Solo paddles from Odiorne Point

Date: July 2025
Category: Kayaking
Type: Post

July 21, 2025

Emilie Phillips

To get the kayaking season started, Emilie headed out to Odiorne Point near Portsmouth NH a few times. The first was on Juneteenth that I had off work, and another day was just too nice to pass up. By using the Honda Fit with the lower roof and long bars, I’m able to get my kayak on and off the car by myself. The Juneteenth trip I went south from the harbor because it was pea soup foggy. I was not going to cross the Portsmouth Harbor channel with no visibility. As it was, I gave up trying to stay in sight of shore and getting stuck in dead ends between the rocks. Instead I just listened for the sound of waves to my right. I found Rye Harbor based on total distance traveled according to the InReach mini tracker I had running on my PDF.

The next chance I got to go paddling was mid July. This day was sunny but windy. I opted to stay in Portsmouth Harbor for my planned paddle. But then by the time I got to Fort Foster Park at the tip of Gerrish Island, I still had plenty of time and energy left. So I continued on to Seapoint Beach. While I ate my second snack, I watched the wind blow sand across the beach and into my kayak. I still had more time and enthusiasm, so I continued north off the edge of my chart. My GPS says I made it almost to York Harbor before turning around. I could see the lighthouse. Back at the Wood Island Life Saving Station at the entrance to Portsmouth Harbor, the extra distance and wind caught up to me. I was pretty beat by the time I got back to the put in.