NateHanson

We have a great group of paddlers signed up for this comprehensive leadership training next month, but there's still room for a couple more paddlers looking to get their season off to an excellent start. Whether you plan to lead group trips, or just paddle with friends - Paddlers who think like leaders are safer paddlers! __________________________________ Join Pinniped Kayak for a 6-day Sea Kayak Leadership and Guide Training in Stonington, Maine. Friday, May 16 - Sunday, May 18, and Friday, May 23 - Sunday, May 25. Whether you plan to work as a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide, or simply wish to gain a more comprehensive skill set for paddling with friends and family this summer, our course will cover all aspects of competent leadership so you can stay safe on the water. Time is split between classroom learning and on-water exercises, covering navigation, trip planning, group management, incident avoidance, boat handling, towing, rescues, hypothermia, LNT camping, meal planning, and an introduction to local flora and fauna. Boat handling skills will be reviewed, but students should have previous paddling experience and familiarity with strokes and rescues before the class begins. If you have questions about your preparedness, or if you are interested in additional training before the start of this leadership course, please contact us.

I've had fairly good luck with air mats. Obviously they're more leak prone than ensolite foam pads, but the size and comfort advantages are huge. I'd put up with a lot to sleep that well and pack that small. One pad from Pacific Outdoors began to leak after a few years, but it was a very slow leak, and didn't affect comfort (except that I'd add a breath when I got up to . . . look at the stars). I couldn't find the leak, so I replaced it with a NeoAir 2 years ago. That's been great. It's wider, which I like. Sooo comfy, even on very uneven ground. The noise doesn't bother me.

Hi Cathy, I feel obliged to weigh in, since I've been mentioned a few times, but I think the experienced folks here have mostly answered your questions already. Generally, the current splits and floods north along both sides of Isle au Haut, and then gets less predictable (and more diffuse) as it meanders through the islands between Isle au Haut and Stonington. At Stonington the current parts again and floods northwest into Penobscot Bay, and northeast into Jericho Bay. Generally, this is an area where current won't ruin your day, but it will lengthen it if you're not paying attention and using ranges. You'll notice significant current between Kimball Island and "downtown". It's strong enough that I prefer not to paddle against it, but it's not impossible (probably 1-1.5 knots). And there are some eddys along the way. The other area near there with currents regularly exceeding a knot is off the northeast corner of Isle au Haut. Here currents flood north-northwest (perhaps this is where Ed was surprised by the direction?) and runs at up to a knot and a half in open water. There is a current prediction station out there, called "Isle au Haut, 0.8 mi E of Rich's Pt" to help you figure out what to expect. Enjoy! Nate Pinniped Kayak www.pinnipedkayak.com

I don't use my Werner foam core paddles in tide races or rock gardens. They're quite strong, but if you catch one just right, you can snap a blade like nothing at all. I did that once. Now I use a Shuna in those environments. Actually, I'm using a Shuna more in general these days. The weight difference is a couple ounces. And they both paddle nicely. Yes the foam core Cyprus is a bit smoother and quieter. It's a very nice paddle. Just not quite as durable as the ribbed fiberglass Shuna.

Marshall is indeed a great spot. One of my favorites in the area and fairly unique. I think someone told me it's the largest uninhabited island on the east coast? Maybe? Anyways, leaving from Stonington works well too. And Bass Harbor is another possible launch spot (though longer), taking you through some really great islands along the way.

I like the Sealect covers for my large ovals, but for day hatches I like the OE Valley covers better. It's easier to get the Valley cover on and off the day hatch with one hand.

Waterproof printer paper. You can get it on amazon. It's basically thin matte white plastic. I use it in letter size for deck scribbling and printing my notes for courses, but I expect they make it in larger sizes.

This might be of interest to you. http://www.captainsnautical.com/10146/578872/Kayaking-and-Canoeing/Dangerous-Archipelago-Sea-Kayaking-French-Polynesia-DVD.html Also, for charts, you can google "marine chart agent" and find a number of businesses that specialize in providing paper charts for exotic places. One is Landfall Navigation, but there are a few others. I'd give one a call and tell them what you're looking for. I think you'll find just what you need that way.

Rob, I noticed on the website that some of the ICOM radios have a "full volume" button, that raises the speaker volume with a single push. I haven't noticed that option on the 92, but I'll take another look.

I know this is outside the price range you're looking for, but life's too short to use a crappy paddle. For Rocks and surf I'd recommend a good durable all-purpose paddle that you won't hate using. The Premium line by Werner is very durable, and doesn't need to be babied in the rocks. Yet it weighs somewhere around 25 ounces. Unless you're a really powerful paddler, I'd avoid the larger blade (Coryvrecken), and get a Shuna.

Icom replied that they'll cover parts and labor for replacing my knob. They say the battery isn't holding a charge (which I hadn't noticed), so I'm paying for that to be replaced. I stand reassured by Icom's willingness to stand behind their product, even slightly outside of warranty, and that makes me happy that I've bought another Icom as a replacement. However, I think the M72 turns out to be a poor design for kayakers, because the knob doesn't hold up well to frequent salty exposure. A plastic-case radio with no knobs (like the M24, M36 or the M92) is probably a better idea for anyone who really uses their radio IN the water the way we do, and I'll stick to those criteria in the future.

Here's a great aggregation of current northeast water temperatures, and monthly averages. http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/natl.html (not sure if someone already linked this, but I noticed the original poster was wishing there was something like this.) Personally, my decision of what to wear depends on more than water temperature. If water temps are 60, but it's drizzly, and I'll be in the wet a lot (like playing in a tide-race) I'll wear a drysuit. If water temps are 65, and it's sunny and 75 out, I'll usually wear my drysuit for surf, rolling, or rescue instruction where I intend to stand in the water for an hour at a time. On the other hand, if water temps are 50, it's 75 degrees out, and I'm going for a protected calm-water paddle with minimal consequences I might decide to wear neoprene shorts and a shorty drytop. Basically, you just have to consider your specific situation, skills, and consequences - and then make the right decision for you on that day.

Joe, It is definitely larger than the M72, but it is lighter (and same battery capacity). I carry it in the belly-pouch of my Astral Green Jacket, so I don't notice the size. I am sensitive to the weight of stuff, because my vests can end up weighing quite a bit, so I appreciate that factor. I will be using a Sea Wolf vest this year, and expect I'll store the radio in the same place on that jacket. The M72 would probably fit in the clamshell pocket if the antenna is folded, but I'd rather save that space for organizing all my other junk anyways, so at least for me, the larger size isn't an issue. My M72 has alternately turned on/off properly since my last update, and other times can't be switched off. I got a return authorization number from Icom when I first started this thread, and finally got around to sending it in last week. We'll see how they treat me. At first contact they seemed inclined to take care of me, but I did take quite a while to get it to them, and it's a 2 year-old replacement of a radio originally bought 3 years ago.

Hi Warren, I know different folks have different approaches that make sense to them. Personally the approach of calculating angles and speeds using trigonometry doesn't work as well for me as plotting vectors on a chart. Just the way my brain is wired I guess. By plotting vectors you can get correct ferry angle and speed over ground using only an orienteering compass. No math. I know there are a number of folks in your area who have a good understanding of BCU 5-star navigation, and one of them might be able to demonstrate this technique for you if you'd like. (Also we can go over it together in May, during the leadership/guide course.) Nate

As a follow-up, I've used the M92D a few times now, and I'm pleased. It is certainly larger than the M72, but it's also quite a bit lighter. (I guess that metal case weighs something on the M72.) No nobs, and fully plastic case, which I like. The M92 has menus and programable soft keys. You can set those 4 soft keys to do whatever you want, so you don't need to enter the menus for routine functions. I haven't navigated with it (and likely won't), but numeral entry is good with this interface, so entering a waypoint would probably take about a minute. Position is displayed right on screen at all times. Nate

Aside from ACR, the other big EPIRB and PLB manufacturer is McMurdo.

Well, now my radio turns off again. Of course it fixed itself the day after I placed an order for the M92. I could stand to have a spare radio anyways, and I'm curious to see how I like the GPS-equipped model. I carry a GPS only for emergency position finding; never used it for navigation. I've never turned on the one I have, except to test it, and that takes a while, so I think for my purposes, having my position reported right on the radio (and broadcast through DSC) makes a lot more sense than carrying an old, rarely used GPS. Of course all this is simply justification for the fact that I just bought a radio that it turns out I didn't really need. Here's hoping that getting rid of the knob gains me a few years of use! As to the aquapac suggestion, I think there's a lot of sense in protecting your radio, but I've had no luck with those. They wear out and leak very quickly, and then all they do is swadle your electronic device in a greenhouse of steaming brine. Plus, I just can't stand the form factor. Anything living in my PFD needs to be sleek and comfortable, and those bags are anything but.

Ed, the knob clicks as though it's in the off position, but the radio doesn't turn off. The knob is stiffer to turn than it was when new, but still turns without trouble. I submerse it in fresh water and work the knob after every use, but that still means it spends a lot of time damp with saltwater in my vest during a day- or multi-day paddle. That seems to be more than this knob can handle. My M32 had no knobs, and the M92 also has no knobs. I think I'll give that a shot. The West marine replacement plan isn't a bad idea. Does it add a year to the warranty? Problem is, these radios are about $50 cheaper from someplace other than West Marine, like Hamilton Marine, and the Icom's come with a 3-year warranty now. So I'm on the fence about paying $50 premium to WM, and then $30 for their protection plan. Then if they give you a new radio, it's not covered by the original warranty anymore, so you pay another $30 for the new warranty? Granted you're getting longer coverage, but now you've paid $110 extra to insure a $200 product. If the thing is guaranteed to fail (which lately mine seem to be) then obviously it's worth paying 50% of the purchase price to have it replaced. But I'm stuck on this silly notion that I should be able to get many years of my MARINE vhf. Bah!

In 2.5 years, I have now killed two M72 radios. The first was replaced under warranty, and the replacement radio is in it's death throes. Both have failed exactly the same way - the power/volume knob loses the ability to turn the radio off. After having an M32 that lasted almost 15 years I was extremely brand loyal. I've used a number of Standard Horizon Radios in the past 10 years, and had more problems with them than with my ICOMs. However, this knob problem is trying my loyalty. The replacement to the M72 (predictably named M73), still has that blasted power knob, so as much as I love the battery life and form factor, the 73 is definitely out. The M92 (with GPS) has no power knob, and addresses all the shortcomings of the Standard Horizon GPS-equipped handheld (which had too small a battery, a poor display, and reports speeds rounded to the nearest knot!). So, I'm considering the M92. Anyone have any experience with this one? Thanks, Nate

Have you tried pogies? I find them much warmer than any neoprene gloves I've tried. When it gets colder, I wear both gloves and pogies.

I carry adhesive window flashing and a paper towel, sealed in a heat-seal baggie. I've had good luck with this method at air temps in the low 30s, water temps in the high 40s. I've also had good luck with Gorrilla tape, simply wiping most water away with a hand, applying the tape, and really rubbing it in to warm the tape and squeeze out water.

Here are hourly reimbursable rates for USCG vessels and aircraft. http://www.uscg.mil/directives/ci/7000-7999/CI_7310_1N.pdf $11,400 per hour for a Jayhawk. (It's a 45 min flight each way from the airbase on the cape) $3,700 per hour for the Response Boat Medium that are used most around here. Not sure how many boats were involved, but the Marine Patrol also had at least one vessel searching (that's who located him). Nice to know these folks are there! I'd love a ride on a Jayhawk someday, (round trip though, NOT oneway!)

The take-home message to me is to always be very clear with your emergency contact about the check-in Sched. If you tell your contact that you WILL call every night, and you can't call them, you need to radio the CG. Otherwise you will start a massive rescue mission.

I interpreted "did not energize his VHF" as 'didn't have it turned on'. As far as the cell phone charging, he may have underestimated how quickly a phone runs down when it's in marginal territory, and often searching for a signal.

I'm guessing Ed was led to that assumption by the report that he was in a 14-footer. There are some capable 14-footers, but it's probably fair to say that most boats that length fall firmly in a sort of "transitional touring" category. Entirely possible the length was just a WAG by his emergency contact too.