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Nice photos! Obviously, some natural talent there. He has a good eye for composition. Blaine

Way to go Sid! Well done!

Many thanks for posting this article. During my two years on a remote W. Samoan island in the late '60s, not too far from the Marshall Islands, I was surprised and baffled by the fact that I almost never saw a local out in the open sea beyond the coral reef. They spent much of their time fishing from outrigger canoes, but only within the calm lagoon -- despite the fish stock there being seriously depleted. Their ancestors had traveled vast distances to settle these islands, but by all appearances the skills that brought them were sadly long lost. In fact, when another volunteer and I talked with locals about our plan to paddle our canoes 50 miles, with an 8-mi. open ocean crossing and a difficult rocky landing, to attend the independence celebration in Apia, every Samoan we talked to thought we were insane and tried to dissuade us. Returning to our villages two weeks later, we were surprised that news of our success/survival had preceded us despite a complete lack of modern communication. Ever since, I've been fascinated and delighted by the resurgence among native Hawaiians and other Pacific peoples of interest in their ancient cultures and heritage, and especially their mysterious ancient navigation ability. And having attended several of John Huth's wonderfully informative and entertaining NSPN presentations over the years, this article resonated doubly for me. Blaine

Way to go Cathy!! And you did it without even trying. Blaine

Pintail, You lucky guy!! I've paddled that stretch for many years keeping my eyes peeled (antiquated expression??) and never saw even one animal. So can't help you with the identification. Blaine

That explains it. Ever since having my latex gaskets replaced with CG, my forearms have been getting wet up to the elbow. I'm going back to latex. More comfortable too. Blaine

I'm bringing a rainbow farfalline (pasta) salad.

Kurt, thanks for sharing your beautiful trip. Having cycled around much of Novia Scotia, including Cape Breton, I have fond memories and want to go back and explore it by kayak. This is a little more inspiration to make that happen. Blaine

Bill -- thanks for the tip. My sprayskirt is 7 years old, patched, glued, and badly needing replacement and I'm seriously considering this one. Could be a great solution for those of us who've learned how easy it is to get into trouble in this critical area. Blaine

Very important advice, Jason, and something I keep in mind whenever I attach something to my pfd or boat. The ball I added to the grab loop is 2 in. in diameter and I tested it all around the cockpit. I could not find any way for it to get hung up. Of course, that's no guarantee so I have a sharp knife on my pfd as a backup.

I can find Odiorne, but can anyone tell me how to find the boat launch from there? Thx.

See you there.

A bunch of years ago while in over my head surfing some six-footers I got seriously maytagged, blew my roll, and went to pop my skirt but couldn't find the grab loop. It was November, I was wearing thick neoprene gloves, and suddenly realized that I had no tactile sensation to feel the loop. Lucky for me, I had practiced releasing the skirt from the side. But limited dexterity with thick gloves was making it very tough to pinch-grip the edge. So I tried pulling off a glove but they were wet on the inside and that was impossible. I was pretty much out of options and beginning to panic. I tried again to release the skirt from the side and after several more increasingly frantic efforts with fingers slipping off, finally got it. Since that "near miss" I've been a crusader for having every new paddler practice releasing the skirt WITHOUT the grab loop, in as many ways as possble. That incident also drilled into me that anytime I add anything new to my pfd, deck, or dress I need to include it when practicing self-rescues. Winter gloves made something I'd practiced much harder and could have made for a bad outcome. Down at my local pond recently testing a new pfd, I discovered the different pocket configuration was causing my cowboy to fail . Turns out that anything bulky, like a radio, in the right front pocket of my pfd makes a cowboy nearly impossible. After that surfing incident I attached a small hard rubber ball to my grab loop. Looks dorky as hell but it serves two purposes. It makes it more obvious when the loop is tucked under the skirt. And it makes it much easier to find the grab loop, especially when wearing winter gloves. I'm also considering adding a small pull tap to each side of the skirt, something I can grip with gloves but small enough to minimize the entaglement hazard.

Paul, I'm interested. In seven years of paddling I still have not gone around Gerrish. But if others want to skip the circumnav and play instead, I'd be ok with that too. Blaine

I'm changing my rsvp to definite. Blaine

Sounds like fun -- wish I could. Off to Mexico in a couple hours for my daughter's wedding. Keep me on your list for next time. Blaine

It's a go for tomorrow. Looking forward to paddling with you. Blaine

Peter, Rob, and Ed -- Sounds like a perfect early fall trip. I'm definitely interested. Put me down on the "Hopefully" list. Blaine

Conditions for Saturday are looking good. Light to moderate wind, 2' seas, clouds and possible shower in the morning with sun in the afternoon. A perfect paddling day. So at this point the trip is on. Please check back here again Friday night or early Sat. am for a final go/no-go update. Blaine

My wife and I spent a weekend looking at properties in Brooklin a year ago. It's a charming, unspoiled, old-time rural Maine community, and it's exciting to know there's now a place to stay cheaply and use as a home base for day paddles. Looking forward to staying there. Blaine

A leisurely paddle along the attractive coastline of Beverly MA. We will launch at the public boat ramp next to the Jubilee Yacht Club at the EAST end of Water St. (132 Water St, Beverly, MA 01915) close to the Rt. 1A bridge to Salem, and will follow the coast northeast, passing several parks, numerous beaches, and mansions, interspersed with rocky headlands. https://www.google.com/maps/dir//42.5404311,-70.8786947/@42.545162,-70.8829856,16z/data=!4m3!4m2!1m0!1m0 The turnaround point is flexible and will be a group decision. If everyone is feeling energetic we'll go as far as West Beach for a round trip distance of 7-8 miles, or possibly if conditions allow, add the half-mile crossing out to Misery I. for a total distance of 9-10 mi. A touring sea kayak (not a "sit on top") of 14' length or greater, with covered hatches and a cockpit with spray skirt is required. As always, you should expect to get wet. A wetsuit (or drysuit) is required for this trip. Do NOT wear any cotton clothing as it will chill you as it dries. You should bring a windbreaker or paddling jacket either to wear or stow in your hatch. You must have had practice capsizing and releasing the spray skirt under water and must be comfortable doing a wet exit. Don't forget to bring your lunch and some water. Please plan to arrive by 9:30AM. We will have a beach briefing then launch at 10AM. You can drive onto the boat ramp to unload your boat and gear. There is free parking along Water St. and the intersecting streets. If interested, RSVP here or you can PM me with any questions. This trip is highly dependent on the weather and will be done only if conditions are mild and consistent with L2 skills. Rain will not be a reason for cancellation but strong wind or threat of thunderstorms may be. Please check back here for updates. I hope you can join us! Blaine Bjornstad

In my six years of kayaking here's what I've found works for all my non-winter paddling days. -- Farmer john full length wetsuit, for cooler days. I recently purchased a new one from NRS that is lined with a "dry" fabric so that on a multi-day trip, it's dry to the touch when you have to put it on next morning. None of that yucky damp neoprene feel. Absolutely love it and well worth the few extra bucks. This is my first "essential" and my default. The only time I don't wear it is on a hot day when the water is relatively warm. I strongly recommend a "farmer john" sleeveless to allow full flexibilty for your paddling stroke. -- Windbreaker paddling top to carry in a hatch and put on over the wetsuit if I get chilly. -- Dry top with latex neck and wrist gaskets for cooler days. This is my 2nd essential. When you need to stay warm, add some layers under it and you'll be toasty. -- Polypropylene long sleeve tops to wear under /over the farmer john full-length wetsuit on chilly days. -- Farmer john shorty wetsuit, for warm to hot summer days when the water is also warm. Various combinations of the above have worked for me every time and I have never been really uncomfortable. Blaine

For anyone who wasn't there, I want to point out that photo #7 with the floating grass is actually the beaver we saw swimming upstream carrying the bunch of grass. It's hard to see but she's under it. Beautiful photos there, Julie. Thanks for sharing them. Blaine

I really enjoyed meeting and paddling with all of you yesterday. I do like my solo trips on the river, but it was a lot of fun having you along to share it with. I hope all of you will continue signing up for trips and expanding your skills. I want to also encourage you to take advantage of the lake practice sessions where other more experienced paddlers can help you learn and perfect strokes, rescues, and boat handling skills you will need for higher level trips. Please consider joining the fun on June 21st for the annual Solstice Paddle and Post-Paddle Potluck Pigout at Devereux Beach, Marblehead. There will be separate trips for L2, L2+, and L3 level paddlers. I hope you can all be there. Blaine