The Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park in New Jersey offers unique flatwater paddling for canoeists and kayakers. Construction of the canal occurred throughout the 1830s for the purpose of transporting goods from New York and Philadelphia. The D&R Canal now offers tourism, paddling, fishing, history, running, biking and a lot more.

The St. Regis Canoe Area in the Adirondacks is a great region for beginner and experienced canoe campers. Don’t allow stories of the remoteness and seclusion of the Adirondacks unnerved you into thinking you can’t handle the Adirondacks. It’s not as remote as it’s made out to be.

Sure, there are areas of the park where you could find yourself in danger if lost or injured, but with common sense and a sensible plan you’ll do just fine. Many paddlers do the Adirondacks solo, but first time Adirondack trippers should choose to do it with a confident paddling partner.

There are several camping and access options available when visiting the St. Regis Canoe Area but be assured whatever option you choose you will have to portage while visiting the St. Regis Area. One of the most convenient ways to see the St. Regis area is to paddle to the St. Regis Pond and set a basecamp.

Getting to St. Regis Pond is easy, but it does require five short portages that begin at the Upper St. Regis Lake, or one longer portage from Little Clear Pond. From that St. Regis Pond basecamp you can explorer the many other canoe routes with only essential gear such as water and food, making portaging so much easier.

Click here for more information on the Adirondacks.

Maryland’s Antietam Creek is one paddling destination full of scenery, wildlife, excitement, but most importantly a great part of American history. The most convenient way to paddle the Antietam is to begin at Devil’s Backbone Park on Route 68 near Sharpsburg and you can choose between two takeouts. One being the Burnside Bridge takeout or paddle the 12 miles to the Potomac takeout. Paddling to the Potomac can take from 4-8 hours depending on your ambition.

Conditions 
During normal water conditions you’ll encounter swift current that may test your paddling skills. And there are ledges, rocks, strainers you’ll need to navigate. The creek is only a class 1, but at the end of the run, near the Potomac, you’ll encounter the class 2 Furnace Rapids. During high water levels this rapid may be a bit difficult for novices. Inexperienced paddlers may want to consider portaging this rapid.

Burnside’s Bridge
The Antietam Creek flows straight through the Antietam Battlefield at Burnside’s Bridge. This bridge was the location of one of the most famous battles of the Civil War. It was at this bridge a few hundred Confederate soldiers held off thousands of Union Soldiers for several hours. Unfortunately you can not dock your boat within 1000ft of the bridge. The best way to see the battlefield is to visit the Antietam National Park after you’ve completed your paddle.

Visit these Antietam Creek Website resources
Devil’s Backbone County Park - the launch point of the lower Antietam.

See more Antietam Creek canoeing and kayaking information and Antietam Creek canoeing photos.

Coast Guard navigation rules require sound signals to be made during periods of reduced visibility and when meeting, crossing and overtaking other vessels. Any vessel less than 39  feet in length may carry a whistle or horn, or some other means to make a loud sound signal to alert others of your presence in reduced visibility or your navigation intentions.

Sound Signals
Every vessel is required to carry a sound producing device and are required to sound signals any time that they are in close quarters and a risk of collision exists.

The term “short blast” means a blast of about one second.

The term “prolonged blast” means a blast of from four to six seconds.

The following signals are the only ones to be used to signal a vessel’s intentions (inland

rules only).

One short blast - I intend to change course to starboard.

Two short blasts - I intend to change course to port.

Three short blasts - I am operating astern propulsion (backing up).

Five or more short and rapid blasts - Danger or doubt signal (I don’t understand your intent).

For more information about portable boat air horns and sound signaling devices go to Falcon Signal Air Horns.

If you’ve been paddling for any length of time you’ve most likely experienced the challenges of finding the most convenient vehicle for transporting your boats. In past years vehicle choices were easier because of lower gas prices and vehicle designs that were more accommodating to transporting canoes and kayaks. But with gas prices nearing 3 dollars per gallon many of us seek a vehicle that will easily accomodate our boats yet achieve respectable gas mileage.

Hybrid SUVs
While I’m not yet convinced that current hybrid technology is reliable and cost effective, there are several hybrid SUVs on the market today for those of you in the hybrid camp. The Saturn Vue is one of those hybrids. At $22,000 and around 32 mpg highway this vehicle is available with 4WD, optional factory racks and canoe/kayak attachments. The Vue is considered a light hybrid, meaning the electric motor assists the gas engine but doesn’t power the vehicle itself.

The Mercury Mariner starts out at around $29,000 and gets around 33 mpg city and 29 highway. It comes with factory racks and a full-time 4WD system that automatically slips into 4WD when needed. This genuine full hybrid SUV attracts attention from pedestrians due to its silent approach. This SUV can run on electric alone for a short period of time.

The Toyota Prius is not a SUV but is worth mentioning due to its rated 60MPG and $20,000 price tag. This vehicle does not have tow hooks for tying down bow and stern lines and does not have a factory roof rack but may be fine for the occasional recreational paddler of short boats. This is not the recommended vehicle for someone who really gets out to paddle.

I Seek Low Maintenance Vehicles.
I spend my weekends seeking fun rather then washing and waxing my vehicles. Fact is, the more mud on my vehicle the more satisfied I am. So when I go car shopping I shop for low maintenance vehicles. With my lifestyle this means an SUV or truck in the $18,000 - $22,000 range. There are plenty of choices out there but once you begin to add basic options such 4WD, power options, and roof racks you are easily in the $28,000 - $30,000 range. This is a payment high enough to make me feel guilty for not dedicating my Saturday morning to wax on, wax off. There is the sensible option of purchasing a used SUV or truck. But with the high mileage I put on my vehicles, purchasing used often means major car repairs and maintenance within a year of my purchase. So for my next purchase I’m looking to buy new.

This is what I like so far. The new Jeep Patriot offers 4WD, 2.4 litre 172 HP engine, 5 speed manual transmission, power package, plenty of seating and capacity, around 26-28 MPG, and factory roof racks that offer the ability to transport several boats at once for under $20,000.

Other options include a CVT transmission, trail rated 4WD system and electronic gadgets for around $22,000. This is the kind of vehicle that looks great with mud on the exterior while loaded with paddling, camping or hunting gear. It’s a low cost vehicle, and from what I know so far, a low maintenance vehicle you will not feel guilty about abusing. And it comes with reasonable gas mileage which is very important these days.