sidcohen

The coast is a can be siren. As most of us know. I did the go out in rough conditions and I did make some mistakes, scary but fun. I did however have l lot of useful gear with me and on me, some training, and some hearty mates to support me.

Be Prepared.....yes I was a Boy Scout.

"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo

Ed Lawson

LOL

"Who are we?..... really"...longshot I know, but paddlers?

Cute Kevin; But it been real fun to read this fit of organizational introspection.

Well said Gene!!!

I'm interested

Sid

Not a problem Ern. I forgot there was second page off this thread or a few moments this morning so I was wondering where my rely went, duh.

I haven't done a solo paddle this year and I wanted to get one in before year end anyway.

I paddled solo from Tucks to the beach by the Friendship of Salem tall ship in Salem harbor. Great conditions, temps were not to bad. Did it as a fitness paddle. It took me 1.5 hrs each way with a 1/2 hour lunch. So you cant tell I'm old and slow. I had a head wind going out maybe 7 to 10 kts from the WNW and it might have died a little bit on the way back by the looks of the water. Not much swell but a little bit of chop going out.

Also the Impex Force Cat 4 is just such a great boat in those quartering seas and winds from the stern conditions that drive most kayakers nuts. The trip back on that route in the same conditions was nasty in my WS Tempest 165. The Force was strong today

I might be coming down with a cold or something, I can feel it just coming and so I wanted to get out before it really hit me so I might not want to paddle again this week. Conditions don't look so good anyway.

Paddling though the winter rocks so stay tuned.

I left a phone message with Jeff and Ern. If I don't hear from you guys then I've headed over to Tucks Point and I'll be paddling solo to directly to Salem Harbor and back as a fitness paddle. If I'm ahead of schedule and seas are calm I might visit a few of the islands on the way back. Sometimes its nice to paddle at your own pace. This will be the first time this year that I've paddled solo and I've missed it. I'm going to shoot for a 11:30 arrival and a Noon BIB. I'll be monitoring Ch 72. My Cell is 978-408-1132 and I'll monitor that until Noon.

Cheers,

OK I'm in but I'm missing something. When are we meeting?

Tomorrow looks like the best day to paddle. Tucks would be find for me. However if Ern is up for the Harbor Islands that might be a nice change of pace.

Anybody up for a fitness paddle on the Concord River this afternoon? We could launch from the Rt 225 ramp in Bedford, MA or the ramp on Lowell Rd Ramp near the old Calf Pasture in Concord. I'd like to paddle fast enough to get my heart rate up just a bit for a few hours.

Tomorrow is the best day for me to go out and conditions are forcasted to be acceptable. The air temps will go up too. Suggest a launch point and lets see how we feel about it. Or how about from Tucks Point to Gloucester Harbor and back; mileage would be good for me too. That's about 17 statute miles. We cold gat a pretty good kick from the breezes on the way back if we go out tomorrow.

Uh, really?

Arg!!

I'm tired of Tucks so I'm up for the Outer Harbor. Conditions will not be light but they may be fun in a bit of a challenging way. I proofed this and spell checked this messege this time so you don't have to puzzle it all together but what fun is that.

Sid

Tuesday would work better for me. I'll go if the condtions are right. I can feel or Ern, but my pack as been quite a bit better lately.

I did look at the forecasts and I use the Internet resources that you recommended regularly. Unless the forecast changes I probably won't be going out; discretion is the better part of valor. I've discovered that I have to be back in on Sunday by 2:30 PM anyway. Maybe if we left early and paddled in a protected area it might work for me.

I'm usually not available to paddle on the weekends but this Sunday might work for me. I've gotta new dry suit from Kokatat on warranty. Think I'd better go trim the neck gasket tonight and break it in a little; been putting that off by using my wet-suit. If Sunday's forecasted conditions pan out that neck gasket it could get tested for both comfort and water tightness. I might wanna avoid the headlands.

I'm thinking Fri too. We'll get some light rain but I don't think we'll melt. I'm not sure yet because of other factors but that is were I'm leaning. Jeff Miller may want to come along or I may just decide to meet up with him further north closer to were he lives in NH.

I'm up for a paddle.

I just jumped on my system and I saw this. I'm going to try to make it. Leaving now.

Sid

Hey Tom and Bill,

I'm probably on for this trip if you'll have me.

Al,

My wife and I are going back to Acadia for the third year in a row in a few weeks.

I’ve done all of these and more around Mt. Dessert I. with my wife. Her level seems about like your wife.

If seas are a bit choppy near the headlands, stick to the narrows, the northern side of Mt Dessert I., Hadley Point is a good launching point with lots of parking onto Eastern Bay. You can head west for a short paddle about 6 miles to the bridge over the narrows and see Eagle nesting area’s near Thomas I. There are some caves to see if you head east from the launch point but we haven’t done that one. During calm conditions visit the Porcupine Isles in Frenchman’s bay out of Bar Harbor. The cliffs on the islands are stunning. You can launch at the sand bar connecting Bar Island at lower tides. There’s a lot more boat traffic here and the huge, high speed, Cat ferry motors to Nova Scotia in the shipping lane though this islands; so avoid becoming shipping lane pizza.

If seas and winds are calm, a delightful paddle is to launch from the public boat launch at Northeast Harbor and visit Little Cranberry I. Paddle to Islesford on the island and have lunch at the restaurant their. A short hike on the island is nice. It had bit of a sleepy and funky ambience when we were there. You’re on the southerly end of the big island here, out closer to the headlands, but you’ll get some protection form the Cranberries.

A good general guide for outdoor activities at the park is the AMC guide, Discover Acadia National Park by Jerry and Marcy Monkman.

Enjoy your trip!!!

This is a paddle I've always have wanted to do. I've got a big deadline on a week from tomorrow so I'm iffy though.

Forget about what I said about visiting islands in the Harbor if the Inner Harbor is visited from either of these proposed put-ins it's easily a 14 - 16 statute mile trip per my GPS Blue Charts just to the inner harbor and back. So some pressue to leave earlier and for faster paddlers to join too. Very short notice but maybe worth a try.

It’s not forecasted to thunder today and the conditions in the harbor are light to moderate. We could get a sprinkle or two.

I’m thinking about going out and exploring the Boston Inner Harbor TODAY. Maybe around between 12 and 2 PM. I’m wondering if there just a few others that are similarly deranged ;-)

Maybe we could put in at Sing’s Beach on or near Dorchester Bay or the Public Boat Ramp in Winthrop at the causeway to Deer I. I’d like to just bomb around a little, and see some of the tall ships at dock. If that’s boring and short and I’m getting sea sick from bobbing we could visit some islands in the harbor.

I’ve been in other busy Ubran harbors with lots of summer commercial and pleasure traffic. I’ve been down the Charles to the locks but didn’t go through. I’ve been out of Winthrop before to the Graves and back, and on a fine weekday, the traffic was more than tolerable. But, I haven’t spent time in the Inner Harbor except on foot.

This would be an “Urban Paddle†plenty of noise, pollution and wakes. However I used to enjoy jamming traffic in Boston on my bike and “Urban Trekking†so this is in the same category. I thought about working as a bike messenger for moment before I saw all of the memorial websites for them. I might be crazy but not that crazy. I carry two horns, one’s a rusty can with a plastic horn, and I’ve had them fail before, and the other is a little lung operated plastic assembly, not as loud as the can but it’s good as a backup. I also practice the “Bigger and Uglier Rule†if its bigger and uglier than you just get the heck of the way.

I’ll call this a Level 3+ because you have to be on your toes, in complete control of your boat in confused and choppy water, and really be able to get out of the way in a real hurry.

If we actually do this, of course, it is a Common Adventure Trip, http://www.nspn.org/trip_participation.htm

Takers? Anything especially interesting, or scary we should look out for?

Ms. Ferret,

Thanks for the directions. If we get acceptable weather and conditions I'm in.