[Paddlewise] Of Kayak Trails & Sails

     The new Sea Kayaker has plans for an elegantly simple homemade sail 
rig. Looks like a great balance between simplicity & function.
     On the topic of kayak trails, here along the Maine coast in the late 
seventies and early eighties there were few paddlers and much coastline 
including a number of state-owned islands which were relatively 
underutilized (ie. "the good old days) In the interim with the increase 
in popularity of the sport and the advent of the Maine Island Trail, 
these islands are anything but underutilized. Case in point: There is one 
island in particular near Isle Haut which I used to frequently camp on in 
the past. Gradually as use went up in the summer months, I tended  to 
camp there only on the off season. As use increased on the off season, I 
tended to paddle out there to camp in bad weather on the off season. Two 
or three summers ago, I paddled out in late October, in a cold rain and 
found the island empty. After setting up my tent and boiling a pot of 
tea, I looked up to behold the sight of almost two dozen kayaks 
converging on the place.....a gear-testing weekend for Outside Magazine 
complete with meals catered by the local kayak-touring outfit. That was 
the last time I tried to camp on the island. On the otherhand, I have 
been stimulated to find other pleasant, less well-known areas to paddle & 
camp. The islands of the Trail though well worn, are kept immaculate for 
the most part.....No black & white here.
                                                      mark
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