Whoa! Those are some killer pictures, thanks for posting.

Nice pictures. I think my favorite is this one.
Rich, just like in paddling, a better camera isn't going to make you a better photographer (unfortunately). It's all about learning how to compose an image. Probably the biggest problem with most point and shoots is often everything is in focus so there's not a clear subject in the photo and no depth.
In the photo I linked above, there's an out of focus foreground and background that provide depth to the image and draw your attention to the center and the paddler. Rather then spending a lot of money on a new camera, check out Ken Rockwell's site and especially this page there. There's also this site, The Best Camera, which I haven't explored nearly as much as Ken's, but looks very promising.
Again, awesome pictures and nice to see some up close shots.