tedious

Lori, there's nothing magic about repairing carbon fibre unless you feel the need to make it look like new. Assuming it's just cracked, you'll need some epoxy and fabric reinforcement. Your normal HW store epoxy will be fine. For fabric, you want some thin, tough, fairly loose weave fabric - almost any synthetic will do in a pinch, but if you stop by a fabric store you should be able to pick up a scrap of cordura for almost nothing. Mix the epoxy per directions, and edge-glue the cracks. Then smear epoxy over the full repair area, press the fabric over it, add more epoxy on top to saturate, squeeze out all the excess, let cure. If you do the repair on the back of the blade it should not make much difference to your paddling. You could also go to a marine store and get some very light fibreglass and actual marine epoxy, but it really won't make a lot of difference. You will want to work in a warm area, or set the paddle on top of a lamp to cure. Epoxy won't cure properly below about 50 without special treatment. Good luck! Tim

Joe, I'm no expert, but I'd tend toward your basic nylon 3-strand. Economical, has a reasonable amount of stretch for shock absorption, and easy to splice. I use 5/16" for our painters and it works very well. Tim

Yes and no. By the time you have learned to sail in strong winds and waves, you have been forced to learn to get back on the board in those conditions. Stronger winds actually make it easier to remount (waterstart). You also have a board which has much more floatation than a filled kayak, and is much more stable - low and flat. If you are really in a life-threatening situation you can ditch the rig and paddle the board in - something you can't do with a kayak full of water. I figure if I'm conscious, I can always grab the board and get home somehow, even if at the price of an expensive rig. Most of my sailing friends and I therefore don't wear PFDs, but we do wear helmets when the wind gets up. Tim

There's lots of stuff that fits into the "only in Maine" bucket. First off, it's a rule that one of the first 5 songs you will hear on the radio, after crossing the Piscataqua, is by Bob Seger. It's like being in a time warp. Two stories, one from personal experience, one from the local fishwrap (AKA newspaper): 1) my wife and two small kids were walking by the lobster pier in Boothbay Harbor and saw an obviously rabid raccoon going after one of the employees. The poor guy was fending the animal off with a wooden chair, but it was extremely aggressive and it wasn't clear that the guy could avoid being bitten for long. Until a passing pickup screeched to a halt, and the driver grabbed the (loaded) shotgun off the rack in his cab and shot the animal dead. "Only in Maine." 2) during hunting season, a man stopped on Rt. 27 in Boothbay and leveled his shotgun over the hood of his car, aiming at an alpaca at a local farm. Another passerby stopped and told him that he shouldn't shoot the domesticated animal, whereupon the first character opined "I know a damn deer when I see one" and shot the alpaca dead. "Only in Maine." Tim

Joe, with that more detailed description I can give better advice - I do know the area pretty well, but from a (*gasp*) powerboat rather than a kayak. Round Pond is a little harbor just east of Bristol. From there you head out into Muscongus Bay, which is large and open and subject to weather, but from Round Pond you start out behind Louds Island, so it's not too exposed. From there you can head north up Muscongus Sound behind Hog Island and along the Hockomock Channel and up to the Medomak River, if you have time. This is fairly protected and very scenic - I bet it would be stellar in the fall. Another option, a little farther away would be to drive to South Bristol and circumnavigate Rutherford Islandl. There is a neat passage called the "Thread of Life" at the south end of the island which will allow you to elimate the worst exposure - it's really a neat coastline, with lots to explore. As mentioned before, I am not sure of access in any of these places, but in the off season I think it's likely you can find a spot. There definitely is a public dock where you cross the Damariscotta River between Newcastle and Damariscotta (you'll be crossing there on your way to Bristol. The Damariscotta River would be good choice if the weather is ugly, and there is actually a relatively tame reversing falls at the bridge to play in if that's your thing. However, I don't think the river is as scenic as being right down at the coast. Tim

Joe, a couple of points: 1) Bristol is a long, long, long, way from Popham - at least an hour's drive. You might find it a better use of your time to just bop over to Round Pond or Bremen or Friendship and explore Muscongus Bay. Another alternative would be Pemaquid Harbor or South Bristol, both of which have some very nice paddling and are a very short drive. I don't know what access would be like in all places, but it's off season so I'd think you could find something. These choices also have the advantage that if the weather is a little dicey, you can head upriver rather than down, and still get a good paddle in. 2) If you do go to Popham, I hope you are aware that the mouth of the Kennebec can be extremely rough and intimidating depending on wind and tide. I don't know your experience level, but that's no place to be taken lightly. For charts, visit a marine outfitter and get the chart "Sheepscot, Damariscotta, and Kennebec Rivers" which covers the area. Or if you're going there a lot, the "Chart Kit" of waterproof maps is really nice. Tim

You could also try the old moto trick of wiring it on - use some wire, twist ends tight with pliers, sort of like a heavy duty twister-tie. As I was writing this it also occurred to me that your garden variety zip tie would probably work great. T

Liz, try chopping an inch off the tube itself - it may have gotten crushed or otherwise have gone limp. And if that doesn't work, you could glue it on with contact cement, Suz's cleaning comment notwithstanding (you're supposed to clean those?). Tim

Dunno about "must see" but I spend a lot of time paddling in the Boothbay Harbor Area, and it's nice, if you stay away from the touristy town proper. Pretty good water access, and you can pick your conditions - there's something for everyone from flat water to fairly significant tidal currents and chop. The Southport "Rowgatta" is held every August - a 12 nm circumnavigation of Southport Island. It's not really a serious race, but people move along pretty good - the winner this year was in a double and came in at 1:57. The plastic barge and I came in 4th at 2:07. The best lobster roll you'll ever have is available from Osier's at the drawbridge in the South Bristol Gut - nothing but a grilled hot dog roll, a tiny bit of mayo and lemon, a decorative portion of lettuce, and a ton of lobster. Tim

Can someone fill me in on the drill if I'm not (gasp!) an NSPN member? I understand there is a form and fee that must be submitted - info on the latter, in particular, would be appreciated. Tim

>Hi, > >I have an occasional circumstance of wanting to mount a >second kayak to my Thule rack. Aside from the obvious >solution of simply spending the cash on another Thule kayak >saddle, are there less expensive alternatives? For example, >using foam blocks to protect the roof, and bunjee chords to >secure the kayak, not to mention the rope to tie down the >ends. > >Thanks in advance. > >Gary Gary, I made a mount out of some packing foam I had hanging around - just zip-tied it to the bars, with a layer of duct tape over. Looks ugly, works well, cheap. Bungies are not enough to hold the kayak on - this is NOT a place to save money; buy yourself some good straps. And if you've got enough expensive gear on the roof to warrant it, consider a safety strap over everything and through the doors - holds when the rack itself lets go. Tim

Anyone launched on Long Wharf (the stone pier) in the Annisquam / Jones river recently? I'm trying to plan my July 4th dawn patrol paddle and I'm wondering how the potholes on the wharf are this year. Last year I went there with a monster truck and I was fine, but this year I'll be in a Honda. I have this vision of myself with all 4 wheels in the air, held up by the kayak on the roof rack with the bow and stern on the rim of the pothole. Thanks. Tim

Gay, on the subject of camping, from what I have seen the campgrounds are not really tent-camping places, but more of the "pull up the RV, hook up the sewage line, fire up the generator, set the TV under an awning and crack open a beverage" variety. Thought I'd mention that as I suspect most NSPN folks are more of the tent-camping style. Also, on the subject of beverages, all of Dare County (the Outer Banks) is dry except for beer and wine. So if you absolutely have to have a gin & tonic, bring your own or it's a long, long drive. T.

Hi Gay - I have done just a tiny bit of kayaking in Avon, just north of the elbow of Cape Hatteras - borrowed a two-place sit on top from a house we rented to spend a week windsurfing. I don't know if you are familiar with the area, but you basically have your choice of the ocean (outside) or the sound (inside). The surf is extremely heavy - does not seem all that big, but it is deceptively powerful. So unless you are very experienced in such conditions, that leaves the sound. The sound is basically flat water, although it can get windy and choppy. Depending on where you are, the shoreline can be anything from sandy to muddy to marshy. At many places (such as Avon) the water is not consistently deep until you get past the sandbar, which is a couple of miles offshore. Inside the bar the depth can vary from several inches to over your head; average depth is probably 4 feet. The bar itself can be a fun place to visit - it's only ankle deep in many places and is a fun place to play around. So if you're there anyway, kayaking would be fun, although I would not make a special visit. Sunsets are spectacular! T.

Heidi, for exercises, I like planks, both front and side. You can probably google for the details, but for the front plank you're basically holding your body rigid on your toes and either hands (pushup position) or elbows. Hold as long as you can, and do 3 or 4 sets. Side plank is the same thing, but on your side, with your feet "stacked" - again, you can do it on one hand or one elbow. I try to do 4+ sets of a full round (side, side, front) holding each position for 30 seconds. Tim