By David Rosen

Photo by Tamsin Venn

We lost a giant the day after Christmas. The only saving grace about his passing was that he wasn’t taken by the Covid virus. Like his knees, his heart wore out. He was on a hike with his kids and grandkids on a mountain in the Adirondacks… and then he was gone. Peter Hornbeck was very important to the development of our company (Adirondack Guideboat). Aside from being a source of inspiration and humor… tons of humor…. we also put him on our board of directors. No, this wasn’t an honorific position, on several occasions we needed a wise voice and Pete’s was it.
He had been a school teacher for 20 years, then began building boats in his garage. That was 50 years ago. His wife, Ann, was also a schoolteacher. She finally got tired of the smell of resin in the house, and gave Pete her summer check and told him to build a building out back. Last time we were there, he’d built four or five out-buildings in which he and his crew built and stored boats. They’d hang the boats from hooks, like cow carcasses hanging from the ceiling. All winter long they’d build an inventory and then as the warm weather arrived, that inventory would shrink and shrink.

I’ve never taken a survey, but I bet if you did that you would find that Pete was, and is, the most beloved person in the Adirondacks. His distinctive small yellow boats could be seen on top of every fifth car during the summer (or so it seemed. But his personality glowed even brighter.

Every year I bet Pete gave away $20,000 worth of boats for fund-raising events. Due to the ridiculously light weight of his boats (some as low as 12lbs, less than a 12 pack of beer), they were very popular with women. And oldsters. Pete was also a painter, usually of his boats in wilderness settings. I think he gave them all away, likely to non-profits needing money.

One of Pete’s boats sits in the Adirondack Museum. It is his version of Rushton’s Sairy Gamp (named after a Dickens character who was known to “take no water.”) The original is so tiny and beautiful, Rushton said to George Washington Sears, the diminutive writer for Field and Stream, for whom it was made, “If I made it any smaller I’d have to deliver it to you in a soup spoon.”

Farewell, Pete, your kind only comes along once.

David Rosen is the former co-owner of Adirondack Guideboat.

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard urges the public to be prepared when operating a paddle craft on the water as summer kicks off across the Pacific Northwest.

As stay-at-home restrictions are eased and air temperatures rise, in our rush to get outside and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Northwest, it is easy to forget that water temperatures remain dangerously cold.

However, there are some easy steps that you can take to ensure your own safety while recreating on the water. In the U.S., an estimated 130 people die annually while kayaking or canoeing; 90% of those deaths as a result of drowning.

Factors that contributed most to these fatal accidents were: failure to wear a life jacket, operator inattention or inexperience, alcohol and drug use, hazardous waters, weather conditions, and navigation rule violations. Don’t forget: life jackets are required by law to be on all vessels, including kayaks, canoes and paddleboards.

Below are steps you can take to ensure a fun time out on the water and make it home safely.

File a ‘Float Plan’ – Before you leave, create a plan and let someone staying behind know your itinerary. The plan should include the contact information for all individuals going out, the intended route, and what to do in case of emergency or non-arrival at the estimated return time.

Check the weather – The weather can change quickly and is often a leading cause of getting into trouble. Prior to departure, check the weather for current and forecasted conditions. This should include understanding how different weather conditions, tides, and currents will affect your waterway and craft.

Wear a Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device – Personal Flotation Devices save lives, if they fit and you wear them. In many incidents, life jackets were onboard but not worn; and once you are in the water it may be too late to put one on or adjust it, as cold-water shock is a deadly and ever-present threat in the Pacific Northwest. A highly visible PFD, with reflective tape, will assist mariners in seeing an individual and increases the chances of being found by a search team if the need arises. To further reduce the risk of hypothermia and cold-water shock, it is advisable to dress to the water temperature – not the air temperature – by wearing a dry suit, wet suit, or other synthetic materials (not cotton).

Label your paddle craft – A label allows responders to confirm if someone is actually in trouble and collect information to help search efforts. A simple label with a name, contact information, and alternate contact number written in waterproof ink or paint can drastically reduce search times; in addition to ensuring the return of any wayward watercraft to its owner.

Go with a friend – Two people allow one to help the other in case of emergency, and allows for that critical call for help to initiate a search and rescue response if the need arises.

Waterproof communication devices – This could be something as simple as a whistle, air horn, or cell phone in a waterproof case, to flares, a handheld VHF radio, or a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) with proper registration. These devices will allow you to alert mariners in the immediate vicinity or send an alert to the Coast Guard.

Avoid Alcohol and Drugs – Boating under the influence is ILLEGAL. This applies to all boats including kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, rowboats, and inflatable fishing rafts. The use of alcohol or drugs while operating any vessel is unsafe and impairs judgement, motor skills, situational awareness, and can hasten onset of hypothermia.

These simple steps can ensure you are prepared to enjoy the water safely and responsibly.
-USCG-

And sails, motors and paddles

Maine Island Trail challenges boaters to clean Maine’s wild islands

One of Maine’s most unique recreational assets is the Maine Island Trail. Consisting of over 240 islands and coastal properties, the Trail has grown over 32 years thanks in large part to the volunteer stewardship of its mostly privately-owned, uninhabited islands. It is this work that compels many island owners to be part of the Trail, allowing visitors for daytime recreation or overnight camping. What started as a simple, grassroots agreement between island owners and visitors willing to lend a hand has gradually become more organized. A program of Island Adopters came first, eventually followed by a corps of some 30 volunteer Monitor Skippers who bring groups of volunteers to the islands using the organization’s ubiquitous red skiffs. As a result, groups of volunteers working on the islands together has been the image of the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) for 20 years.

In this Coronavirus season, however, group-based activities may not be possible. Instead, MITA will rely heavily on individuals to conduct stewardship work using their own boats. The organization is asking its 6,900 members, and anyone else who is so inclined, to clean up the islands and report their activities via a simple web form. They have dubbed this effort “A Call to Oars!”

“The idea is to turn this challenging situation of Coronavirus on its head,” says Program Director Brian Marcaurelle. “In response to social distancing rules, MITA will go back to our roots and empower individuals to do rewarding volunteer work on their own boats and schedules.”

The request is a simple one. Participants will download the Maine Island Trail App, visit islands where they can do so safely, carry trash off, and send a brief web-based report back to MITA at MITA.org/report.

“This is an important undertaking,” notes MITA Executive Director, Doug Welch. “Between our large-group cleanups and small-group outings, MITA logged over 2,300 hours of group-based volunteerism last year. We cannot afford for that effort to just disappear in 2020. We have islands to keep clean and owners to keep happy in order for the Trail to continue to succeed.”

The staff is cautiously optimistic that the combination of boaters’ pent-up energy with warm weather will result in smooth sailing for the program. “MITA is composed of can-do folks who love a challenge and an excuse to go boating,” Marcaurelle notes. “And we as a population are eager for safe, refreshing outdoor experiences. So we hope that whether they sail, power, or paddle, all Maine boaters will be part of A Call to Oars!”

For more information email info@mita.org or visit www.MITA.org/Call-to-Oars

About MITA

Spanning some of the world’s greatest cruising grounds, the Maine Island Trail is a 375-mile water trail for small boaters extending from the New Hampshire border to Canada. An “only in Maine” phenomenon, the Trail is based on handshake agreements with land-owners who share a common commitment to coastal access. From an original 30 islands in 1988, the Trail has grown to include over 230 islands and mainland sites open for daytime and overnight recreational use along the entire coast of Maine.

The Maine Island Trail Association (“MITA”) is a 6,900-member organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the wild islands of Maine. Through 32 years of community-building, stewardship and education, the organization developed America’s first recreational water trail and a model of sustainable recreation. True to its grass roots, MITA combines a hands-on approach to caring for the islands with modern efforts to engage younger people. In addition to its traditional media products, and a new MITA App, it created Maine Island Trail Ale, brewed by Rising Tide Brewery in Portland. MITA members enjoy access to Trail properties for day use or overnight visits in return for observing low-impact techniques and guidelines. More information is available by contacting MITA at 207-761-8225, emailing info@mita.org or visiting www.mita.org

In the hopes of getting customers on the water sooner than later, many questions are arising about how outfitters can best operate in the COVID-19 climate. One of the most pressing questions is, “How do we increase gear cleaning measures to keep our customers safe?” Cleanliness has always been the goal, but it’s more important now than ever.

How to clean PFDs between uses is one of the most common inquiries we have received. So, we did some research, and here is our recommendation: use soap and water.

For cleaning, soap and water has proven to be both basically safe for the product and effective in killing viruses due to the amphiphiles (fats) in the soap. No need to overspend—any inexpensive non-detergent soap can stop a virus (which is why hand washing is the number one way to stop the spread). The fats in soap dissolve the protein of the virus outer layer and destroy the bond it has with the host, rendering it harmless. This is the same principle in washing clothes to remove viruses or dirt.

In addition to this information, NRS has put together a basic guide to cleaning gear to protect your customers. We wanted to share this information in hopes that it helps answer any questions you may have and get you back on the water as soon as possible.

Read Now: Gear Cleaning Guide »

Please do not hesitate to give us a call to discuss this further.

Thank you,
—NRS

Every year we wait for that special time in spring when the Maine Island Trail Assn. announces that it is shipping the new Trail Guidebook. That time has arrived.

Here is how Maine kayaker and ACK Contributor Peter Jones describes the pleasures of this Guidebook, a must-have for anyone who paddles the Maine coast.

“Each Spring, the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) issues its annual updated guide to the Maine Island Trail, a 375-mile coastal waterway that spans the entire coast of Maine extending from Portsmouth Harbor in the south to Cobscook Bay on the Canadian border. Self-described as a ‘water trail created, protected, and enjoyed by people who love the coast of Maine’ and modeled loosely on land trails like the Appalachian Trail, the Trail was conceived in the late 1970s and is the pre-eminent water trail of its type. It has since has become a poster child for other water trails in the United States.”

There are over 3,000 islands off the Maine coast, as well as thousands of rocky ledges which are exposed at low tide, and the Maine Island Trail connects over 200 of these islands as well as mainland sites which are available for day visits or overnight camping. The Guide provides a comprehensive description of all the sites as well as critical information on safe and responsible boating practices. Nearly all the islands on the Maine Island Trail are wild and undeveloped.

“The Guide is very much a ‘living’ book.’ New sites are added or removed each year, conservation practices and usage guidelines can and do change, so MITA recommends that boaters refer to the most recent version of the Guide.”

The way to receive the guidebook is by joining MITA. The members-only mobile app which contains everything found in the hardcover guide and then some is available in a more limited version to the general public.

Join MITA to receive your Guidebook and start planning your Trail adventures!

Peter Jones is the owner and principle guide at Driftwood Kayak and leads trips out of Stonington, Maine. You can reach Peter at www.driftwoodkayak.com.

Photo courtesy of MITA

By Kelsey Bracewell

A month ago, most ACA members were thinking about the upcoming Spring paddling season. Now, as we all live through a major global health crisis, things are quite different. COVID-19 has dramatically impacted our lives; the extent of that impact seems to grow and change daily. Access to waterways and outdoor recreation sites has been restricted. Stay at home orders have been issued for many states. Businesses, including those in the outdoor industry, have been forced to restrict activities or close completely. Healthcare systems are being overwhelmed. Even in areas without confirmed COVID-19 patients, healthcare workers struggle to obtain personal protective equipment and to deal with interruptions in healthcare supply chains.

These impacts will undoubtedly continue to grow. While it’s easy to feel helpless, there are many things we can do to help this crisis.

First, pay attention to guidelines issued by your local health department and by healthcare programs and experts such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. These agencies provide expert, up-to-date guidance on the medical and public health aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A key aspect of current information is that COVID-19 can be transmitted by subjects who have not developed symptoms. An infected person might not realize they’re infected and could unintentionally infect others. Social distancing guidelines – maintaining at least six feet (preferably more) between people, avoiding crowds of more than 10 people, and avoiding enclosed spaces (like cars during a shuttle situation) – are all intended to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Due to the fact that not everyone infected knows they’re infected, it’s important that everyone follow these guidelines.

Secondly, remember that when we paddle, we’re often visiting wilderness or rural areas with less healthcare resources than are found in more developed cities or regions. If you choose to visit these rural areas, remember to respect them. The last thing we as paddlers want to do is to overwhelm the healthcare systems in the areas we paddle. We might visit the hospital due to COVID-19 symptoms and concerns, but we also might have to go because of a paddling related injury. Both situations stress healthcare resources in remote areas. It is critical that we play our part in easing the strain on local emergency medical services, search & rescue teams, the U.S. Coast Guard and other response teams because their resources need to be focused elsewhere.

Instead of contributing to the problems and shortages the healthcare system is facing, we want to be seen as strong supporters of not only waterways but also the communities around them. The waterways will be there when this crisis ends. We need to be sure that we, as paddlers, have done what we can to be welcomed back the communities surrounding the waterways when the time is right.

Third, remember to follow your state and local stay at home orders, including closures of outdoor access points. These orders have been put in place in many states, counties and municipalities to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Staying at home reduces the risk of transmission and infection, and helps ensure that local healthcare systems are not overwhelmed. It’s an easy way to stay healthy so you can paddle after the crisis ends.

Based on current information, the ACA has cancelled or postponed all ACA-sponsored events until at least May 15. We recommend that all paddling clubs cancel or postpone large scheduled events for a similar time frame, while recognizing that time frame may need to be extended. The logistics of paddling while following current orders and recommendations are tough. Paddlers need to travel to the water alone and meet their group while maintaining proper distance at all times. Paddlers should paddle well below their ‘highest ability’ level to reduce the risk of injury or need for rescue. They need to take all precautions, including dressing for immersion and always wearing a life jacket.

All paddlers need to recognize that if they are injured, the local health system may not be able to care for them, a rescue or injury response team will bring a dozen first responders into proximity of the patient – the person being rescued will be exposed to dozens of people who have a much greater likelihood of having prior exposure, or injured persons may be placed in the ER in the proximity of a patient with COVID-19. If the activities associated with paddling make it impossible to respect the orders and distancing guidelines concerning COVID-19, it’s smarter to stay home and stay healthy. Many paddlers are seeing the bigger picture and choosing to stay home.

We all want to paddle and we all want to stay healthy. In the current crisis, it may be hard to do both. Given the choice, stay healthy so you and your friends and loved ones can safely paddle after the COVID-19 crisis ends.

Earth Day

By Jane Yolen

I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.
Each blade of grass,
Each honey tree,
Each bit of mud,
And stick and stone
Is blood and muscle,
Skin and bone.

And just as I
Need every bit
Of me to make
My body fit,
So Earth needs
Grass and stone and tree
And things that grow here
Naturally.

That’s why we
Celebrate this day.
That’s why across
The world we say:
As long as life,
As dear, as free,
I am the Earth
And the Earth is me.

Paddle Florida, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation organized to support canoeing and kayaking in Florida. As part of its mission it offers supported, multi-day paddling/camping adventures throughout Florida to showcase the state’s natural beauty and rich cultural heritage while promoting water conservation, wildlife preservation, springs restoration, and waterways protection. Paddle Florida also seeks to promote Florida as an international destination for nature-based tourism.

Next adventure is the Wild, Wonderful Withlacoochee Feb. 11-16, which begins at Lake Panasoffkee in Sumter County. Paddlers will thread their way through hardwood swamps and tannic streams on a 60-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico traveling through Citrus, Marion and Levy counties. The adventure includes a side trip to the colorful Rainbow River and its world class first-magnitude spring. Register here by February 1st.

Here are other trips through next spring.

Choctawhatchee Challenge
March 13-19, 2020
Get away from it all into the heart of the Panhandle as we paddle 86 miles of the mighty Choctawhatchee. This is a journey into Wild Florida where wildlife far outnumber humans, and paddlers can stumble upon spectacular springs.
Register by: February 28

Suwannee River Paddling Festival
April 3-5, 2020
With camping atop the bluff overlooking two beautiful rivers, our season-capping festival takes place at Suwannee River State Park near Live Oak. The weekend will offer supported 8-12 mile paddling options on both the Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers, a concert featuring Paddle Florida’s favorite musicians, and educational presentations from regional waterway experts.
Register by: March 20

Earth Day Celebration: Flori-Bama Expedition on the Perdido River
April 11-16, 2020
Paddling the Florida/Alabama border, enjoy beach camping along a cozy meandering river to the more open waters of Perdido Bay as we explore the most diverse set of ecosystems of the season.
Register by: March 28

Earth Day Celebration: Springtime on the Ochlockonee
April 18-22, 2020
From wild Tupelo honey to fresh Gulf oysters, experience the Panhandle’s Ochlockonee River which winds through state and national forest lands on 76 miles of Florida’s most remote wilderness river trail.
Register by: April 2

For more information, http://www.paddleflorida.org/