brambor

Leon,

Let me know next summer if you need a fishing companion. Fly or spin will work with me.

Rene

Nice, but I prefer fishing from a sea kayak.

Wow. I would love to eventually graduate to fish for stripers off the nearby islands. I've done my fair share of fly fishing for stripers but the last 2 seasons have been disappointing. I think the fish might be hanging further off the coast.

This may require some bracing!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/sports/23fishing.html

- Bob

Here are some pics from the paddle. It was a great day, I wish all winter paddles were this pleasant. Now if I can get in shape and hone my technique to be able to keep up with Leon, Gene, Tom and Bob. I usually just paddle with my kids so this trip was a reminder for me to get my butt in gear ! Thanks for a great day on the water.

capricorn 5

P.S. I overloaded on the sock layers a little bit but otherwise was very comfortable during the paddle. Also my new drysuit from Peak UK is working great and I dig the crotch zipper! (figuratively speaking)

Today, I was installing the 85R Brunton Compass:

The screws that came with it were a bit more longer and substantial. First I thought about making some kind of epoxy cups to cover the exposed screws in the bulkhead space and then I thought of simple plastic wall anchors like this:

Those fit perfectly onto the exposed brass screws. A few twists later the protection was done without the need of epoxy mixing.

This compass is larger than the Brunton 70P. Now my kayak reminds me of the opening credits from the series Police Squad

I would love to join if my kids won't want to paddle that morning.

But you're ALWAYS first in line!

I might join ya too.

Ern

I'll make my own. Thanks for the link Suz

Rene

http://www.paddlerssupply.com/imglarge.asp...E=70PGasket.jpg

Take a look at the gaskets in the above link. Paddlers Supply supplies them to stores, they don't sell direct. You could probably make one yourself now that you see the idea. This takes up the space that is sometimes around the compass recess if it doesn't exactly conform to the compass.

Suz

I'm no expert but it seems that this rescue could have been done with a fast rubber boat and a thermoss of hot cocoa.

For personal edification and to look at the seamanship issues, why would someone at night use the only approach south of Long I. that does not have numerous lighted buoys? For that matter, while involving tighter turns, even Chandler Cove has more lighted buoys and deeper water than Whitehead Passage. If going through Hussey, then it is a run down Diamond Passage with shallow water, but at least there are lighted buoys. On the outside of Whitehead Passage, not much room for error with the channel narrow along with no lighted buoys at that end. Tom, how often do 65' boats go through Whitehead passage day or night?

Perhaps with fancy GPS screen and radar at the helm no need to think about such things is the attitude?

Ed Lawson

I'll go back at it tonight. Spend some quality time in the basement.

If the curvature is enough to allow water, etc. to collect underneath its best to fill the void. The application of silicon, etc. can prevent water from getting in the holes. What you are worried about is the buildup of stuff that can freeze there and/or obscure the compass. We put a compass on a boat that required a carved piece of foam >1/2" thick at the edges. Well worth it.

I did put some silicone onto the screws (not directly into the screw holes) and I did put a little bit around the base. Thanks for the tip on the inside screws. I might take some mini rubber cups, fill them with epoxy and just glue them to the underside where the screws are.

I like epoxy on the screw tips inside my boats. Just use the 2 part epoxy stuff that everyone has in their repair kit.

Actually once made an emergency repair on a Sunday to a leaking pipe as I didn't want to make a call to the plumber who was scheduled to come out on Monday anyway. I was so glad I had it around and remembered that I had it! That's always the hard part.

Suz

I installed a Brunton compass on my son's pintail. It just came with 4 screws but I think a layer of silicome arounf the perimeter would do good to prevent water to enter the cavity. Any suggestions?

The dude got as far as Jewell and he had his wife with him? Something tells me he lives on an island nearby.

So why doesn't the CG, Portland Fire Department and any other people that operate outboard boat who expect to ground them from time to time carry a nice 12 foot long spruce setting pole?

We got them in the MITA skiffs which go ashore hundreds of times each season. We have done some lower unit damage but its not been in grounding out.

The hunter was not in a real kayak.... in a double paddle canoe as L F Herreshoff called them; today's rotomolded ones are a far cry from the elegant craft of Rushton, LFH and Bart Hauthaway.

I would hate to be paddling Anus Acuta

So: did the Romans pronounce "anAs" the same as "anUs", I want to know? Can anyone recollect from one of their former lives? (See "More Lives Than One?" written some years ago by a BBC tv producer who made an interesting investigation of a hypnotherapist who claimed to have regressed subjects back into former incarnations -- fascinating book!)

if one drysuit lasted eternity then... Nevermind

partly because I wanted to get the 'kokatat experience'

If you own a drysuit, why wouldn't you want to just use that?

Suz

I just wanted to get a feel whether I should bring my own drysuit. Looks to me that it would be a good idea in case a drysuit I would not mind trying on is not available.

Rene:

The post workshop paddle is actually the paddle part of the workshop. It's what we do outside after the discussions and demonstrations inside.

We first wade into the water at Lane's Cove, dunking, floating and submerging to test protective clothing and get a feel for the water. Then get into boats and try capsizing, wet exits, rolling, rescues, etc. We work together so you have a spotter when you try the various drills in case you get surprised by the cold (details on what can surprise you at the workshop).

The workshop is designed to be experiential: try it so you know how it feels and how it works. It's all voluntary: you choose which exercise you participate in. The entire paddle portion of the workshop takes place in Lane's Cove, mostly in waist deep water.

In past years, after the formal part of the workshop, some people have poked their noses out of the cove to see the sights. We don't do any drills outside the cove.

Hope this helps.

Scott

Suz,

If 30 people attend you will have 30 drysuits to try? I'm trying to figure out the logistics of the post workshop paddle.

Rene

I will have dry suits for people to try out at this event if participants are interested. Some of the suits have ankle gaskets and some have socks. If you are interested in giving them a try, please bring NON COTTON wicking undergarments and a few choices of footwear depending on what suit you might end up with. When wearing a drysuit with gore-tex socks, you must wear a sock underneath - preferably wool but synthetic will do. This creates a bulkier than normal foot and your normal footwear might not be big enough. Plan accordingly. If you end up with ankle gaskets, your normal footwear will be fine but may be cold so a wool sock under the neoprene footwear is helpful.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Suzanne

PS - for those who are wondering - a PPPO - is a post paddle pig out... this one is done as a pot luck. No need to bring tons as no one likes to bring leftovers home and nothing can be left at Liz's house.

nice shots Doug.

rb

SEABROOK / HAMPTON HARBOR PADDLE

Sunday Nov 8th

http://www.meetup.com/NESeacoastPaddlers/p...759825#11717544

I have what I think is called the H2O model. My size 12 feet fit in nice and my 6f 230lb body fits it like a glove. I love the speed it give me and the lively feeling when out on the water. It's the first boat I rolled by my self. ... first love...

Rene

I am in the process of rehabbing my 1978 Nordkapp SS. Its one of the first imported into the US by Ken Fink. It is what would now be called a low volume kayak ( the first S; they had a H that was higer volume.) Sized so that not much more than 9 1/2 booties will fit. I know that Nordkapps went through some changes. The M model had a built in skeg. Then there was the Jubilee and now another generation. I bought the old one without bulkheads and hatchs which I added, and it has a splendid solid bar foot rest. I added a rudder ala Paul Caffyn. Boat is reasonably light by modern standards for conventional layup at 57 pounds.

Anyway I wonder if anyone out there has paddled old and new Nordkapps and for that matter other designs whose name stayed the same but which got tweaked. Any comments?

Today was a gorgeous day at Cape Porpoise. We placed another cache - this time on Cape Island. Cape Island landing is kind of dicey. Launching is equally interesting for my unflexible body. Be prepared to lose some gelcoat or disembark 15 feet before landing on the island.

I've met Bob Haskell, an old guard kayaker and had a great little chat with him about the island stewardship of Cape Porpoise.

Along the way we also stopped at Redin Island and Goat Island again. The lighthouse was open this time. We were able to go to the top and rest for a while.

The id for the new cache is: GC20HGJ

rb

For the last day of the Down East Symposium in Sept. we launched from Hadley Pt. I guess we were too busy working on Strokes with Power and Finesse to take a look at these cool features. This trip is now on my to-do list for when I get back up there. Thanks for sharing your pics.

That's true and I do start most of my hiking and cross country when the snow starts falling.

rb

Backcountry skiing hardly costs more than a bit of gas money to get to the good locations. I have up on lift-serve skiing decades ago.

Cheers!

Ty

My skiing has stopped as I have a better ideas on how to spend $200 per weekend.

rb

Depends on the amount of spray that hits you in the face.. Also poggies are your friend! My skiing has stopped after I started boating as boating wins...

Maybe she lost the clothespins. Hopefully her ears are intact...

rb

Apparently its effectiveness is fleeting.

"Day 286, Friday, 30.10.2009

Text message from Freya via satellite phone:

5:00 a.m. and 46.5 km left. Very slow night with heavy seasickness, throwing up 5 times, floats out, plenty of powernaps and freezing like hell."

Ed Lawson

It did a lot of reentry rolls and maybe the skirt got damaged there. Yes a bit of goop will fix this.

I have actually started with a neoprene skirt because it seemed to make most sense to me at the time and therefore I have no experience with a nylon skirt or a goretex skirt. I was opening this up for a discussion hoping to learn about different opinions. that's all.

rb

I cannot for the life of me understand how learning to roll would damage your sprayskirt, Brambor! Far more likely would be abrasion damage sustained whilst practising rescues: lifting kayaks across your cockpit, turning them over, etc. For this reason any sprayskirt should be a substantial, good quality item. I prefer neoprene, myself. You should use whatever is most comfortable for you.

Being able to repair small damage with "goop" seems to me to be an answer to your own question, no? (You'd never find a goretex cover that is elastic, I think? So that it would not fit more than one kayak, in the event that you own more than one boat)

By the way, tuiliqs are very comfortable and very <warm>! They are not a year-round piece of equipment. The Inuit themselves replaced them with something much more akin to our own sprayskirts in summer. (I do not wear my tuiliq except over an ocean cockpit: I do not even know if it fits over my keyhole-cockpit equipped boat)

My 2 year old Seals Neoprene spray skirt has two small tear holes. Nothing a little Goop couldn't fix. I probably did it in during the 4 rolling lessons I just absolved. But it just made me think about soliciting advice here. For rolling, surfing and overall an active kayaker's usage what would be the most durable and dry combination for a spray skirt? I thought all neoprene was the solution and it may be...but what about a quality goretex skirt or a combination of neoprene with goretex or what? (a tuliq?;-))

aaand further up north is another Pumpkin Hunt

http://www.greatmaine.com/smskn/showlist.asp

10/31/2009 Saturday

The Great Pumpkin Hunt

You’ve heard of Easter egg hunts. This is the kayakers’ version, held in October on a Casco Bay island. The SMSKN Pumpkin Hunt was a fine tradition in the early years of the club, and it’s time to hold one again. Halloween even falls on a Saturday this year!

If the weather is settled and winds light, we will depart from East End Beach in Portland at 9:30 a.m. and paddle together over to Fort Gorges. Your hosts will hide several pumpkins in the nooks and crannies of the fort, and it will be your task to find them. The pumpkins will be small enough to fit through your kayak’s front hatch opening. Excellent prizes will be awarded to those finding special pumpkins.

If the weather is somewhat unsettled, we will depart from Winslow Park in Freeport and visit a nearby island. I will post an update here by 7 p.m. on Friday, 10/30.

After the hunt and lunch, people can choose to return to the launch ramp or join others in more circuitous return trips.

Since the water temperature is dropping as well as the air temperature, you are strongly encouraged to wear a wetsuit or drysuit when participating in this trip. Other costume choices in line with the day are optional.

Please contact me at Lee if you would like to join the Pumpkin Hunt or if you have any questions. This will help me get the proper number of pumpkins and prizes. It will also aid communications if we need to shift the put-in location to Freeport.

. Difficulty: 1 - Easy; Category: Day Paddle; Location: Portland or Freeport, Meet: 9:30 AM, East End Beach or Winslow Park; Organizer: Lee Bumsted, 799-1855, lab123@maine.rr.com.

Rene

Hi Ern and others..

If you want to travel a little further North we have a great paddle planned for Halloween.

NE Seacoast Paddlers Halloween Paddle on the Squamscott

Neil

Wow, the window through rock is impressive. Nice pictures Neil.

rb

Here is a cool one we did on Sunday while in Bar Harbor for the weekend. 19 of us paddled to the Ovens from Hadley Point. I'm sure you and your son would love this place and the Acadia Earth Cache Series. Check out my log with pictures.

The Ovens 2 if by land, 5 if by Sea GCZ5Ja

Neil