birdseye

At the end of last year the Wild Turkey Paddlers were asked to do an email interview about kayaking in Boston Harbor for a book that was being written by travel writer Christopher Klein titled Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands – A Guide to the City’s hidden Shores. I volunteered to do the interview and asked Chip Hebert for some help with the details on how the Wild Turkey’s first got started. From our answers, the editor put together a one page piece called Kayaking in Boston Harbor that can be found on page 179 of the book. The write up includes information about the Wild Turkeys and how people can get involved.

In addition to the write up, they also used a number of my photos, some with people but only identifiable by those who know the people in the photos. Of the photos they selected they chose a couple from my first trip to the Graves that happened to be with the NSPN folks. The photo on page 179 below the write up has a couple of kayakers in front of the Graves and on page 167 you can make out Bob Budd, Jason Kates, and Walter Meers atop Outer Brewster. Other photos include Hangman’s Island and Boston Light’s Fresnel lens.

It was a lot of fun participating in the creation of this book and has been even more fun reading the history of the islands. I highly recommend anyone who paddles these islands should pick up a copy (or even if you don’t paddle it’s a very interesting read and would make a great gift…. and no, I’m not making any commission on the sales).

We paddle these islands all the time but how much do we actually know about them? There’s ton’s of history that goes back to before our independence. Just for fun… here’s a short quiz, let’s see how much you know (or can guess):

1. Which was the only island to have a song written about it?

2. Just a month after the battles of Lexington and Concord, British troops set out for this island to seize cattle, vegetables and hay, causing a major alarm in the surrounding towns which resulted in gun fire.

3. Ten thousand dollars was awarded the aviator who could make the fastest time for two nonstop laps from the Squantum Airfield to this island.

4. In WWII after the fall of Mussolini 1000 Italian prisoners of war were moved to this island and were treated very leniently because they no longer posed a threat. This lenient treatment was later used against us with regard to the treatment of the prisoners being held in Guantanamo Bay.

5. Because of the many shipwrecks on this island the very first “hut of refuge” was built. This hut contained dry clothes, food, blankets, wood and flint and was credited for saving 6 lives shortly after its construction.

Read an excerpt from the book.

Awesome Pics Page. You definitely got my attention with that one. I see a trip to Hudson Valley in my future.

Thanks,

Nelson

Postponing this trip for a better forecast. Less wind, more sun and a bit warmer. Gotta be perfect.

Thanks. Good to know.

I've checked with the Harbor Master previously about parking at Cohasset. He told me you can park behind the function hall and shouldn't have any problems as long as there isn't a function going on. Park towards the back under the trees. There is a boardwalk type walkway back to the parking lot and ramp.

Nelson

Leave from Lanes, paddle the coast clockwise hitting the various coves along the way. Around Halibut Pt to Rockport for a $10 lobster snack at Bearskin Neck. From there we'll head out towards Straitsmouth, the Salvages or Thatchers depending on interest.

There will be the option to lounge around on one of the islands, paddle to other destinations or both.

Plan for a fairly long day.

Arrive at 10:30 for and 11:00 launch. Carpooling may be necessary depending on participation.

Have you all tried Maptechs free boating charts and the Chart Navigator demo software. So far it's the best thing I've seen out there for free.

http://www.freeboatingcharts.com/

Printing is still a bit of a problem as far as area size goes (unless you have a wide body printer) but you can plot trips, get distances, etc. Plus you can download any current U.S. chart available.

If NOAA has something over this please let me know where to find it.

Here:

http://www.marine-electronics-unlimited.co...OM+M88+VHF.html

I sent in one of the Rebate forms that are out there and was able to get the $50 back.... Not bad! Unfortunately the rebate ended on 7/31 but still a good price.

Great report. I lived in San Diego for 6 years during my Navy days. I've tried wind sufing and sailing in Mission Bay and scuba diving near La Jolla but that was 20 years ago and before I even thought about kayaking. Sort of kicking myself in the but now.

Thanks for a good read.

I have printed the Maptech chart packets using their Chart Nav demo software without too much of a problem however I really don't like having to tape everything together.

One suggestion, although it could be an expensive one is to buy a wider format printer (11x17). Once you choose the new printer in the Chart Navigator software the squares on the grid will change to fit your max paper size. Try changing to landscape view to see if the squares better cover the area you want. Then all you have to do is select the squares over the area you want to print and hit print.

I have access to a plotter printer at work and have printed a number of full size charts succesfully (not a packet) and have been able to taylor my page size to get the portion of the chart I want for a particular trip. It's always a trial and error process but I've got it to work for me.

>>P&H only sells 1 Sirius model now, does anyone know if it is

>>M model?

>

>Did you get this info off the website or from a dealer? Give

>NESC a call, the P&H site doesn't list the Orion either, but

>they still make them.

>You might able able to find an M, HF, or L Sirius used.

Actually, I'm interested in a used Sirius M and am just trying to find out what the optimum weight capacity is. That info isn't available on P&H's site since they only make one Sirius model now. I'm assuming that they chose the "M" as that model and just trying to find out if anyone knows if that the case. If that is correct then I already know the weight capacity. If it is not the case I'm hoping someone out there has the "M" model and can tell me the weight capacity (or knows this answer).

Hopefully I made that clear enough.

Thanks for the input so far but still looking for something a little more definitive if possible.

Can anyone tell me what the optimum weight range is for the P&H Sirius "M"?

P&H only sells 1 Sirius model now, does anyone know if it is M model?

Thanks

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I found a short video on one of her sponsor's pages. She talks about her expedition with some decent footage of her in action. She's definitely a looker.

Here's the link, the video link in on the right hand side of the page.

http://www.krusell.se/renata.php

What are the chances she could have been walking down RT 3A in Marshfield or Scituate this past Friday (does anybody know)? I was talking to my wife while she was in her car on Friday and she told me she drove by someone pulling a kayak on wheels. I thought this was strange because she wasn't really close to any major body of water.

I thought... maybe with all this rain we were having she just wanted to be prepared :-)

>She will be leaving Hingham

>Harbor at the monument to cross Boston Harbor Saturday 5/14

>come rain or shine. Please come meet this seasoned kayak

>adventurer and cross with her to show support to push her

>along the next 5 months and hopeful return to Seattle before

>winter sets in.

Sunday's the 14th (Mother's Day) is it Saturday or Sunday??

If the articles are no longer here then maybe someone can tell us where we can find them in print. These were good articles and occasionally worth another read (especially for those of us who don't get out in the winter and need something to read). I've also referred people to them and might want to do it again in the future. Mark, any possibility you could email me a copy of them. Nelson

>A company has just introduced a simmilar style

>breathable dry suit(like kotitat) with a more comfortable

>neck gasket and standard boots. Also the regular zipper is

>long enough so males can go without having a separate zipper

>for that purpose. The really good news is the purchase price

>is 500 dollars.

>Called the Cpod or something like that. Has anybody else heard of it >and/or had any experience with it? Regarding the Tempest 170, I

>purchased one two seasons ago and have been very happy with it.

It's the "b Pod"(for body Pod) and is made by Stohlquist, a reputable name. It uses a 3 layer waterproof/breathable fabric.

Excellent Photo!

For those who haven't seen it yet, here is a website dedicated to the cause.

http://www.savethebrewsters.org/

Great report Bob. It was nice meeting all of you. I hope we'll get to do it again sometime. I'll let you know when my pictures are available.

Nelson

I talked to Alex. She was a wealth of information. Thanks.

Thanks everyone for your input. I was hoping to use a gift certificate to City Sports to help out with the vhf but hearing about the support and the M32LI available from West Marine made me rethink that idea.

I was hoping to hear from someone who owns (owned) a Capella RM and used a neo spray skirt with it that could recommend one with a good fit (or a bad fit for that matter). I've heard that the neo skirts don't hold quite as well on rotomolds so I'd like to buy something I know will fit well. Thanks Bob for your SnapDragon suggestions - I've been looking into them.

I'm in the market for a couple of new gear items and I could use some help before making my final decision.

First, I'd like to upgrade my spray skirt from nylon to neoprene for my Capella RM 166. I know a few of you here own or have owned a Capella and was hoping you could point me in the direction of a good neo spray deck for this boat.

Next. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the Icom M32 VHF Marine Radio. I've seen the M2A mentioned as well as the M88 but no mention of the M32A. I've looked everywhere for a comparison on the Icom models but came up empty. Is transmitting range/distance a big factor in price? If not, what makes one better than another? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Nelson

Excellent report. I actually forgot I was at work for a while.

Thanks.