Join a course in the pool, a snowy paddle on Casco Bay or an online navigation workshop

Tis the season! With a bit of snow on the ground, consistently cool temperatures, and most of our boats put to bed, it is truly feeling like winter here. The seasonal shifts have got us reflecting on past paddling adventures, and looking forward to new ones coming up soon. We hope you enjoy, and we hope to see you on the water soon!

Trip Report: A Winter Paddle to Damariscove Island

The following report was written by our Trips Coordinator , Eric Nathanson, about a paddle to one of the most remote islands on the Midcoast. Visit this post to read the whole report.

We launched mid morning on a chilly December day. The sky was the color of pale slate, the water flat and calm. Four of us had met just outside of Boothbay Harbor to paddle to Damariscove’s isolated harbor. The island is low and long, barely betreed, defined by a thin waste at the middle and a narrow channel facing the open sea on the south side. The small cove is home to a handful of moorings and a stone pier, shaped by steep hills rising on either side, surprisingly protected from the incoming swell, and guarded by a now retired Coast Guard lifesaving station.

Read on…

Winter Paddling Opportunities

If a winter adventure like Eric’s trip to Damariscove Island sounds like a good time, you should consider joining one of our special guided paddles this winter. Check out our winter offerings page for more details!

If warm weather paddling is more your thing, consider joining one of our pool lessons this winter and spring to help you keep your skills sharp, or develop some new ones, before the summer season! The first of these clinics is on January 15th, with Intro and Rolling lessons in the morning, and a Rescue lesson in the afternoon. Full details at our winter paddling webpage!

a group of people in a swimming pool

a small boat in a body of water

Finally, our friends at the Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors, the Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network, and the Appalachian Mountain Club’s New Hampshire Paddling chapter will all be offering pool ses

sions at Riverton Pool in Portland this winter! If you don’t need formal instruction, these are great opportunities to get some warm water practice. Dates and times are below. Please contact the hosting organization for additional details.

Open Pool Sessions Hosted By Our Friends

  • January 22nd 2-4pm – Whitewater focused, hosted by AMC (open to the public)

  • January 29th 2-4pm – Sea kayak focused, hosted by SMSKN (open to the public)

  • February 2nd – Sea Kayak focused, hosted by MASKGI (members only)

  • February 12th 2-4pm – Sea Kayak focused, hosted by SMSKN (open to the public)

  • February 19th 2-4pm – Sea Kayak focused, hosted by SMSKN (open to the public)

Introducing Two New Guided Expeditions

We are excited to be offering two new guided expeditions this summer that explore two incredible and unique sections of the Maine Island Trail. Our 3- day Midcoast Expedition explores the Western Rivers region between the Kennebec River and Pemaquid Point and our 4-day Penobscot to Acadia Expedition offers a chance to paddle through the islands of Penobscot Bay to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island.

Visit our multi-day trips webpage for more details.