Ken

Would the trip be more than 50% paddling or surfing? I like both, just trying to plan. -K

When I mounted a Brunton 70P on my Scorpio, I bought a little gasket kit. Might not have been needed but it made it a little easier. It came with to length of machine screws so nuts can be point on the back so threading a wood screw into the deck material isn't required. When mounting in a glass boat, anyone know if anything else is needed or can it just be screwed into pilot holes drilled in the mounting location? -K

From what I've read, and seen on the light up signs on the sides of I95, is MA is requestining a 14-day quarantine for people coming into the state. But it is a request and not a law.

Viburnum dentatum. Great Egret (Ardea alba).

Is this trip tentative at this point based on ME travel restrictions?

@Joseph Berkovitz Not familiar with that location. Should we bring helmets? -K

I also signed up and received an email confirmation on the google form.

Upending maples, branches growing straight up from sides of trucks makes it look a bunch of trees in a row.

choose files... Click to choose files Not as exciting as the ocean but it's scenic and nice to get some exercise on the Charles near where I live. I really like this shot I got of a Nuphar variegata.

As far as I know, Zoom recently added a requirement for mandatory passwords for all meetings. Do you have a password for the meeting? There's a way to get a link with the password encrypted in the URL; it adds a pwd parameter. -K

All the launches on the Charles down where I live are open ... and packed. I guess no one has anything else to do. Parking fills up. I had my wife drop me off and pick me up yesterday so i could do a stretch without having to try to park. I read that the MA phase II tentative date is June 8. That might ease up more stuff. The 10-person group limit may be raised but they won't say now what whether the limit will definitely raise and if so to what. -K

Never try to lubricate with anything. Rinse with fresh water. Pick parents that give you the genetics such that you have at least one long finger so you can stick a finger in it and unstick it if you have to. ?

I've paddled with Al a few times. Really nice guy and a competent coach and leader. Lake C. is a nice safe environment for learning. It's where I took my first class three seasons ago. For someone just starting out, that would be a great event. -K

K, I'll check my work schedule and pick a few Wed's to do some paddles. I missed April and have only been out once so far in May for 6.5 miles on the Charles. I won't go out in the ocean or cold water solo. -K

I'm still a working stiff but not having anything better to do, I now have vacation time to burn. Are these events weekly? If so, I could plan ahead a schedule a day off to make it some week. -Ken

I was thinking the idea is to determine the Force rating. I like the white font trick as it shows when cursor is hovered. Below are guess in white for Beaufort Force... 1. F6 2. F4 3. F3 4. F2

Did you measure the wind for all of these? Is the object to guess?

I also paddle with RICKA and have done a number of rock gardening paddles with them. One guy has a Nordkapp. He's the one we're always towing out of the rocks after he flips over. ? And keep in mind, although I don't consider myself a rank novice any more, I probably have a 1/10th the experience, or less, a lot less, of anyone on this thread. ? -K

No idea who long doxy is good for. I know (from experience unfortunately) that if you discover a tick that may have been on for 24 hours, you take two doses as a prophylactic to prevent infection. And I know (again from unfortunate experience) that when you have a welt the size of a dinner plate on your thigh, you do a three-week cycle. What I do now is spray all my gardening clothes with 0.5% permethrin. I bought one of the Sawyer spray bottles. But when it ran out, I just bought a bottle of 10% liquid (liquid, not wettable powder which I use for ants) and I dilute it 19:1 and refill the spray bottle. I do the shoes, socks, and pants I use for gardening once in the spring. Middle of sumer, I'll redo the socks and shoes. -K

Ugh, I've been treated for lyme disease three times and pulled many ticks off over the last few years. Time to re-treat all my gardening clothes with permethrin and remember my picaridin spray every time I go out to work in the garden. And right now, I don't have much else to do beside work in the garden. Thanks for the reminder. -Ken

I have considered a Cetus MV. If I was a reckless purchaser, I would probably just go out and buy a Cetus and a more maneuverable boat for rocks/surf. I haven't 100% decided which way to go if I get one. Of course, under current circumstances, I can't demo. In the spirit of virtual, would you be able to relate what I'd notice in difference between my Scorpio and a Cetus, the two boats seem to fill the same niche in plastic/glass in the P&H line?

Thanks for the updates. I'm not so hardcore that I need to get out now. Some warm day in April, I'll head down the Charles solo to get some fresh air and exercise. -K

One thing I think is critically important is no one should even begin to think about any activity that would risk injury or rescue. I follow the ski world and some people are disappointed that ski areas that have closed services aren't allowing people to hike up and ski. But any risk of a fall that could require rescue and a trip to the hospital is something to avoid.

I'm not so hardcore that I have to go out in March. I would like to get out in April for some light exercise. Of course I can just run down to the Charles on my own as it's five minutes away. And I think it's a good idea to avoid anything excessively stressful as that can tax your immune system leave one more vulnerable to infection so I plan to wait for warmer weather. On group paddle, obviously it would be best to avoid any situation where assisted rescues might be needed, no rocks, no waves. So maybe sheltered harbors would be doable. My wild guess on the virus thing is it's going to get either a little worse in the short term and then start getting better several weeks from now. Or, it's going to get a lot worse in the short term and almost total social isolation will be needed for a month or two (or more). If it's the former, maybe a "practice safe-paddling" group paddle could be possible before the end of April. It's wait and see right now. I suspect the next two weeks and we'll know how bad the situation in the USA could get.

From -- https://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/covid-19-and-beach-water-quality-updates-from-the-research-community The virus has been shown to remain viable and infectious, at least temporarily, in natural freshwater environments including lakes and streams. While dilution is suspected to keep the risk low, high concentrations of the viable COVID-19 virus could put freshwater recreation users at risk. There was no information shared on the ability of the COVID-19 virus to remain viable in saltwater, so it’s unclear if swimming at saltwater beaches elevates the risk of contracting COVID-19. However, communal spread is a serious issue so spending time at popular beaches, if in close contact to other beachgoers, will increase your risk.