I am 41 and live on the Merrimac river in Newburyport MA. My wife and I originally came to kayaking a couple of years ago after deciding that canoeing together, in the same boat, was a sure way to ruin. We have since learned to paddle correctly together and no longer feel like drunken Siamese twins. But it is still nice to have our own boats. Our paddling is mainly summer, recreational, lakes and rivers stuff. I am in the middle of building a John Winters' designed "Caspian Sea", as well as restoring an old english "Tyne" kayak that I rescued from someones trash. Learning to kayak is something that we enjoy doing together, and we are certainly in a great area to do it. We have a lot of estuarial paddling places, marshes, rivers as well as the ocean. The whole coast from Cape Ann to Portland is available to us without much work. This list has built a wonderful community, and it's been a kick to get to know a little about you all. Thanks *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Yet another lurker emerges.... First, I must say I'm impressed with the creditentals of the contributors of this list. I'm nowhere near as accomplished. I found about Paddlewise about 3 weeks ago on rec.boats.paddle where I also lurk. I was first fascinated by kayaks in grammar school when I read about a Eskimo? or Greelander? details are lost & not important, but the image of a skin boat and icebergs have stuck in my mind ever since. Can't wait to 'yak amoung 'bergs and whales! I finally took an introductory course at "Charles River Canoe and Kayak" outside Boston, about 8 years ago, I was hooked. I bought an Easy Rider Cormorant that first year. I demo'd it in the the previous owner's swimming pool. I have learned from that experience to always demo in the conditions one expects to be using in. I'm not sure I would have bought it if I knew then what I know now. That baby weathers cocks something terrible, it's prone to "skidding" too. It did keep me paddling several times a week on the Ipswich River and several other inland waters in the greater Boston area while I searched for the boat I really wanted. Two summers and many demos later I purchased a Seaward Quest. It's nineteen feet long & 22.5 inches wide & really screams. The length and subsequent speed are really fun when alone. I have to hold back and/or wait a lot when with others in shorter boats. I spend most of my time kayaking alone. No, I don't have an offisde or an onside roll. I have done the paddle float thing a few times, not in the last two years however. I know when to stay home. I've paddle many lakes & rivers around Boston & southern NH, Plum Island Sound and vacinity in MA, Penobscot Bay & Mt. Desert Isle in ME. One of my favorite experineces was 4 days and three nights island hopping between Stonington and Isle Au Haut in Penobscot Bay. I got out a few times in the 5 rainy months I spent in the Puget Sound area before moving to the SFBay area. I currently live coastside on a hill in El Granada, overlooking Half Moon Bay and Pillar Point Harbor about 25 miles south of San Francisco. I paddle in the Harbor, the Bay, Elkhorn Slough, Monterrey Bay & my favorite place so far in CA Tomales Bay. I really love kayak camping. I too am a computer geek, programming DOS and NT applications. I used to hike and bike and XC skied a lot, before getting fat and lazy. Oh yeah I'm an Old Fart too, 42. rb *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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