PeterB

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 5thNSPN 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.6th , 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 .

I'll give it a try today: Hope I can get in . Spending time upside down in water would be a good thing.

"It is easy to look at the picture of the usual suspects looking at the narrows bridge and wonder what is the big deal which shows how deceptive pictures can be" That's exactly right! The current didnt look like much from far away but , once in it, it was a pretty fast moving winding stream maybe 8 or 10 feet wide, bordered by grabby eddy lines, with the water either welling up in boils or moving in the opposite direction on the other side of the eddylines. There was definitely a drop from inside of the bridge to outside of the bridge, which would only be getting bigger in the next few hours. Joe had an invaluable table of little hand drawn charts which notated current speed and direction- by the hour- in a handful of key spots such as this: it looked like the info. had been amassed by an individual with local knowledge.

I agree that the height and spacing between tiers can be easy to get wrong: mainly, too low and/or too tight between tiers. . I would try to set the lowest rack level fairly high: . maybe 2 1/2 to 3 feet, and the next one 2 1/2 to 3 feet above that ( 5 to six feet). I have 3 tiers, and I have the easiest time plucking the boat off my highest rack and the hardest time with the boat on the lowest rack. I plan to adjust mine so that they are all higher (as soon as I've got my list of other household/ grounds and landscaping chores under control), and maybe ditch one rack and go from 3 to 2 tiers. _. My rack (sounds like similar construction to yours) is three tiers, the lowest is about 16" (too low!) , the next is 22-24" feet above that (@ 38" to 40") and the the next 22-24" feet above that ( @ 60- 64") .. I find the lowest is too low, and I have to bend and contort to get the boat, and the highest is not too high, could even be higher : a boat at that forehead or higher level can be transferred off the rack right into a comfortable shoulder carry position,or over onto the car top with relative ease, Its also nice to have the space between boats to be more than the beam of the boat; my 22" spacing is too tight. with 30-36" the boats can be placed on their sides as well, if you either want it that way or want to access the hatches (cleaning, inspecting, repairing etc) while it is right on the rack.

I'll be there.I'd bring some single malt to christen the boat by sprinkling a bit on its bow but I'm driving straight from work and came ill-prepared.

This was our 4th NSPN trip to Saddleback Island, hopefully now an NSPN tradition which provides the opportunity for great paddling and lodging in what has long been one of the best paddling areas anywhere . This trip was anchored at the rustic cabin owned by The Maine Coast Heritage Trust on lovely Saddleback Island at the edge of the Stonington archipelago. We lucked out with mostly fabulous summer weather, lots of sun and comfortable summer heat , with a few bits of fog to make paddling a bit interesting at times. Seas were generally very tame, winds generally mild- in the 5 kt. Range, so the weekend lent itself to relaxed paddling & exploring. Trip mileage each day was in the 15-17 NM range. This year our group was a bit smaller than in past years , since communication with MCHT beforehand had better clarified their intended use of the cabin and grounds, which prefers a limit of eight persons. So after a couple of cancellations and additions, we ended up a group of six and then, seven, with the arrival of George, a brand new NSPN member who had just finished signing up, Paypal-ing etc. in time to join us on Saddleback right around dusk on the first day. So, on Friday six of us converged on Old Quarry Adventures Campground near Stonington, loaded up and set off in two groups for Saddleback around midday: three of us- Pablo, Yong, and myself - launched around 12:30, with Gary, Dave and Paul following about an hour later. We all made the short easy trip to Saddleback , unloaded and settled into the cabin, after which some of us took a late afternoon spin around the island before settling into what is a Saddleback birthright: hanging out on the porch or inside, or on the rocks, and enjoying dinner and conversation. On Saturday, two ideas for paddling trips emerged, so we formed into two groups. Both departing around 9 AM. Gary and Paul set off for a 2+ mile crossing of Jericho Bay to Marshall Island, and spent some time exploring the island’s trails and its abandoned overgrown airstrip before returning to Saddleback . Marshall has the distinction of being the largest uninhabited island in the east coast, and its beauty, remoteness, beaches and network of trails make it a place that every paddler I know wants to return to. Gary and Paul returned from Saddleback with reports of a “ fantabulous” day. The rest of us- Pablo, George, Yong, Dave and I- paddled across and down to explore the east side of Isle au Haut. My other forays to Isle au Haut have been circumnavigations , which leave little time for exploration, so our goal was to more leisurely explore the east side of IAH, especially York Island, a goal which was handsomely realized. We had lunch on Doliver , a tiny MITA island (“ it’s tennis court size and rock, with one tree and a sign”) in the shadow of York Island . After lunch we rounded York Island and, after a stop at the northeast corner of IAH, Yong and Dave elected to return straight to Saddleback, and George, Pablo and I continued on along the north coast of IAH, slithered into the Isle au Haut Thoroughfare to the little village of Isle au Haut ,where he had a stroll and visited the General Store for ice cream bars and ginger ale before returning to Saddleback. On Sunday we all paddled together for the traditional “nickel tour” of the Stonington islands: a few of our number had not had the pleasure of exploring this area before. We wound our way slowly through the islands and at a juncture on the edge of Wreck island we decided to cross Merchants Row to visit Harbor Island , one of the area’s favorite camping islands. We then crossed Merchants Row back to Steves Island, and had lunch there. As we were departing Steve’s, a conversation with some other paddlers revealed that the Fisherman’s Festival in downtown Stonington (only 1.5 nm away) was winding down in a few hours, so we promptly changed our route and filtered into Stonington to enjoy the last of the festivites there, which included a cod fish relay race, (children stumbling about in yellow fishermans overalls lugging a giant slippery cod) and yummy grilled shark steaks. After the festivities, Dave and Paul returned to Saddleback and the rest of us detoured around Crotch Island with its formidable granite quarry equipment and cascading piles of granite blocks: Crotch Island appears to have been the epicenter of Stoningtons famous granite industry of the previous century. Granite, and geology in general, becomes an inevitable theme of any trip to this rocky area, and George , it turned out , was a geologist with formidable knowledge of the area's geology which he could ably translate into laymans terms , so the trip turned partly into a highly appreciated geological tutorial of the area. Monday morning it was pack up , tidy up and close the cabin, and paddle back to Old Quarry, with the added luxury of showers ($5) at the campgrounds before hitting the road for the long drive back home. I suppose it’s the sign of a great trip when you’re already thinking about next year’s , so by that or most any other yardstick, this weekend was a success.

A lot of variables. On average, there is a good tide race on the ebb at the northeast end of Pond Island and at Jack Rock, which can of course be either bigger or tamer depending on wind direction, incoming swell, and tides . When all of these come together - south wind ,swell from the south, and a bigger ebb tide- the tide races there can be big and challenging. When they don't - a smaller tide, little or no wind or a north wind, and little or no swell, there is plenty of current but probably mild standing waves, so the area is still worth a visit, just not as exciting or challenging, depending on how much you are looking for.

Me too .

I will be there. Aiming to arrive @ 4, which will probably mean a bit after given the afternoon traffic.

My meeting ran past 4:30 so I couldn't get to Walden yesterday. I'l have Wednesday meetings at the same time for the next 2 weeks , so I may not be able make it to Walden for the next two Wednesdays though I will try. Peter

I'll be there: I have a meeting at work till 4:00 , so I won't be there until @ 5:30. Peter

I will plan to be there, barring poorer weather than forecast . I'll be there 4PM-ish, maybe a a bit later (4:15-4:20)

Dan, Thanks for sharing this! Who were the twelve founding citizens?

I'll be there : I will try to arrive at 4PM. I'm also game for a bite to eat afterwards.

'll be there this Wednesday: I will try to arrive @ 4PM .

On Saturday five of us paddled from Riverhead Beach out to Tinkers Island and back in search of right whales, but we didnt see any that day . Nevertheless we had a nice sunny-weather outing , and had some fun amidst the rocks and ledges along Marblehead neck.

Right whales can be distinguished from other whales we might see around here (humpback, fin, minke, pilot whales) because they have no dorsal fin: So, if you see a whale above the surface with no dorsal fin - it appears as one big black mound or blob, its likely to be a right whale. It would be a special treat to see them in this area! Right whales are also slower swimmers: fin whales, minke whales, and pilot whales are generally feeding on the move , and right whales move more slowly or loll about . So if you see a slow moving black blob or mound on the ocean , its more likely to be a right whale. Humpback whales loll about too but their appearance is noticeably different, very long pectoral fins and sharper snout, and more dramatic when surfacing and breaching.