Life on Little Assawoman

2016 in the Slipstream

Was it just a couple of months ago now that the days were long and warm and we were all wearing shorts and sandals?? As the days get shorter and darker, here are a few photos to help you through the worst of it. We'll see you on the other side!    

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CK’s First Intern!

This is my first summer with CK, and it’s been one of the best.  I’ve been privileged enough to learn the business under Mitch and Jen this summer while doing my Internship for West Virginia University (aka Coastal Kayak’s first intern). I’ve gotten to work alongside some of the best and learn all sides of the job.  I was able to put together a training manual of all the birds, critters, plants and history of all the tours, which is something they have wanted for awhile. Coastal Kayak is definitely a place where you should bring your families when you visit the beach, and even go on one of their tours.  You won’t regret it!   This past Saturday, after the storms rolled through Neil and I had a great family of paddlers, and we

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Catching up with our Guide Heather

Hello my Coastal Kayak friends! It's so great to be back this summer for my fifth year! I'm so happy the weather is finally warm. Winter was long but I did get to enjoy a bit of traveling with Salisbury University, while I took a photography class abroad, exploring London and Paris. While I enjoyed every minute of it some of my favorite memories would include traveling to Wiltshire, an English countryside village home to Lacock Abbey (a country house that looks more like a medieval castle), and also, re-creating the Abbey Road album cover, as I channeled Paul McCartney. While in Paris, I indulged in shopping at Galleries Lafayette, many museums and french cuisine; I love escargot.         June is always a great time for eco tours! The bald eagles are

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SUPing on Saturday by Bob Collins

Growing Degree Days 36.4; ocean temperature, 43 degrees; forsythias, just started blooming; those are plain COLD facts. Worse, Carly got a SUP for Christmas and has not had it in the water, until today!   Despite being pretty stiff, Carly and I headed out onto the Assawoman Canal by Jefferson Bridge Road. This is a good spot early in the year, sheltered and relatively warm. Certainly it’s a good spot to get the cobb-webs off.   We headed south, with the current and took a cut into Jefferson Creek. From there, it winds a little, broadens a lot, and if you’re careful about some shallows (the water is clear now, so on a SUP you can really see bottom well), you come into the heart of what I call Jefferson Bay. We had the wind

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What I Did This Winter by Cap’n Bob

Back in the old days, teachers’ first assignment for their students was to have them write “What I Did Last Summer.”  Summers for me since 2003 have been filled with guiding tours, teaching sailing and kayaking, and being a general beach bum at Coastal Kayak. Now, Jen and Mitch want me to share “What I Did This Winter.”  Being older (and wiser) than fellow guide Tim Bennett, I didn’t launch my kayak in an area that required dodging ice floes and icebergs.  I know what happened to RMS Titanic. Instead, my wife and I loaded kayaks, bicycles, fishing rods, the Harley and other assorted toys into our fifth-wheel toy hauler and headed to snow-free Florida for a couple of months. The highlights:  kayaking with dolphin and alligators, bicycling the 20-mile roundtrip Legacy Trail between Sarasota

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What we do in the winter continued…

I know that it is almost Spring (according to the calendar anyway!) so maybe we'll call these posts "What we do in the off-season". It is an understatement to say that this winter has been a rough one! So our employees that have 'real jobs' and stay at the beach in the winter have had to be creative in their entertainment these last few months. Tim Bennett has worked for Coastal Kayak since 2005. His "real job" is as a Wildlife Conservation Officer for Delaware Fish and Wildlife. So he is outdoors all year long. His favorite part of his job with Fish and Wildlife is being able to watch the wildlife, especially owls, as they nest, have babies, and grow through out the seasons. The cold weather has not kept him indoors, even in

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What we do in the winter, continued…

Jim Bourke started working for Coastal Kayak in 2007 when he sold his hardware store in Baltimore and moved to the beach. He is a Level 2 ACA Kayak Instructor, a Level 2 ACA Stand Up Paddleboard Instructor, and a fish whisperer. Jim and Debbie had fantastic plans for this winter. They have a travel trailer and were going to spend most of the winter traveling in the sunny warmth of Florida. A couple of their favorite spots are Melbourne Beach, Bahia Honda, and Flamingo in Everglades National Park. But Debbie had a nasty, nasty knee lock-up and they had to make a bee line back to Delaware just in time for the coldest weather in a couple of decades - the Polar Vortex. She got in to the doctor quickly so we hope that

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What do we do in the winter? continued…

Neil's had the magic touch with the fish this fall! Mostly from his kayak but he caught this beautiful redfish off of the beach. Neil has guided for us since 2010. He is a retired microbiology professor from Ohio State University and did a lot of white water paddling before moving back to the beach. This winter he plans to build a kayak, go to Florida for a few days to do some SUP and long board surfing, and get to Jackson Hole for some skiing. And, of course, continue to harass the fish when it's not too freezing!

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What do we do in the winter?

Customers always want to know what our guides do over the winter. So over the next couple of weeks we'll fill you in on our plans and activities - a few exciting adventures planned and a lot of normal everyday stuff, too! Sarah has worked for us as a guide since 2006. She is also a beloved 6th grade science teacher aka Miz B. A few weeks ago she lost her best buddy, Moe. But on Friday, she brought home her new addition - the laid-back, lovely Luna, a rescued pitbull from the Delaware SPCA. Over the winter, Sarah will be teaching, working a couple of shifts at the Cottage Cafe when needed, and getting to know Luna. By spring, she hopes to be able to get Luna on a paddleboard! Sarah is also thinking

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Nanticoke Exploration

Last week, the day before we went to a 7 day/week schedule, I went for a little paddle on my own. I'd been wanting to paddle the upper portions of the Nanticoke River. It was a windy day here at the beach so it seemed like a perfect day to go inland. I launched at Blades Marina and headed upriver for about 6 miles, just a little past the Old Furnance Road bridge. I got a late start (of course) so I had to turn around way before I wanted to. It was a beautiful paddle though - lots of sweet smelling flowers in bloom. It was populated most of the way up the river with some beautiful waterfront homes. I was amazed at how trash-free the entire trip was - no floating bottles, no

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