| Tours by Geographical Area | Tours by date | Partial Day | Full Day | Multi-Day | Instruction | “Book Now” by clicking on dates below. |
Belfast Harbor Tour (June, July, & August on request).
9 AM to 11 AM. Suited to beginner and intermediate paddlers. Launch from a beach near the town dock and paddle past tugboats and sailboats to explore beautiful Belfast Harbor. Depending on conditions paddle up the Passy River or out past Patterson Point and toward Moose Point State Park. $55.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, snack, and digital photos). $10.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear. Aerial photo | Area map | Area information.
Penobscot Narrows Tour (June, July, & August on request).
9:00 AM to 12 PM. Suited to beginner and intermediate paddlers. Launch from near the old granite piers in Frankfort. Cross the confluence of the Penobscot and Marsh, where the waters from these two rivers gently mix. Paddle the historic tidal section of the lower Penobscot River with its varied shorelines of cliffs, boulders, marsh grasses, and gravelly beaches. Watch for osprey, eagles, sea ducks, and seals. $60.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, snack, and digital photos). $10.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear.
Full Day
Owls Head Ramble (June, July, & August on request).
9AM to 4 PM. Suited to paddlers of all levels. Paddle from lobsterboat filled Owls Head Harbor to Owls Head Light & cliffs, Monroe Island, and Sheep Island. Highlights include the craggy cliffs of Owl’s Head, the high granite cliffs of Monroe, and the gravelly beaches of Sheep Island. Ash Island, a couple of miles up the coast, could also be part of this tour if the weather is favorable. We will take time to lunch on and explore wild Monroe Island, which offers 1.5 miles of hiking trails and is managed by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. $125.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, lunch, snacks, and digital photos). $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear.
More on Monroe Island at https://www.mcht.org/preserve/monroe-island-owls-head/
Muscle Ridge Odyssey (June, July, & August on request).
9 AM to 4 PM. Suited to paddlers with some experience and above. (Athletic novices will also do very well). Weave amidst the quiet and picturesque “pointed fir” islands and rocky ledges of this fascinating archipelago. Lunch and stroll the beaches on Birch Island. Perhaps take a quick “Maine swim” in the clear calm water of Birch Islands’ sandy beach. Look for seals, ducks, osprey, eagles, and nesting blue herons. Time and conditions permitting, venture outward along the pink granite shores of Andrews Island to remote Two Bush Light. $125.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, lunch, snacks, and digital photos). $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear.
Aerial photo | Area map | Area information.
Sorrento to the Sea (June, July, & August on request).
9 AM to 4 PM. Sorrento Harbor to Preble, Calf, Stave, and Jordan Islands. This tour provides continuous views of the mountains of Acadia and has become one of our personal favorites. Stave Island with its pink granite cliffs, in particular, is a gem to paddle along and explore by foot. $125.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, snacks, and digital photos). $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear. See https://www.mcht.org/preserve/stave-island/ for more information on Stave Island.
Area Map.
Deer Isle Sampler (June, July, & August on request).
7 hours. Suited to both beginning and experienced paddlers. This trip features the close cluster of islands immediately off the village of Stonington — and many opportunities to comb beaches, wade in tidepools, & explore the trails of uninhabited small islands. Hike to an island hilltop for a panoramic view of the archipelago. Look for osprey, eagles, guillemots, and starfish. Watch lobster fishing. Swim in a fresh-water island quarry. $125.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, lunch, snacks, and digital photos). $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear.
Photo | Area map | Area information.
Multi-day
Great Wass Odyssey I, II (July, & August on request). Sign up for 1 day or both days. 9 AM to 4 PM each day. Most suited for paddlers with one or more days of previous paddling experience. The Great Wass Archipelago — off Jonesport, Maine — is a bit further up the coast than Camden, Deer Isle, or Acadia, but that is the only reason you may not have heard about it as a premier paddling destination. It has all those areas have, and more. Spend one, two, or three days exploring this wild and remote archipelago complete with lighthouses, pristine islands, wildlife, protected inlets, rugged coastline, fog, high cliffs, and booming surf. An option of the third day, weather permitting, is a cliffs & petroglyphs tour out of Machiasport. $125.00 per person per day (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, lunch, snacks, and digital photos). $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear. (Camping and inns available locally, please contact us for info.)
Aerial photo | Area map | Area information.
Bold Coast Sojourn
On request.
Suited to paddlers at the intermediate level and above. The ability to paddle in winds of 15 knots, currents of 2 knots, and seas of 2 feet is essential. We will utilize winds, tides, and currents while optimizing a best route to paddle the stretch of coast between Bailey’s Mistake and Lubec. More information coming soon. In the meantime, please contact us to throw your name in the hat and/or to ask questions.
Instruction
Kayaking Skills, Safety, & Rescues
–Offered on Thursdays, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, mid-June to mid-August, at Basin Pond in Monroe, Maine.
Click here for more information and to register.
Designed for beginning and intermediate paddlers who want to feel more confident, be safer, and have more fun. We will focus on three areas: (1) paddling & boat control skills; (2) safety awareness & skills; and (3) rescue skills. Participants will learn and practice boat control, forward stroke, turning, edging, bracing, and various methods of self and assisted rescue. Fun–and a few games–will also be part of the learning process. You’ll come away with increased ability and confidence as well as respect for the challenges of going out on the sea in small boats. Class size is limited to 6 people (and often will be smaller) so you can expect an individualized experience with attention to your particular goals and needs. Also available on a private and custom basis. $125 for a 6.5-hour session (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, lunch, and snacks). This program requires 4 signups in order to run on a particular date.
Fast Track Coastal Kayaking Course: (July 8 &9 –and on request)
13 hours over 2 days. Class size is limited to 6 people. Designed for the paddler with anything from a few days to a few years of experience on the water who wishes to rapidly push his / her paddling technique and knowledge to a higher level, and thereby experience increased enjoyment and confidence. Three main components make up this program: (1) Rescue technique, (2) Paddling technique, and (3) Safety, Seamanship, and Navigation. Rescue sessions focus on developing and refining techniques such as the paddle-float rescue, t-rescue, Eskimo rescue, and Eskimo roll as well as lesser-known techniques such as re-entry and roll with a paddle float and modified t-rescue. Various tows will also be practiced. Paddling technique sessions include development and refinement of forward and reverse strokes, sweeps, braces, j-lean, etc. Safety, Seamanship, and Navigation sessions include discussion of chart & compass, GPS, VHF, tides, currents, wind, waves, and weather. The beginning and intermediate paddler will come away from this session with increased ability and confidence as well as respect for the challenges presented by going out on the sea in small boats. $200.00 per person (includes kayak, gear, guide service, instruction, snacks). $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear.
Kayaking in Conditions Workshop (available on request)
6 hours. 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Location: Reid Beach State Park, south of Bath, Maine. Suited to paddlers who have begun to learn (but not necessarily mastered) bracing, rescue techniques, paddling in adverse conditions and are ready to push themselves a bit further. Boat readiness, paddling in wind, currents, and confused seas, and rock gardens as well as launching and coming ashore in moderate surf & rough water safety and rescues will be emphasized in this course. In the meantime, we will enjoy the spectacular and varied shoreline of the peninsula south of Bath, Maine, which includes several miles of sand beaches as well as rocky islands and tidal rivers. Class size will be limited to 5 in order to maximize personal instruction and safety. $110.00 per person. $20.00 discount if you have your own boat and gear.
These trips are ideal for beginning and intermediate paddlers — and for experienced paddlers wishing to paddle in a new location, learn new techniques, or meet other paddlers. Group sizes are eight or fewer — and often six or fewer. If you are a family or group, please ask us about discounts. For Summer 2023, we are offering these trips on set dates as well as on a custom basis.
All tours led by Registered Maine Guides Ray Wirth and Leslie Gregory. Every tour begins with a safety session and orientation to equipment so that you will feel safe and confident on the water. For reservations or information, call 207-513-0157, send an email, or fill out our form.
View photo highlights from Summer 2020.
Don’t see what you want when you want it? Please contact us about a custom tour. Tours of Acadia / Mount Desert Island also available.
We take care of the logistical details and make sure you have the knowledge and skills you need — so that you can feel competent, empowered, and joyful while out on the water.
