Photo by Daniel Carr

Become a Member and get MITA’s annual Guidebook

Information in the guidebook, alongside road maps and nautical charts, should give you a sense for what region would be appropriate to your skills, boat and interests. If you see an area on the charts that appears to offer sheltered paddling or a good anchorage, check the Guidebook and see what MITA islands are nearby. If you find a certain island in the Guidebook that intrigues you, look it up on your nautical chart and Atlas to see how exposed it might be or how far it is from the nearest put-in. Join today>>

Find Crew/Sailing opportunities

Points East has a crew match portion of their website with posts for people looking for crew and crew opportunities. Visit http://www.pointseast.com/crewmatch.shtml for more information.
The MITA Forum has a forum page (http://www.mita.org/forum) dedicated to crew opportunities.

Connect with a kayaking group or Guide

MASKGI - Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors

If you're looking for a sea kayak guide in Maine, MASKGI is the right place. The Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising professional standards for those guiding and teaching sea kayaking on the Maine Coast. On their website find a list of companies and individuals by region with links to web sites and e-mail addresses. Each member has committed to embrace the highest professional business practices and Standards. Visit http://www.maineseakayakguides.com/ for more details.

NSPN - North Shore Paddlers Network

NSPN is a friendly network of paddlers, based on the North Shore of Massachusetts, who enjoy getting together for sea kayaking and related activities. Its members range from a casual paddlers to racers, bird watchers to surfers, day-trippers to expedition adventurers and everything in between. Visit www.NSPN.org for details.

SMSKN - Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network

SMSKN is a network of sea kayakers who get together to paddle, learn, and socialize. It's an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. Network members range from novice to advanced paddlers and activities include trips, shared learning opportunities practice sessions, and networking events. For more information visit www.smskn.org.

MDI Paddlers

MDI Paddlers is an informal group of sea kayakers who enjoy exploring the waters around Mount Desert Island all year long. Its members practice low-impact recreation and actively engage in stewardship on the islands they visit. For more information or to join the group on a paddle, visit: http://mdipaddlers.wordpress.com/

Research launch ramps

DeLorme’s Maine Atlas and Gazetteer provides detailed road maps, with a scale of a half inch equaling one mile. Boat launch ramps have their own symbol on the Atlas. (Keep in mind that some of the marked ramps are private and others have no parking, so be prepared to seek an alternate spot to put in.) Looking over ramp options and the larger islands named on the maps can help with your initial trip plotting. The Atlas is available through bookstores, outdoor equipment stores, and DeLorme (800-452-5931). The State of Maine has created an online listing of all public boat launches in the State for both fresh and tidal waters: http://www.maine.gov/doc/parks/programs/boating/sitelist.html

More information on boat launches appears in the MITA Guide.

Locate nautical charts

Don’t embark without securing a current nautical chart for the region where you will be traveling. (Refer to the NOAA nautical chart index on each page of the MITA Guide to determine what chart(s) you’ll need.) If your local marine supply store doesn’t have what you want, contact West Marine (800-262-8464), Hamilton Marine (800-639-2715), DeLorme (800-452-5931) or Waterproof Charts (800-423-9026).

Locate shoreside lodgings

While camping options exist on many Trail Islands, MITA encourages the use of shoreside accommodations whenever possible as a way to reduce environmental impacts on popular islands.

You can find lodging from the following sources:

Maine Campground Owners Association
10 Falcon Road, Suite 1
Lewiston, ME 04240
207-782-5874
www.campmaine.com

Maine Innkeepers Association
304 US Route 1
Freeport, ME 04032
207-865-6100
www.maineinns.com

Maine Tourism Association
327 Water Street
Hallowell, ME 04347
207-623-0363
www.mainetourism.com

The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer
DeLorme Publishing
Yarmouth, ME 04096
800-452-5931
www.delorme.com

Hot Showers! Maine Coast Lodgings for Kayakers and Sailors [2nd edition]
by Lee Bumsted
Audenreed Press, 2000
www.biddle-audenreed.com/kayak.html

Know the laws regarding shoreline access

Click on the link to view Public Shoreline Access in Maine: A Citizen's Guide to Ocean and Coastal Law, a publication of Maine Sea Grant.