Jim Snyder

1 hour ago, Phil Gassin said:

Condotions permitting if other paddlers are interested in paddling the crossing I would do that instead of the shuttle.

To avoid confusion, could you please start a separate thread for those wishing to paddle the crossing? 

Planning on doing at least a couple of shuttle trips to Isles of Shoals with Jack Farrell of https://www.seacoastmaritimecharters.com/. The idea is to eliminate the long crossings to have more time to explore the islands. This year will be a little different from last, with a pickup and dropoff at the Kittery Town Dock in  Pepperell Cove. The cost has gone up to $40 per person and boat, which was expected because of the huge increase in cost of diesel. Watch this space if you're interested, I'll be looking for favorable conditions and hoping to post a trip in July. This should be considered a level 3 trip, even in mild conditions. Here's a trip report from last year and a few pictures.

I thought we could keep an eye out for this boat for this guy:

https://nh.craigslist.org/boa/d/rowley-stolen-green-tarpon-160i-kayak/7499643734.html

Matt Drayer has graciously offered to do this workshop again this year. If you've always wondered what paddling a surfski is like this is a great opportunity. Matt may also be the clubs leading expert on the mechanics of the forward stroke. We hope to do this again from Fisherman's Beach sometime in July. Reply here if interested.

I'm a maybe for the trip, flexible on level, not staying for potluck. 

Car sold, Thule crossbars still available. Should fit others with same rail profile. 

If I have to do that after every paddle it's a bad design. I've stopped doing anything to mine and it's actually working better. I think when it gets bad it's more because of fine sand than salt. If it gets bad again I might just drill it out and put a pin in. 

I'm reviving this thread as I think I may spend a couple of months with a Toyota Corolla as my kayak hauler while I wait for my Bolt EUV to arrive. If anyone has anything they're not using that I could borrow for a while that would be great. Otherwise maybe I'll buy the inflatable and hope for the best.

2 hours ago, billvoss said:

You may also be able to install solar on your own property, and then agonize over whether to swap your totally green energy for totally dirty energy by selling your Renewable Energy Credits.

The truth is, if you don't sell those RECs the utilities get them for free. We've been solar since we built our house in 2013. We have banked enough kilowatt hours to drive 22.000 miles by my calculation. I will probably add about 3000 watts of array to try to get to net zero.

1 hour ago, prudenceb said:

So what happens if you're in your EV and you're in northern Maine (maybe the wilds of Northern Maine) for a kayaking trip and you didn’t do the best job in the world estimating your kayak-on-the-roof battery degradation…and the car runs out of juice and glides to a silent stop in the middle of nowhere?

That's why you wear a tow belt, Prudence!

Seriously, I'm committed to smart trip planning and will occasionally still use the truck if I don't think I can manage it. For most of my trips I think it will work.

Can we keep this topic to evs and kayaks though? Also remember, unless you're producing your own electricity or somehow sourcing renewable, you're driving a vehicle or running a chainsaw on nuclear, natural gas, or coal. 

I'm starting this thread to see if anyone has experience carrying kayaks on an EV. A quick search of the internet suggests expecting a 25 to 40% loss in range, depending on driving habits. We have just ordered a Bolt EUV and I will be posting my experience here when it arrives. I've also done a lot of research recently on the economics of EVs and solar and would be happy to discuss it with anyone thinking of going this route.

Thule crossbars fitted to 2018 Subaru Imprezza, saddles not included, $200.

Or free with 2018 Subaru Imprezza, 41,000 miles, $20,000. KBB $19,083-$21,140, kayak not included.

I gave up on this and just tuck mine between my knees while paddling out through flat water. I almost always want it on once I reach the outside. I'd post a picture but you get the idea ?

2022 Update:

I spoke with Jack Farrell of https://www.seacoastmaritimecharters.com yesterday and the format will be changing a little bit this year and trips can't start until after June 20. He also plans to have a new, bigger boat ready in July or August and he is enthusiastic about it's kayak carrying capabilities! I hope to organize several this year and will start a new thread for 2022 when we get a little closer.

There's a form to fill out, I have a link. And it would make more sense coming from you, Joe. Let's see what others think about using Riverhead if it's discounted or free.

I talked with Parks and Recreation at Marblehead and if we make an application the board would consider it at their June 14th meeting and possibly give us a group rate or waive the fee. I guess that's cutting it close but I think it's worth the effort. 

I've often thought it would be a good idea to do a simulated rescue situation in cooperation with Coast Guard and others where an incident escalated along a planned path and have a rescue drill. Maybe I can find someone to cooperate.

You lot???

From my HX870 manual:

From the Google:

 The automatic identification system, or AIS, transmits a ship's position so that other ships are aware of its position. The International Maritime Organization and other management bodies require large ships, including many commercial fishing vessels, to broadcast their position with AIS in order to avoid collisions.

For more alphabet soup, you have to have a MMSI to use DSC.

12 hours ago, gyork said:

my "maps" app on my iPhone

While apps like "Maps" or "Google Maps" are great on land, and even on the water will show you where you are and which way you're pointing, they fall short for a number of reasons.

• No chart details, and some islands we visit regularly don't even appear on the screen at any zoom level.
• No tracking function. Marine navigation apps allow you to save a track as a .KML file, which can be imported to places like Google Earth to view your trip.
• They won't support navigation assistance point to point on the water.

So if there was nothing better, they'd be amazing but we're so lucky to have better options. As an aside, I'd love to go back to visit my 20 year old backpacking self and tell him that when he was an old guy, he'd have a device in his pocket that would not only show him a topo map for where he was but indicate precisely his location on it and which direction he was facing. He used to get lost from time to time.

I don't want this topic to become a discussion on the relative merits of gps versus chart and compass navigation. I was recently totally fogged in south of York and although we had a chart with us I was pretty happy to be able to look at my phone from time to time to verify our position. I would like to describe the apps I'm familiar with and ask if others have found apps that work for them.

• Gaia: This was my favorite for a long time until they were unable to deal with the changes at NOAA. The charts now are virtually useless for lack of detail but the tracking still works, you just have to export it elsewhere for it to have any value. I still like it for hiking and skiing. The free version is fine for most uses. 
• SEAiq: This app has some different features like identifying other vessels in your area but if it has tracking capability I can't figure it out. I keep it on my phone as a backup. As of writing this, the charts still work normally. When I got it years ago there was a small one time purchase cost.
• Caltopo: I just realized Caltopo has a phone app. The free version operates on data to load charts or a cache of charts you've viewed in preparation for a trip. If you pay the $20 subscription you can download charts and store them on your phone. I had a little trouble sorting out how to use their map layers but if I only use it on the water I don't have to make any adjustments. Tracking works well as does storing waypoints. It has a "navigate to" feature that I haven't tried yet.

What are you using?

I asked Contoocook River who is a dealer and they said they thought they could get an order but timing would be as I stated above.

Seals will definitely make you one custom, and you get to add color too if you want. The downside is they're probably at least a three month wait. I have a 6" tunnel from them and I prefer it.

Please add me to the thread.

I dropped one at EMS in Concord but they didn't seem to have an appropriate place to post it. I emailed it to my friends at Outdoor New England in Franklin NH who were enthusiastic about promoting it.