Seal Sightings

H and I got engaged on Flying Mountain on Somme’s Sound. We paddled up the sound to the beach at the foot of the mountain and hiked to the summit where I proposed.
We planned to recreate the experience with Bug while on vacation. We planned to paddle from the top of the sound to the beach and show her the spot.
Unfortunately H had a Herculean task getting Bug and I to stop crabbing and generally laying about before lunch. By the time we got in the kayaks, it was after 3pm and sunset was around 6pm. That gave us just enough time to make the trip, if we hurried....
As we were leaving, a couple landed and said they had spotted dolphins. We figured if we didn’t accomplish the goal we would get to see some cool wild life....
Once out of the protected harbor at the campground we were in a constant head wind. It was not bad, but it was definitely slowing us down. H decided then and there that we were not going to make the journey all the way down to Flying Mountain. I had a more optimism about our chances, but was just happy to be on the water.
It was not long before we spotted some seals out in the sound. They just kept popping up. Bug was fascinated by them. It was pretty cool.
As we made our way down the sound, the seals stopped following us and Bug started admiring the lobster buoys.
We didn’t make it to Flying Mountain, but we had a relaxing time.
For a while, I stopped paddling and let Bug be the motor. She did a good job. We weren’t speedy, but we did make forward progress. I enjoyed the break and look forward to taking more of them in the future.
Later in the week, we drove over to Flying Mountain and hiked to the summit so Bug could see where we got engaged. Bug also had a great time playing on the beach.

Solo in the Sound

The campground we stayed at while visiting Acadia, Mt. Desert Campground, has docks where one can tie up kayaks. I tied the pumpkin up with plans to get out every morning for a pre-breakfast paddle in the sound. It was a great plan, and I did manage to get out on the first morning.
It was tough getting up early enough to have an hour before breakfast to paddle, and not wake everyone else up. So, we all went down to the dock.
H made me promise not to do anything crazy and to be back in one hour. I had no plans for doing anything crazy and the top of Sommes Sound is pretty protected. The worst I feared was forgetting how long I had been on the water...
I was attentive to the time. My Fenix is good at telling time in addition to always knowing where I am.
It was a lovely, relaxing paddle. I didn't see much beyond a guy standing out on his deck enjoying a quiet cup of coffee. There was almost no wind or swell. I just fell into a smooth rhythm. The pumpkin glided along smoothly following my every desire.
I did do a little bit of maneuverability work. It is hard to paddle an Aries and not do some zigging and zagging. It would make the kayak sad to not be used for its primary purpose in life.
Sadly, and predictably, it was my only morning paddle, but it was a great way to kick off a vacation.

Essex with the Trailer

We decided it was a great day for a family paddle. The trailer made it much easier to transport Big Red. The drawback is that it makes parking more difficult at some kayak put ins.

We decided to do the Essex river, because the boat launch is a big boat ramp and they have trailer parking.

The paddling was windier than we expected, so I immediately put the rudder down to keep Big Red under control. Bug was not a help. She did do a little paddling in the early going, but then she put the paddle down in the cockpit. That would not have been so bad if her paddle wasn't just log enough to get in my way.

The beach break was nice. We had lunch. H relaxed, Bug played in the water and looked for ways to burry herself.

The paddle back home was a little more stressful. H was on Bug to help out paddling because the wind was up. H was also very concerned that Bug and I were not hugging the shore enough. Bug and I worked out a system where she would give me a boost when I needed.

Dinner was when the real fun started. We promised Bug seafood and the only place we could find had a small parking lot. We pulled in and then spent 20 minutes trying to maneuver the trailer around the parking lot. We couldn't get it into a spot; we couldn't get the car turned around to get out of the lot. It was a hot mess

We finally ended up disconnecting the trailer and pushing it into its own parking spot and then we parked the car in another spot. Thankfully, the trailer is lite and easy to push around.

Once we got past the parking, dinner was excellent.

Despite a few minor bumps in the road, it was a nice family day on the water.

First Time Out

It has been a long dry spell for me. From August until December my kayak was trapped behind a wall of construction equipment while we had work done on the house. While the kayak was buried I gained enough weight so that I would not fit into my dry suite, so winter paddling was out. Spring was crazy with recitals and end of school stuff.
Finally, I got a free day that lined up with a moderate paddle. It was awesome. The weather was great and seeing friends is always a plus. It was the rush of calming excitement that really made it great.
I was a little worried that I would be slow or not be able to handle the kayak, but it is a bit like riding a bike. I felt a little rusty and my control isn't as sharp as it was, but overall I felt good and didn't seem to slow the group down.
The Aries helps a little since it is a very maneuverable and surprisingly fast kayak.
My roll is gone for now, but I am hoping to get on the water a few more times this summer and fall. With some work, I'll find that roll again.

Trailer Time

We finally broke down and bought a trailer to transport all of our toys. Trying to figure out which toys to leave home was stressful. Even when we left toys at home, we struggled to find space in the car for everything. Poor bug was packed into the back seat like a sardine.

After years of research we decided to go with a Space Trailer. It is utility trailer that comes with a water tight cover, and 80" cross bars. It was the only option we could find that could carry kayaks, bikes, and camping gear without having to put too much stuff in the car.

Our first outing was a weekend trip to Winslow Park in Freeport. We wanted to bring a full range of toys including Big Red, H's kayak, three bikes, as well as all of our camping gear. The trailer was perfect. We managed to get all of the camping gear, kayak gear, and bike gear into the trailer. The two kayaks and all three bikes fit on the racks.

The hook up to the car was effortless and the Outback pulled the trailer with easy. Driving forward was a breeze. Backing up, was less breezy. Parking was also tricky since our car, with the trailer, was now twice as long.

We drove up in the pouring rain and we got plenty of opportunities to park. We stopped for dinner, we stopped at LL Bean, and we spent a night at a hotel so we would not have to set up camp in the rain. Fortunately, every place we parked we managed to got a double sized pull through space. There was no backing up!!!

Camping was nice and relaxing. Winslow is a great campground for kicking back, We even got to do a short little kayak trip in Big Red.

Winslow is always a nice, relaxing trip with or without a trailer. Having every last bit of gear we own on hand definitely expanded our fun potential.

I cannot wait to take the trailer on a longer trip.