Bethel Point - August 27, 2022

Bethel Point Landing

I brought my sea kayak up to Maine for a visit with my son in Harpswell. I figured there would be lots of places to paddle, and I was right. Many are also places that I wouldn't feel comfortable paddling my canoe. 

Harpswell is a beautiful coastal town just north of Portland on Casco Bay with 216 miles of coastline along Harpswell Neck to the west, and Great Island, Orr's Island, and Bailey Island to the east. These islands form an archipelago connected by bridges with over 200 smaller islands. 

Cundy Harbor from the west

My son is on Great Island, so I put in at the public boat launch at Bethel Point. It is a protected area with Yarmouth Island to the south and Cundy Harbor to the east. To the west is Quahog Bay and Long Reach.

I paddled around Hen Cove over to the west side of Cundy Harbor before exploring some of the smaller islands. It was only a 3-mile trip, but it was just enough, and I was able to practice some edging along the way. Lots of other great places to explore in Harpswell.

Exploring the islands

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Harpswell - Public Land and Landings

Planning for Fall Camping - Allagash River

In January of 2020 we were planning an Allagash camping trip for the spring. That is also when we started to hear about COVID-19, and little did we know what was coming. Obviously, that trip never happened. 

Two years later in the spring of 2022 we decided to give it another try. COVID was still with us and we were halfway through the Greek alphabet for variant designations, but we were all vaccinated and boosted. One week before the trip I tested positive for COVID and the trip got cancelled. I felt terrible, but a couple of days later Jonathan tested positive as well - misery loves company. 

Well, I still want to get up to Maine for my first Allagash trip and Jonathan needs to keep his annual string of trips going, so four intrepid campers (Jonathan, Conrad, Julie and me) are planning to do the long-delayed Allagash trip this fall. The plan is to spend a couple of days on the lakes, and then paddle the Allagash River. Here is what Jonathan came up with:

• Thursday, Sept. 29th - assemble at Jonathan’s in Wiscasset in time for dinner.
• Friday, Sept. 30th – leave Wiscasset early for the 5-hour drive to Churchill Dam. Camp at the Jaws between Heron Pond and Churchill Lake.
• Saturday, Oct. 1st - spare day – another night at the Jaws - explore Eagle Lake and visit the locomotives.
• Sunday, Oct. 2nd - Chase Rapids - camp on Unmasks or Long Lake
• Monday, Oct. 3rd - Long Lake Dam (line this one) - camp on Round Pond
• Tuesday, Oct. 4th - Round Pond to Five Finger Brook - camp at Five Finger Brook
• Wednesday, Oct. 6th – early start down to Michaud Farm to meet Norm L’Italien (Pelletier’s Campground) for the ride back to Churchill Dam. Drive back to Wiscasset, or the long drive home. 

We’ll bring coolers with real food for the first few days, then switch to freeze-dried. Lunches are on BYO. Jonathan will bring cooking gear and G&T for the 6:30 sundown meeting. Everyone will bring their own chair, camping gear, coffee mug, and other refreshments.  We'll have to figure out the remaining group gear.

Sounds like a plan - SYOTR in 35 days!

Hot Day on the Sudbury – August 20, 2022

Heading out into the marshlands

A trip in August in the wide open marshlands of the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge on the Sudbury River seemed like a good idea when Bill and I put it on the RICKA Flatwater calendar back in April. We knew there would be water, but we hadn't thought about how hot it can get in the dog days of summer, or the total lack of shade.

The Sudbury is a National Wild and Scenic River that arises in Westborough and flows generally northeast for 41-miles to its convergence with the Assabet at Egg Rock in Concord. From there the river continues as the Concord, which flows generally north for about 16-miles until its convergence with the Merrimack River in Lowell.

I

Me and Bill in the Spirit II

n the towns of Sudbury and Wayland, the Sudbury River flows through the wetlands of the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. It is a beautiful area that provides habitat for migratory bids and many other animals. Bill and I have been doing RICKA trips on the Sudbury for the past couple of years.  

We put-in at 9:30 at the Lincoln Canoe Launch (Route 117). With the ongoing drought, the water at the launch itself was a low, but the river was fine. We paddled upstream into the marshes for about 4-miles before turning around and stopping for lunch under the bridge at Sherman’s Bridge Road - the only shade we could find. Temps hit the low 90’s, so it was HOT out on the water, but a trip to Bedford Farms in Concord for ice cream made up for it. John put together this video:

Sudbury River from John DaSilva

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My Pictures
Steve’s Pictures

John's Video

OARS for the Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers

Kayak Instruction/Trips

• Kayak Waveology
• Pinniped Kayak

Circles on an outside edge in the Capella - Lincoln Woods - August 20, 2022

Over the years I’ve heard people talk about leaning/healing/edging to the outside of a turn, but I never really knew what they were talking about. In whitewater paddling (canoe or kayak) leaning to the outside of the turn is a great way to end up in the drink – at least when crossing eddy lines. There is a freestyle canoeing move called a post that involves an outside edge heal, but I didn’t think that it was any more effective than its inside edge counterpart the axle, so I rarely did it. Like the bow pry/jam, it was something that I practiced, but didn’t really use in my day-to-day paddling. The only time I ever use an outside edge heal in my canoe is for a sideslip with a sculling draw.

After being out in the Capella a couple of times, I now know what they mean by edging to the outside of the turn. This boat absolutely responds to an outside edge heal. Raise the thigh and butt to the side that you want to turn (or drop the outside edge) and the boat will gradually turn in that direction. Add a forward sweep and the boat turns faster. Adjust the edging while paddling forward and you can make subtle turns without resorting to correction stokes.

Why does this work in a sea kayak? Sea kayaks are displacement hulls. Edging the boat changes the hull profile, releasing the stems, and moving the boat into an outside edge turn. Leaning slightly forward engages the bow in a carve and allows the stern to skid through the turn. It might have worked in my canoes if I gave it a chance, but the effect is much more pronounced in the Capella.

I went back to Lincoln Woods to practice some more outside edge turns. Before going I had practiced using the paddled as a brace on shore while getting in and getting out of the boat, and I was much more stable on the water. I set up the camera to do some off side edge circles. My edging technique needs work (I think the pegs are still too loose), but the boat definitely turns. There were times when I had locked in a good off side edge and I could feel the stern skidding through the turn. I also did some shoreline paddling using only forward strokes and outside edge turns to follow the shoreline.

I still get confused about which way to edge – raise the side in the direction that you want to go seems to be the easiest for me to remember. Its definitely not intuitive yet, and is the exact opposite of what I have always done, but I’ll get there eventually. Hopefully I won’t screw-up my whitewater boating in the process.

Circles on an outside edge in the Capella from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo

Back to Lincoln Woods – Wet Exits and Edging in the Capella – August 17, 2022

Bill in his P&H Ocra

My spray skirt came in yesterday, so I asked Bill to spot for me at Lincoln Woods while I did some wet exits. It turns out that swimming out of a canoe for years is good practice for doing wet exits in a kayak. I did one without the skirt, one with the skirt, and popped out both times. Bill said that I was out of the boat so fast that I didn’t even get one side of my body wet. A bit of an exaggeration, but I was out fast and I don’t like being upside-down in the water. I need to work on that if I am ever going to learn to roll.

Me in my P&H Capella

We did a leisurely paddle around Olney Pond and I tried to practice some edging. I used Bill’s bow to figure out where the secondary stability was, and tried paddling some circles on an outside edge – it worked.  I was able to paddle circles with sweep and forward strokes.  Even without paddling, the boat was turning away from the side that I edged – pretty cool.  Definitely going to take some practice for me to get used to these outside edge turns, but I am beginning to see where the skill in sea kayaking comes from.

Lincoln Woods with the Capella - August 16, 2022

I got out for my first trip in the Capella, and I think I made a good choice with this boat. It is stable, picks up speed fast, and is more maneuverable than the Perception that I paddled at the kayak class. I tried some edging, and it responded best when edged to the outside of the turn. With the skeg down it tracked straight as an arrow. I set the paddle at 210 cm with 0º feather, just like at the kayak class. The toughest thing about this boat is getting in and out (fell out twice - one getting in and once getting out), and I still need to practice wet exits.

Me in the P&H Capella 166 RM

My new sea kayak - P&H Capella 166 RM

Home with the boat on the car

With an arthritic knee that has me sitting more than kneeling, I decided to pull the trigger and buy a sea kayak that will allow me to get out on the ocean. If I am going to sit anyway, why not enjoy Rhode Island's beautiful coast.

Looking for a boat was a bit overwhelming at first. In order to paddle with the RICKA sea kayak crew, I knew that I needed a sea kayak that was 15' or longer with front and rear bulkheads and perimeter lines. That still left a lot of boats. My size did limit things a little. I decided that I wanted a plastic boat that would be suitable as a day-tripper. If I could play around in the rocks, or use it to do some camping, that would be good as well.

Checking it out - I fit!

I ended up buying a 2004 P&H Capella 166 RM from Charles River Canoe & Kayak. This boat was introduced in 1996 and developed a reputation as one of the best plastic sea kayaks around. It is known as a mid-sized boat that turns and tracks well, and is suitable for "big guys". Spec’s for the Capella 166 RM are:

• Length: 16’6”
• Width: 22”
• Depth: 14”
• Rear hatch: 18” x 13”
• Front hatch: 10”
• Day hatch: 8”
• Cockpit: 34” x 20", circumference 88" 
• Material: rotationally molded polyethylene (RM)
• Weight: 54 lbs.

Cockpit with new thigh braces

Once I decided on the boat, I needed to get a paddle. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, but figured I would go with Werner since that is the brand that I use in my canoes. I ended up with the adjustable version of the Shuna, that way I can play around with the length (200-220 cm) and feathering (0-45º). Once I figure out what I like, I’ll probably get a one piece paddle and use this as my spare.

Finding a skirt to fit this boat wasn’t easy either. The boat has a relatively large cockpit, and I have a relatively large belly. I knew that I wanted neoprene, so I ordered a base level bungee spray skirt – the Shockwave from Immersion Research. At some point, maybe I’ll get a custom order from Seals Skirts from Oak Orchard in New York.

2004 P&H Capella 166 RM

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Essential Kayak Skills class at the Kayak Centre - August 14, 2022

Strokes are demonstrated

I spent the day yesterday learning to paddle a kayak at the Essential Kayak Skills class at the Kayak Centre. It has been years since I’ve had any formal paddling instruction, and I really shouldn’t have waited this long.

This is an introductory course, so we spent a lot of time covering strokes – forward sweep, reverse sweep, 360 degree turn, forward stroke, reverse stroke, stopping, stern rudder, stern pry, beam draw and low brace. The focus was on shaft angle, (high, medium and low), good torso rotation, and paddle placement. Each stoke was demonstrated, and then we had individual coaching to make sure that we got it right.

Then we practice

After strokes, we covered wet exits and assisted/unassisted rescues. I did a T-Rescue as the rescuee and as the rescurer. A paddle float rescue was demonstrated, so I can try it sometime.

It was an excellent program and I am definitely glad that I did it. The trick will be to remember everything once I get my new boat out on the water. It also reminded me that I have gotten pretty sloppy in my open boat paddling - especially when it comes to torso rotation.  Too bad I didn't have my new boat yet.

Practicing assisted rescues

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If you could have a conversation with the Blackstone River, what would you say?

This question was asked as part of the Blackstone River Commons Anthology. My conversation with the Blackstone River would go something like this...

I wish I knew you when you were young. Not early in our history, but early in yours. More than 15,000-years ago when the glaciers retreated, the ice melted and raging waters cut through the rolling hills to create your valley. Today, you flow 48-miles and drop 450-feet on your way to the sea.

And you are not alone. Along the way you collect water from smaller rivers and streams like Mill Brook, the Middle, the Quinsigamond, the West, the Mumford, the Branch, the Mill, and the Peters. Your valley includes over 640 square-miles, and connects 39 communities in what is now Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The glaciers left rolling hills and a wide floodplain in your valley. On higher ground oak forests grew, and in the low-lands blueberry bushes, willows, and alders thrived. Migratory birds flocked to your banks, and fish labored up your raging waters to spawn.

We often think about your history starting with the Europeans, but Native Americans knew you long before. For at least 9,000-years before the arrival of the Europeans, Native Americans came to hunt, fish and set up camps along your banks. They took advantage of your rich soil to grow crops, and your abundant supply of fish and wildlife.

That changed with the arrive of Europeans. By the middle of the 17th century, European settlers had established small farming communities in your valley. They took advantage of your abundant resources to grow crops, quarry minerals and harvest timber. They also built dams to power gristmills, sawmills and foundries. We started to change you.

With the development of the textile industry in the late-18th and early-19th centuries, industrialists took advantage of your steep drops and numerous falls to build water powered textile mills. Mill villages grew up along your banks with dams, mill ponds and eventually a canal and railroad.

We put you to work, and you earned the reputation of being the “birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution” and “the hardest working river in America”. In the process, dams blocked the migration of fish, mill ponds collected harmful sentiments, and mills released dangerous chemicals. Little remained of your free-flowing waters.

By the middle of the 20th century the textile mills were gone, but the devastation they left in their wake remained. You were then known as one of the “most polluted rivers in America". But that didn’t stop us. We continued to dump sewage and other pollutants into your waters.

Fortunately, people now recognize the damage that has been done, and have begun to work on solutions. You became part of the National Heritage Corridor system in 1986, and were designated as an American Heritage River in 1998. Significant water quality improvements have been achieved as a result of the Clean Water Act and other pollution reduction initiatives, but we have a long way to go.

Through these efforts, many people now recognize your beauty, your grace and your charm. With a bike path along your banks, everyone can now see your potential. We continue to work to clean up your waters, return fish and other wildlife to your valley, and revitalize development along your banks in ecologically friendly ways.

You probably know all this, and have your own plan for the future. To you, we are just a spec in time. You have thousands of years to clean up the mess that we have made, and your waters will flow long after we are gone. Still, we need to do our part now to fix our mistakes, and hopefully we will.

Submitted as a reflection on the Blackstone River to the Blackstone River Commons Anthology - August 11, 2022.

Blackstone Gorge with the BVPC - August 10, 2002

I led a trip with Earl for the Blackstone Valley Paddle Club at the Blackstone Gorge. We paddled up past the Triad Bridge site to the old Millville Lock. We continued upstream, but the water was too shallow to get up to the Millville Rapids. Nice trip anyway.

Heading up the Blackstone River

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Fife Brook – August 6, 2022

Paul below Hangover Helper

It has been a while since I’ve been out in my whitewater boat, so I decided to test out my cranky knee and do a run with Paul on the Fife Brook Section of the Deerfield River.

I met Paul at McD’s for the ride up to Charlemont. After dropping him off at the put-in, I drove back to the take-out to drop off my car and catch a ride back in one of the shuttles. There were lots of groups getting organized, and I found an empty seat in a car with the CTAMC. It was Deerfieldfest weekend and the Dryway wasn’t running due to an issue with the dam, so there were crowds everywhere.  

Erik in Pinball

The Fife Brook Dam was releasing at 800 cfs – a medium low level. We put in at around 11:00 and began working our way downstream. The crowds at Hangover Helper and Carbis Bend were huge, but eventually we found some space to ourselves. We surfed the ledge below Freight Train and played in Pinball before taking a break for lunch at Miami Beach. We then ran the Island Rapid before heading down to Zoar Gap.

My record running the Gap is mixed - 15 attempts with 7 successful, 6 swims and 2 walks. I pulled over above the Gap to take some pictures before running it myself. Once in the Gap, I caught the eddy on the left below the first pour-over, and then went right of "Oh Shit Rock" though the second drop. It wasn’t pretty, but I made it. So my record in the Gap now stands at 16 attempts with 8 successful, 6 swims and 2 walks. My knee was fine.

Zoar Gap from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

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My Pictures
Fife Brook Dam Gage from Safe Waters

Charlemont Gage

River Description from American Whitewater

River Description from Zoar Outdoors

Fife Brook Release Schedule