Dear Kayakers, I'm glad you enjoyed a trip around the Elizabeth Islands. They are truely one of the last pieces of unspoiled coastline on the East Coast. The sheltered waters and scenery make them ideal for poking around in small boats of all descriptions. The inshore waters also have incredible fishing. In fact the description of your Naushon Is. circumnavigation made interesting reading until I got to the part about your climbing the hill opposite Weepeckit Is. for a look around. As you speculated earlier, while at Tarpaulin Cove, it is a miracle the islands have remained unspoiled so close to crowded Cape Cod. This 'miracle' comes because Nonomesset, Uncateena, Naushon, Pasque, and Nashawena are all privately owned by a single extended family that cares to leave undeveloped what could more profitably have been turned into condos. In order to preserve the owners' privacy and maintain the islands in the face of campers, litterers, thieves, arsonists, hunters, and others, they are all strictly no trespassing. Several of the nicest beaches are open to the public for picnics (but no fires or overnight camping) and several are reserved for family members. Open beaches include Tarpaulin Cove on the south shore, and Crescent Beach and Kettle Cove Beach on the north shore, as well as Weepeckit Is. In no case is it permissible for the public to go beyond the back of the beach and definitely not to climb Mt. Surat, as it is called. Finally, you should know that although it looks harmless, because it is an island ecosystem, Naushon has an unusually high tick population, with numerous documented cases of Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. People who do trespass beyond the sand should alert their doctors to their having been exposed to these diseases if they become sick. I would appreciate it if you are going to post information about kayaking around the Elizabeths (which is a great idea) that you please note that the islands are private and refer interested parties to the public beaches. Thanks, David Gregg, Naushon Shareholder
On behalf of all the kayakers and boaters that have enjoyed landing on the publicly accessible portions of Naushon, I would like to thank the shareholders of Naushon for making those places available. I would also like to apologize for any times that we, through ignorance, have trespassed where we shouldn't have. Thanks again for an unspoiled part of the world.
Nick