- Portland, Maine
- 13 Hours
- Ages 15+
Attend a navigation skills weekend workshop in Maine! Navigation Weekend focuses on the core skills necessary to navigate on coastal waters, especially when paddling in challenging conditions.
Quick Details
Gain the Skills & Knowledge Needed for a Sea Kayak Expedition
This workshop includes an overnight trip to an island campsite on the Maine Island Trail — a perfect way to learn how to plan a sea kayak trip!
Expedition Weekend focuses on the process of planning and executing longer distance sea kayak tours. Students will spend the first morning planning a route to an island in Casco Bay that the group will camp on that night. Along the way, students will gain experience with key expedition skills, including effectively packing a kayak, meal planning, emergency equipment and communications, gear repair, efficient long-distance paddling technique and more. The group will spend the night camping at an island campsite. Dinner and breakfast are included in the price of the trip, students are asked to provide their own lunch for each day. Tents are also available at no cost for students who need one, and sleeping bags and pads are available for a small fee. This weekend is the perfect way to dip your toes in the water of multi-day touring!
Please Note: This is an overnight workshop that includes one night of camping. We will begin at 9am the first day and aim to finish by 4pm the second day.
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- How to effectively pack a sea kayak
- What gear is needed for multi-day sea kayak trips
- How to plan and plot a course for a long-distance trip using a variety of resources, such as nautical charts, tide charts and guidebooks
- Best practices in selecting and setting up island campsites
- Paddling techniques that are useful for long-distance paddling
- Risk management for expeditions
- Meal planning and prep
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All kayaking gear is provided for this workshop at no extra cost, though students are also welcome to use their own. Kayaks used for this workshop must be at least 14 feet in length.
All of the following is included in the cost of the course:
- Two meals: dinner & breakfast
- Plates, bowls, utensils
- Tent (if needed)
- Kayak
- Paddle
- PFD
- Sprayskirt
- Wetsuit
- Drybag so you can bring along a few items on the water (snacks, phone, warm layer, etc.)
You will receive a packing list before the workshop starts with recommendations on what to pack for the overnight trip. Please bring your own sleeping bag and sleeping pad or plan to rent these items from Portland Paddle.
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Prior experience with sea kayaking is required for this workshop. We ask that students have experience with each of the following:
- Basic paddle strokes (forward, reserve, sweep, draw)
- Wet exits (capsizing a kayak and exiting the boat)
- Paddling a sea kayak several hours in one day