded was good. Just my minimalist approach to wandering about, but that does not mean all the navigation stuff isn't used. Ed Lawson

Since I'm considering joining this paddle, I will chime in on the weather based on current forecasts. While I might be totally irresponsible and reckless, it seems to me the land forecast is for WSW winds up to @10MPH . I seriously doubt such winds, even increased over near shore waters, can amount to more than 10-15 KTs and the resulting dominant wind waves much over 1.5 feet if that. The Cape Elizabeth to Merrimack River forecast provides mariners a conservative estimate of the maximum conditions they might encounter up to 25 NMs off shore. So while things might be brisk out there, that does not reflect what they will be near shore. If we were talking about a NE wind, then different matter. I see no big weather issue for wandering down the coast line from Odiorne although that slog back after the breakwater is likely to be a pain as it always it. Pru posted the trip as a level 3+ which I assume means conditions can be expected to be near the maximum for an L3 paddle as opposed to just over the limits for an L2 paddle. Based on current forecasts, seems to me that is exactly what it will be and should be a nice day for any L3 paddler or any L2 paddler wanting to stretch their experience level for that mater. Ed Lawson Who really, really hates that slog back.

I'm surprised the CG came out to tow them. My impression has been that in non-emergency situations they won't come out to tow, etc. if there is a commercial service which can be called/used. Regarding the radio cheatsheet and likely just demonstrating OCD, I'm not so sure that it is appropriate to say "out" when going from one channel to another. "Out" means the conversation is over and no reply expected, but that is not what is happening since the conversation is simply moving to another channel. I have used/heard something along lines of "Moving to channel X" or "listening channel X" in response to request to change channels. Ed Lawson

Josko: On the trip where a Dutch oven was used, was it a cast iron or aluminum? I have used one on a kayak camping trip since I don't use campfires when backpacking or kayak camping, but I have used cast iron Dutch ovens in other settings. They are quite versatile and can make wonderful meals. Many, many resources on the Net about cooking/using many types of Dutch ovens. Ed Lawson Who even used a reflector oven long ago

Oh. In that case maybe some of these samples of the five million videos done at Skookumchuck might be helpful. http://www.northwestpaddling.net/videos Not that "you tube" videos can be relied upon for proper technique, but they do show variety of folks and how they do it. Ed Lawson

Doug: Are pool sessions in Portsmouth this coming season a possibility? Ed Lawson

Leaving aside the issues the who, what, when, where and why concerning "conditions", "good paddlers", "forward and leaning back paddling/strokes", "coaches"; I doubt the differences had anything to do with fishform v. swedeform hulls. I don't know what people mean when they use those terms since most people are assuming if they look at the deck and the widest part is behind the cockpit it is a swedeform boat and if the widest part is in front of the cockpit it is a fishform boat. That is not correct. My understanding is the location of the longitudinal center of balance (LCB) hat determines whether a hull is swedeform or fishform and boats can appear to be one or the other based on shape of the deck, but are actually the reverse at the waterline. For example, the NDK Explorer is not a fishform boat although it certainly appears that way. Its LCB is 50%. I believe the Cetus LV is not a swedeform boat since its LCB is less than 50% if my memory is correct. Many things make boats behave as they do and one factor that is not easy to ascertain, like whether swede or fish form, doesn't provide much relevant information. For example, both the Bahyia and the Explorer have LCBs of 50%, but I seriously doubt anyone would say they have similar characteristics. To me, the important point is to just go and mess around in the boat you have and learn what it likes and does not like in a variety of paddling circumstances and go from there. Ed Lawson

Gary and Rob: Enjoyed the report, especially the photos. I always enjoy the photography that accompanies your reports and those of others and wish I had the same skill. You did link together a collection of wonderful places to visit, and I need to find a way to follow your example by taking extra days at nice campsites to explore nearby areas. About those P&J sandwiches.....on second thought I suppose we all have our favorite lunches we happily eat day after day while others look on in disbelief. You certainly picked or lucked into a week of beautiful weather. BTW, is Rob in training for the Highland Games? Ed Lawson

"I am really really careful when clambering from my boat onto rocks, and when moving around in camp...." With one exception, all of my close encounters with disaster have been on shore as opposed to while paddling. When going solo the dangers of dealing with boat and gear at the shoreline seem far greater than the dangers once paddling to me. Like Kate, I get very careful ashore as one false move could mean a disabling injury as in fracture or serious muscle injury. While everyone is between swims, going solo without a proven reliable combat roll is a little on the risky side. Ed Lawson