Sea kayaking yields new areas to explore–inlets, coves, and salt marshes teeming with wildlife that you could never reach by motorboat or on foot. When you head out on the ocean and look back toward land, you gain a fresh perspective on familiar places. Senses flood with the taste and smell of salt, the sounds of waves sloshing in a cave, the high whistle of an osprey, or the sight of a distant lighthouse perched on rocks beaten by waves.
Whether you're an experienced kayaker or you have never dipped a paddle in the ocean, the long and varied coastline of New England and the Chesapeake Bay region offers numerous opportunities to launch your own saltwater journeys. Several AMC chapters organize paddling trips to their favorite parts of the Atlantic. Below are six such destinations, with tips and recommendations from AMC chapter trip leaders.
Knubble Bay and Beal Island, Maine
Distance: 8- to 12-mile trips
For more information: www.amckbc.org
The waters around AMC-owned Beal Island just south of Bath, Maine, provide some of the most interesting tidewater island-hopping along the Maine coast. Here in the southern rivers area, great volumes of water flow swiftly between long islands and mainland peninsulas in a constant turntable of land and water. Checking wind velocity and direction and tidal charts are key to enjoyable paddling here. Ken Kaiser, a veteran AMC Boston Chapter trip leader, has a simple navigation strategy: Listen to the weather radio, determine which way the wind is blowing, paddle up into it, and return with it. That way you do the hard work on the way out and can return in a reasonable amount of time. It's also a good idea to avoid the strong currents in narrow passages during mid-tide, when the flow is at its peak.
Leaving from AMC Knubble Bay Camp, on the Sasanoa River, you can paddle north into Hockomock Bay and visit the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) islands of Erratic and Little Bare (about 8 miles round trip); to extend your trip, paddle around Flying Point and down the Back River into Hall Bay. Or continue through the Sasanoa River to the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath–a 12-mile round trip. Beware the Upper Hell Gate, where the river narrows and the water rushes through at great speeds during mid-tide. Run the passage only at slack tide, either peak high or low tide, when the water is calmer. On this trip, you will likely be rewarded with the sight of osprey, terns, loons, seals, and possibly even a bald eagle. The scenery can resemble an inland lake. Tree-lined rocky shores are indented by enticing coves to explore, while summer retreats, yacht yards, and quaint fishing hamlets dot the shoreline.
From Beal Island, one nautical mile from Knubble Bay Camp, paddlers can head into Robinhood Cove, a lovely protected paddle around a long, narrow cove (about 6 miles to the end) to see the partially submerged timber frames of the five-masted schooner Mary Barrett, built in Bath in 1901. Or head south to the Five Islands (4 miles from Knubble Bay), located on the west side of the Sheepscot River, out Goose Rock Passage, which also provides access to Boothbay Harbor (best to go through here with the tide or at slack). At the Five Islands lobster pound, you can stock up on cold drinks and ice cream and enjoy the open view to Sequin Island Light. Extending your trip to Reid State Park will add another 2 miles one way, but be ready for more exposure to ocean swells and wind.
If the wind or tides are too fierce, hiking is always an option. A 2-mile trail circumnavigates Beal Island, where you can camp. Lodging is also available at the newly renovated Knubble Bay Camp.
Burnt Island Lighthouse, Maine. Photo by Jerry and Marcy Monkman.
