Short jaunts

Some nearby spots, looking good in calm conditions.

Nigel Dennis Kayak Demo Days

Nigel Dennis Kayaks Demo Weekend

Pavilion Beach, Ipswich, MA, May 17th

Groton Long Pt, CT, May 18th

10am-4pm

Join us at Pavilion Beach in Ipswich, MA on Sat, May 17^th or Groton Long Point in CT on Sun, May 18th from 10-4 for on on-water demo of Nigel Dennis’s Kayaks and Lendal paddles (now made in Old Town, ME).

We’ll have all the models (except for the new Romany RM w fiberglass cockpit and adjustable seat and the new Romany Excel with reworked deck, hull and cockpit). Both the new boats are done but the container is on the water as we speak, so maybe will be here on time?

We are planning on having a rough water paddling session at 2PM each day for those interested in trying Nigel’s great boats in conditions with some coach and guide oversight.

For an up to date listing of NDK kayaks that are in stock here in Maine. http://www.maineislandkayak.com/boats_in_stock.html

Note if you click on the name of the boat it will give you a representation of the color combos.

For directions to either event.

Pavilion Beach, Ipswich, MA

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=groton+long+point+rd+,+groton+ct&sll=41.293285,-72.064133&sspn=0.198108,0.360489&ie=UTF8&ll=41.351428,-72.017527&spn=0.026094,0.058022&z=14

Groton Long Point, CT http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=groton+long+point+rd+,+groton+ct&sll=41.293285,-72.064133&sspn=0.198108,0.360489&ie=UTF8&ll=41.351428,-72.017527&spn=0.026094,0.058022&z=14

Casco Bay - improvements

Whenever it rains in the Portland area sewerage outflows, a mixture of rain water and untreated raw sewerage, runs into Casco Bay. In 2006 alone over 1.8 billion gallons of this toxic mix went into the bay. This represents more than half of the overflow generated by the entire state.

Many kayakers launch off of East End Beach in Portland, an area that can be closed when this runoff occurs. The smell can be detected in the Old Port and can put a real damper on one’s shore dinner. Runoff is discharged into the bay from the Back Cove, Presumpscot River, Capisic Brook, Portland Harbor, and the Fore River. Effluviums and nitrogen rich pollutants may also contribute to harmful algae blooms such as those that can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. Boaters or swimmers who come in contact with the pollution find themselves at risk of getting sick.

Even in the outer bay there can be a slight change in water quality due to the runoff.

For the past 17 years Portland has faced a court ordered mandate to clean up it’s act by separating rainwater runoff from raw sewerage, but has hemmed and hawed, seeking extension after extension. When city officials sought yet another extension in 2007, Friends of Casco Bay and Casco Baykeeper Joe Payne and others stepped forward to oppose the inaction.

On February 4 of this year the city council considered and approved a $61 million bond package to put the project back on track. If Portland sticks to its promise we may all be able to reap the benefits of a healthier ecosystem in one of the most beautiful parts of the Maine coast.

Another major victory was won in 2004 when legislation was passed to prohibit cruise ships from dumping waste into the bay.

Now if only we could get people to stop using pesticides on their lawns….

Friends of Casco Bay

Pure Altruism

Four years ago five new Zealand life guards were on a training swim about 300 feet from shore when they were surrounded by a pod of dolphins. The lifeguards were confused by the behavior of the dolphins, who were quite close to the swimmers, and who would veer away
only to come back. The dolphins also slapped their
tails against the water surface creating a bit of
chaos.

At the time the lifeguards were worried that they’d be
run into or even attacked by the dolphins, but it
turns out that the dolphins had made a conscious
choice to protect the swimmers from a shark attack.

Balling up, tight circling and slapping tails,
scientists say, is typical dolphin behavior for
warding off sharks.

“The dolphins had to infer that these people were in
danger and consciously make a decision to act upon
that they put themselves at risk to help the people
and that's pure altruism,” says Professor Lori Marino,
a marine biologist.

read more and see a video at NZ TV3

South Stack

The above illustration shows South Stack on a lumpy day. Down below Nigel is working in calmer conditions. Any takers for Welsh 5 star training this Fall?

Field Report From Old Town, ME

We spent the last few days up in Old Town Maine listening and scrutinizing Johnson Outdoors' approach to Lendal Paddles. Nigel Dennis, Fiona Whitehead, Nick Dyslin and I were invited in for two days last Fall. This time Neil Baxter, formerly a designer at Lendal, came up. Nick and I met to see Johnson's progress, along with the bigger Lendal management team. As we found last Fall, Lendal’s production side of things is first rate. The paddles are appreciably more true to Alistair’s designs, are extremely solid, reliable and repeatable. Availability has already exceeded production in Scotland so finally we should all have better availability here very soon.

All classic blades remain, and the Kinetic family has a new smaller blade for higher reps or smaller frames and larger version (for the Fiona types). The Paddlok remains the brilliant, functional, multi-useful feature of the line. Nigel Dennis is about to come out with a forward paddling video and a series of workshops on this dominant stroke. .

While there Neil Baxter was able to redesign a proposed smaller Kinetic Touring blade on the CAD, and we were able to computer cut out the blade, see it and feel it all on the same day. This is truly fantastic.

When not working we all wandered into the existing wood department where canoes have been made on the same machines, with the same plugs and templates for generations. This year is Old Town’s 110^th anniversary. The factory has many repair projects awaiting the old timers who still do it all the same right way. We should be appreciative that Johnson has the resources to protect and keep this Maine wooden canoe tradition alive.

Tom Bergh

Notes

Expeditions

For those interested in following some of the NDK sponsored paddlers, there are a couple of pretty serious trips happening this season.

Jeff Allen and Mark Schoon are trying to paddle around Scandinavia and are already in the field. How long do you figure the boat hauling section will be?

One of the bolder plans in 08 is to attempt the first circumnavigation of the Svalbard archipelago between 75 and 81 degrees N, by Alon Ohad and Tim Starr. These islands are way above the Arctic Circle with significant ice on their Eastern half, and some of the highest concentrations of polar bears anywhere.

The NDK website has a fairly up to date news section.

Fisheries

Salmon, timber and humans. Along our NW coast, the sad state of our most majestic of fish - the powerful, mystical Pacific salmon has come to a crux. San Francisco Chronicle reports:
Collapse: Entire Salmon Season Could Be Shut Down Along California, Oregon Coast





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Undersea Landscapes by the Gulf of Maine Research Institute