Ocean Kayaking on a Warm October Day - Little Hog Island, Hog Island, Sellers Island, and Big Babson Island (Brooklin)

I am not ashamed to admit that I'm a fair-weather kayaker, tending to limit my paddling from late May to early September.  With the high temperature forecast to be 75 degrees today, I donned my wetsuit and headed out to the Naskeag Point Boat Launch in Brooklin.

There are four publicly accessible islands within a short distance of the Naskeag ramp.  The first, Little Hog Island, is an one acre island managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands located less than 0.5 miles from the boat ramp.  Little Hog allows camping for up to four people in the small wooded interior of the island.  

My next stop was the 72 acre Hog Island, immediately adjacent to Little Hog Island.  The island is owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and has three platform campsites.  I spent time exploring the island and its campsites before heading off to Sellers Island.

Like Little Hog Island, the one acre Sellers Island is managed by the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands and allows camping for up to eight people.  It was nearly high tide when I arrived and rather than land and explore the island I chose instead to just circumnavigate it.  

After leaving Sellers Island, I left Neskeag Harbor and paddled to Big Banson Island, a decent-sized island around 1.2 miles southeast of the boat ramp.  The island is owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust and has a trail that circles its perimeter.  I began to hike the trail but my neoprene wetsuit and water shoes were not designed for hiking, so I gave up and paddled around the outside of the island instead.  

I stopped back at Hog Island on my return to the boat ramp and took a break to eat lunch.  

This was a great trip and there were few other people out on the water today.