The other day as I was {rather impatiently} waiting for the tide to come in so I could go out in the kayak, I walked around the shoreline looking for treasures and found my first buoy! Granted, it’s not the most attractive buoy I’ve ever seen, but hey, it’s a start, right?
We have a ton, okay, so not a ton, but at least a half dozen or so lobster boats out in our little cove so I figure something good is bound to wash up sooner or later, don’t you think?
Waiting for the tide to come in now that the floating dock has been put up for the winter is such a drag.
It feels like I have to wait at least 2 hours longer before I can set off in the water. PLUS it gets dark around here at like 4 pm these days so timing everything just right can get a little tricky.
The good news is, it looks like the primo kayaking time will be between 6 am and noon for the next week.
It’s not a bad way to start the morning if you ask me. Even if you have a drone following your every move. 😉
I tried to make it out to the point yesterday so I could snap some pictures of the lobster boats around the corner, but the water was a little choppy and I chickened out. 😉 It may have been sunny and 60 degrees but flipping the kayak that far out and then having to paddle all the way back in wet jeans didn’t seem all that appealing to me.
I did however manage to fail to land on the big rock when I was getting out of the kayak and ended up getting soaked anyway. Which was exciting. And something that doesn’t need to be repeated. 😉
Oh well.
Living here in Maine is just one big adventure, and I’m loving it. Wet jeans and all.
Here’s hoping you have an AWESOME {and dry} day.
~Mavis
Jenn from MA says
Patience young grasshopper- the bouys will come 😉 there’s probably not as many right now with less recreational boats out running them over and cutting them loose 🙂
Kim says
Maybe Santa will bring you a wetsuit. Be safe out there!
Mavis Butterfield says
If you have an in with Santa, tell him I’d rather have a little boat than a wetsuit.
thebookie says
Mavis, have you read Elisabeth Ogilvie’s books about life (fictional lives and her own real one) on a Maine island? If not you have a treat in store. Some are better than others, natch, but under the circs I bet you’d find them interesting and a lot of fun.
Mavis Butterfield says
Not yet, but she is on my radar. 🙂 What book should I start with?
thebookie says
Her autobiography, “My World is an Island,” tells how she came to settle in Maine, and how her island slowly became her world. Of her many novels, the one I like best is “Strawberries in the Sea.” I read it when I was young and really related to the theme of an insecure young woman growing into herself. Don’t know how relevant that is to you at this point in your adventurous life, but like you she is an amazingly competent DIY-er! “A Theme for Reason” is another that I liked. A bunch of the novels are set on or about Bennett’s Island (“Strawberries” is one of those) so if the settings/people grab you, there’s more about them in the related books. There’s also one very peculiar semi-political semi-mystery, very different from all the rest. It might be “The Dreaming Swimmer,” but it’s possible that I’ve mixed it up with something else. Anyway, she’s pleasant reading as the days get short and dark.
Mavis Butterfield says
Thank you. 🙂
Jeanine says
Glad the drone is following you…be safe!
Deb says
Maybe you should have bought real kayaks !!!! Then they wouldn’t flip!!!
Joely says
Your comment sounds a bit confrontational. I hope that was not your intent. This is a positive and friendly blog.
Mavis Butterfield says
Enclosed kayaks freak me out, that’s why we bought sit on top ones for me and The Girl. The HH has his eye on one of those super narrow ones though…
Gigi says
Sea kayaks with a skirt will keep you warm and they’re easy to slip out if you roll. My uncle teaches kayak lessons at the local high school on weekends. He’s on Lake Michigan every chance he gets and rarely rolls. I’m sure you can find some lessons near you.
Paula Gooding says
I know the feeling, but you are much safer inside a kayak. The sit on top ones are really for lakes. I would at least try one of the one’s COSTCO sells. Those waters can be cold and unexpected winds could arise…throwing you around and getting you drenched..I m glad you have such a great water to go out in…
Wendy Steele says
Mavis, I hear you about the enclosed kayaks-I just feel like I would be stuck in there if they turned over. Irrational, I know, but I can’t help it!!! Lol
Joann says
Try Jackson brand kayaks. You can sit high if you want. my hubby n son do fishing tournaments. They stand up in there’s and no flipping. Pay a bit more but so worth it! I don’t swim and I’m comfortable in them.
Shari Harniss says
Wow… that wasn’t mean at all, Deb. Mercy.
Annette says
Do you ever buy fresh lobster for dinner?
Mavis Butterfield says
We haven’t yet, but we are looking forward to doing that soon.
Sarah says
Love the buoy!! Fun find! I really enjoy your pictures from Maine. Similar to the lake life here in Minnesota but the tide report? That is something I’ve never considered. So why do you have to wait for the tide to come in? Is it too mucky to walk out? Do you have mussels there and if so, do you have the guts to eat them?
Lynda says
You need a wet suit , definitely
Linda T says
I know you have boots that go almost to your knee. I remember seeing a picture. Can you wade out in boots and get into your kayak rather than wait for high tide? Just thinking it would save you those precious hours. And it might save your from wet jeans
DENISE says
Oh buoy! Lucky you! 😉
Cecile says
You need to buy yourself a wet suit and kayaking gloves! Hubs and I bought fishing kayaks about 5 years ago and absolutely love them. We haven’t fished with them yet but have taken coolers out with us and had picnics! Our longest trek so far was 14 kms through a conservation area (isn’t anything larger that’s local). Our only open water experience was kayaking in the St Lawrence Sea Way while on vacation. Being on the open water with the Salties and the Lakers was amazing but the best was being out when a Salty passed us on one side and a tall ship passed us on the other! Seeing the two ships together was a photo opportunity we couldn’t pass up!
Becky says
Mavis, please get a wetsuit for your safety, especially if you are not using a sea kayak that is more likely to tip. (I do hear you on the enclosed fears, though) You could get hypothermia if you tip, even in the summer. I’ve been following you since before you lived in Maine, but I’m a local here and grew up on the coast.
Becky says
I mean that is LESS likely to tip!
Lynn from NC Outer Banks says
Mavis, I live on an island in the sound here in NC and kayak also. I love it too! We decided on a sit-in vs a sit-on kayak. I understand about the feeling of confinement, but I wanted to limit the chance of tipping. Most of our sound is quite shallow, unless you paddle waay out to the channel. My mother worried when I first told her I was kayaking. She asked what if I tipped? I said well, I’d just stand up and right it! So very safe. My sweet Golden Retriever used to walk along with me, rarely needing to actually swim! Fall is a lovely time, but it is much warmer here, as is the water, vs Maine and hypothermia is still a concern here, so enjoy but be careful. Kind of nice to have an ever watchful drone! 🙂
We visited Maine a few years ago and I could NOT believe the differences in the tides! You can tell here (minimally) when the tide is high and when it is low, but it never impacts when I can launch my kayak, for instance. I was absolutely astounded at how dramatically the water depth changed with the tides in Maine, especially in Bar Harbor. That, and how different the beaches looked! Lovely lovely state.
Andrew says
Hi Mavis, I hear your HH is the handy sort, I wonder if he might be interested in Chesapeake Light Craft (they make kits for building kayaks and many other small boats). I’m not being paid to endorse them or anything, I’ve just had a dream of building one of their kits for many years; maybe one day…