Barbara Ryan

OMGoodness this sounds SO FABULOUS, and way above my skill level. But how I'd LOVE to be able to watch you from a drone!!!

I'd like to have one. Thanks so much David!

I’m interested too!

Sorry to have to drop out. We are doing our Thanksgiving then w loved ones who are working on Thursday. Have fun friends! Im sure grateful to have you to paddle, learn and have fun with!

Hi Sue! I also have the Malone Microsport and LOVE it!!! I've carried 3 even 4 boats mostly to river and lake paddles. Soooo easy to load and unload! It's super sturdy too! I had two huge trees fall on it and pound it into the ground in our yard 2 years ago. Tree guys dug it out. It's fine! So I highly recommend. I ordered the parts, laid them out in the driveway put it together myself (took a week but was doable for a first timer.) It has a nice, sturdy cargo box too! However, the big con: now that I'm paddling with NSPN along the coast where parking is a challenge even with boats on the roof, many of the paddles have limited parking so a trailer is often not welcomed. I put my boat on the roof then. Good luck! Let us know what you decide.

Forgive typos. My thumbs on phone don’t improve. ?

Great wrote up Joe! My heartfelt thanks to you and our greatly missed Janet for planning this adventure. This was one of the best times ever for me! Loved (almost) every minute!☺️ The beauty of the area, the peace and quiet, the full moon over the ocean and islands was magical!! And the exploring turns out to be one of my favorite things now to do! man’s the challenge was really perfect for me. So grateful for the experienced consensus of the group and the terrific camaraderie! That was a challenging return to our campsite after a wonderful day of discovery and beauty! But I am so happy that we did it! I remember with about a mile to go, and that was the hardest paddle I’d ever done, on our way back to our island home, I felt that I was paddling in desperation for survival and you paddled so easily up beside me and said, “I haven’t seen you lose your sense of humor yet Barb”! ? Just what I needed to keep me going and stop all the swearing that was accompanying the self talk and playing of songs to keep paddling to, that was going on in my head. You are such an excellent coach along w terrific adventuring friend! I’m so delighted and grateful! Also thanks to my new also favorite adventuring buddies, Beth and Cora and my dear longtime friend, Jody, who got me into this fantastic group and also was our chef and “here’s how I do it” coach on how to do this camping with all of the stuff out of a kayak! I’m hooked now and will be working on purchasing all the stuff I need to do this as often as possible- when the winds lessen up thar! Looking forward to more adventures with you all!!

Prudence, my Women's Odyssey GORE-TEX Pro Dry Suit just arrived! I'm so excited! What do you do about the neck actually strangling you tho? Do you trim the gasket?

Hi friends! I need a dry suit at least to borrow for a camping trip oct 15-18 and hopefully to buy. Small or medium (women’s) should work. Thanks so much! Barb

I too am looking for a 1.4 neoprene skirt for my Tempest. In line behind Nancy and Janet. Thanks!

I'm going on my first kayak camping trip with NSPN members and it is suggested I try wearing a drysuit and that if might be possible to borrow one from a kind paddler here. "You never know". I probably would wear a "small". And, as I will probably buy one- I would appreciate hearing what your favorite one is and what your experience has been- which model. Have you tried some you did not like? Thanks so much friends! Barb

Great! Please count me in. Thanks Janet.

I’d love to join you BobIf there is still room!

Sounds like great fun! Unfortunately I'm puppy sitting so have to miss this one. I'll look forward to some pics hopefully!

I LOVED this adventure. Another “best ever” as I am finding every paddle with you paddling buddies turns out to be. Wonderful Planning Joe and Bob, thanks! And, TERRIFIC pics Jody and Ben! I’ll try now to add a few more. this trip I saw the most wildlife. The huge Grey seals watching us at the northeast tip of Thacher, and the cool mola mola and a little brave bird (red nuthatch Bob?) that came along for a ride!

I'll be happy to aim to come on 10/2. Thanks so much Joe!

I too am in AWE Prudence!!! What an incredible expedition! Your beautiful photos and detailed descriptions of your adventure are, well, literally breathtaking! I held my breath reading your vivid account of day 13, "I went into a strange kind of mental cocoon…silently repeating the mantra Just keep paddling…just keep paddling." Being a relative newbie to sea kayaking I've done this mantra (thanks Joe) in some of the funky 2'+ swells, with rocking horse waves, that I've paddled the past few weeks with our nspn comrades along the north shore! (Learning to trust my boat.) Thank you so much for sharing this. You are a true inspiration!

I’m aiming to join you! Thanks Jim!

What a FANTASTIC trip!! Wonderful, poetic and visual descriptions in photos and words. Thanks for sharing your adventure!

This was a terrific adventure and big thanks to you Bob for organizing and Sherri for bringing the snorkeling gear! Boy was that beautiful and interesting both seeing the rock formations and crystals, especially the hexagonal crystals! The snorkel was fantastic, cool And dark crevices revealing the surprises of sea stars and urchins. The Little Rock garden nursery in the center of the cove was so cool too! Thanks for helping us take out and launch on the rocks Mike and Bob! Fun group w Jody, Sue and Liz too!! By the way: I did stop into the fire station on my way out and talked with the 2 guys on the squad who responded and transported the man whom I used CPR on before our paddle, to the hospital and gosh, despite him being unresponsive/no good heartbeat or breathing, to the defibrillator and epi , the chest compressions kept him going and at the hospital they were able to stabilize him enough to med flight him to Boston!! We were all amazed and so happy! Whew! What a day!

What time would you like us to meet and then launch Bob?

I'd love to join! Plastic boat too!

This was another AWESOME paddle!! I so enjoyed meeting Prudence and Judy and Mike Hazeltine. I did learn that I will from here on trust my boat more and endeavor to get in closer to the action along the rocks to better see and learn from my experienced mentors. I'm so sorry I missed the details of Bob's instructive towing while swimming his boat out of the Chasm as I I was watching but was too far to see well without binoculars. Maybe I'll have to try this myself- without the chasm and waves, to see how it's done. Looked super effective, efficient and safe! We all learned that anyone in a tow line has the right of way, and otherwise those coming up behind other boats yield to the boats ahead. And yes, the waves outside of Kettle Island were "quite sporty"! I love your descriptive terms Joe! I wish you and Prudence, Janet and Mike a FABULOUS Maine island adventure! I hope to see some pics posted from there is possible. Thanks for all you do to make us safer, better and happier paddlers. By the way, here is the info. from Audubon re: Kettle Island. https://www.massaudubon.org/get-outdoors/wildlife-sanctuaries/kettle-island/about About Kettle Island → Landing on the island is prohibited ← Kettle Island is an uninhabited rocky island located off the coast of Manchester-by-the Sea. Much of the island is vegetated with a dense cover of low trees, shrubs, thorns, and copious amounts of poison ivy. You can view wildlife from small boats and kayaks, but landing on the island is prohibited so as not to disturb this important colony of nesting birds. Acres 17 Trail Mileage None: The island has no trails or boat landing areas Sanctuary Highlights Part of the Essex County Coastal Bird Islands Important Bird Area, the island hosts a large colony of nesting colonial waterbirds in spring and summer, including snowy egret, great egret, glossy ibis, little blue heron, and black-crowned night heron. Programs offered by Ipwsich River Wildlife Sanctuary and Joppa Flats Education Center in the summer to view and learn about the birds of Kettle Island and to witness their amazing evening flights back to the colony from the mainland.

Thank you Joe and Ben for posting some of the details of our Boston Harbor adventure! Another terrific paddling adventure with you and our warm and welcoming friends (some new). I will add the thrills of gliding over the spit with maybe an inch or so to spare, (and everyone exclaiming the equivalent of “yipeeee” as we did!) and riding the waves in the wakes of the pleasure boats and again the NEAquatium whale watch boat! I kept repeating the mantra to keep paddling and all would be well. It was great fun!! Thanks to Joe and Bob and then Janet and David for taking the leads and also to Shari, Joyce, Jody and Ben for making this a good team work and fun being together trip!

I am so enjoying paddling with this warm and welcoming group! Love your trip reports Joe! They remind me of the details of our adventure and the fun! This trip was the first time I cautiously ventured a bit closer to the cliffs, after observing you and Bob having so much fun, and then experiencing the cool “moving sidewalk” feeling while gliding along. Thanks so much for your planning and mentoring.