PeterB

I'm  feeling in need of  some afternoon splash, so  I'll be heading to Walden this afternoon,  if anyone else is interested. I'll probably arrive around 5PM. 
Peter 

There is much to be said for cartopping a kayak upside down. Right side up definitely presents a higher profile to the wind ,   ; I know because I often turn my boat upside down because only then does it fit under the narrow roof of the parking garage I must use now and then . It would stand to reason that that  lower profile means less wind resistance, and can't be a bad thing.  Otherwise, I suspect that there may be some  difference in  aerodynamics and air flow between backward and forward but it is probably nitpicky, not hugely significant. Its a kayak strapped to a car, and we'll all get there if it's  well strapped r secured to the car.  I'm inclined to think that,  all told, superstition and custom (like passing to the right at the dinner table , it's just done that way ) are the biggest reasons kayaks are carried bow forward.   

Jeff,    
A good approach would be to come with your boat to a lake practice session. The easiest would be Chebacco Lake  on Thursdays.  There's also  Walden Pond on Tuesdays    There you can mess around in your boat with other paddlers  who have the kind of experience that you are seeking ,  talk through things , try out other peoples boats, etc. And have some fun while you're at it.   

I paddled a Perception Carolina a few years ago;  on a trip  I switched boats with someone who had a Carolina and paddled  for about an hour; it seemed seaworthy;  you'd be fine  on the ocean in it, probably at first on a trip that would be  in the  L2 range.    If you find  ocean paddling to your liking, in time (could be sooner, could be later)  you might naturally begin to want more out of your boat (speed, performance,  lighter weight, whatever )  than the Carolina provides. A natural progression among the paddlers I know is to change to another kayak after some experience on the ocean  gives them a better sense of what a kayak is all about and what they would then be looking for  in  the  kayak they would  take  to sea ..    

Great to have local knowledge on this or any trip! 

This will be a repeat of two successful autumn trips to Lake George in 2016 and 2017. The goal will be to paddle and explore the islands in the  middle of the lake  amidst peak autumn foliage, camp at one of the many island campsites (uninhabited at this time of year), and  hike to some peaks and ledges overlooking the lake, in the area of the Lake George Narrows, the  Mother Bunch Islands , or on the shores of Tongue Mountain. Lake George is 32 miles long and @ 2 mies wide, and the middle third of the lake is  mostly uninhabited  and within Adirondack Park. 
 

Launch midday Friday October 18: return to the put-in midday Sunday  October 20.  

The put-in will be from a small village and marina on the remote Eastern side of the Lake. From here there is great access to the lake’s best spots to explore: The Mother Bunch and Narrows Island groups,  Paradise and Red Rock Bay , and hiking trail heads to  Tongue Mountain and Shelving Rock. This put-in is a three hour drive from Concord NH area.  
 

Camping options are innumerable, as the islands have many campsites , uninhabited after Columbus Day so  we'll have the choice of dozens of islands to ourselves. The campsites are well developed with picnic tables, firepits, and privy’s. 
 

This will be about an L3 paddling trip: Mileage per day is flexible, probably 12 miles or fewer.   

Paddling will be moderate, ambling and relaxed, focused on exploration and stops to explore and walk on foot

We will likely tour the Narrows Islands and stop to hike to an overlook, either on Tongue Mountain or Shelving Rock.  

 The main requirement for this trip is  to be equipped for autumn camping:  being able to stay warm and dry in cold wet weather. (suitable tent, sleeping bag, shelter, and cold/wet weather clothing and outerwear, dry set of clothes while not paddling)  Weather might just be Indian summer, but also might be wet, raw and cold. Drysuits  are highly recommended , as staying warm and dry while off the water  will be  required. We can get off the water at any time quickly,  no tides or currents, but wind waves can be significant, especially at the middle of the day. Water temperatures will be in the 50's, air temps anywhere from  mid-40's to 60's or even  higher.  

If you are interested , please RSVP  (I’m going) in the October 18  calendar listing  for this event.   Contact  PeterB  by PM on the message board if you have questions.  
We  will plan trip  details  by group PM .

Anyone going to Walden Pond this evening? I plan to go.

Peter  

I had wanted to explore the extreme northeastern bit of Casco Bay,  between the Bailey-Orr’s peninsula and Cape Small , so I posted a trip at fairly short notice and , happily,  got some enthusiastic takers, so; after  a few additions and cancellations and a bit of  communication on the PM forum, we  ended up a group of three  and fixed on a trip that would focus on Ragged Island   (one of the areas largest islands that sits at the head of the bay)  and then a roughly counterclockwise tour of the bay tailored to conditions and time constraints. Conditions looked perfect for such a venture: seas 2-3 feet (as they played out, I would say 1.5-2.5 foot seas )  S. winds to 10 knots, mostly sunny ,with air temperatures around 70 degrees F.  Our trio ended up paddling in:   one  drysuit, one Gore Tex bib with  drytop,  and one wetsuit with  splash top, and all of us were fairly comfy for the day, never too cold and never too hot although close to it at times. 

So, at around 9:45, three of us did a low tide launch from the gravel beach next to H20 outfitters and the Salt Cod Café where we had converged  ($5 launch and parking fee for this favorite spot )  and headed out of Wills Gut underneath the  Bailey Island Bridge, or Cribstone Bridge, admiring and discussing its uniqueness, its  beauty,  and  its historic structure as we paddled.   

"The Cribstone bridge was built in 1927-28 to connect Orrs and Bailey Islands,  “using granite slabs as cribstones, acquired from local quarries in nearby Yarmouth, Maine. The slabs were laid horizontally, first lengthwise, and then crosswise, in several layers. No mortar or cement was used. Granite slabs were considered sufficiently heavy to withstand wind and wave, while the open cribbing allowed the tide to ebb and flow freely without increasing tidal current to any great degree.
The Bailey Island Bridge is  listed on the National Register of Historic Placesand is reported to be the only granite cribstone bridge in the world.”

Emerging from Wills Gut , we could see all the way to Cape Small on this  lovely clear day, and passed the first chain of  ledges,  punctuated   by Pond Island,  then set our sights for Ragged Island, about a nautical mile away.

On our crossing we passed by the  Middle Ground Ledges  where waves were crashing in a number of directions over nearly exposed rocks ,so we did a tight skirt around their north side, then  reached Ragged Island ,  where  we did  a full circumnav. of the island , in and out of a number of hump -like ledges on its seaward facing side,  looking for a landing spot,  and admiring the island's  beauty the entire way , but with one eye on the incoming crash of waves.  

There were no idyllic landing spots on Ragged Island at this the lower half of the tide, but we found  a cove suitable for a lunch stop,  made up mostly of with volleyball- sized rocks ,  where our parked kayaks served as hourglasses, of sorts:  We timed our lunch stop by returning to our boats just when the rising tide began to tickle their sterns. 
We decided to  continue our  planned  counterclockwise  route for the rest of the day,  starting with  a crossing of a little over 2 NM to Flag Island ,close to the Cape Small side of the bay , passing  by the Sisters ledges on the way. Stopping briefly in a cove at the  end of Flag, we  set on a return plan, hopping from island to island . ledge to ledge in an arc  that would return  us to the Cribstone bride.
As we paddled, the wind and tide began to turn our outing into a bit of  slog , and by the time we reached Ram Island, the last of  our ledges efore returning , we were paddling in a bit of bump, and  a wind  of maybe 11-12 knots, a wind speed Joe had confirmed on his weather app. during a brief stop at the Sisters ledges.  
Funneling back into Wills Gut, we had a happy high -tide take out  at our  H20 gravel beach this tim e  with a kayak carry of something like 5 feet, considerably less than  for our put in. 
We had a fast debrief chat , looked over Joe's GPS track of our journey (13.7 NM, 15.3 statute miles.) , which showed that our crossings were generally straight but on  that last crossing  to Ram Island we  had not used any ranges or vectors  , and we were pushed north a bit by the wind and tide, so the   the GPS  track showed  a  little hump at that  end of  our return route,  a classic "pursuit curve”.
 In all , It was a fun to spend a day on the ocean with duo of redoubtable paddling buddies. I would return to that area in a heartbeat,  and would  not be surprised  to find myself back there in the not- too -distant future. I'm thin king that a version of this trip , catching Ragged Island but  perhaps even  including a Sebascodegan Island circumnav., would be just grand. 

Yes there are  helmets on the market  designed specifically for sea  and whitewater kayaking. I assume the big difference between a kayak helmet and ,eg  a biking or ski helmet is the  water -friendly or water -proof nature and.or design  of the padding materials used.     Helmets are  very personal,  some just fit your  specific head more comfortably than others, so its best to try on before buying.     Some popular popular brands are NRS, Pro -Tec, Sweet Protection and Gath.
Sweet Protection Strutter  and Gath Gedi  are a bit pricier, but many of the sea kayakers I know have helmets  of these two brands. Newbury Kayak and Canoe has Gath,  Zoar Outdoors has Sweet Protection.  Sweet Protection has no drain holes, Gath does, and they both work well, and I'd be happy with either brand  so I wouldn't think drainage holes are a big consideration in selecting a helmet. 

I hav a friend who mildly  303'd his gaskets every time he used his drysuit , and they lasted over 7 years without needing replacement. 303 is invaluable!

I have a lot of experience at work  with latex , and in my  experience , latex is a natural product which is inconsistent in its performance.  Stored or used under the same conditions, some latex molds , gloves, and products  will come to tear easily or deteriorate  (into a gooey or crumbly  substance,)  and some last intact  for many years. I wouldn't be surprised if  there were two  identical drysuits,  built at the same time ,  bought at the same time and used with the same care,  and one set of gaskets were to  fail way before the other.  Generally speaking, latex is sensitive to the environment (air quality, sunlight, extreme heat or cold etc) , so storage in a cool dry dark space  (like a closet)is highly advised, and left in the sun overmuch is not a good thing. 
 I bought My first drysuit  at the Kittery Trading Post: I was gearing up to buy one around Christmas, but saw a suit at KTP  October with a sale price I could not resist: Its gaskets failed almost immediately, and my theory is that it had been hanging  out on the sales floor   (in the sunlight) for a long time, which is why it was on sale. 

Orrrs Island-Ragged Island and upper Casco Bay 
We have changed the date of this trip from Saturday June 9th  to Sunday June 8th.  New launch time will be discussed. 
I'd like to amble and explore the area of ledges and small islands in the part of  NE Casco Bay  between the Orrs/Bailey Island Peninsula and the  Cape Small Headland. This seems to be  a rarely visited area, an open bay at the extreme northern end of Casco Bay , a patchwork of ledges and small islands with Ragged Island as the focus. (I began to study this area as Ragged Island was the summer home of Edna Saint Vincent Millay until @ 1950)   
Launch from H20/ Orrs Island  at  10:45.  and hop from island to island , ledge to ledge with Ragged Island the anchor of the trip, probably a counter  clockwise tour with a return along the northern coastline. High Tide is 4PM , so there will be a rising tde for much of the trip.  The trip will involve a series of mini- crossings from 1/2 nm to  1 nm , and the  ideal sea state for this trip would be on the mild side: if seas are  greater than  2-3 feet and winds greater than 10 kt ,  the  route the can seek the more protected waters of Quahog Bay and the inlets and ledges to the north hugging Sebascodegan Island. Trip will be canceled if there is a small craft advisory. 

Drysuits are required to highly recommended, as the water temps (still not over 50 degrees )  seem to be  a bit on the cold side for this time of year.  
If you are interested in joining me, rsvp ("I'm going" ) on the calendar posting or PM me (PeterB)  and we can communicate  by PM in advance of the trip . 

    

From Fort Gorges to East End beach was a sharp right hand turn so we were now with  beam -to -rear quarter wind and waves, and little boat traffic that I can recall (again, I may have been preoccupied with thoughts of ramen ) :  not a bad ride at all and I can see how Bug Lighters could have had a worse time of it from there with continued headwind, boat wakes,  tide, and no prospects for ramen.   

Confused water was  perhaps worst at the head of Chandler Cove heading into Little Chebeague Island: a slice of ocean where waves with longer fetch were  coming up Luckse Sound and reflecting off of Great Chebeague, also off of Hope and Long Islands.  Deer Point at the bottom of Great Chebeague was  a classic headland, acting like an anvil against which the hammer of the ocean was concentrated. Crossing from Long Island  to the top of Diamond was  windy and bumpy too , again the wind with longer fetch funneling up Hussey Sound, but with no significant reflection: just  windy &  bumpy for about 3/4 NM.  The area around Fort Gorges didn't seem bad to me but it may have been psychological as we were in the very last home stretch to East End Beach and thinking mostly about ramen noodles for lunch awaiting us .   

Here is the  route two  groups (Bug Light group and Portland East End group)  took  from Jewell Island back to Portland on Sunday,  on local knowledge guru Kyle's advice:

 Trip goal: Get back to Portland , dodge the S wind where possible, with value added tour of the Little Chebeague/Long Island/Diamond Island area, new to many in the group.

The route was @ 10 NM.     

The weather was indeed pretty raw on this trip, which made the island itself seem a happy place to be.  I enjoyed all of our paddles, starting with a Thursday night full moon  safari from Portland East End to Jewell with Kyle, Pablo, Karen,  and Yong ,  a Friday meetup at Vail Island  with Kate, Sherry, Janice and Lisa  on their way from Portland,  then a Saturday  trip around Jewell followed by a Cliff Island circumnav., and then our sinuous two-pod  slog  (mostly raw weather  and 12- knot headwind much of the way) back to Portland  on Sunday morning. Thanks, all, for being such good company!     Peter    

Beth et al, 

If you are  definitely planning on camping at the Saddleback campsite, please rsvp on the calendar posting  this trip, so that we'll be able to have a list of the total  number of paddlers in the area for the weekend  , and communicate in the weeks beforehand. 
The Saddleback campsite is also a Maine Coast Heritage trust site; there is a limit of 5 campers. (6 or more by permissoin only) There is no fee for the campsite. 
Campsite users will be autonomous, meaning : responsible for their own food and a water, and must pack out their  waste. It is important that campers not use  the island privy as the cabin limit was lowered to 6 persons  largely because of privy use/overuse. 
Otherwise, we can paddle together , hang out together or intersect when it makes sense to do so. 
 

Tuesdays will be  fine 

Peter 

Yes , "The Basin" is a very cool spot:  Four of us paddled into the Basin during a full moon and it was otherworldy, wandering around amidst big dome like rocks exposed near low tide. But seeing the high tide mark on the huge boulders all around  , and realizing that pretty soon the incoming tide  would   be entering through a very small opening,  and we'd be trapped in there for hours,  I said  "we'd better cut this tour short  and  get the hell out of here while we can: " There is no way there isn't some tidal action at the mouth of the Basin.  

asin. 

An on the water workshop would be fun. I think it would be fun if it were just a posted trip (simple paddle at one of the more familiar NSPN put- ins like Pavilion Beach , Odiorne, Manchster/Beverly etc) )  with an on-the-go  "use-our vhf radios" theme.  

I've paddled to Vinalhaven a number of times.  Aside from the  ferry, options fall roughly into a shorter (well, 6 miles) crossing from  the west (Rockland/Rockport area) and a longer approach from the north. The approach from the west is fast but challenging, would require good weather and  a strong group of paddlers for the  the six mile crossing across a major channel,. The approach from the north is very long, and a great paddling trip in its own right, basically involves island hopping down to Vinalhaven in a seres of 1-2  mile-ish crossings, so one can enjoy  the islands in north Penobscot Bay (like Butter Island, Bear Island etc) but  this will then either leave you fewer days to explore Vinalhaven or require a longer trip to do so  . If you are committed to three days then ,yes, the ferry is probably the best option.

Christopher et al
 It looks like the cabin is  full already, so there is now a wait list.   But It is possibe that another NSPN  group may be staying at the primitive campsite site on Saddleback island at the same time  The camping group would be semi autonomous, use the campsite and  provide water, food  and Leave no trace  (carry out  waste)  for themselves, in accordance with MCHT island use guidelines. (the main thing is that the island privy use needs to be managed)  but we could paddle, and perhaps  eat  and hang out together . We  can all  communicate between now and then about the whole weekend. 

Saddleback Island Retreat: Stonington, Maine. July 19-22
 Note: Trip is now full, and there is a wait list. Please contact PeterB by PM if you are interested in this trip. You can then be updated by PM.  
This will be the 5^thNSPN midsummer  retreat to Saddleback Island in the Stonington Archipelago.  We have reserved the Saddleback Cabin from the Maine Coast Heritage Trust for the nights of July 19 to July 21.
Saddleback will be our base camp;  a wonderful rustic cabin equipped with bunkbeds , kitchen, fireplace, gas stove and kitchen wares; there is also a  privy.  This area with its innumerable islands  is generally agreed to be one of the best paddling destinations anywhere on the East coast. 

 The plan will be to launch  from Old Quarry Adventures Campground on Friday midday /early afternoon  for a  protected paddle of 2.5 nm  to Saddleback Island,  with day trips (probably one to two groups depending on weather conditions and group preferences) on Saturday and Sunday, returning  to Old Quarry on midday Sunday for the drive home . 

There is also the option to launch from Nauskeag.  This is a 5.25 nm paddle. There is a parking fee and showers  at Old Quarry: no parking fee at Wooden Boat, but a longer more challenging  paddle.   
 

This will be a trip for levels 2-4, and a level 2-friendly trip!  On past trips our  paddling options have ranged from very mellow rambling amongst the chain of islands in the archipelago , to a grand circumnavigation of Isle au Haut. So this trip is fit for L2  to intermediate to advanced paddlers. Requirements for this trip are to be well equipped with paddling gear for midsummer (boat, pfd, a wetsuit or wetsuit pants with drytop, etc: some prefer drysuits  ) and to bring food and water and personal effects for the weekend.  

Water temperatures are in the 50’s ,  air temperatures are in the 70’s-80”s. Weather is variable, from perfect sunny midsummer weather to rain, wind,  and fog. Fog is likely at some time or other, and part of the trip may involve navigating  and prudent paddling in the fog,  in which case there will be someone to lead any group of paddlers inexperienced or uncomfortable paddling in the fog.   
Trip limit is 6. 
The cabin accommodates 6 persons, in accordance with the rules set by MCHT.  A fee of $87.50  paid in advance reserves your spot on this trip.  The cabin has been reserved for $525 (that’s $175 a night) so the six participants   share in these expenses.
Please RSVP (I'm going') along with your payment in the calendar posting on July 19th
In the month before the event,  when a group has been set we will communicate by group PM to plan details for the trip    

The cabin has a bunk beds, a kitchen with gas stove, and kitchenwares, and an outhouse/privy. 
Trip members must bring their own water, food and personal effects (sleeping bag etc) There is a camp cooler there for food storage. 
Looking forward to  great paddling in a great location! 

Sixth Annual NSPN Downeast  Retreat, Bar Harbor, ME September 6-9, 2019
 

Initiator: Peter Brady
Please come paddle in Bar Harbor for what will be sixth  Downeast Paddle Retreat for NSPN!

This 4 day event will be from Friday Sept. 6th to Monday Sept.9th, spanning the weekend after Labor Day, with group paddles each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and shorter trip or trips on Monday  winding down midday or early afternoon.  Since this retreat has been a success for five years running - it's a perfect location to paddle at a perfect time of year (and with a perfect group of paddlers!) - it will be run on a roughly similar schedule as in past years.  
Most people travel & arrive on Thursday and depart on Monday afternoon though you are of course free to arrive and leave earlier or later. 

Our base of operations will be at Llangolan Inn and Cottages on Rte 3 near Hadley Point , on the north side of the island between the Narrows and Bar Harbor. 
A good number of NSPNers are already reserved there , and we can gather there the monings before paddling and in the evening after. 

Each day we will have organized paddles (likely two or three) around Mount Desert Island, based on weather and conditions that day. We have a menu of trips suited to this area, , and can meet at Llangolan every morning and around dinner time to create and confirm paddling plans for each day. 
 

 Some favorite destinations are: the Porcupine Islands off of Bar Harbor in Frenchmans Bay, the Cranberry Islands on the south side of MDI, Bartlett Island and Sound on the West Side, and the dramatic eastern shore of the island.   In the last couple of years our variety of trips expanded  further into Blue Hill Bay and Somes Sound, and  new ideas are always welcome

Accommodations and food are on your own. Most people do some mix of dining out around the Island or dining in at Llangolan ( the cottages have kitchenettes) 

Note: it is past Labor Day but still tourist season in the area, so it would be advised to make plans for accommodations well in advance. 

Recommended lodging: 

Llangolan Inn & Cottages :  Our base of operations and gathering spot. The  8 bungalows are likely  already reserved by NSPNers, but there may be rooms in the main Inn.

Hadley Point Campground: for those who prefer to camp, this campground is adjacent to Llangolan on Hadley Point Road

Robbins Motel: not far from Llangolan on Rte 3 for those looking for the most economical no-frills lodging on the island.

Eden Village: A cottage resort similar to Llangolan, a short ways away on Rte 3.

Trenton & (off the Island): Just across the bridge to Mount Desert Island, towards Trenton & Ellsworth, there are cottages and motels that are  probably less pricey than on Mt. Desert Island. 

There are many other options for lodging in the area, including fine ( but less  conveniently located) campgrounds and cheaper motels off of MDI between 

General Schedule 

Thursday evening : many folks arrive in Bar Harbor,and we will have a meet & greet  gathering at LLangolan with some potluck food  snacks  or pizza, discuss and plan the first day's padding oprtions.
Friday: evening on your own: there will likely be a BYOL (bring your own lobster!)  informal  cookout  gathering at LLangolan. 
Saturday: our official potluck dinner in the barn (made available by our gracious hosts)  behind LLangolan.
Sunday:  food on your own: 
Monday: a shorter at Long Pond, where  we can paddle, pracise skills or rolling, wash off gear, and   people can come and go as they please. 

This is a rain or shine event! This event has been a success because there is fine paddling to be had somewhere around the island in all but very harsh conditions, and if the weather is too crummy to paddle anywhere on the ocean we can paddle the inland ponds and lakes like Long Pond or Eagle Lake, or explore & hike Acadia National Park,  or play tourist around Bar Harbor. Some people have taken a day off from paddling to  hike or explore Mount Desert Island, and there might well be an organized hike or two  mixed into the festivities.

 if you are interested in attending, please RSVP (" I’m going") in the calendar posting on Sept.6^th  , a Group PM  with all of participants will get going in the coming months  months,  f or information sharing,  planning and communication in advance of the event.
If you have any questions: contact  Peter Brady   (PeterB on the message board )  or  by PM 

 

The crossing from Nixes Mate near the head of Long Island  to Deer Island is handy,  and a bit less than 1/3 of a mile, : I have done it several times at different times of day &  year  and didn't have any trouble. In that area  the big boat traffic is from predictable directions and with only 5-7 minutes in the boat channel it's pretty easy to do a crossing. Going further into Boston harbor to cross would not be a good idea unless you just want to tour the inner harbor as part of your trip : more boats of all kinds are  concentrated  in there.
 There is also the  Outside Option:  to go from the Brewsters to the Graves and thence to Nahant, which is a real outer crossing. Paddles from Nahant to the Graves & back have been done in the  past, but probably best done  with a solid  group of paddlers. 

What's wrong with the Hulla-ports? I thought they were designed expressly for kayakers who need to load their boats solo so they would appear to be just the ticket for you and your situation. . I knows several people who have them and use them with success:  I would think that  it might be just a matter of getting used to them and  how they work. They do have a lot of moving parts and theres a specific set of steps to using them. 

I've got my boat and my stuff with me so I'll plan to be there: probably @ 5PM or a little before .