EEL

>just curious why did your

>Stonington plans fall through?---that's got to be the best

>paddling on the coast---even better than Bar Harbor

It was just an odd combination of events and we thought it a lttle late to be camping. Interestingly, the locals on the southwest side of MDI indicated they think of Stonington as an overused place and their area as underused. Of course they know where and when to go to avoid the "tours" and what they consider their local paddling area is rather extensive as it covers the whole southwest of MDI and goes down to the outlying islands near Stonington. Which is to say beyond the islands around Swans. Being heavily involved in MCHT, they also know of great islands that are not shown on MITA materials.

Why would two first year paddlers go to Bar Harbor to paddle at the end of October? Good rate on a place to stay after our Stonington plans fell through is the only logical reason as there were small craft advisories all weekend with dark hints of gale warnings on Firday.

What we found once there was the following:

The leaves were still on the trees and colorful.

The crowds were gone.

The wind was from the North so conditions were generally good.

With the air temps either equal to or 15 degrees lower than the water temp, paddling was comfy even when all bundled up.

In fact the crowds were so "gone" that you can now park a the Bar Harbor town dock with ease and for as long as you want. On Friday we were able to paddle around all of the Porcupine Islands without meeting another person, kayak or pleasure boat. There were on two people out on the "bar" when we took a break there.

On Sat. we launched from Seal Harbor when the temp was around 37 (the high was 47)and encountered three local paddlers who paddle every Sat. all year who told stories of giving lost snowmobile riders directions while cruising along the shore. It was a brisk day, but sea conditions were mild in the lee of Mt. Desert with the North wind flattening the swells. So going from Seal Harbor to Sutton to Cranberries to Northeast Harbor and back was an enjoyable day partially spent with some very nice locals who were eager to share their knowledge of the area. Other than a working boat or two and the Coast Guard boat from Southwest Harbor, we had the area to ourselves. The day was gray and we kept an wary eye on the offshore storm clouds, but it was a fun trip just the same.

Sunday was a trip out of Seal cove and up to Pretty Marsh and Bartlett on the west side of Mt. Desert. With the North winds blowing down the narrows it was a beat upwind and then a fast trip back riding the wind waves. Again it was just us and a lobster boat or two and they were nearly a mile off. Great sunny day with milder temps.

All in all gorgeous days on the water with great scenery. Nothing all that adventureous, just fun paddling with a few short crossing and some winding along the rocky shores.

Given the state of the leaves and the weather, paddling up there is likely to be pleasant for at least a few more weeks. The paddlers we met have a website at http://www.mdipaddlers.com, and they would be more that happy to provide info about the area.

This summer Bob Arledge of SMSKN mentioned a trip he is planning in that area. Apparently it is an "up and coming area" and the trick is to get there before it becomes overused as "the" destination. He might be a good source of info and if you post a question on the SMSKN website, I suspect you will get reply.

Ed Lawson

Did it actually fracture the fiberglass/epoxy layer, or did the hull flex just crack/shatter a section of the gelcoat? Was it on a bulkhead location?

I suppose both are worrisome, but the former would get my attention very fast as it indicates a structural issue.

Ed Lawson

>I won't have

>much time but would be interested in Lanes cove to Rockport,

>traveling pretty far offshore, weather permitting.

What total time/distance, how far offshore, and what level of weather/seas would not permit to you have in mind? Sounds interesting.

Ed Lawson

> Is transmitting range/distance a big factor in

>price?

No. The transmitting power and receiver sensitivity is typically the same or close across the range of radios. Price is usually a function of features, battery type, and size. The smaller radios might not perform as well is some conditions due to the fact the antenna, which are very compromised in all these radios, maybe even more so on the small radios. At least that holds true for the ham radios which are built from the same basic hardware. For ham radio use I have had a variety of ICOM radios, I prefer Yeasu/Vertex Standard radios, but others for equally valid reasons prefer ICOMs. There are detailed spec sheets for all these radios on the mfg. websites, but unless you know something about radios, much of the RF performance specs will be meaningless to you.

Getting a radio with adequate RF performance is easy. For example the RF performance of the cheap Cobra radios is great. Getting a radio which is MIL-SPECed to be waterproof and will stay that way, has a good battery, more features, and is small and rugged simply means more money. Only you can decide if a radio is too big to carry where you can get it when you need it v. so small/complicated it is hard to use with fingers that are cold and a brain that is confused.

> Any

>help here would be greatly appreciated.

I think for hauling around in your PFD you would want a very small radio like the M88. If you can get to Maine before Sat. Hamilton Marine is selling them for $225 in the stores which is a good price.

Ed Lawson

>

>The BCU doesn't want to do business in the US. The American

>paddlers want do bring the BCU standard here. It is not

>incumbent on the BCU to localize their curricula for a

>market that they neither desire to develop nor claim to

>support.

Since we colonists declared our independence some time ago, I suppose it is understandable for the BCU to suggest we do it ourselves and not rely upon them. It does raise the question of why haven't american paddlers created a BCU like organization or at least how the BCU system seems to have been implemented (or is it bastardized) here in a manner that reflects paddling conditions in the US. If the ACA is that organization, then why is there is an interest in following the BCU approach in america. I'm not questioning whether there are valid reasons.

Ed Lawson

>...would ANY assessor actually fail someone because they

>couldn't answer such relatively pointless questions? That

>seems completely inconceiveable.

It seems to me that if someone wants a nice patch from the BCU as a symbol of whatever, then they need to have the skills and knowledge the BCU expects of someone who is awarded the patch. Seems fair for them to require someone to have a knowledge of many facets of the sport of kayaking. Besides, it is a Britich club after all. While having passed a 3* assessment no doubt is an indication that someone has certain technical paddling skills, I rather suspect it is not necessarily a measure of how good or skilled the person might be as a "real world" ocean paddler. Just because a person might be a comfortable paddling in all kinds of stuff does not mean they warrant a 3* patch nor does it mean, I suspect, that a person with a 3* patch is necessarily a good paddler who is comfortable on the ocean.

Some of us will be timid and fearful when the seas kick up no matter how many lessons we take or what skills we demonstate on relatively flat water. Others might revel in the adventure, but be largely self taught.

Ed Lawson

>At this time it still not possible to launch from the beach

>due to limited parking for town residents.

I thought the dump sticker requirement was only for the parking near the end of the road. Not that there is much regardless.

Ed Lawson

>

> It would

>be a good idea to drive up to the end of Seapoint Road to

>check out conditions before launching for the race.

At this time of the year is it permitted/whatever to launch kayaks at he Seapoint beach at the end of the road?

Ed Lawson

>My wife heard on the radio that the NH Fish and Game

>department has proposed to the legislature that canoes and

>kayaks be taxed/liscenced if they will be operating on NH

>waters. The New Hampshire State Parks and Fish and Game

>departments have to be completely finacially self sufficient

>now as the legislature removed them from the state's General

>Fund operating budget.

All quite true, but they have yet to formulate who they want fees from and how. They are talking about collecting fees from hikers, bird watchers, kayakers, canoists, just about anyone engaged in an outdoor activity as well as charging a fee when they have to respond complaints of bears raiding bird feeders and moose camping out in yards.

All in the discussion phase and due to shrinking revenues from hunting and fishing fees.

How they would enforce it is the big question.

Ed Lawson

> This latter process seems much more dependable,

>but I may be missing some important point. Comments?

I am just a beginner and the number of T resuces I have done is small so I cannot offer expert advice, but I suggest you get a friend, go to a pond or shelered beach area and try what you have described as well as the "standard" T technique. I rather suspect the problems with what you suggest and the advantages of the "standard" T rescue will become evident. Playing with boats is very instructive.

Leaving aside the problems of dealing with seas when all this stuff is normally needed, the "Standard" T rescue is really rather "bombproof" and easier than it might seem. My limited experience is you grab the bow, you do not mess with toggles and lines and once you get the inverted bow over onto your deck you have a very stable platform. I would hate to have an upright bow on my deck sliding around. Assuming a normal wet exist, there is very little water in the overturned boat and by getting it on you deck before it is flipped, very little water will remain in the boat after it is flipped upright and ready for re-entry. Under flat practice conditions and a boat with an angled bulkhead, it is amazing how little water will be in the boat if you can lift, rock, and flip the boat in one set of fluid motions. My experience is that the long sweeping bows of "Brit" boats are actually easier to deal with. Of course YMMV and what you desribe may work best for you.

Ed Lawson

>Regards Portsmouth, you can launch from Pierce Island and

>then head up to Gerrish Island.

While farther if coming from the south and there is a $10 fee, the Kittery park at Fort Point on Gerrish is a great launching site (there is a beach dedicated for kayaks and wind surfing)and a nice place to go for easing yourself onto more lumpy water.

Ed Lawson

>This would be a possibility for those paddlers who are

>looking to get on the water without being exposed to

>significant seas, etc.

And with luck some cheerful soul in a Pintail will be along saying "Don't worry, we will not go where it is dangerous." and off they can go for a delightful adventure.