Deb Millar

While edging is a skill one should never leave home with out, I've yet to meet a higher level coach who pooh-poohed the use of a skeg. Deb

Hi Paul. Check American Heart Association for CPR classes in your area. Their course is excellent and the certification is good for two years as opposed to Red Cross, which is only one. We did our CPR through an American Heart Association affiliate known as "Just Minutes Away", which -- and I know this is no good for you -- is here on the North Shore. However, check with local hospitals, too, to see if they're offering anything available to the public. Deb Millar

Perhaps I'm reading the posting on KTP's website incorrectly, but they have the dates of the show being April 19-21, 2013. http://www.ktpevents.com/interior.php/pid/3 Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Deb M

I think I know the lady waiting in the wings and I've been waiting for the day she joins the ranks of the other four US women holding 5*..... Yep, only 4 and, yes, a lot more men. I m only counting the men who are also coaches and listed on the BCU NA website, but then, I also personally know a few who've made the grade, four who live here in NE:). And I have no idea why there are so few female 5*s, too. There are a lot more in the UK, I think... Deb

Ginni Callahan on the West Coast runs tours in Baja and can be reached at www.columbiariverkayaking.com She's one of four BCU 5* women paddlers in the US, Shawna Franklin in WA, Jen Kleck in CA and the newest one, Bonnie Perry in IL being the others. She's a cool lady, a great coach and lots of fun. Deb

A few years ago, Joel at New England Small Craft let NSPN use part of his space for a boat fitting workshop. While Joel has moved a block down the street and is still in business, it might be worth contacting him to see if he has space or would know of space available in the building. And I do believe he has heat. Deb M

We figured plain vanilla worked just as well as Haagen Daz:). Also, we're "thrifty", although I cannot imagine having a dry suit without booties, a big, honking rainbow relief zipper and the tunnel that fits over a sprayskirt. No matter what, though, if it's Kokatat, it's good. Deb

I have the plain old vanilla -- actually it's black -- GMER drysuit. No hood as I can't stand having anything around my neck, but I have a "rainbow" relief zipper and booties, absolute essentials for me. In winter I wear a Kokatat fleece lined hood and a wool toque over that, which keeps the cold away. As Phil mentioned, they will add things to a replacement dry suit for a very reasonable price. When Bob's blue GMER delaminated, Kokatat made his new one in black for $40.00 while apologizing for having to charge for doing so. Great company, great product, great customer service. Deb

Wonderful pictures and words, Kate. I'm so glad Dora the pink ExplorerLV is having lots of adventures. Newfoundland has been on The List since I started paddling. Deb

Hi Al, I don't know about parking at a few of the put ins you've mentioned, but I do know that Conomo Pt is now strictly enforcing non-resident parking restrictions. You can unload boats and gear at the put-in, but you can no longer park across the street from the launch at Clammer's Beach. However, the town has kindly made a strip off the road where you can park. It's on the right as you approach the beach and is clearly marked with green signs stating that non-resident parking starts at Point A and ends at Point B. There's room for maybe 10 cars, less if you have an SUV or truck, but it's also a bit of a hike from the launch. I DO NOT suggest even trying to park where it was legal for years. The police are very aggressive about ticketing and I have a feeling that the residents have no qualms about calling them should a non-stickered vehicle appear in "their" area. I also don't know how much a ticket would be (the old "Well, I'll live with a fine if I can park and chalk it up to a parking fee") but, given that Essex isn't exactly Manchester-by-the-Sea and needs all the revenue it can get, I doubt it's cheap. While I'm as annoyed as anyone about this change, which started last summer, I also can see the residents' POV. I've lived in coastal towns with public beaches most of my life and there is nothing more annoying than getting to the beach parking lot or the put-in's and finding it full of cars with out-of-town stickers or no stickers at all. Town or City (I live in Gloucester and have a beach sticker) residents not only pay taxes to support the beaches but they also shell out for a beach sticker to access those same beaches every year. As a policeman friend of ours once said: "The town or city can't necessarily control access to beaches from the water but they sure as heck can post parking regulations to control that access."' Which they do. So, if you don't mind a walk from your car back to your boat for launching, Conomo works fine. Low tide is pretty mucky and annoyingly so, depending on the tide cycle, but you can get the boat out....it just isn't much fun. And it's Green Head season. The little buggers are probably here for another two weeks or less, but they're here in all their vicious, biting glory. As for Lanesville: It's highly accessible at low tide and less muddy, too. There are, to my knowledge, no parking restrictions but being considerate of the residents is always appreciated. Hope this helps. Deb

Deb M

I'll speak for the husband as he has a Panasonic Lumix T1 which has been repaired once in the 3 or 4 years he's had it. Great, sharp pictures, and the camera is easy to use. It takes great video, too. He's also a real bug about rinsing it off after use, although we do know from talking with others that sometimes no matter how careful you are with your equipment, Mother Ocean's salt can get the best of it. We also have an old Canon Powershot that must be going on 7 or 8 years. Another great camera which, unfortunately can only be used on the water with a large and cumbersome plastic housing. The husband usually takes that one with him when he travels. While I was always a big Pentax fan, I cannot recommend the Pentax OptioW60, which has one of the worst setups for battery removal, despite a silicon case and careful rinsing after use; takes crap, blurry pictures, and isn't worth the money. I'm waiting for it to die so I can get a waterproof Nikon, the price of which is slowly dropping as it creeps yet towards another iteration, when, of course, the price, like the moon and the sun, will rise again. Deb M

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Jen's last name is KLECK. Just in case anyone wants to look her up. Deb

The state with the highest rate of hypothermia cases is Florida. Just sayin' Deb M

While I fully agree that feather angle falls into the realm of what works best for your body, I, like Jason, started out at 60 degrees, went down to 10 and am now at 0, this after taking more than a few classes with Mr. Lawry and Mr. Carmody. As for paddling in a stiff breeze: I've never had any difficulty trucking along into a 20k headwind with my blades set at either 10 or 0. Than again, that's me; someone else might find their happy place with some degree of feather. Deb M

Bob has the first generation of this camera. After 2 years of use, it sputtered out last year. He sent it for repair, which cost about $190.00. A new Lumix runs around $200+ on Amazon. As soon as my crappy Pentax waterproof camera dies, I'm going to look at the new NIkon waterproof, provided the price has come down. It's gotten good reviews but it's expensive right now. Deb M

Both are great resources. However, and with no disrespect to Greg Paquin, he's a BCU 5* PADDLER and a BCU L4A coach. The BCU system for coaches vs stars for paddling achievement can be confusing at times. Deb M

Jason, Bob and I have had this system for 5 years after we first saw Ed Schiller and then various coaches use it at the SKG Symposium. I think it's a great rumor that you might be getting one for your b-day. Deb

How about "Grey Ghost" after John Mosby who led Mosby's Raiders during the Civil War? While he fought for the Confederacy despite his feelings about slavery and secession, he later was a supporter of U S Grant during Grant's presidency. As for naming boats: So far I've owned (or the boats owned me): Pinkster, an ExplorerLV; Blue Tooth, a RomanyLV; Orca, a Mega BullittS; Moby Grape, a purple-decked Pintail, and, now The Budgie aka The 'keet, a blue/grass green/white AvocetLV. Deb M

I second Suz's advice about "pool wear". I wear the oldest stuff I have, including worn out "wet" shoes and an ancient PFD. I do wear a bathing suit under my old neoprene/Hydroskin, but I haven't noticed any wear to it; perhaps that extra layer protects it from too much wear. As for someone in the pool in either a drysuit or dry top: if this was this past Saturday's session in Portsmouth, no one was wearing one and the participants were decked out in a variety of neoprene.

In late fall/early spring, I wear a Capilene top under my fleece "onesie" which is sized and made by the same maker as my drysuit. I ALWAYS wear Smart Wool or the equivalent socks; the weight can vary with the season, but I've found that mid-weight works just as well at keeping my feet warm as a heavier sock. As it gets colder, I'll wear a heavier top, either Capilene (I'm a big fan of Patagonia)or Smart Wool, plus woolen or heavyweight bottoms. Under-underwear is Capilene and an all-synthetic sports bra. I always wear a hat -- all wool (I love Dale of Norway ski hats although I found that Turtle Fur makes a really nice equivalent (and it's also considerably less money; KTP carries this brand) and fleece lined to block the wind -- and, on really cold days, I'll add a neoprene fleece-lined hood that covers my ears, neck and provides an extra layer of insulation. NRS (or an equivalent brand)Pogies -- I can't stand wearing gloves as I don't like not being able to feel my paddle -- but I also sometimes wear Toaster Mitts by NRS. If it's not too cold, I can get away with Tropos pogies, which work very well at keeping off the wind. I always have a dry bag with extra fleece and socks and, in my day hatch, another one with my Valley/Seals cag, an extra hat and wool mittens. I really recommend a onesie as it doesn't ride or bunch up around your waist or leave the dreaded gap. Ours are seven years old and going strong. In the hope of keeping gear around and not shrinking, all our fleece, wool socks and tops/bottoms, synthetic underwear, and even our pool clothes are washed on the gentle cycle and in ProWash, which is sold at REI. It's expensive but you use only a little bit so it lasts awhile and it definitely gets out that "athletic" odor. I then dry every thing either on the line or on racks. Deb M.

I'd love to see this, but it doesn't seem to want to appear on my computer screen. If I use Picasa, which I do have, I get an "Invalid Image" message. Deb M

True, there are no signs directly across from the houses by Clammers, but the "Sticker Parking Only" sign is a bit up the road and visible only if you are 1.) Looking for it. 2.) It's not obscured by brush. The area between this sign and the one closest to Clammers (the two signs by the conveniently located porta-potty and by the parking area.) is the non-resident ticketing zone. Once again, you can park before the first "Sticker Parking Only" sign, and some nice person (or the Town of Essex) has thoughtfully cleared away the brush on the right side of the road. After the sign, it's bright orange parking ticket time. Since most users of Clammers, resident and otherwise, would be using the launch and beach on weekends, I'm sure you'd get ticketed toot sweet. Week days, and possibly after Labor or Columbus Day, when most of the summer inhabitants are gone, might see less of a chance of the unwary enriching Essex's coffers, but I'd be careful. BTW, when the summer season started, I went to Essex Town Hall and asked them what was up because the signs really aren't that clear as to where you CAN park. I was told on no uncertain terms that there was NO PARKING for non-residents after that first sign you see. When I nicely and politely and tactfully told the man in the office that we, along with half the kayakers on the North Shore, had been parking at Conomo within the "legal" area for years, he said, a bit testily, we were very, very lucky that we never got ticketed or, worse, towed as that area had always been a Resident Only zone. Which was news to me and one Essex resident I spoke with. Essex, according to a very reliable source, has a new Police Chief and things have changed. The clamp down on non-resident parking affects not only those wanting to use the boat ramp and the beach, but also guests of residents living on Conomo Pt. Deb M

According to the website, the store in Danvers in the Endicott Plaza is still open. However, the website says the one in Woburn is still there, so go figure. I second Suzanne's suggestion about finding a marine supply store near marinas. We have a good one here in Gloucester by the harbor. Deb M

A Pintail with an ocean cockpit isn't all that difficult to enter. True, it's not as easy as say slipping one's butt into a keyhole, but it's doable. The husband made sure he could cowboy/taco/straddle his OC Pintail when he first got it, and I did the same when I bought my OC Pintail last winter. And, to re-emphasize what's been stated on this thread,cowboy/straddle works but it's a really, REALLY good idea to have other means of rescue at one's hand, whether they be reenter and roll, the "black art" of rolling, or the basic assisted rescues. The last isn't rocket science nor overly technical, just one more tool in the arsenal of safety. While I have major issues with paddle float rescue, if you're going to use it, then learn how to do it with a minimum of stress and strain to your mind and body. As PeterB stated, it works in flat water, especially in the safe confines of a pool, but I recall the incident a few years back when a man was lost coming back in winter's heavy seas and weather from Isle of Shoals. They found his kayak with the paddle float attached to the paddle and the paddle attached to the boat somewhere off Portsmouth, NH. They found his body washed up a few weeks later. Not to scare you, just to emphasize safety. Deb M