MPARSONS

A few weeks ago during rescue practice the front of my coaming separated from the deck. I tried putting a coating of epoxy in the joint and clamping it down for a day, but the next time I used it, it popped free again very easily. What should I do? I thought maybe a layer of fiberglass would give it extra support, but since the epoxy didn't bond very well at all, I'm afraid the fiberglass won't either. Is there some trick to reattaching a coaming? It looks like the coaming itself might be plastic, so does that change anything? Any ideas would be appreciated. Now that the weather is nicer, I'll be using the boat more and its no fun having an injection of water in the cockpit with every wave.

I'm game for whatever the group decides to do. I won't have computer access until late Saturday night, so I just look then for more details on where to be and when to be there!

Yes, I'm interested.

OK, so I won't refer to it that way outside of NSPN. I'd probably get some blank stares throughout Southie and Dorchester if I started using it everywhere. Barry, I'm not sure what time I'd launch, but could probably get over there by 5:30 or 6:00. What time would work for you?

Funny! I launch at that boat ramp pretty much every week and never knew it had a name. I'd love to join the trip, but can't afford to take the time off work. I may go out after work that day to see what I can see. If they are really doing some kind of staggered entrance I might still get to see something.

When they changed the law to extend daylight savings, did they also vote to shorten summer? I'd swear its been March for 3 months. Making matters worse, my clock radio seems to be stuck on a channel that plays Sonny and Cher each morning...

I'll be there.

That would work really well for me. Its a late enough start that the drive up from Boston won't have to start too early.

People with more experience than me have answered this well, but I'll just add that by having the person leaning over the back deck, the towee would only be reaching over the narrow part of the bow of his kayak, making it much easier to do than if they were cockpit to cockpit. That is how Kevin led the rescue of the two 12 year old kids in Salem Sound last summer. One towee who was still paddling with two kids leaning on the back deck. They were far enough back that the towee didn't have to reach much to plant his paddle.

Count me in. I'm completely open as to which day and which venue.

Since I didn't get out Saturday or Sunday, I'd love to go Monday. Count me in. What launch time? I won't be able to check the message board again until late, so I'll just plan to go wherever and whenever I'm told.

"all weather is local" You got that right. Last Saturday I paddled into Boston Harbor in fog with visibility of about 200 yards. Meanwhile the weather radio said it was partly sunny in Boston Harbor. I was looking for the Volvo Race sailboats, but instead just practiced navigation in fog. Anyway, your trip sounded fun.

I found a great book at the Volvo Ocean Race village: "Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands" by Christopher Klein. Its got a ton of information about each of the islands. Check it out if you are interested in Boston Harbor.

QUOTE(Kevin B @ May 21 2009, 03:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I will be leaving Forest River Park at 2:30pm and heading out to the islands for those interested. Will be back in time for the practice session at the same location at 5:30pm. If you arrive late, I will be monitoring channel 72. I may be able to get out of work a little early. I now have a VHF, so if I get up there before 5:30 I'll let you know. Its unlikely I'll get there too much before 5:30 though.

I'd really like to do this. With one exception my schedule is wide open over the next few weeks.

I would love to do that. How easy is it to pinpoint exactly where the whales will be? The last time I did a whale watch, the boat would spot a group of whales 10 miles away and power over to them. That isn't really practical in a kayak. I guess you can just play the odds and hope they are were you plan to paddle.

I don't know of any groups there. I grew up in Falmouth and still go there a lot, so if you want suggestions or a partner, let me know.

I didn't realize the Salem sessions were starting already! I'll see if I can make it, but I'm going to Connecticut for Saturday and Sunday, so I might have to stay in on Friday. Of course, I'm just talking about the regular session. I know I won't be able to get out of work for the earlier paddle.

I have a Kokotat that straps onto the back of my PFD, which works fine for me. It might make me a little top heavy when it is full, but it is barely noticible. If it became a problem, I just wouldn't fill it all the way. The bag seals with a zip lock, which didn't seem as secure as my Camelback which screws shut, but it hasn't leaked on me yet.

I'm still interested in trying to pull this off on Sunday, 9/7 (Sorry, Lori, but I'm out of town the following weekend and can't do it then). Gene, you mentioned that you might be available that day. Is that still true? Is anyone else around and interested in that kind of practice? Again, I imagine we'd start off practicing rescues, tows, etc. on flatwater and then move out into conditions as interest, skills, weather and boat traffic permit.

While I have practiced a rescues and tows on flatwater, I have very little experience doing them on bumpier water. Accordingly, I'd like to practice them in more realistic conditions if I can find a like-minded sidekick or two. I think Rick initiated something like this earlier in the season but I wasn't able to attend. Of course, I would welcome participation from someone with more experience to share their their knowledge. My thought would be to spend an hour warming up in flatwater practicing wet exits, self and assisted rescues and tows before moving into more open water for an hour or two to do the same thing and see how different it feels with wind and waves. I might also want to try out my newly minted roll to see if there is any chance it would actually work in conditions. I'm not talking about 5 star conditions or anything crazy, just something more realistic than perfectly flat lakes and harbors. I imagine something like the Level 3+ conditions of many of the group trips would be appropriate. Based on my schedule, Sunday 9/7 or almost any day after workwould work best for me. I'm completely flexible about where. Is anyone interested?

I'm interested in this trip.

Barry, Thanks for posting this. It looks like we were keeping up a decent pace despite the wind. Looking at the chart you posted, there might have been a little drifting backwards around Rainsford Island. That seemed to be the windiest portion of the trip, and there was probably more waiting their for the group to tighten up there than anywhere else, so I'm not surprised. Thanks to everyone for coming out. It was a fun trip. Marc

Yes, that is where we launched from a few weeks ago and it was fine. That one might be better if the plan is to head out; the one in the Put-In section might be better if the plan is to head in. Again, Deer Island isn't too big to paddle around, so either is probably OK. Responding to your earlier message, I've been assuming Sunday since the subject line says 8/17. (By the way, does anyone know how to delete a message? I accidentally posted two messages about Salem tonight and can't figure out how to delete one of them.)

QUOTE(Kevin B @ Aug 14 2008, 09:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Let's do Boston. Winthrop put in, say 10:30am? Please voice opinions on these choices. Marc, this is your neck of the woods. Any other put ins that might be better? Winthrop probably works the best for the most people, so I'd go with that. When we did the Graves a few weeks ago we left from the parking area just before the treatment plant, which gave better access to the open water and the outermost islands. That would be an alternative launch if we wanted to head that way. It is on the same road as the Winthrop location listed in the Put In section, just further down and on the left. The site in the Put In section is probably good too, I just haven't been there. Whichever we choose probably doesn't make much of a difference since Deer Island isn't that big; it is easy to paddle around.