Great Bay is a vast inland sea to the west and south of Portsmouth, NH, and I paddled there for a few hours yesterday at the southernmost head of navigation -- the falls on the Exeter River.

Actually this spot is where the Exeter River ends, and the Squamscott River begins. Squamscott is simply the name of the tidal portion of the river, which begins at the base of the rapids.

A paddler in Exeter Harbor yesterday.
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Exeter is one of two cultural centers of seacoast NH (the other is Portsmouth), plus it was the state capital during the Revolutionary War. Exeter's historical district is quite attractive.

The city was first located at the spot where water power could drive mill machinery and where navigable tidal waters could be used for transportation to Portsmouth and the outside world.

The city was located where water power -- represented by rapids -- and navigable tidewater met.

The mills are long gone. Boutiques and upscale housing now occupy the spots where water wheels once turned some of our nation's earliest industry. The shopping strip along Route 108 reminded me that city centers no longer serve as hubs of commerce.

Access to the harbor is easy. There's a public boat launch just off Water Street in the downtown area. Paddling downstream is rather dull. Once you've left the downtown area, it's mostly expanses of grasses and marsh for miles to the north of the city.

Easy boat access is located in the downtown area, shown ahead of my bow.

The two multi-span bridges that carry 70 mph traffic along Route 101 -- southern NH's primary east-west route -- reminded me that New England's inland waterways no longer serve as basic transportation.

The well-used park and walkways along the harbor's west side offer hope that rivers will once again become a focus of our lifestyle, at least in terms of aesthetics and recreation.

Taking advantage of one of the first really nice days of summer, yesterday I headed west of Portland to paddle for a few hours at Skelton Flowage, the impoundment on the Saco River that was created around 1950 when Skelton Dam was built.

It's really a very attractive small lake. Best hand-carry access is from the town of Buxton's Pleasant Point Park. Skelton Flowage offers some of the most pleasant freshwater paddling within about half an hour of Portland. There are many sinuous arms and coves, plus two nice islands, one quite large and the other quite small.

There are many arms and coves on Skelton Flowage, and exploring them makes for a lazy day of paddling.
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There weren't many people out yesterday. A teenage girl was paddling a green Walden, and a middle age lady was doing her summer reading on a Zodiak inflatable she'd anchored in a cove. Plus a few power boats zoomed back and forth.

A lady catches up on her summer reading on an anchored Zodiak inflatable.

A teenager paddles her Walden.

I saw more turtles than people.

This turtle, with a diameter the size of a medium pizza, was sunbathing yesterday on Skelton Flowage.

Most were sunning themselves on logs. But I gently collided with one that was swimming nonchalantly near the surface. That sure shook him up, and he dived for the depths!

A few breaks of mid-morning sunshine yesterday prompted me to head up to Freeport for the L.L. Bean PaddleSports Festival. Not being in the market for a canoe or kayak -- mine are both fairly recent purchases -- I simply poked around and looked for interesting gear.

This past weekend's L.L. Bean PaddleSports Festival featured dozens of canoes and kayaks for sale and demonstration.
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Since I have a number of friends who live in small spaces and travel a lot, I was particularly intrigued by the Puffin line of inflatable kayaks put out by Pakboats, a New Hampshire-based company.

Sales rep Elaine Egidio pointed out that strictly speaking the Puffin isn't an inflatable. True inflatables require the rigidity of air pressure to keep their shape. Instead, the Puffin has a folding metal frame and uses its air bladders mainly for floatation.

Pakboats sales rep Elaine Egidio holds the Puffins' suitcase-sized carry case.

Elaine fills the Puffin's bladder with air (pump hidden behind boat).

The smallest member of the Puffin family weighs only 17 pounds. The largest is a 14-foot tandem model with a carrying capacity of 400 pounds. All four Puffins that I looked at can be stuffed into a suitcase-sized carrying sack which can be checked as baggage on commercial airlines.

Small recreational kayaks seemed to generate the most interest. Leader in the field is Wilderness Systems, a North Carolina-based company. The firm's Pungo models have become wildly popular.

Small recreational kayaks seemed to generate the most interest from attendees. A couple try out a pair of Wilderness Systems' Pungos for size.

Fishing from kayaks is another activity on the upswing, and Bean flyfishing instructors were on hand to show us how.

Demonstrating flyfishing from a kayak.

Among my dozens of paddling days last summer, none was more enjoyable or more convenient than the annual Fort-to-Fort Canoe and Kayak Expedition on the Kennebec River. It's happening again this Sunday.

Two kayakers finish the 2005 Fort-to-Fort paddle in downtown Augusta.
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Among the best aspects: The approximately 20-mile shuttle is taken care of, and there's no charge for it. It's all part of the Kennebec River celebration, courtesy of Old Fort Western.

The official shove-off time and place is 8 a.m. from Fort Halifax Park in Winslow but participants are free to put in whenever and wherever they wish. The full Fort-to-Fort trip takes about five to six hours, depending upon weather and current conditions and participants' paddling pace. Water and snacks will be available at the half-way point at the Sidney boat landing.

Paddling the Kennebec is a great family activity!

“This is not a race and there will be no competition or prizes,” says Jay Adams, Old Fort Western’s director and curator. “Rather, it is an opportunity to be on the water, paddling at your own pace, to re-trace and re-explore the route that linked the two Forts in the 1750s and 1760s and which was followed by Benedict Arnold's forces in 1775.”

In 2005, most participants chose kayaks.

When I paddled this event last year, I brought my lunch and enjoyed it on one of the islands located a couple of miles south of the Sydney boat launch.

Also notice the site of the former Edwards Dam, after the Route 3 bridge and before the Maine Central RR bridge. The removal of this dam -- a milestone event for paddlers and river recreationists everywhere -- opened up the river to this sort of event.

Augusta’s East-side Boat Landing, opposite the downtown area, is the final destination. From there, participants are invited to visit Old Fort Western free of charge.

A shuttle bus will take participants back to Winslow to pick up their cars as necessary. Shuttle service will begin at 2 p.m. The last run to Winslow will depart Augusta at 4 p.m. There will not be room for boats on the bus.

Arriving downtown in 2005.

Normal safety regulations will be in effect, including the use of USCG-approved PFDs. Paddlers should be sure to bring plenty of water or juice to drink (no alcohol please) and snacks to eat along the way. Paddlers owning cell phones are encouraged to bring them along, to help out in case of emergency.

Phone Old Fort Western at 626-2385.

Among the sponsors of this event is L.L. Bean. And guess what? There's a big paddling sales-demo-educational event going on both days this weekend at the Flagship Store in Freeport. So you could buy your canoe or kayak on Saturday, then use it on the Fort-to-Fort on Sunday.

What a Discovery! A 16-foot Old Town Discovery canoe has been retro-converted to a hot tub by Dan Kidd, resident mechanical genius of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club. And Dan brought it to yesterday's monthly meeting.

Cathy Fessenden and Dan Kidd relaxed last night in the Old Town Discovery hot tub.
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Dan's basic concept is simple. Set the canoe on level ground, then fill it with water. Install a submerged wood stove to heat the water -- Dan shows his MIT credentials with this sort of outside-the-gunwales thinking! -- and hop in when the temperature hits 106 degrees.

I'm including a few pix of the revolutionary hot tub, which recently made the trip down the Machias River. Note that Dan is a former president of MOAC, while Carey Kish is likewise. He's also MaineToday.com's Trail Head. Nancy Dorrans, formely a high-ranking Girl Scout, is MOAC's current president and Cathy Fessenden is the sparkplug of the Bangor Chapter.

Another shot of Cathy Fessenden and Dan Kidd.

Nancy Dorrans and Carey Kish checked out the scene last night. Note the submerged wood stove (lower right corner in red) and the protruding smokestack.