Category: kayak

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kayak kayaking Maine rivers paddling St. George

Fall Whitewater and Other Well-Kept Secrets

The morning of November 29 started sunny and seasonally cool, with temperatures in the low 30’s. By 11:00 AM, there we were, paddles wheeling through the bright water, embarking on a trip that would include a heretofore unexplored stretch of our favorite Maine river. We had planted a vehicle in Appleton, some 10 miles away. Besides a few sentences in a guidebook printed 20 years ago and a quick perusal of the section on Google Earth, we had nothing to go on — which suited us just fine. Seeing something new, in essence, is what river travel is all about.

We put in on the St. George River in our usual spot in Searsmont. The water level at the put-in — several feet up over the “summer banks” proved to be an omen for good paddling. The river south of the Ghent Road bridge was fast, deep, and full of standing waves. The drop at Magog (usually considered a Class III) was fun and easy.

In the past, we’ve taken out at the Route 105 bridge– and looked wistfully on downstream, but this time, riding the swift current and with the late fall sunshine full on our faces, we were on our way down a wooded corridor that (if all went well) would bring us out at the Sennebec Road bridge in the center of Appleton.

The Class I-II rapids south of the Route 105 bridge transitioned into flatwater a few hundred yards below. Much of the rest of the trip to Appleton was flatwater, mixed with some easy Class I. At one point, an eagle soared high overhead. A beaver crossed the glassy surface in front of us, creasing the water with his wake. Stands of hardwoods lined the banks. Lazy trees extended far out over the water, their trunks just above our heads.

In a few places, downed trees formed strainers and thickets that we had to “river-whack” our way through. A hundred yards above the Appleton bridge, the current picked up and the rapids become a Class II. We took out above the bridge and then walked the bridge and the river, studying the drop and plotting our next trip in which we are pledged to “paddle on through.”

Previously I subscribed to the myth that whitewater season here in coastal Maine is limited to a couple of months in the spring. This year, beginning in March, we got out on the local rivers in every month but August. Even now, in late November, the water levels are high — and the water temperatures are warmer than in March or April.

In fact, the greatest “hardship” of paddling this time of year is that the southern trajectery of rivers like the St.George together with the low angle of the sun combine to light the whitewater like silver fire. This makes seeing (and avoiding) the rocks more difficult. But, especially for those who might feel sunlight-deficient this time of year, it is an easy hardship to endure.

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cold water kayaking hypothermia kayak paddling Penobscot Bay

Lessons from Cold Water Boot Camp

While paddling from the Commercial Street Boat Launch to the mouth of Little River the other day, I crossed paths with two other Belfast kayakers who were also out enjoying the brilliant December sunshine. Winter paddling is not for everyone, but IF you have the right equipment, take the right precautions, and maintain a healthy respect for cold water, it can be safe and immensely rewarding.

Skaters and hockey players have begun to venture out onto area lakes and ponds. With the ice-fishing season opening up on January 1st, it seems a good time to review the latest research on the effects of cold water immersion.

The dangers of hypothermia have gotten a lot of press in recent years, and hypothermia is what most people think of first when it comes to cold water immersion. But as the 10-minute Coast Guard video Cold Water Boot Camp shows, hypothermia is only one-third of the challenge of being unexpectedly immersed in cold water.

The first challenge is cold shock (also known as “the gasp reflex”), which lasts for about 1 minute and results in gasping and uncontrolled breathing. Cold shock can severely limit your ability to swim or do anything to rescue yourself. It also can cause you to ingest water into your lungs, especially if you gasp while under the surface or while submerged by a wave.

If you survive the first minute, you will begin to breathe more normally. The second challenge of cold water immersion is cold incapacitation. According to the video, in water temperatures of 45 degrees, you have just 10 minutes of “meaningful movement” before your muscles will be impaired to the point that you may no longer be able to perform simple self-rescue tasks such as swimming, holding onto a rope, hauling yourself up onto the ice, or climbing back into a kayak.

According to the GoMoos site, Penobscot Bay water temperatures are down to 39 degrees. Without doing a lot of complicated math, let’s just say, that doesn’t give you a lot of time.

The third challenge of cold water immersion is loss of functioning due to lowered core body temperature (hypothermia). The video states that in 45 degree water it would only take one hour before you lapse into unconsciousness.

The point the video makes is that due to the effects of cold shock and cold incapacitation, if rescue is not immediately available, you likely would drown before reaching the hypothermia stage — unless you are wearing a life jacket or have some other means of being supported in the water.

If you are paddling, please wear a life jacket and dress for immersion. This means wearing a wet suit or dry suit.

If you are going out on the ice, check the thickness of the ice before doing so. A thickness of 6 inches is suggested for those on foot. Also be aware that ice thicknesses can be highly variable. Going out on the ice with a partner is a good idea. Rope, a whistle, and a cell phone can be useful if a rescue is needed. And if you are at all doubtful about the safety of the ice, it’s not a bad idea to wear a pfd.

Wishing everyone an adventurous and safe 2009!

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Point 65 N Whisky 16 Kayak Review

16′ x 22″, 57 lbs. (fiberglass layup)

The Whisky looks and paddles fresh. Unlike so many new kayak models coming out these days, it is the result of some creative design work and is far from being a retread of other models already in production.

The most “gimmicky” thing about this kayak is the 6 x 6 inch round “whisky hatch” just in front of the cockpit. I put flares, binoculars, sunglasses, and sunscreen in mine — and still had plenty of room for a handful of energy bars. The hatch doesn’t interfere with my knees and is easier to access than a knee tube or underdeck bag — not a bad gimmick!

After paddling the boat for 2 days while guiding a trip in the Great Wass Archipelago in Downeast Maine, in everything from a dead calm to rock gardens to 4.5 foot swells to confused seas off “Red Head,” I’d say this boat is a winner. It is now unequivocally my boat of choice for all kinds of guiding, as well as for surf play, and rough water work.

The layup (mine is the standard fiberglass) is of excellent quality if on the slightly heavy side, the hatches (3 plus the whisky hatch) are tight, the deck lines are adequate. The seat works well and provides good thigh support. Excellent thigh bracing is provided by the keyhole cockpit and the contour of the deck in front of the cockpit. Even without added foam, the fit is comfortable and secure.

The hull is moderately rockered with hard chines and the shallowest of shallow arches underneath. The bow and stern are slightly upswept and the boat carries a fair amount of volume in both bow and stern. The somewhat unconventional appearance (snub nose, hard chine, flattened hull under the cockpit) really works well in the water. Even without putting the boat on edge, a couple quick sweep strokes turns the boat 180 degrees. Dropping the skeg just an inch or so keeps it on course in most conditions. It’s a solid boat in rough conditions, and is a blast to paddle in rock gardens or along a rugged, irregular shoreline.

Initial stability is a little loose but the secondary stability kicks in very quickly. Easily leaned and probably the most solid boat I have paddled when on edge. Overall provides a very secure ride in varying conditions.

The Whisky will probably fit a range of paddler sizes from small to medium large.

It compares very favorably with the VCP Avocet, which is a similar boat in terms of dimensions and design intentions. The Avocet may be a shade faster but does not turn as readily. The Whisky has added features, can accommodate larger paddlers, and has more storage space for gear.

The Whisky doesn’t have the glide or top end speed of a svelte 18-footer, and that’s really the only way it falls short of being “the perfect kayak.” Unless you are racing, doing point-to-pint touring over long distances, primarily paddling flat water, or trying to keep up with ultra-fit paddlers in svelte 18-footers, you’ll be having so much fun in the Whisky you’ll forget all about the fact that with a longer boat you might be going half a knot faster.

–As of 8/16/08, the Whisky is available for test paddle and purchase at our shop in Belfast, Maine.

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kayak kayaking maine paddling Penobscot Bay

Circumnavigating the Cape: A Kayak Trip Around Cape Jellison

One of the great things about Midcoast Maine is that you can find adventure without going far from home.


A friend and I planned to paddle around Sears Island, but the causeway was closed off due to a chemical spill. Plan B? We had no plan B, but the plan that evolved was to launch from the Stockton Springs boat ramp off the Dock Road on Cape Jellison and paddle out to Squaw Point. The sun was warm, the sky was blue, and the breeze was light. We decided to push on along the Cape to Fort Point.

Squaw Point, at the southwest tip of Cape Jellison, offers one of my favorite views of Penobscot Bay. From there, you look past Sears Island to the Camden Hills. You look across the bay to Turtle Head and Islesboro. You look up the bay toward Castine and Fort Point.

The coastline here is rugged, the weathered cliffs broken in only a few places by rocky beaches. I’ve paddled there when the wind was from the south — and the rebounding waves off the cliffs can create confused seas and challenging paddling conditions. On this day, though, a friendly tailwind and light chop out of the southwest pushed us northeast up the coast toward Fort Point.

At Fort Point, after turning to enjoy the fine view out the bay, we passed the high cliffs and the lighthouse and went ashore at the state park — on a sandy spit just north of the lighthouse.

While we ate lunch and relaxed in the sun, the wind picked up considerably. Soon the bay was full of whitecaps — usually an indication of a wind speed of at least 15 knots.

Rather than retrace our route and face that stiff wind over the 3 mile stretch back to Squaw Point, we decided to paddle northwest past the Fort Point docks and through Fort Point Cove to the narrow part of Cape Jellison where we could then walk the mile or so back to our vehicle. The shoreline here provided protection from the wind — and conditions were calm. We easily completed the paddle and walking legs and got back to Belfast just as it was getting dark.

The total distance of the trip was about 7 miles. Unless you are an experienced paddler in a seaworthy boat, avoid paddling the trip when the wind is out of the south. There is no public access and few good places to go ashore in the 3 miles between Squaw Point and Fort Point.

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kayak kayaking maine paddling

Paddling to Islesboro

May 15, 2008

On days like that, Islesboro seems close, almost within reach, as if on the opposite shore of a tranquil river, as if you could step into a rowboat, take a few lazy strokes, and glide ashore on the other side.

Despite a light breeze, the bay was as tranquil and glassy as a mill pond. The hilly profile of the island was colored with the fresh green of spring.

I’d made the two-mile crossing from Saturday Cove to Islesboro many times before, but only a few times on water as unrippled as that. The one mile crossing to Seal Island took just 10 minutes — the silkiness of the water punctuated only by the occasional surfacings of seals and the landings of loons and eiders. After tracing the rocky western shoreline of Seal Island, I continued north and crossed to little Ram Island. There I went ashore and walked the island’s piney paths before heading back south to aptly named Flat Island — a sandy, low island that was noisy with seals and gulls. Then I turned east into Crow Cove and The Narrows — a part of Islesboro that is less than 100 feet wide at the highest of tides.

I hope to return soon — to portage across to the other side of Islesboro and then paddle further eastward to explore the island-filled bay beyond.

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kayak kayaking maine paddling whitewater

License to Paddle

A lengthy recent discussion at Paddling.net focused on whether the idea of requiring training and licensing of paddlers is a good idea. The argument in favor of licensing holds that the number of costly rescue operations is increasing — and that requiring paddlers to be trained and licensed would reduce the number of required rescues as well as providing a source of funds to pay for the rescues that do take place.

Those who operate powerboats over a certain length are required to have licenses, so requiring paddlers to be licensed could be seen as an expansion / extension of that law.

While I encourage kayakers to get training commensurate to the kind of paddling they will be doing, I believe that this kind of increased regulation of kayaking would would be wrongheaded, ineffective, and unenforceable.

For some, kayaking means lengthy unsupported solo night crossings between distant points of land. For others, kayaking means floating in a shallow pond on a sunny summer day, while never venturing more than 100 yards from camp. What single standardized mandatory basic safety course could possibly be helpful to each?

My point is that paddling is an incredibly varied activity — and that no standard basic training course could effectively prepare the wide range of paddlers for the types of paddling they will be doing. At its simplest, paddling is an elemental activity that is little more sporting or dangerous than taking a walk around the block. To subject those who take a daily walk around the block to a new set of safety developed to protect mountaineers would be ridiculous. To certify prospective mountaineers with a basic safety course oriented to walkers would be equally ridiculous and falsely enabling.

The fact is that paddlers die each year because they fail to wear their life jackets, venture out on cold water without proper clothing, don’t pay attention to weather conditions, or paddle in conditions above their abilities. It would be great if we could reduce the number of these deaths, but I’m not convinced that regulation is the way to get it done.

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kayak kayaking maine paddling whitewater

Some of the Best Things are Close to Home

Most of Little River in Belfast, Maine is nothing more than a shallow stream for about 355 days of the year. The other 10 days it turns into something else — sometimes something very nice.

Heavy spring rains (2 inches within a 24 hour period) brought the river up to a fun but manageable level for paddling.

Who knew one could have that much adventure on a sunny spring afternoon — all within 4 miles of my house and of downtown Belfast? My little trip on Little River involved a 0.7 mile drive to the put in, a scramble down a steep bank to launch, a fun half mile stretch of Class I rapids (with a tiny bit of Class II), paddling the length of Resevoir #1, a brief portage, a scramble down an extremely steep bank, a quarter mile section of Class II – III whitewater, another mile of flatwater, and then a 3 mile run along beautiful riverside trails back to my car.

Sighting: grey heron (1), beaver (2), ducks (several), other people (0). All this on an afternoon after work. Maine — the way life should be.

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Point 65 Rocker Rocks


One of the best parts of my job (“job” is a euphemism here), is paddling new boats. Me taking a new kayak out on the water for the first time is a lot like Christmas morning for my kids. The Point 65 Crunch Rocker did not disappoint. Paddling the Rocker out in Belfast Harbor on Monday (1 knot tidal current, 10 – 15 knot wind, slight chop), I was impressed by the speed and tracking of this boat. No matter which direction I pointed it, the Crunch Rocker held course.

The Crunch Rocker is actually the poky little sister of the Crunch Rocket. But poky it is not. In fact with its narrow beam, fine ends, v-ed hull, and sculpted deck it is the sleekest, sharpest polyethylene kayak I have seen. Put that together with its extended waterline and moderate rocker and it may also be the fastest. Very easy to set on edge, the Rocker turns well once leaned and is thus a great boat for rivers as well as for ocean paddling.

Which gets me thinking that the record time for the touring/rec category on the Kenduskeag River could fall next spring. Rocket or Rocker? Hmmm . . . I’m not sure it’s even fair to to put the Rocker and Rocket in the same category as conventional plastic touring boats. But then again, there is nothing in the category rules that states that a rec/touring boat has to be rounded, blunt, slow, and beamy. More on the Crunch Rocker here.

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kayak kayaking maine paddling

Some Like it Rough: New Book on Rough Water Paddling

Alex Matthews’ new book, Sea Kayaking Rough Waters, is intended for those who end up paddling in tough conditions either by design or by chance. Either way, it will help you improve your confidence, your ability, and — hopefully your enjoyment — of kayaking in challenging conditions. The book is highlighted by awesome photos that just make you want to get out there.

Among other things, the book includes a section on the High Brace Lean Turn, a stroke I have not seen described in many other places. Other information new to me included “The Rule of Thirds” — a method of determining tidal currents at different stages of the tide cycle. (O% at slack, 50% at 1 hour after slack, 90% at two hours after slack, and 100% at 3 hours after slack).

Following is an excerpt from a section on landing in surf: “Once you’ve made the decision to go, you really have two options. You can ride a wave right into shore. This means following on the heels of the last wave of a set. To chase a wave in, you’ll let the last wave of a set pass and then sprint in behind it all the way into shore. If timed correctly, this approach negates the need to control a dynamic surf ride, or at least it will allow you to avoid the worst of the impact zone . . .”

Sea Kayaking Rough Waters and other books from Heliconia Press area can be purchased online from our website.

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kayak kayaking maine paddling

Belfast Harbor Tours This Summer!

In addition to our day tours to the Muscle Ridge Islands, Camden, Rockport, and Jonesport, we’ll be offering tours of Belfast Harbor this summer.

These 1.5 hour late afternoon tours are ideal for those new to kayaking, families, and those wishing to explore a beautiful midcoast Maine town from the water.

As always, instruction will be provided — and we’ll carefully choose a boat suited to your size and ability. Discounts available to those who decide to sign up for another tour with us. Belfast features a picturesque harbor filled with sailboats, views of the Camden Hills, Islesboro, and Sears Island, and opportunity to paddle either out the harbor or up the Passy River. Depending on weather and tides, tours will be offered in the mornings, late afternoons, and occasionally for sunset and moonrise. Details coming soon.

Belfast, population 6870, has been named one of the top 5 “culturally cool towns in America” by USA Today. Come find out why. More on Belfast at the Belfast Area Chamber.