EEL

> Besides, we paddle with all manner of >creatures on the water Who, to paraphrase W. C. fields, do all sorts of unspeakable things in the water. Ed Lawson

>I'm hoping someone out there can me help out. Not sure what type of advice you are looking for...any specific questions? The MITA book and the Dorcas Miller book do a good job of showing you most of the area. However, they do not mention, or even show on the maps, some very nice islands in the area. This local knowledge is not readily shared with "those from away", but asking at Old Quarry may result in some great suggestions. In three hours of paddling and assuming a min. of 3K average, you could get anywhere in the archipelago to reach a place to camp. You will be there when things are busy and its first come so you should be prepared to be flexible and adapt to what is or is not available. I would suggest launching from Old Quarry and spending some time with them talking about weather, how busy it has been, what islands might be open based on float plans they have on file, and causally asking for suggestions. Ask about Saddleback I. and any surrounding islands that might be nice to visit. Ask about Marshall I. If you want to do some miles and see islands briefly, then you might want to pick a place near Isle au Haut as that gives you a decent base for it, Marshall and the archipelago. If you want to wander about on some islands as well as around them on the water, then just about any island will do in the archipelago. Don't let the fog keep you from paddling. Often you can start around noon and have a long, great day. The fog may not lift until 2 or so. You can enjoy the fog for a few hours and then enjoy having it lift around you and have a great paddle thereafter till around 7. Thats far better than getting in a hurry, launching early and wandering in the fog till you are tired or just sitting in camp bemoaning your fate. Of course maybe you will like to sit in camp. If you have not been there, inside the archipelago it is well protected water and easy paddling as a rule. The outside of Isle au Haut is another matter. Be nice to the lobstermen and they will usually be nice to you. Generally speaking other vessels will expect you to know the rules and follow them. If you don't or if you don't follow traditions, all bets are off. Ed Lawson

> How do you >find seeing your compass and/or charts in fog? We were padddling during the day so seeing compass and chart was never a problem. It gets darker, but its still quite light. >didn't have a flashlight to see >my compass Opinions vary, but I believe protecting your nightvision is very important at night so I would never use a white light to see a compass or chart. I belong to the camp that prefers to padddle at night without lights relying on ambient light. I have a weak red LED light for close work. >. . . Do you find it more helpful to use buoys as markers >rather than the compass? The buoys were not used instead of the compass,they were used to verify location. We would make a course to the buoy as a leg. If the buoy "pops" out of the fog, then you know you are doing OK. We used a couple coming from the archipelgao to verify we were following our calculated course to hit our "port" and to assure we had crossed the channel and could relax somewhat. Crossing the Deer Isle Thorofare in the fog can raise your pulse abit and you want to know where you are when near it. There you cannot avoid getting in the channel, which is something I would normally avoid. Hope I answered your questions. Ed Lawson

Kevin: Sent you email about trip. Need reply this afternoon. Ed Lawson

From June 22 through 25, Gail and I spent three days paddling around Stonington and one day on Muscongus Bay. The nice part of being there before the crowds was that in four days on the water we came no closer than a couple of hundred yards to a total of three other kayaks and restaurants, etc. were on local time so to speak. First day in Stonington was sunny and we launched from beach at house we stayed in, went out to Mark I. light, then along Merchant Row visiting islands down to McGlathery, then wandering about islands to Deer Island Thorofare, then back to home. Second day was foggy as we explored Oceanville area. Third day was very foggy as we travelled by Millet, Devil, Grog, Bold,Russ, and Camp. So foggy we used buoys for way points on longer crossing to get back. Muscongus Bay was a nice day paddle from Broad Cove out to Jim's Ledge and Island to watch seals, then around Cow with stops at Strawberry and Crow. Left much to explore this Fall. Some pictures showing the flavor of the trip are at: http://www.elawson.com/pics/kayaking Ed Lawson

>I was wondering if I could talk a leader into doing a >relatively easy trip on July 29th or 30th. I've been to 4 >or 5 practice sessions at Mystic and other lakes and I'd >really like to do a first coastal trip. Two suggestions: First, watch for private trips for that weekend, talk to the poster, be honest about experience, etc. and ask them if the trip might be suitable for you. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the private trips I have been on and often you will have an opportunity to learn a great deal. Second, there is a SMSKN trip around Gerrish Island out of Kittery/Portsmouth on that weekend. You might want to check with them. NSPN would rate that trip a Level 3 I believe. SMSKN has a different level rating system and a different trip philosophy. You really should discuss it fully with them. In my opinion it would be easy to get over your head on this, but it might be a great time too. Caveat, both of these options require you to be responsible largely, perhaps totally, for your safety, to make a judgement about whether to launch or not, and whether to do what others in the group are doing on the water. This is inherently very difficult for a beginner (I know, I am one) since we do not have the requisite experience/judgement to make sound and reliable decisions in those areas. Needless to say, the consequences of a mistake could be unpleasant at best. Having said that and admitting I tend to have a "just do it" and adventureous attitude while you may not, if you exercise caution and go in settled, benign conditions, then it sounds like these might be viable options for you to do that first coastal trip in the absence of a formal NSPN "beginner" coastal trip. Ed Lawson

Well, you can knock yourself out playing with the tables, etc. here: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/currents06/ Ed Lawson

> >We don't want anybody thinking that they need to submit a >float plan to post a message on the "Private Trips" >conference or to put a trip level on their private trip. > Understood, but since many people seem to characterize themsleves or trips in accordance with NSPN trip levels, using them in private trip notices to give people a feel for the nature of the trip seems likely. On the other hand, perhaps it should be discouraged with a view of requiring participants on private trips to exercise independent judgement. My question arose as Gail and I paddled alongside of Bangs into wind and wave and she asked, pointedly, what level would this be? At that point I realized applying the abstract to the reality was not all that easy. So I asked. Ed Lawson

>Hmm, ..may have to downgrade to >4/8th roll Can you kayak with broken kneecaps? Ed Lawson

Would a trip such at to Half Way Rock in Casco Bay be a level 4 trip regardless of conditions since you are more than one mile from any landing site? Does the one mile landing limit apply to any safe place to land as on an island or ledge that never coverseven if that place is itself a mile or more offshore, or does it assume ability to land within a mile where help/transportation to launch site/medical care? I recall it is the latter, but looking at routes in Casco made me think if so, then trips to say Jewell would by definiton level 4 even if sea state and wind were benign. Ed Lawson

>Just a couple pics I took from the Portsmouth SNG last week: Whew. No manly hugs in that crew. BTW, Gerry organized another wonderful SNG Sat. around Gerrish. Great day through marsh, out Brave boat harbor, up to York including stops to watch notable NSPN paddlers trying to frolic in benign swells, and back around Fort Foster. Eight lucky participants. Ed Lawson

Well, lets see how many SNG trips we can have this weekend. I'm posting this for Gerry. Circumnavigation of Gerrish and maybe a leg up the coast from Brave Boat harbor towards York and perhaps loop around Rams Ledge light. Or whatever strikes the collective fancy. Intend to go through marsh just past high tide and them along coast as in clockwise. Its a nice, varied trip. Launch time 10AM from Kittery town dock behind Frisbee's Market. While forecast looks great with benign conditions, trip does involve a few miles along an exposed coast with few places to stop. Also, returning via marsh if conditions kick up once out of Brave Boat is really not a good option given tides. Likely distance is around 10+ miles so bringing food/water for lunch would definitely be a good idea. To get to dock, from traffic circle in Portsmouth, take 1 across river and immediately take right onto 103 east and follow to Frisbee's Market on right. Turn right onto street next to market and ramp is around 50M on the left. Parking in Frisbee's lot across 103 is $10 and free lot within 1/4 mile. Ed Lawson

> >Your question did prompt a thought: if these are, in fact, >open ocean forecasts and observations, then the wave height >when they hit a reef or beach could be even bigger as they >feel the bottom and stand up. Yikes! As Nick Schaede posted recently, waves lose a great deal before they get to shore so you seldom if ever see waves near a shore as high as that reported off shore before they rise and break. For example, hurricanes can generate waves in the 40 to 60 foot range in the open ocean, but the waves seen hitting beaches in the news reports are never even close to that size even when they break on shore. Based on limited experience, I worry more about those low swells with long periods. Hard to see until they stare you in the face so to speak. Ed Lawson

>So, for example, if the forecast is 5-8 feet (as it was last >Sunday in Casco Bay) with a period of 7 seconds, you can >expect: > >a 13 foot wave every 700 seconds or about once every 20 >minutes I would be interested in whether or not the wave spectrum estimates are appropriate for predicting waves in areas within a mile or two of a coast or whether they are designed for and applicable to the open ocean. Leaving aside the issue that big waves are "dragged down" often before they get into shallower water and/or relatively protected water such as Casco Bay. Ed Lawson

Good grief! What is this club turning into? First its manly men hugging, now its route selection based on which bars close last. Finally talk of ledges and swells at night on a SNG no less. Please consider the example you are setting. You act as if its about having fun, enjoying being on the water, and having a little adventure. Oh...nevermind. On a more rational note, you might consider embellishing one of these irresponsible and frivolous romps...oh...excuse me..by turning it into a full moon dinner/paddle. I know a club that does this and they are popular trips. Go out in early evening (usually Friday), either picnic on island/ledge or go to a restaurant, watch moon moon rise, enjoy the views, let dinner settle, and paddle back so you arrive with enough time to be sodden by the last call at your favorite gin mill...sorry...I didn't mean that. Ed Lawson

> I wonder if that also >accounts for the same phenomenon on Wiscasset/Dresden >(channel 3) and Springfield (channel 6) - are they also run >out of Portland? AFAIK, Wiscasset is controlled by Gray and Springfield is controlled by Caribou. The Ellsworth and Jonesboro stations are also controlled by Caribou. Ed Lawson

>Over the July 4 weekend in Eastern Casco, we noticed that >NOAA Weather Radio on VHF was no longer providing the >regional marine forecasts including predicted marine winds, >storms and swells. According to the NOAA folks in Gray, Maine; the failure to broadcast the coastal marine forecast on the Portland station was caused by a software glitch which has been corrected. FWIW, Gray produces all reports heard on the Portland and Deerfield stations as well as others so you should hear the same thing on both stations. What you hear is a text to speech conversion so there is lots of room for snafus, but that is another story. Perhaps this experience is another example of how important it is to be able to make good judgements from personal observation as opposed to being dependent upon systems that can fail. After all, think about how large an area is covered by the Stonington to Merrimack out 23NM forecast and how reliable it can be for the tiny patch of water a kayaker will be on over the course of a day. I think the synopsis is more helpful as it can put what you see happening into a context that helps you make a SWAG during the paddle Not sure about comments on buoys, the standard broadcast includes the NOAA and GoMOOS buoys which give you an excellent idea of how things are along the entire coast, but some buoys do not have period data. For example, the GoMOOS York buoy will generally tell you exactly what you will encounter when paddling off Portsmouth. Regarding NOAA weather alerts and hearing them on the radio, NOAA runs a test of the system every Wed. between 1100 and 1300 so if you have your radio on then and it does not respond, you have a problem. Every radio is different and this is generic info, but for the radio to respond to a WX alert it typically must be programmed by the user before this feature will work. Usually this means "telling" the radio which WX stations to scan for the alerts and then putting the radio into a scan mode. If you are constantly listening/monitoring a given channel, it will never hear the tone announcing the alert on the weather channel. If it does not know which WX channel is listen on, it will miss the tone as well. The manual will give the details for setting up the radio. Ed Lawson

>Yes, check Portland, channel 1. But also listen for Stratham >NH, channel 5. We could not get that around Harpswell, so it >is the only station formerly listed for the >Stonington-Marrimack forecast that we have no information >on. Oops. Cannot listen to Portland as the nearby Holderness station is on same freq. Same for Wiscasset and Ellsworth as I have stronger stations on same freq. here. I know the NH station in Deerfield (Statham) does have marine forecast info since I used it Sat. and Monday and just herard marine forecast on it. The Portland CG station broadcasts Wx at 0705 and 1905. They also broadcast any severe WX alerts of interest to mariners when they get them. For both of these they announce on 16 and broadcast on 22A. All forecasts are available by phone from Gray, Me. NOAA office. Ed Lawson

I will try to listen to Portland tonight from home to verify this. A couple of weekends ago I thought I listened to the marine forecast on the Portland station. I cannot believe it does not provide marine forecasts. Based on what I heard a couple of weeks ago in Stonington the Ellsworth does all the marine forecasts since it is on the line for both coastal forecasts and people there need to know what is going on offshore as well. The problem with listening to distant stations with the handheld units is not their lack of sensitivity, but their antenna and height above ground. Ed Lawson

>I'm going to start practicing on Great Pond in Kingston, NH >on Wednesday nights starting next week,around 5:00 - 5:30 >p.m. with the intent of building this into a new NSPN skills >session for NH people a bit too far away from Chebacco or >Mystic. > I believe this is a great idea even though due to work schedules and a lake withing 5 minutes of our house it is unlikely I and Gail will show up often. I would also suggest it would be a great idea to have a bi-monthly or so day paddle out of Portsmouth with the goal of practicing stuff on the ocean and just having a few nice hours paddling. While pool and lake practice has much value, I believe it is also true that you can practice things like bracing and rescues until the cows come in on flat water, but until you do them in at least somewhat textured water; you really don't understand them let alone are proficient with them where they are likely to be used. Nothing like a rock or surge or little boomer to bring home the fact those practiced strokes may not come readily to mind/body when needed until you have spend time applying them for "real". Ed Lawson

Kevin: Weather is a bit iffy on Sunday for Gail and I to go far to paddle. Likely practice on lake nearby. Would you consider a paddle Monday from Cousins on Casco Bay? Gail and I are thinking of doing a paddle there, but route uncertain. Could be a loop of around 12-14 miles. In any event it would be a day cruise sort of paddle as opposed to wander and play padddle with potential stops on several islands. If not this weekend, maybe later. Ed Lawson

Just a quick note to thank Gerry for posting the trip from Portsmouth. Wonderful day on the water, fun (for elderly beginner) conditions, great companions, a chance to put faces to names. Some instruction, some mentoring, and just plain enjoyable paddling and conversation. What more could one ask for a nice, relaxed day out on the ocean. Ed Lawson

Anyone care to give an opinion as to how crowded Lane's Cove/parking would be Sunday and Monday? Thanks. Ed Lawson

Hi Gerry: I may have to be in Thomaston, ME on Sat. and will not know for sure till late tonight. If not, then I would like to paddle out of Portsmouth on Sat. or almost any day but the 4th come to think of it. Post when and where and if possible, I will be there. Will we see new boat on water? Ed Lawson

>For the guiding, Just to add another name to the list. Ray Wirth of Belfast is someone who does trips in that area. He is easygoing and relaxed in approach. http://www.touringkayaks.com/ Ed Lawson