rfolster

I had a really good day yesterday, too. Good to meet new people, and nice to see others again.

You can see the trip level guidelines by clicking this link , but really this is a trip designed for newer paddlers in the club. It will be an easy-going trip in the sheltered areas of Portsmouth Harbor. The details of the trip will come down to weather and participants, but one option might be to ride the incoming tide up to Four Trees Island park off the tip of Pierce Island for lunch, then ride the ebb tide back down. Again, this is just an option. Location: Launching from the Odiorne boat ramp located on Route 1A in Rye just over the little bridge at the very beginning of the State Park. Cost: Parking fee is $4 and can be reserved ahead of time following this link. Refunds not provided in case of weather or other reasons. Time: Please be ready to launch by 9:45am, and expect to return around 2:00-3:00pm Participants: Open to any club member with a little paddling experience (this is not for anyone who has never kayaked before). Requirements: Kayak with front and rear bulkheads or flotation, paddle, spray skirt, PFD with whistle (let me know if you need any of this) What To Bring: Water, food, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, dry bag or dry case (for keys / phone), and anything else to stay comfortable and safe. Expectations: - Remain upright and stable in calm water - Exit the boat effectively in the event of a capsize (aka "wet exit") while wearing a spray skirt - Relatively effective paddling for forward, reverse, and turning to the extent of maintaining a cohesive group during a guided trip - Stamina to paddle a little more than two miles in slightly less than 2 hours, with a few pauses along the way These are the basic expectations of anyone attending the most basic sea kayak trip. If you feel that you can't meet any of these expectations, or are just not sure, please contact me or anyone else about attending a pond/lake session to evaluate your ability to join this or any other trip. Registration: Please post to this thread if you want to attend, need to borrow any equipment, and/or have general questions. Please check back to this thread for trip updates and discussions, and click the FOLLOW button near the upper right of this forum page to get email notifications when new posts are made to this trip (must have notifications turned on in Settings). Group size may be limited based on number of registration requests vs assistance from other experienced paddlers. While there will be opportunities for some information-sharing to help people become more knowledgeable paddlers and hopefully be more confident to join other club trips in the future, this is primarily a trip for newer paddlers to get more comfortable being on the water, in a group, and on a club trip. If there is anything we can do to assist with that, please let us know. Hope to see you on the water!!

Prudence, if you sort the trip reports by “Most Views” or “Most Replies”, it will be at the top.

Well, of course you do, because you didn’t read my comment right. I wasn’t talking about the flow rates at the mouth. The discussion is about currents inside Twopenny Loaf. Big difference. Regardless of what the sand actually looks like year to year, the fact remains that the majority of Essex Bay generally ebbs in a NE direction, and the waters inside of the Twopenny Loaf area generally ebbs in a SW direction, so I stand by my theory that the opposing current forces could have potential for creating interesting dynamics.

I wouldn't expect there to be any tide or current tables for that area since most publications are based on areas of commercial navigation. That spot doesn't look like it would be particularly prone to strong currents because the basin upstream is not very large in relation to the opening that it empties through. The only thing I see interesting there is that the flow out around Twopenny Loaf has a southerly direction on the ebb running directly into the northern flow of the rest of the ebb from Essex Bay. If you look on Google satellite images, you can see the channel in the sand running directly north there.

There is a volunteer pre-workshop message thread taking place, so if you want to be involved, please let me know.

Final call for volunteers to help out at this event in a little more than a week. PM me or email ntskw@nspn.org

Just a reminder to all that we want to be ready to launch at 9:30am, meaning gear on, boats loaded, and cars locked, so please plan your arrival time accordingly. We will do a quick group roundup at 9:30am to review the overall plan for the day, then split into pods for individual trip beach-briefings. if we are good about keeping on time, we should be able to be on the water between 9:45-10:00. If you know you are running late, you can call my cell phone at 978-387-9709 and we will discuss options. However, we will not be holding pods on the beach for someone still getting organized by 9:30am. I am not trying to be tyrannical about this, just setting expectations. This is a large trip with lots of coordination involved, and we want to be meeting for dinner around the same time, so punctuality will help make that possible.

Weather is looking "typical" for the Solstice Paddle, with warm temperatures, a decent southern breeze, and potential afternoon t-storms. For those who have not experienced this, it usually means that it can get very windy (with a bit of a chill) during Pot Luck, so bring a layer. We also have a "typical" collection of L3/L4 paddlers, so will need to break out in pods. Feel free to discuss trip options beforehand if anyone has a strong preference. There will still be a smaller L2 trip that will probably stick along the shore around Dolliber Cove, or maybe over to Salem Willows Park, for a 5-10 mile day.

I would like to stress that all too often paddlers try to pigeonhole their skills into one of these levels, but that doesn't really work. Because paddlers tend to continually improve different skills over time, they may not necessarily line up with the chart. If someone has done a lot of lake and river paddling to a point where they can easily paddle more than 6 miles, maintaining a 3-knot speed in winds of 10 knots or more, doesn't automatically make them a Level 2 paddler because they haven't experienced waves over 1'. That just means they need to approach a Level 3 trip with honest caution about their abilities and make sure the organizer and group are comfortable with them being on the trip. After all, the only way we really learn and improve is to push beyond our current experience levels.

Are you talking about functional limitations or legal limitations?

I actually don't recognize that quote - can you tell me where it is located so that I can provide the membership@nspn.org email to it?

Parks and recreation confirmed that they plan to have picnic benches under the pavilion. We typically leave the cars at Riverhead while we go over to eat, but if you decide to drive over, parking is $20 cash.

The Annual Solstice Paddle Returns!! Date: Saturday June 19th, 2021 Location: Probably Riverhead Beach, Marblehead (across street from Devereux Beach on the Marblehead neck) - watch for updates!!! Time: Ready to launch 9:30am, back for potluck by 4:00pm Trips: We typically have a large group that breaks into separate pods based on experience and goals for the day. Based on a cooperative group concept, trips will not have assigned leaders, but instead will call on the skills and leadership within each group as needed or designated. The shortest and easiest trip will be a Level 2 group (along with experienced leaders), a moderate trip will be Level 3, and the most ambitious group will be Level 4. The actual trip parameters will be based on weather, sea conditions, and participants, so breakout discussions will occur as information becomes available. PPPO: Tradition calls for a Post-Paddle-Pig-Out, where we all meet for a pot-luck gathering and share tales of the day, catch up with those we haven't seen lately, and make new friends. Although we have usually held the paddling trip out of Riverhead Beach, then crossed the street to picnic benches at Devereux, the benches were removed last year and parking severely restricted, both physically and financially. I am waiting for the Parks & Recreation department to provide an update, and a reconsideration of this location may be necessary - please stay tuned. Requirements: Please note that this is a sea kayaking trip, so boats appropriate for the ocean are required. I loosely define this as a boat with integral flotation front and rear (or added for skin-on-frame kayaks), deck lines around the majority of the perimeter, and cockpit coaming that accepts a spray skirt. PFD's are required, as well as appropriate safety gear for your level of experience. If you are unsure about your equipment or experience, feel free to reach out on the forum or directly to me for answers. Participants: This trip is open to all active NSPN members (please email membership@nspn.org if you have any issues), regardless of experience. Please be honest with your trip level selection, and be prepared for a possible adjustment based on group makeup. If you are unsure about what trip level to list, don't hesitate to ask. Registration: Please POST TO THIS THREAD if you plan to attend, and indicate what trip level you might be interested, with the understanding that you are not committing to a particular trip, but just gives us an idea of what the general size of the different groups might look like. Any additional information about what you might like to get out of the day could also help us determine pod designations as well. also, if you would like to share what you might bring to the pot luck, that is always nice, too.

If anyone would like to volunteer to help out with this workshop, please get in touch with me via PM or email ntskw@nspn.org. Here are some examples: Bringing boats, gear, or clothing to be used for examples and demonstrations Presenting one or more topics to the group (we can help first-time demonstrators if you want to try) Participating in break-out question-and-answer sessions (good stepping point for future presenters) Help with setup beforehand & packing up afterwards

Back by popular demand is NSPN's annual (kind of) New To Sea Kayak Workshop to be held at the Gould Barn in Topsfield. This event is designed to be beneficial to a wide audience, from those who have never paddled any kind of boat, to others who maybe paddle calm locations to white water. Regardless of your experience, if you are interested in knowing more about sea kayaking, this is a great opportunity. At the workshop, we will discuss what sea kayaking is about, look at various boats, paddles, other gear, clothing, safety equipment, and more. It is free and open to the general public - membership is not required, but for those who want to join the club, cost is $15 for 12 months. Workshop details: Date = June 26th, 2021 Start Time = 10:00am promptly and will go for about 4-5 hours (lunch will be available) Location = Gould Barn - 1 Howlett St, Topsfield, MA Parking = Please observe designated parking spaces in parking lot or park on nearby streets Registration or Questions = Email NTSKW@NSPN.ORG with your name, and up to three questions you would like answered or topics you would like discussed 2021 NTSKW Flyer.pdf 296.33 kB · 0 downloads

It really does depend on what their ambitions and goals are (even if short term). Recreational kayaks are attractive because they are easy, and if the goal is to occasionally spend an hour or so messing about a local pond or stream, then that's fine The more you venture towards a longer/narrower boat, the greater the learning curve. Nothing wrong with that either, just don't want to steer someone into a boat that will frustrate them enough to not want to kayak again. I am sure there will be a flood of opinions on what models make "good starter boats". What might be a good starter boat (or second boat, or advanced boat) for one person, might not be that good for another, so instead of naming boats, I prefer concepts. Wider is easier to get in and out, but slower to paddle. Shorter is easier to turn, but harder to go straight. More rocker makes a longer boat seem shorter, so see last comment. Rudders may seem to make boats easier to steer, and actually do, but sacrifice true maneuverability as well as some ergonomics (depending on the control mechanism). Skegs are not as effective as rudders, as well as not intuitive, but less prone to mechanical failure, and allow for more solid foot placement. We hope to have the New To Sea Kayak Workshop announced soon, at which we will go over different boat types and styles, among other things. It is a really good opportunity for those looking to get started in kayaking, or for transitioning into sea kayaking.

There is no one standard "Level Definition", however standards have developed across the industry over time. American Canoe Association and British Canoeing have had the most influence by developing a set of progressive programs based on both skill and conditions. Most everyone has either copied or averaged the two sets of criteria to come up with a list of level definitions, including NSPN. I agree with Mike that this is a US chart, not UK. What I find most intriguing about it is the Pace is in MPH, not knots. Not a true giveaway as to where it came from, but definitely a clue.

It’s always exciting to put together the Annual Report, and to see what you and your fellow donors made possible for the Maine coast in a given year. In 2020, Maine Coast Heritage Trust was able to complete 34 conservation projects thanks to you. (That’s right – 34!) And thousands of people found solace, healing, and health at the MCHT preserves you help protect and care for. We have many more stats and stories to share with you. Learn more about what you made possible in the link below. SEE THE 2020 ANNUAL REPORT Thank you for all you do for the coast. Sincerely, Tim Glidden President Maine Coast Heritage Trust mcht.org | info@mcht.org 207-729-7366 ‌ ‌ View as Webpage Maine Coast Heritage Trust | 1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 201, Topsham, ME 04086

I am not aware of any Captcha, so would be very interested to understand where you ran into one. Please comment here or email membership@nspn.org