tyson

Forgot to mention the pictures!

The first question was, can we go kayak camping in an Anas Acuta and a Tahe Greenland. Both would be considered low volume boats. I know some folks know how to do this, the question was, could _we_ do it. Since we had recently downsized a few larger bits of gear for ultralight backpacking on account of my bad knee, we were able to fit everything in the hatches. After driving to Brunswick Friday evening after work, Emilie and I launched from a private marina or sorts on Spruce Head Island. The good news is that both boats floated! I took a WAG at a heading to our first island were we planned to camp and unload the boats before touring. When my compass didn't seem to match up well we settled for ignoring the compass and going for a can we could see. ...and then proceeded from there. A short while later we arrived at our first stop. The Osprey was gone for the season, but the gulls were quite "excited" to see us. It was a tiny island that took some imagination to find where to put a tent. After unloading and setting up camp, we headed out for a tour that took us down the outside of Muscle Ridge to Two Bush Island. All rocks and bumps were given their due attention during the paddle. We returned on the inside via the gap between Graffam and Bar islands and the ship wreck (looks to be little more than a keel now) in the main inside harbor on Hewett Island. When we returned we found an other couple from SMSKN wondering if we were planning to stay, how long had we been squatting and how much longer would we squat? ...well, not quite like that. We offered that they were welcome to join us. There was more than one spot that one might imagine a tent spot. Soon an evening fog formed that ebbed a flowed a bit. After dinner, we suited up again and went out for an evening paddle. The fog had cleared and the clouds were thinning, though it was close to a new moon, so no help there. We went out around Dix and Birch Islands. During the return the clouds started to break and a few stars were visible. Since it was dark and we didn't want to pull out our head lamps, we were doing a bit of guessing on the route back. Emilie was the one who spotted the profile/tree-line of the correct island. I've recently mentioned on this board that I had a new Sony waterproof camera with much better light sensitivity than other pocket cameras. I took some pictures on this round that continue to confirm its superiority to more conventional sensors. Still very happy with the camera. ...still haven't had it long enough for an unconditional endorsement. That night the stars came out brilliantly! ..and the gulls were kind enough to quiet down and let us sleep in spite of the cute little fluff ball chick that had tried to visit us earlier that evening. In the morning we decided to pack up and try a different spot. ...for learning and variety as much as anything else. While Saturday's weather had be just about perfect, Sunday called for likely afternoon thunderstorms. That meant we wanted to get to our next camping spot before the weather turned. After a (for us) typical slow start, we eventually hit the water heading north and to the outside of the islands by way of the gap between Andrews Island and Great Pond Island/Camp Island. After playing here and there and turning north, we spotted Crescent Island and just had to head for it. Crescent is quite for formidable rock! The north west side offered some shelter and rocks that could be landed on for an early food break. While on Crescent, a young seal decided to join our kayaks on the rocks. I took a few pictures and then gently let him know we were there before he spent too much energy hauling out. Next, we continued north toward Fisherman Island. About half way there Emilie though that she saw some lightning on the western horizon. In hind sight I wonder if it was something else like a tower beacon, but if it was something like that it should have been periodic and seen again. At any rate, we upped the pace a bit to our final destination. After finding the camp site, we setup and put on dry cloths. I think we were off the water by about noon time. The rain never happened until sometime around 9pm and thunderstorms were never seen (other than the one flash Emilie might have seen). We had a relaxing afternoon poking round the end of the island, taking pictures, eating lunch, eating dinner, and fending off the ticks. There was also a nearby fog horn going, but it was just soft and rhythmic enough to allow us to sleep that night. In the morning the fog was thick. After breakfast and packing we headed launched for our return leg. We followed the outside of the first couple of island and then crossed to the inside. We planned to cross the channel to follow the mainland at a nun that marked the narrowest spot of the channel, figuring that would leave us exposed to traffic in the thick fog for the shortest duration. ...but the fog was so think we couldn't find the buoy that was about 350yds from shore. Trying to use the shape of the shoreline to guess our crossing point, we chose a point to cross and a compass heading to hold. After paddling for a while we came across a marker on a pole which told us our exact location. ...but we couldn't see the island that was 300 yards away. From there we did a combination of following the short and tracking our location on the chart and taking compass headings to cross channels. ...one was a mere 650ft wide, yet the crossing involved going completely out of the sight of any land. We paddled by Ash Point, but never saw Ash Island a few hundred yards away. We stopped at Birch Point Beach for some food. ...nice spot, the fog broke locally as it had done a a few other spots before closing in again. Our final crossing by compass was about 1 mile with a rock half way across. We hit the rock! Thought winds were nearly on the bow and there was little to no current, so it was an easy task. After that the fog broke for us one more time and we were able to spot our launch point. Load the cars, fresh lobster and drive home. Total distance was about 32 miles over 3 days. No records were set. Over all, a great way to spend an 3 day weekend! Cheers! Ty

Good point. My bad. Your bad and Gary's bad also as you both mentioned names before I had mentioned any island names. Do they really have the time/resources to provide that level of support? If so, that's great! ...but it had never really occurred to me to bother them with my trip planning. I can't answer that one. The one near Waterman Beach was closed on the 4th. They are normally closed on Monday's, but one would think that 4th of July tourists would be a reason to be open. When we returned Monday (yesterday) we stopped at "Miller's" Lobster that is a bit further "Up West". We'll try not to disappoint but don't get too excited. ;-) Oh, do you know a "Dave and Cindy" who are SMSKN members? Cheers! Ty

The Keag River launch looked fine very close to low tide. If there is a problem for kayaks, it would be only at the lowest of tides. We spend Sat night on _______ and Sunday night on ______. (Moderator edit to comply with MITA) Paddled a leisurely 32 miles (according to the GPS) over the 3 days. We'll try to post a trip report shortly. Cheers! Ty

Marty, Not many trips get on "the calendar". Most are posted in the forum a short time before the trip. Be sure to read up on CAM "organization" under "Events & Planning" -> "Trip Participation". ...and also make certain that your skills and equipment match the trip. There is a wide variety of trip types/levels posted. Never hesitate to ask. If we can't get people to ask the stupid questions, we never get to mock anyone or have good flame wars. Cheers! Ty

I recently purchased a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 waterproof camera. I don't have enough miles on it to know anything about its longevity. However, one of the problem with these cameras has been the tiny sensor and their lousy light sensitivity as they push the megapixels up. The lens cover on my Optio W60 has been getting badly scratched and scuffed. Picture quality was dropping. I've been hesitant to get the newer Optio's or the 8010 because their image quality has suffered as they pushed the megapixels up. At first I disregarded the Sony because of its 16.2 Mega pixel rating. However, this camera is build with a new "rear illumination" sensor that gets the "wiring" out the way from blocking light to the sensors. The result is _MUCH_ better light sensitivity. It clearly outperforms my 10MPix Optio-w60 which was clearly better than the W90 or 8010 (both at 12MP). So, I still can't comment on the overall long term experience, but it is a definite winner for picture quality/light sensitivity. Cheers! Ty

Excellent!

Ed, Cath, Thanks for the info. We'll avoid the keag River Launch and anticipate that we might not like ______. We're really not looking to camp on the mainland with everyone else. If we can't find a place for some primitive camping by our selves, I'd just as soon find a hotel and have a real bed. There are a couple of other options that aren't too far away from the islands. ...and I promise that we won't leave a trace. Cheers! Ty

I ordered a couple of the 8" round Sea-Lect (don't know why they seem to be under different names) hatches from DuckWorks. CRCK was having trouble either figuring out or being clear about if they had actual Valley hatches or the Sea Dog/Sea-Lect hatches. I had ordered before they got back to me. Thanks! Ty

I typically agree with you. However, your example fails. I recently did hire someone to build a house. Before doing so, I checked references, examined some of his work, and made sure that he understood my vision of what I wanted built. I felt it was my responsibility to do so and couldn't afford to be careless. People should be expected to be even more careful with choices that effect their lives instead of "just" money. FYI: I'm very happy with the house that was built.

Interesting... Great find! Thanks!

I need to replace a couple of Valley hatches. Unfortunately, the sailboatowners.com link that folks have posted here doens't work anymore. I posted to CRCK, but the response I got back seemed to suggest that the person had no idea what I was talking about. Can anyone help me find these Sea-Dog hatches? ...and are they the same as or different from the Sea-Lect Kayak Hatch Covers? I can get the Sea-Lect hatches from DuckWorks. ...or does anyone have other recommendations? Thanks! Ty

Thanks! Yes, I had looked there. However, they aren't clear about "half tide" and "all tides" limitations applying to hand carry boats or just trailer launched boats. Do I just run out of ramp or do I sink into the mud? They also don't list all places that one may park and launch. There are a number of state parks that aren't clear about launching or over night parking as well as other "public" spots that others report having used. ...but I can't find enough info on them. I'm also hoping to find a launch that is "close" so that I can spend my time gong further out instead of touring in close just to get "there". Here is one of the places MITA lists that I'm considering. But MITA lists it as "Half Tide". What do I find off the end of the ramp at low tide? ...can I launch a kayak when trailer launched boats can't get to the water? Thanks! Ty

Emilie and I are planning to spend a couple nights out on Muscle Ridge this coming weekend. We've found a few places we can launch from, but concerns about low tide launches and overnight parking have us a little stumped. Any suggestions? Thanks! Ty

I would very much prefer to see the certifications of the ACA and BCU promoted such that "customers" look for and demand them. We have created a world where everything is assumed to be safe and people don't need to think . I don't believe that the creation of a society where people don't take any responsibility for their own security has helped us.

Solstice paddle turned out great after driving through some heavy rain and thunderstorms to get there. We had a great time and some pictures are posted here on PicassaWeb. Cheers! Ty

I'm mostly concerned about the water being too flat or no one else showing up after we busted our butts trying to get together a dish for the PPO and driving all the way down there. ...I suppose that rain would dampen the PPO, but its fine for paddling (sans lightning I suppose).

Its worth noting that email is easily forged. It doesn't require compromise of the email account. If the government and corporations didn't make it difficult, it would be normal to sign all data/email with an encrypted signature using a private/public key set and we would be able to authenticate the source of the data/email. As things are, most people don't do it, so the value of doing so is low.

Hey! Is this "Brenda and Steve"? (the ones I know?)

Love it!

Probably possible. Its certainly possible with snow. However, I don't seem to have a problem with it. ...of course, there isn't much risk of sunburn when upside down. You might try the combination of sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat?

I use a hat with a very large brim. ...it looks kinda funny, but works for me.

Looks like it was a great day! I do wish I could have been there. My boat has been in the water twice. ...only once w/me in it.

I'd love to see a well done foot pump that is easily installed. Ty

Be sure to tether it, or someday you will lose it. ...but they can be fun!