Atlantic Coastal Kayaker • July-August 2011 1 2 Atlantic Coastal Kayaker • July-August 2011 Atlantic Contents Coastal Kayaker ACK • Vol 20 No
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1 ATLANTIC July/August 2011 Coastal Kayaker Volume 20, No. 4 Inside: SK102 Atlantic Coastal Kayaker • July-August 2011 1 2 Atlantic Coastal Kayaker • July-August 2011 ATLANTIC Contents Coastal Kayaker ACK • Vol 20 No. 4• July/August 2011 www.atlanticcoastalkayaker.com Atlantic Coastal Kayaker is published, March through December. We take Feature January and February off. SK102: Rocking and Rolling on Lake Anna ........... 10 Publisher/Editor Tamsin Venn Departments Contributors: Eddy Lines .....................................................4 Letters From You ...........................................5 Paul Caffyn John Christie The Gear Bag .................................................6 Tom Holtey Environment ..................................................9 Wayne Horodowich Maywin Liu Technique: Helmets .......................................14 Duane Strosaker How Far Can You Go? ..................................16 Tim Taylor Safety: Car Topping 101 ..................................17 Horse Meets Kayak Website Events: .............................19 www.atlanticcoastalkayaker.com Places: Kayaking Cape Rosier ..........................22 Atlantic Coastal Kayaker Book Review: Hey, I’d Eat This at Home! ..........24 PO Box 520 Calendar ......................................................25 Ipswich MA 01938 (978) 356-6112 (tel,fax) Klassifieds ...................................................27 [email protected] Layout David Eden [email protected] Deadline for all materials is the first of the month preceding the month of publication. On The Cover: Participants’ boats ready for action at SK102, sea kayaking seminar on Lake Anna, Va. Letters are welcome. Please Photo by Maywin Liu. direct to [email protected] Subscribers may go to our website atlanticcoastalkayaker. com, to see the full-color version of this issue! Email us at [email protected] or dweden@atlanticcoastalkayaker. com for the password. Atlantic Coastal Kayaker • July-August 2011 3 Eddy Lines As far as critters and kayaking go, we all * Leave stranded seals alone: Do not at- I observed dive-bombing a shoal of fish off have what I like to call the three-tier reward tempt to handle or rescue a seal pup that ap- the Gulf coast of the Everglades. sighting system. pears to be abandoned; its mother will not As mentioned, many sea creatures are The first tier consists of uncommon return if you are there. Call the closest ma- protected by the MMPA. How does that critters or ones that do amazing things while rine animal stranding organization.” pertain to us? in our presence, like the otter that climbed The MMPA prohibits the taking of ma- onto the back of a Feathercraft kayak and Whale viewing definitely rates at the top of rine mammals, and enacts a moratorium on took a ride, resulting in one of the compa- the Tier One Chart. Some of us have been the import, export, and sale of any marine ny’s most rewarding photos. lucky enough to paddle with whales in the mammal, part, or product within the U.S. Seals are fairly common but always Northeast, Northwest, or Baja. Personally, The Act defines “take” as “the act of hunt- enchanting to see. Seals and other sea crea- I’ve never had that experience, but a dol- ing, killing, capture, and/or harassment tures are protected by the Marine Mammal phin family circling my kayak and a mink of any marine mammal; or the attempt at Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972, which running up to see what I was having for such.” means we are to keep our distance from lunch are my two favorite interactions. Responsibility for enforcing the Act them. That is not always easy. They swim Seeing a bald eagle ranks high, the is divided between several federal agen- up in front of our kayak, then behind it, to white tail distinguishing it from the osprey cies. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is re- check us out. It’s hard not to stop and wait or vulture – who can all look similar from sponsible for protecting sea and marine for their big eyes and whiskers to reappear, a distance. Sighting a loon sometimes does otters, walruses, polar bears, three species then slide down out of sight. Baby seals are not seem as awesome as hearing its call, one of manatees as well as dugongs (similar to hard to resist but most of us know to leave of the most uplifting cries of any wild crea- the manatee, but with a fluked tail). NOAA them alone and let their mother return. ture. Puffins and gannets, more likely to be conserves and manages “pinnipeds,” in- Here is what the Maine Island Trail seen in Atlantic Canada, rate top status. cluding seals, sea lions, and “cetaceans” Assn. has to say about seals. Manatee and sea turtles? Definitely such as whales and dolphins. “Seals are highly intelligent mammals Tier One. The MMPA has been amended since that are well adapted to Maine’s coastal wa- Moose? Crocodiles? Basking or other 1972 to cover such matters as studies of ters. Those who travel the Trail are likely shark? All may provide a frisson of unease seal-fishery interactions. Recently here in to see them hauled out on ledges or poking depending on how close they come. the Northeast, the seal-fishery interaction, their heads above the surface of the water. In the second tier of desirability of sea which has a long history of tension, has Once hunted for food and clothing or killed creature viewing, I would count sea birds started to heat up again. Off Cape Cod, the because they were seen as competitors for one sees in the transition seasons – such as Gray seal has made a spectacular comeback valuable fish species, seals have flourished surf scoter, merganser, bufflehead. I would in the past decade. The Gray seal will eat since passage of the Marine Mammal Pro- also include eider and black guillemot in anything that moves including cod and hali- tection Act in the early 1970s. Harbor seals this category because while populous in but. Recently someone, probably a frustrat- are the most common species found on the Maine, they are scarce on my stretch of the ed commercial fisherman, took matters into Maine coast, followed by gray seals and the coast farther south. I love seeing the guil- his or her own hands and authorities found occasional harp seal or hooded seal. Under- lemot dip its eyes in the water and dangle several Gray seals shot. standing the habits and needs of seals can its bright red feet as it takes flight, the white The seals may also be responsible for help you enjoy their presence while protect- coverts always obvious. Striped bass and the presence of Great white sharks inshore, ing them from harm. jelly fish swimming underneath one’s kay- forcing the closure of two Cape Cod beach- ak? Also exciting. es in the height of summer tourist season * Steer clear of hauled out seals. Stay far Many everyday critters – Tier Three - last year. enough away from ledges so that seals do we take for granted. How about cormorants The first people to sight and report the not raise their heads and chests in the air or perched on piers drying their wings and Great white off Cape Cod were two kayak- plunge into the water. seagulls drifting overhead? Those are not ers, who witnessed the shark eating seal for * Keep a constant lookout for seals in the uncommon sights, but reassuring that we lunch. Unphased, they just paddled off. water. Scientists estimate that 800 harbor are in just the environment we want to be That wildlife sighting I would definite- seals a year are killed or seriously injured in. Everyday critters we see outside our nor- ly put in Tier One. due to collisions with boats or other human mal waters can be elevated to Tier One on Got any interactions you would care to encounters. View seals from a distance. vacations, like the flock of brown pelicans share? Let us know, [email protected] 4 Atlantic Coastal Kayaker • July-August 2011 Letters From You Summer Paddling What does this mean for the kayaker? is the construction of a lab and classroom Paddle plans this summer are mostly up on A day tripper or someone out for a weekend space to house these new programs. We the Maine Island Trail several weekends may not have to worry, as she could get to will be partnering with the skilled crafts- and maybe New Brunswick for a week. Gas medical care relatively quickly. But some- people and teachers at the Shelter Institute is so pricey it is hard to go anywhere far! one out for a week or more could run into in Wiscasset, Maine to construct this build- Lake Champlain is a mess from the seven serious problems.Did I suspect Lyme? No ing, and I hope you will contribute any way weeks of severe flooding - and still it won’t way. I had no other symptoms: no tick, no you can. How can you help us reach our come down. Paddlers Trail has many camp- rash, no flu. So take Lyme really seriously, goal? sites under water. So, for now, Maine it is. folks. It could mean your life. · Contribute financially! Make a do- Did get down to the Jersey Shore/Barnegat David Eden nation to help fund the new lab/classroom Bay in April - what a pleasant surprise for a Ipswich, MA and, if you can, paddling destination! Contribute your time and effort! Help Ruth Miller Tsunami Blog Post raise the timberframe of the new building Richmond, VT This week’s Tsunami Ranger blog post is later this summer. No previous woodwork- written by Moulton Avery, an East Coast ing experience necessary. Deer Tick Alert paddler with a clever ability to string words Go to HurricaneIsland.net and click on East coast kayakers, and especially in the together. Feel free to read it, link it to inter- the “Contribute” tab to sign up or to donate! Northeast, find themselves in areas infested ested friends, and comment below the post.