At 09:42 3/30/2000, Anthony L. Mourkas wrote:
>with canoes but I must admit to being a totally ignorant first time kayak

Tony, *be careful* -- it's easy to get in over your head with kayaks.  Also
easy to get run down b/c they're very hard to see from another vessel.  If
possible have kayak in high-contrast color (pref white), white paddle,
bright high-reflective clothing.  And stay away from the mouth of the
Kennebec until you seriously know what you're doing, it's treacherous water.

I was cruising past there in Scamp some years ago when two kayakers were
overdue -- the man was found by helo that night, the woman died and was
recovered a day or two later.  We were likely within a mile of them at some
point. The Maine Island Trail Association (URL below) has a kayak safety
booklet that includes an analysis of that accident.  I commend [the
booklet] to you highly.  But the two standout points were that they had
unwittingly gone beyond their experience; and that drift analysis showed
that the man (saved) and the woman (died) were only maybe a few hundred
feet apart when he was recovered -- he had a white boat and maybe light
clothing, she had a dark blue boat.  Another standout as I recall was that
kayakers who got in trouble and survived very typically thought everything
was just fine until they were suddenly in dire straits.

It's a great sport, and a few people die every year...

http://www.mita.org/
http://www.destinationmaine.com/kayak/perils.htm

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"