EEL

> > >I was absolutely salivating at all the great areas that >there were to be had, both in an around Acadia NP. > Sept and even Oct are great times to visit and paddle around MDI. The big island across from Pretty Marsh (Bartlett) is privately owned, but they allow people to land and walk around a bit in some sections. The village of Islesford on Little Cranberry is a woderful place to spend an afternoon. One of the great things about the Symposium and courses being run by Mark and Mel on MDI is not only the courses and the setting on MDI, but you can combine them with trips to Stonington and Great Wass both of which are about an hour's drive away. Ed Lawson

>Date on the pix must have changed to 10/9 which at least >appear to not show any more than the bumps we had at Cranes >on Sunday. It was more on Sunday and Sat. according to web cam. Also I heard the Gerrish race resulted in the sea eating some boats. Those pics do show kayakers surfing in short boats. On man's bumps are another man's mountain I guess. >Were you >out in it? Who, me? Not this timid woodland creature. OTOH, see my trip report for weekend. Ed Lawson

Check out the Rye Web Cam http://www.whisc.com/webcam/Rye%20Beach%20-%20last%20day.htm Lots of energy this weekend. Ed Lawson

>Garmin's seals on the eTrex series are basically trash FWIW, my el cheapo Garmin eTrex has preformed flawlessly even though it has spend hours in salt water when in the pocket on my sprayskirt. I think people need to get real about this stuff and the waterproof ratings. Read the specs and ask yourself a few questions. Are all units made as well? In other words are there lemons? Does the spec for IPX whatever require a unit to pass the test after ten immersions? After ten immersions in one day, one week, one month, one year? What are the maufacturer's recommendations for maintaining the unit? The saltwater environment is a harsh one and without regular maintenance and routine gasket replacement, this stuff will likely fail in time. Its that simple. Its Ok to put gear in harm's way if that is your wish, but its seamanship 101 take care of it and not needlessly abuse it. After all, when you need it, it likely when you will really need it to work. Ed Lawson

>Ditto on the rabbit and the hole---this whole thread could >be "How many techies does it take to learn how to tie a >bowline?" Ok, I'm a closet geek, but I am not a techie. So how many of you non-techies or techies know the two ways to tie a bowline that results in a "bowline" knot and why the one shown is the better way to tie the knot? Bonus points for the easiest way to make the knot secure from accidentaly coming loose. Ed Lawson

>Maybe you need something other than dial-up, that's all they >have north of the border in Cow Hampshire, isn't it? Of course we have more than dial up. Obviously you are only familiar with the southern tier/quasi Mass. part. Up here we don't dial, we crank a bit, Shirley answers, and we give her the name of the person we want to talk to. So much easier than trying to remember all those numbers. Ed Lawson

>...not a browser. If you mean Firefox, it doesn't work with >version 1.5.07, which is the current version. By not work do you mean the blue animated rope does not display for you?? What OS are you using? I see the animated rope here using Fox 1.5.07 under Win2000 and Linux (Debian Unstable) Ed Lawson

>C'mon, nothing else to do on an Oct. Fr. night! I suspect Gillian might have something to say about that if not suggestions. Ed Lawson

>Although it used to be reserved exclusivly for residents of >MDI, I believe the launch site at Pretty Marsh---just across >from Bartletts--is now open to the general public- You're right and I was in error. Overnight might be best to talk to harbormaster, but parking lot, etc. open to public now. So tht area would be great for a short trip too. Ed Lawson

>I am looking for a area that is pretty calm and an easy >paddle area for her. An area that we can go out and back in >roughly 2 to 3 h that isn't "in" the ocean. Any ideas? >Jordan Pond? There is a nice guidebook for MDI which might be helpful. It is small, and blue/green as I remember. Mostly ocean trips though. As you indicate, there are many nice fresh water ponds on MDI that would make for nice paddles and visually interesting as well. The area around Bartlett is usually a easy place to paddle so long as you mind the tide. The problem is the nearest public launch site is Seal Cove which is well to the south. The area on the norther end of MDI would also be good with Hadley Point Park as an easy launch site. Ed Lawson

>Hey guys! Keep 'em coming!!! I know I need to update the >new exits in Maine, Ask and ye shall receive. The listing for Cousins Island still shows it as Stockton Springs which is wrong. Cousins Island is in Yarmouth, ME. I still think it best not to indicate launch sites in downtown Stonington. If you want descriptions for Lands End which is at the end of Baily Island, the parking lot near H2O Outfitters at the other end of Bailey Island, and the marina on Harspwell for Casco Bay paddles; the Beals Island town ramp on Great Waas, the South Addison town ramps, and Roque State Park beach which are used for exploring Great Wass area; Seal Cove and Seal Harbor launch sites on MDI; Round Pond and Broad Cove Marine for access to western Muscongus Bay; and the Kittery Town dock, Fort Foster, and the roadside location on Chauncey Creek used for launching trips for Gerrish, York, and Portsmouth harbor paddles let me know. Not sure if the demand would justify space. These are public enough to not be local knowledge items. Ed Lawson

>Nope, quads, muscles on top of the thigh. I might be >exerting too much pressure on the thigh braces. Why are you even applying pressure on the thigh braces while paddling normally? My $.02 is you only make contact with the thigh braces when things are interesting or you need to move from an oxygen poor environment to one that is more conducive to breathing. Of course I don't have a clue about more than I do. Ed Lawson

Kevin: What launch times and put ins are likely for these trips? Thanks. Ed Lawson

> Interestingly enough when I was shopping >around nobody recommended the Tempest 165 (claiming that it >was for "smaller" paddlers) I believe using the term smaller paddler is worthless as it is subjective. For example I grew up in the upper midwest and I was considered a rather small person at 5' 10' and 180#. An average person was around 6'2" and @220#. Large started at around 6' 5". Often salesmen will assume the general consumer wants a big, loose cockpit fit and boats which I think are nice for someone my size will be described as a smaller person's boat. Very few boats are actually designed for a true small person. Some manufacturers do a much better job that others in providing objective data about their boats and the weights they are designed for. > >Looking back I think that I'm probably better off in a boat >that's optimal weight is 180 pounds (Tempest's max is 325 >pounds so I'm guessing optimal is probably somewhere in the >vicinity of 225???) The max capacity listed for most boats is a very poor figure for estimating the optimal load for the boat. What is worse is the fact very few manufacturers given any data on the design displacement for their boats or make it clear that when they give a weight range for a boat they are giving you a weight range for paddler and gear or just paddler. I think it is generally undertood a boat works best at its design displacement or water line and it will work OK over a range of maybe 30 to 40# on either side of that. Since most sea kayaks are designed to be used for journeys, they are designed to do well with a load in addition to paddler and routine day gear. This means if you are not doing trips of over say 3 days, you really should get a boat where you and your day gear are in the high range of the suggested loads, assuming you can get that info. Conversely, if you want a boat designed for expeditions, but will use it only for day trips, As many for some reason seem to do, then you need to load it up a bit. For example, Valley says an Avocet paddler's ideal weight would be 130#, but it is a great day boat for someone my size and I could camp for a weekend out of it easily. Their Aquanaut is sized for a paddler of 175#, so it is a marginal day paddler for me without some gear. P&H and Impex are also good about giving reasonable data on paddler weights. The Explorer hull was designed for paddlers up to around 240# so anyone less than say 170# is really too light for the hull in theory which is what we are discussing here. Regarding the Tempest who knows, they don't even tell you the volume of their boats. You need to consider these are rather subtle things too. On average it takes about 80# to sink a sea kayak another inch so the difference in freeboard between max and min paddler weight is only about an inch. This can still mean big differences in how the boat feels. So finding a boat that fits and works is no easy task even if you know how you are going to use it, what you like in a boat, and your skills remain the same. None of which is often true. In other words, just plan on buying, using, trying lots of boats and ending up with a fleet. After all, you do not time-trial in your touring bike, right? In the meantime, paddle the boat you got every chance you get. You will learn alot regardless. Ed Lawson

> >Portsmouth: Gerrish Island, launch from Frisbee Wharf, >Either a relaxed paddle out and back along Gerrish, or do >a circumnavigation (high tide is at @ 11:30 PM, so return >would be a bit late, no earlier than 11PM ) Not sure if I could do this given trip over weekend, but I have been thinking of something similar for Portsmouth as in the following. Maybe launch in time to go out to Woods or to one of the ledges past it and have a picnic dinner as the sun goes down behind harbor. Eat, chat, take pictures, then off up the coast and into braveboat harbor and back. I prefer clockwise, but tides will always be against that at full moon. I suppose you could launch late at Kittey ramp, go up Chauncey, practice landing at a dock, have lobster or whatever at http://www.chaunceycreek.com/, pracitce getting into kayak from dock, and then complete loop clockwise. With decent weather, should be a neat/fun trip either way. Great way for paddlers in club to hang out and have fun together while on a paddling trip. I mean, it is a paddling club..right? BTW, the Gerrish loop race is scheduled for Oct. 7th. Saw notice on a tree when there on Wed. Ed Lawson

> >Kevin also has a point that SNG "leadership" is really >"instigatorship" and there is no obligation to contact >persons if you bail at the last minute. > The SNG trip situation this year suggests to me reconsideration of or at least some informal agreement about "ground rules" for SNG trips is in order. I understand NSPN as a club for a variety of understandable reasons believes it important to take a "hands off" approach to SNG trips and, consequently, it will not provide guidelines, etc. I also think Kevin in particular and a few others are to be commended for creating most the group paddling opportunities for club memebers who are not likely to go out on their own or with other paddling pals. So I don't want the following to be taken as carping at either, but as constructive criticism. Since there are no rules, guidelines, etc. for SNG trips at present, it is quite true that people posting SNGs can approach them as they wish. That said, I believe SNG trips should not be viewed as the result of mere "instigatorship" and that those who post them have no organizational obligations. I believe this especially applies when SNGs start to be announced as trips where skills will be worked on and/or where some of the riskier facets of our sport like surfing and rock gardening are to be the focus. It appears inexperienced folks are seeing these trips as the main if not only pathway to gaining experience on the ocean, "for real", or whatever in many areas and, therefore, SNGs are quite important to them and it is understandable if they get irked when trips are cancelled for no particular reason or on a whim since they, for sound reasons, are not likely to stand on the beach and say, "Well, lets go and do it anyway." when the trip poster does not show up. For good or ill and out of common courtesy, it seems to me anyone posting a SNG should make a good faith effort to show up at the launch site on time or announce a cancellation sufficiently in advance. On the other side of the coin, those who want to participate should let the poster know if they are going to be there or not as opposed to a vague post like "Sounds great and hope to be there if I cut the grass in time." I don't know if more should be asked or expected on either side of the coin for SNGs. As SNGs drift further from the model of someone saying I'm going out to X or W and others are welcome to join to I'm posting a trip which will be for skills, or surfing or playing in rocks and those who want to try it out are welcome, it deserves some thought. For the former style of SNG, I would evalutate the route/area by studying a chart, I would check weather and conditions, and then decide if I could (not should, but could) do the trip by myself. If yes, then I go feeling comfortable that I can be an active participant on the trip. IMHO, anyone going on a SNG should do the same and the poster should be entitled to assume the others have done so. In the latter style of trip, I might be more tempted to forego that analysis and rely upon others in order to gain experience. I think that is where the current SNG model starts to get questionable. Finally, I think there should be a slightly more formal process for SNGs that assures adequate communication between participants and reasonable expectations as well which in turn means a poster of a SNG has some minimal responsibilites for getting the boats off the beach with the paddlers having an adequate understanding the trip to be able to make an informed decision to launch. Beyond that, everyone is utlimately responsible for themselves even if everyone will do what they can to aid others and accept the responsibility to help make responsible group decisions along the way. Ed Lawson

The day was too nice to stay in office and I needed a mild day to spend time in the Anas trying to get my head in snyc with it. So off to Kittery and on the water by 3PM. Loop around Gerrish seemed suited to putting me and the Anas through a variety of stuff. And so it did, baby step surfing and modest swells and confused shoreline water. What a nice day with sun, gentle wind, several herons, loons singing, a few geese and ducks. Two hours later back to the car and I think the Anas and I are getting closer. I believe it understands that I know its a better boat than I'm a paddler and I am trying not to embarass it. I hope it will not get indignant with my inabilities and embarass me. So far giving it equal measures of euro and GP seems to please it. If ever there was a boat for a deft and precise hand, the Anas must be it. I feel all thumbs most of the time. Everytime the paddle gets wet there is a lesson learned. Today is was paddling along the shore into the glare of a low sun with swells from your rear quarter can be tricky. Hard to see where they are breaking and where they are standing up before you are where they do. Puts one in a focused frame of mind. Fortunately, the Anas seemed to love the occasional surprise. Ed lawson

>Poor judgement is just my opinion, others are certainly >welcome to offer alternative opinions. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and here, it seems, one must expect conflicting opinions as a way of life. > What I find puzzling >is the tendency to attempt to censor the opinions of others >which may reflect badly on others. Consider the possibility that some, if not many, here are well aware of the bullets they dodged by dumb luck and that "but for the grace of God go they." As a result they may well be hesitant to pass judgement on the travails of others and even to be somewhat defensive on their behalf. Ed Lawson

>My questions for the membership are: What mix of classes >would you like to see? I agree with Kevin on nature of classes. I believe Nigel is best known for surfing and boat control so might as well play to his strengths so to speak. Ed Lawson

> >All there need be is a spirit of detemination and adventure A club is its members so perhaps as Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us." Ed Lawson

> I think the more seasoned in the >paddling community could stand to do more of this in an >informal way, mentor newer paddlers along on S&G's in real >conditions. Bingo! I think this has happened during the S&G trips this year to some extent. However, there are only so many days people have to paddle and to spend one of those days on a mentoring trip is not an easy choice for those seasoned folks. So the question might be more in the nature of why do they feel inclined or not to volunteer that day and what needs to be done to encourage them. > There's only so much that can be done in the >safety of a lake session. To throw more meat on the fire or whatever, as valuable as all those skill sessions are and no matter how skilled one becomes there, the reality is it would not make one a proficient or ultimately a safe paddler on the ocean. For that, you have to go out on the ocean and learn to paddle in and understand that environment. While professional instructors can enable a person to do things beyond what they might attempt/do themselves during a class session, as important and valuable as those moment are they are still fleeting moments and do not represent increased paddling abilities. It is only by time productively spent on the water, hopefully with more skilled/knowledgeable mentors, that a person becomes a proficient and safe paddler. Something seems amiss when there are folks who have gone to many lake skills sessions, say they have learned to roll and have practiced all kinds of rescues, but are fearful of joining modest trips on the ocean as has been expressed on this forum from time to time. Ed Lawson

> but then I dropped >this flat thing called a "skeg" and my God, it's like it >clicked onto a rail Play with using various amounts of skeg as it is much more than a binary device. In fact, it will leecock with the skeg all the way down in wind. This is a good thing and common among good boats. A good exercise is to pick a windy day and "box" the compass. Will teach you alot about any boat. >Is a fast crusing speed going to require more upper body >strength from me? Paddling does not require upper body strength, it requires lower body srength. When paddling your butt should shift/rotate/slide in the seat as you wind and unwind your lower torso. Torso rotation is not moving your shoulders. This is why when outfitting a boat it is good to keep the fit loose in the hips. > >So now I have to see how this tracky yet easy-turning newbie >does in conditions. I suspect you will find it to be very transparent in conditions and all you need is to keep loose and dealing with or pasing through stuff will be very uneventful. By transparent, I mean it does not get in the way of staying upright or going where you want at a good speed by having quirks that have to be dealt with. This is dependent upon many things, but you may find it weathercocks more than expected in light wind, but that goes away when it blows hard. Many good boats do this, but it does mean dealing with it in the conditions you are most likely to be in on club paddles and such. Ed Lawson

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> My standard FG Explorer >weighs in at 56lb. Some swear at the "heavy" NDK boats and others swear by them, but 56# for a 17+ FG kayak is not really much heavier if any than similar boats from other manufacturers. I suspect the "too heavy" chain around their neck is due to there being some out there that are really much heavier, but I wonder how common they are. Nor are they alone on this. My AA seems to weigh a ton compared to my Avocet, but should weigh less according to specs. Ed Lawson

>What slippery pickle that one is. Bingo! Sometimes you have to balance things and there are no easy answers. If being over dressed is likely to dehydrate or overheat someone so they are more likely to make a mistake or be less physically able, then maybe it is safer to wear less. Tricky stuff...calculating margins/odds. Fortunately in kayaking there is little or no downside for carrying lots of gear as there is in climbing. Ed Lawson