The sun is just rising here on the Mid-Coast of Maine. Pinpoints of light are glinting off the little ripples in the bay. It’s warm and humid already, but the breeze is probably going to pick up later. It almost always does. Even when the summer sun is high in this blue, blue sky, it’ll be cooler out on the water.
Though it’s a perfect summer weekend, we haven’t seen very much powerboat traffic. A few sailboats have glided by, the lobster boats have been working their traps. Some other cottage dwellers have motored by on errands, but generally it’s been pretty quiet. There are too many lobster buoys around here for waterskiers to get up a full head of steam and blessedly few jetskiers so there’s little of the “recreational” motorboat traffic you get on some waters.
In other words, it’s a perfect day and a perfect place for paddling kayaks.
There happen to be four very nice kayaks ranging from 14- to 17-feet in length tied to the dock, bright splashes of color gently rocking on the tide. Two are 14-foot “recreational/touring” kayaks and two are full-on sea kayaks with rudders, one 16-feet and one 17-feet long. They all look like they are ready to play.
Maybe we’ll set out for a circumnavigation of the island we are staying on. That sounds like a worthy goal. Maybe we’ll paddle out for a picnic on one of the uninhabited islets scattered about the seascape here. There are plenty to choose from. Maybe we’ll paddle to one of the waterfront stores nearby for ice cream, or to the pound to buy lobsters for dinner. Or maybe we’ll paddle just to paddle, listening to the water dripping off the blade with each stroke and the hiss of seaweed passing under the hull and the gulls calling, watching the eagles, ospreys and gulls soar overhead, herons, cormorants and various ducks flying by with some clearer destination in mind than we have. It all sounds good.
A little later . . .
Paddling a kayak on a saltwater bay is about as quiet and contemplative as an active outdoor sport can be. You glide along at your own pace. When you want to take a break, you just rest the paddle on the deck in front of you and sit as long as you want.
After breakfast, we set out from the dock with no specific destination in mind, just a sense that we were going somewhere important. We paddled along the shore of “our” island for awhile. We hadn’t gone more than 200 yards when we found a young bald eagle—right on the cusp of maturity—sitting in a tree watching the world below with what looked suspiciously like adolescent disdain. Or maybe it was hunger.
At the seaward point of the island we encountered some chop where the breeze-driven swells clashed with tidal currents, so we stopped to check our spray skirts before paddling a mile or so across the open reach to a protected inlet that cruising yachts often use for overnight anchorage. We passed a couple of sailboats motoring back to the sea with their sails furled. The inlet’s shore was lined with mussels by the millions and we’d have gathered dinner had not a red-tide closure been in place. On a rocky beach we got out of the boats to stretch our legs. Paddling back, we stopped to talk to another kayaker, a young fellow from Germany who had rented his boat locally and was looking to explore.
In all we were gone maybe three hours on that particular exploration, one of several we took over three days, a perfect getaway on a hot summer weekend.
Life isn’t a spectator sport, get out paddling and enjoy!
More Maine Paddling
A few weeks ago, reader Marybeth from Connecticut wrote asking for advice on picking a kayak. She’s been keeping me updated on her adventures since. She and her husband purchased two 12-foot Featherlight kayaks from Heritage, a very popular recreational model.
They first hit Lake Waramog in New Preston, Connecticut and had a wonderful time. Then, they loaded to kayaks on their car and headed up to Milbridge, Maine to paddle on the Back and Flat Bays near Rays Point. This is farther Downeast than I’ve ever paddled, but it sounds lovely. They also headed to Acadia National Park to paddle and picnic at Jordan Pond. In all they paddled out for seven adventures on their Maine getaway. Marybeth tells me she paddled “high tide, low tide and changing tides” and is learning to control her boat in all conditions.
Sounds to me like they’ve already gotten their money’s worth out of their new kayaks, with many more years of free fun ahead. That’s what happens when you invest in a good kayak.