Trip Reports

Part 1 – “Our Great Alaskan Adventure!” Have you ever been on an amazing trip that you enjoyed every minute of but still couldn’t wait for it to end? This is exactly the feeling that I had during my first trip to Alaska in June 2011. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t want the trip … Continue reading »

Although illness has kept me land-bound this summer I’ve made the point to keep most of my adventures close to the water. This was especially true of a recent weekend escape to Newport, RI where my girlfriend and I spent an afternoon exploring some of the area’s more fabled lighthouses. Newport, RI certainly boasts its … Continue reading »

Trip Deets Boston Harbor Outer Islands (including The Graves) Date: Wed. July 11th, 2012 Launch: Pemberton Point, Hull, MA at 10:05am Return: Pemberton Point, Hull, MA at 3:10pm Total Distance: 13.8 miles Weather and Ocean Conditions: Temperature: 73 °F Humidity: 59% Avg. Wind Speed: 7 knots Visibility: 10 miles (SSE) This was my second journey in … Continue reading »

People always give me strange looks when I provide my candid answer to the seemingly obvious (or maybe not so) question “where has your most epic paddling been?” Answer: Coastal Massachusetts. It’s true that I’ve paddled in some pretty amazing places from the kayaking Mecca of Downeast Maine to the wildly gorgeous coasts of Kenai … Continue reading »

There are certain classic paddling trips that may be considered a “rite of passage” for aspiring New England sea kayakers. The crossing from Woods Hole in Falmouth, MA to the island of Martha’s Vineyard is one of them. A mere 4 miles separates the island from the mainland but the waters of Martha’s Vineyard Sound … Continue reading »

The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area has been a mainstay destination for many of my paddling adventures over the years. The Recreation Area encompasses over 30 islands in the greater Boston and Hingham Harbors. Each island offers a unique experience whether it’s exploring historic forts, relaxing at cast-away campgrounds, or attempting to understand the … Continue reading »

About this time last year my friend Rick and I decided to start the MIT Outing Club’s sea kayaking season early by leading a trip to Great Bay near Portsmouth, NH. The reasons for this trip were three-fold. First, we longed for a relaxing afternoon by the sea after a long, cold winter of hanging … Continue reading »

Playing hookie is an inexcusable offense unless you’re taking advantage of a splendid summer afternoon to get on the water and explore someplace new. This was precisely the situation that presented itself this past summer when my girlfriend and I snuck out of Boston at lunchtime and headed North toward Marblehead with our kayaks strapped … Continue reading »

A weekend of camping on Washburn Island has become an annual “must do” on my summer activities list! Washburn Island is located on the western side of the Wacoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in East Falmouth, MA. The wooded island boasts over a dozen, primitive, waterfront campsites that look out across Wacoit Bay. It’s … Continue reading »

I had made my first trip up to Acadia with my girlfriend to meet up with a group of college friends at Black Wood Campground for Memorial Day Weekend in 2011. It was nearly sinful in the kayak world for me, an instructor of 10 years, to have never been paddling in Acadia! It was … Continue reading »