Squirt Boating

There's always something new. Well, new to me anyway. I first spotted this video over at Beach Pebbles.

It's called squirt boating, and uses a boat similar to a river kayak, but with a much smaller profile and volume. Plus the boat is mostly underwater -- in fact, some maneuvers, as in the video above involve the boat, and thus the paddler, being completely underwater. Cool stuff!
Here's another clip:

Ocean River Gear Grab

If it's the end of September, it must be the Ocean River Fall Gear Grab. Louise and I headed down just before the sale started....

...and found ourselves at the end of a long line of bargain hunters. We waded into the crowd but didn't find anything to buy ourselves as we are well stocked for kayak gear. Yeah, I know -- that's not something real kayakers usually say.

We did find Richard wandering through the crowd looking like he was asleep. This was because Richard had just woken up and was still asleep.

We decided that he desperately needed coffee so we headed off to a local coffee shop. But first we checked out the new Delta Ten.

Launching Pepiotel

So back about a week ago, Paula and I attended the launch of a new canoe here in Cadboro Bay. Over the summer, as we walked across the University of Victoria campus, we watched a cedar log appear beside the new First Nations building. Then one of those temporary garage structures (a framework and tarp thing), and finally a bunch of sawdust, shavings, and bits of wood. And, over the weeks, a new canoe. When we heard that the canoe, named Pepiotel, was going to be launched on "our" beach, and that the ceremony was open to the public, we made a point of showing up.
Pepiotel--in the local First Nations culture, canoes are treated as living individuals--was brought down to the water early in the morning on September 15th and lifted off the trailer and onto a couple of sawhorses, and then to a couple of beach logs.
    Pepiotel has an interesting shape; it's not the symmetric cigar shape I've come to expect of canoes. Rather, the canoe widens from the front to about 4/5ths of the way back, then abruptly narrows to the stern.




    It also reminded me of a dory shape, where a flat, shaped bottom has angled sides attached to it. The bow also had an interesting groove shaped into it, the purpose of which I never did find out.
    I thought it was interesting that the elders were brought in to cleanse the boat before its launch. I wouldn't have thought that a new boat had had time to develop any bad habits to cleanse from it, but perhaps the ritual was intended to suit the tree to its new status as horizontal boat rather than vertical tree. The ritual itself was interesting--we were told we could take pictures or footage, but that they preferred that there be no sound recording of the ceremony. The ceremony was quick--there was one elder on each side of the boat, chanting a prayer (I'm assuming it was a prayer) and patting the sides of the canoe, with one hand on the outside and one on the inside. They worked from the stern to the bow, and then repeated the action. A few speeches later, and the canoe was lifted into the water.
    Pepiotel, it was explained to us, was the name of the group of three stars on the front of the canoe. The condensed version of the story is that three duck hunters were transformed into stars and placed in the sky together. Now they appear together when it is time to hunt ducks. We never did hear why they were transformed....
    Pepiotel the canoe floated quite high in the water--as you would expect from a wide, flat-bottomed boat. The first crew hopped into the boat and were drummed away from shore and off around the bay.  Pepiotel wasn't the only human-powered boat in the bay; during the ceremony a poly sit-on-top/canoe/undecked kayak was launched, and a small zodiac-style inflatable was rowed in to shore. After the fist paddle, the opportunity to paddle Pepiotel was offered to anyone who wanted the chance--Paula, naturally, leapt at the opportunity . Her report was that the canoe had a low initial stability, but firmed up as it picked up speed. The high, flared sides would also increase its secondary stability.
    All in all, a fascinating morning. You can check out the video below.

Making believe it's June

Starting back into the regular Monday-Friday routine concentrates the mind. Forecast of 10-15 westerly knots (again) notwithstanding, it was paddle Sunday or not at all, and the day that I got made me regret all the similar days I passed up.

(But I am not gloating, really, only on this particular day, the east won.)

It was Parc de la Rivière again: Bixi to the Metro, Metro to Cartier station, STM 73 bus in the direction of Fabreville - Laval, bless them, puts the direction of travel on the buses, unlike Montreal. Arrive just after 9 am in noticeably slanted morning light at the Embarcations, and stake my claim on a Kayak de Mer, the doughty orange Kasko.

I'm ashamed to say that I've only paddled the Parc once this summer, back in mid June, the continually taunting weather reports having fed into my third-book-and-trilogy completion neurosis; I kept procrastinating, waiting for a day with no wind forecast. When I was out in June I was impressed by how low the water already was. It made me appreciate that last winter had been dry. Last year in the early summer I was able to paddle through trees (and get munched on by flies), and venture into the marsh; this year, even the turtle pull-outs were well up the bank, the marsh was impassible beyond a short, narrow channel, a number of shortcuts, like the one out of the lagoon in front of the launch site, were above the water level. I'm simply not used to the water going away and not coming back 6 hours or so later. I found myself thinking that the originator of the expression 'letting the grass grow under one's feet' as a measure of indolence had not observed river grass invading an exposed bank. There was no way of telling from the grasses alongside the river that that part was underwater a year ago. Today it was even more of the same. In a lot of places, if I'd tipped, I'd have been sucking mud, and if I'd banged my head on a rock, I might have been rediscovered like Lyuba, the baby mammoth in a million years or so. Although when I did wobble interestingly, it was because I was probing for the bottom with my paddle in what turned out to be a deep spot.

I took what has become my usual route, out the east end of the lagoon, and past Île Gagnon, where the water was extremely shallow, the bottom muddy and rocky, and I was conscious of tucking my tailbone up in anticipation of the grinding beneath. Up the south side of the river, under the Autoroute des Laurentides and the footbridge to Île Locas, checking out the completed swallows nests on the underside as I went - I'd watched the foundations being laid when I was out in June, beakful by beakful of dark river mud, trying to figure out whether one plan ruled construction or not. And then on to the marsh. This post was nearly entitled "500 geese, a dozen herons, and me." This panorama, taken from beside the lookout on the edge of the marsh, should give the idea (note, those speckles are geese).



I let myself drift very slowly through a gap between goose-gangs, and discovered a dredged channel leading into the marsh, which terminated abruptly in a wall of black mud and sticks. I don't think beavers were involved. If they were, no waterway is safe.

As last year, the great blue herons were out of their usual exclusive neighbourhood in the marsh, and scattered up and down the water's edge west of des Laurentides, each one apparently aspiring to solitude. They seemed touchier than usual, and though I wasn't trying to spook them, even when I swung over to the other side of the channel it didn't seem far enough. Though there was the one I came on as I rounded a bend; it froze, I froze, and we played statues as the wind pushed me gently past and away. I also spotted a number of kingfishers dashing between islands, and some small white-bellied shorebirds I could not identify. No swallows, scattered dragonflies, and whatever moved beneath the water's surface was safely hidden in mud. The water-lilies were looking tattered and tired, and there were scattered mats of purple river-plants.

Wind, yes, there was wind, intermittently. But there were spells of calm, allowing full appreciation of the flotillas of round cumuli proceeding overhead with perhaps just a little too much despatch to be stately. This panorama was taken at the furthest west extent of the Parc, at the tip of Île de Mai looking west. One day I shall go beyond ...



I rounded the tip and came down channel between Île de Mai and Laval, brazenly floating down the middle of the channel while munching on a roasted mushroom and chevre panini, something I'd never have dared do in the middle of summer. I paused to admire and take pictures of a weeping willow planted above a wall and draping down almost to the water. While I was doing that, the first power boat of the day passed by, sending the water sloshing and my kayak rocking. Then I swung back over to make a pit-stop on Île Chabon, muttering 'I must do more of this' as I floundered to dismount onto a steeply sloping beach. Two or three canoes had reached the lookout and the geese had scattered. Then I paddled back the way I had come through the channel towards the des Laurentides bridge. I was well into my fourth hour and a day rental, so I paddled around the north side of Île de Jiufs, but had decided to cut myself off at 5 hours and get the 2:30-something bus, so back into the lagoon, which was crowded with single and double kayaks and two person canoes, heading out to enjoy a gorgeous warm afternoon. Would that it had been June!

My fake GPS plot - just Alison 'taking a line for a walk' as we used to call it in kindergarten. Unfortunately, I can't recall where I got this image from, or I would have updated it to show the difference between then and now.

It's Raining Again

We kept a wary eye on the weather during the last week as the forecast outlook for our usual Sunday morning paddle was dubious at best. September is often sunny and warm in these parts, but as as the last few days of summer 2010 wind down, misty gloom and rain has been the order of the day. This morning was no exception, but instead of just the expected rain, we woke to fog and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms are a real rarity here, and today's thunderclaps brought with them squalls of torrential rain unlike any we have seen here in a while.

We went down to Cadboro Bay, our semi-regular launch spot, not to hit the water, but to pick up Paula for a coffee. That's when the floodgates opened and the water hit us! I've never heard rain so loud before. I was soaked in seconds while thunder boomed overhead. What a way to find that my supposed waterproof jacket isn't.

In the end, we probably should have stayed in like these two.

Will Disguising Your Kayak As An Orca Deter Shark Attacks?

White shark (Photo by Callaghan Fritz-Cope, Pelagic Shark Research Foundation)

Following up on yesterday's post which as an aside mentioned recent shark attacks on kayaks, today the California Outdoors Q and A blog posted an article about whether disguising your kayak hull to resemble an Orca (including towing a pair of "fins") will scare away great white sharks.
The short answer is probably not, but if the shark mistakes your tricked-out orca-kayak for a seal, look out! Read the full article here.

Kayak Balance Stool

Find yourself sitting at home wishing you were in your kayak in the waves? This might be the next best thing -- all you need is someone to stand nearby and throw the occasional bucket of salty water in your face!
It's a home-built kayak balacing stool (spotted on boing-boing, but it originates at Homegrown Evolution.) The author decided to build his own gym equipment after he took a few kayaking lessons which "showcased my inflexible hamstrings," and he hopes that a few minutes a day will increase his flexibilty beyond that of "a ginger-bread man." Easy to make, the blog entry includes easy to follow instructions (basically, nail three pieces of wood together), and sarcastic comments from his wife.
He's not the first person to think of this, of course. Here's another example from the website of the guy who was recently attacked in his kayak by a great white shark. And while we're on the topic of sharks, here's an article recounting that attck and another recent shark attack on a kayaker, and what can you do if a great white attacks you. (The short version? Nothing will help you. The shark will decide all by itself if it's going to eat you, and there's not much you can do to change its mind.)

Rain Paddle

Sunday dawned drizzly, and John sent a note out saying we'd meet at the coffee shop instead of Telegraph Bay. But there was no way Alison was going to miss out on a chance to paddle her dear Kestrel that she left with her mom & dad when she moved to Montreal. She didn't check her e-mail before loading up and heading out.

When she didn't find us on the beach, she came back to look at the two coffee shops in Cadboro Bay Village. Sunny days find us at an outside table in front of Olive Olio's. (Yes, the tables take up at least two parking spots. Get over it -- they've been there for years and there's plenty of room for bikes.) Rainy days often find us at the Starbucks kitty-corner across the street, but on Sunday we found an inside table on that curved bench at Olive Olio's.

So we solved the world's problems for a while, then Alison and I resolved to go on the water, rain or no rain. As Brian Henry of Ocean River says, if you have the right gear there's no such thing as bad weather. Here are some shots John took, with Louise watching me walk my boat down to the shore (I loooove living right at the beach!) and cheering Alison on as she unloaded her boat from her car's roof.

The rain was really just a drizzle at worst by then. And the sea was calm, except where a big seal was fishing near Flower Island. We went out to Jemmy Jones Island, crossing a couple of currents that were just sliding along on an ebb tide. Alison got some good photos of a heron in the kelp. Over at Cadboro Point, the light stood above waters that were quietly flowing. The rain was just a mist as we circled in and out of the rocks and rode the current. We startled some otters on the rocks, and they ran.

If I'd checked the currents for Sunday, we'd have popped over to the Chathams, as the freight train was not looking scary at all. Unfortunately, we both knew that half an hour can make a great deal of difference for the currents that flow through Baynes channel. And we saw another group on their way back from the Chains, which suggested that the currents were due to pick up before long.

A baby harbour seal popped up while fishing, and stared wide-eyed at us. Or maybe he didn't like us talking all along our way. We did keep chattering, back across the bay and along to the beach... well, it was only an hour and a half, of course we were able to find plenty to talk about. Another time we'll go out to the Chathams or the Chains, but this day was good enough on its own.

A Wet Day

The soggy days of Fall have arrived a few weeks early. Often September here can be warm and sunny but so far this year the nickname of The We(s)t Coast is totally apropos.
The rains came in early last evening and scuttled our paddling plans for the day, forcing us to move to Plan B, an early morning gathering for caffeine and baked goods. But Alison, on the last days of her visit to the island, didn't get the memo and strapped her kayak on the her car and headed to the launch point. When no one else showed up, she drove to the local coffee shop and there we were!
So after an hour or so spent curing most of society's ills, and [WARNING: GRATUITOUS BOOK PLUG AHEAD] after Alison signed a copy of her latest novel for Louise....

...Paula volunteered to paddle in the rain with Alison. So they headed to the beach...


...while the rest of us weather-wimps went to nearby Mystic Pond and looked at the ducks.

Mega-Yacht Marina Project to Go Ahead

The developer behind the propsed mega-yacht marina planned for Victoria's Inner Harbour announced it will carry on with the project despite the city's rezoning of the marine lots that will limit the size of the marina and reduce its scope. As reported by the Victoria Times-Colonist this morning, "the company had wanted to build two one-storey commercial buildings on water lots they own at the site, along with a marina on a leased 2.63-hectare provincially owned water lot for 52 boats ranging in size from 65 to 135 feet. But after hearing from more than 40 speakers — mostly opposed to the size and scope of the proposed Victoria International Marina — Victoria councillors rezoned the water lot Tuesday night, effectively shrinking the number of slips that can be built to between 26 and 28 from the desired 52."
However, the spokesperson for the company now says that amenities planned to placate the local paddling community which, among other groups, has vigorously opposed the project may have to be scrapped. These include a kayak launch and landing dock, and paddler right of way through the marina. "It's hard to see where we can actually fit them," he said.
"There's not so much an obvious place now but we'll have a look. They were always a nice fit. We liked the idea of paddlers being able to stop in and have a coffee at the café or go visit friends. It gave a nice feel to the project."
(We liked the idea of being able to paddle in the area without risking getting run over by 135-foot yachts, and maintaining the way of life of the people who actually live in this city and use the harbour all year. But I digress.)
In an editorial on the subject, the Times-Colonist notes the failures of every level of government in dealing with this issue:

The last-minute decision is unfair to the proponents and the public. It sends a negative message to potential investors, who must now wonder if their efforts will be sabotaged by a last-minute change in the rules.
And the rezoning offers no assurance that the concerns raised by project opponents will be addressed.
The last-minute rezoning is the result of a series of failures. The city failed, over the years, to put in place proper zoning (apparently in part because the provincial government wasn't keen, though it's hard to see why that mattered). The federal government's review process failed to allow public input or address a wide range of concerns. The provincial government, as owner of a water lot necessary for the project, failed to consider the public interest in deciding whether to lease the property for the marina.

The biggest failure is the failure of all levels of government to not listen to the people they serve. We don't want a marina there. The provincial government is currently facing the consequences of not learning this lesson with the HST issue and its backlash -- the other levels of government would be wise to pay attention.

A Solution Only A Lawyer Could Love

In a classic political compromise that left no one happy, Victoria city council voted last night to rezone the site for the proposed Mega Yacht Marina for the Inner Harbour. This will allow the marina to proceed, but on a much smaller scale. Needless to say, neither side is happy.
According to the Victoria Times-Colonist, "[t]he city-initiated move eliminates heavy-industrial uses at the site, and reduces the proposed marina's footprint by prohibiting structures such as piers and wharves in part of the provincially-owned water lot in front of the Songhees area of Victoria West."
However, the spokesperson for the developer said that the rezoning will result in the loss of public amenities as part of the project. "The removal of over 40 per cent of useful water space from the eastern and western ends of the marina will make it exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to deliver public access amenities that have been volunteered such as kayak launch and landing docks," the spokesperson said.
Opposition to the plan has been plentiful and constant, particularly from the local paddling community. To quote the Times-Colonist again:

Opposition to the plan from some residents and harbour users has been persistent and loud. Speaker after speaker addressed council in support of the downzoning — with many saying it didn't go far enough. The number supporting the council's action vastly out numbered those opposed.
Leading off was former Victoria mayor Peter Pollen, who called the marina proposal "grotesque."
Proponents say the facility would bring revenue to the city as wealthy boat owners spend money on everything from supplies to boat repairs. But Pollen said it would actually be a storage marina for mostly foreign-owned mega-yachts.
To suggest that such a marina had approval when he was mayor is a misrepresentation, he said.
"It was a concept but there wasn't any approval of city council," Pollen said.
Opponents, some of whom are residents of the Royal Quays condominiums at Songhees, said the proposed marina would be out of place and spoil the harbour and walkway.
They also worry that the project would block views, make the harbour unsafe for other water users and obstruct paddlers.

The development process has been cumbersome and confusing, with many people of both sides unsure of who the final authority is in this situation, and no level of government willing to step up and take ownership of the decision. A spokesperson for Save Victoria Harbour told B-Channel news before the meeting that "...I would really like to see is the provincial government to step up and listen to the electorate and just deny the lease, it’s that simple. The province is saying it’s up to the city, but the city’s hands are really tied. The property belongs to the province; it’s the province that can stop it."
Some council members took other levels of government to task for their handling of the proposal. As reported by CBC, Councillor John Luton "criticized the higher levels of government for their lack of public consultation. Neither the federal nor provincial governments has held public meetings on the marina proposal, and federal reports that approve the plan have not been released to the public," while a local resident told the council she believed the mega-yacht marina would harm the public good: "It's not just about kayakers. It's not just about the residents of the Songhees. It's about all the residents of this whole city. We all use the downtown area, the harbour area, and we all enjoy its beauty."
Local federal MP Keith Martin believes the marina will raise congestion in the harbour, creating an accident waiting to happen. He told local radio this morning that he thinks "...due dilligence hasn't happened in terms of a safety perspective in looking at this marina. Move the marina somewhere else, but not in the harbour. It is, as far as I can see, a significant potential hazard to health."
The developer was not thrilled with the result either. As reported by C-Fax, the developer's spokesperson said, "The rezoning really is a blunt instrument which results in a political compromise which really satisfies nobody. I don't think the rezoning satisfies what the public was looking for, those that spoke in opposition, and it doesn't satisfy you know those that spoke in favour, and us as the proponent. So I don't think there's any winners in this process tonight."
The developer gave no indication whether it would proceed with a scaled-down version of the marina.

B-Channel News has published an in-depth info page on the issue with lots of interviews and videos. That page is here.
Below is one of the videos, an interview with a local paddler describing his concerns on paddling in the harbour after the marina is built.

Not Quite How We Planned It

Although the sun is still shining and the days are still warm, the occasional cool autumn breeze has made its way to these shores. We weren't so sure about the wind forecast for our paddle yesterday, but as we put in it was clear that the winds were not going to be much of a factor. Scattered clouds rolled in front of the warm sun as Alison, Louise and I headed out to the point of Albert Head.


Here, we found seals. Lots of seals.



Frankly, the point was crawling with them. We considered using "The Shortcut," a small channel that cuts the end off of Albert Head and shaves a couple of minutes off the trip around the point, but as I poked my nose in to determine if the tide was high enough for it to be navigable, I disturbed about a dozen seals who quickly lurched off the rocks and into water. We decided that we'd clearly overstayed our welcome here in seal country and decided not to go around the point. Further, we discovered that Alison had never paddled in the opposite direction from Albert Head to Esquimalt Lagoon, so we decided to alter our plan and paddle the other way.


After a nice paddle along the shore, we tried to enter the lagoon itself, but the entrance was too shallow and the current too quick. Although facing forward, Alison is actually going backwards in this picture.


We spent a few minutes drifting around the lagoon entrance where I snapped a couple of pictures (well, 40 actually) of this heron fishing in the surf before we headed back.




Trip Length: 13.30 km
YTD: 207.63 km
More pictures are here.

New Vancouver Island Circumnavigation Speed Record

Yesterday evening, Joe O'Blenis arrived in Nanaimo and completed a circumnavigation (1,150 km) of Vancouver Island in a new record time; 16 days, 12 hours and 9 minutes. He regains the record that he lost from Sean Morley in 2008.
Joe might have been even faster had he not run into equipment problems at Tofino and lost the most of a day.
Congrats, Joe!

And another one rides the puff

Kayaking is good for relaxation. I've spent most of the weekend working on the first chapter of a short novel. Previously when writing a novel, I usually write it first and then try sending it to publishers. The only one I sold, I sent an outline and first three chapters first. This time, I'm pitching as fast as I write it -- so writing this project is something that has me thinking in all directions. I need to relax, so kayaking is good.
I got out in my little inflatable, and headed out in my usual direction. Out to Flower, looking around at the wind and current. A wee bit more than I'd like for going around Flower, so I just looked out at the day. Drank a little water from the spiffy steel vaccuum bottle that Paddlefest gave to me. Turned back.
At little Stein Island, I saw a canoe ducking in to the sheltered side of the islet. A moment later, a woman and little girl came walking around the rocky shore. "We're claiming the island!" the woman said gaily. We chatted about the nature sanctuary on all these little islands. The woman resolved that they wouldn't stay long, and they would walk only on the rock, not across the moss and grasses. There might be bird's nests. There was certainly enough otter poop to make this a nature sanctuary!
And at Sheep Cove, I saw another inflatable coming along the shore. This kayak had the same colours mine had. And the grey-haired woman paddling it looked up at me and said, "Well, it's you! You're the reason I bought this boat."
She had seen me paddling, and resolved to get her own little kayak like mine. Her partner has a sailboat, and she found the new model of this kayak at West Marine. "I think that every foot you add to a boat's length, you separate yourself from the water," she said.
Talk about wow.
So Chris, hope you enjoy the kayak as much as I do!

Ayum Creek Restoration

The Capital Regional District is busy restoring parkland again. This time it's in Ayum Creek Regional Park. That's a little park right by where we launch our kayaks into Cooper Cove and head out into Sooke Basin. The park at Ayum Creek is one of several where fish habitat is being restored. Here's the Media Release just sent out by CRD Parks:

Media Release
For Immediate Release
September 2, 2010
Fish Habitat Restoration Project at Ayum Creek Regional Park Reserve
Victoria, BC – The Capital Regional District is partnering with the South Islands Aquatic Stewardship Society (SIASS) to undertake a fish habitat restoration project at Ayum Creek Regional Park Reserve in the district of Sooke. The work is taking place the week of September 1 and will not impact park visitors.
“Ayum Creek has very high value for chum and coho spawning,” said James Hamly, project coordinator for South Islands Aquatic Stewardship Society. “There has been extensive habitat restoration over the last twelve years, however, some of the work is in need of mitigation. We will be repairing a riffle and preventing further erosion to the stream bank to improve fish habitat.”
“Regional Parks recently completed a management plan for Ayum Creek, with primary emphasis on conserving and restoring the ecosystems and biodiversity of the creek,” said Lloyd Rushton, CRD Parks and Community Services General Manager. “This small park reserve protects the stream-fed estuary of Ayum Creek, which empties into the Sooke Basin. It is one of the few remaining estuaries in the region.”
Funding for the fish restoration project is provided by the CRD Regional Parks, SIASS, and the Pacific Salmon Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization that works in concert with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Ministry of Environment in fostering salmon recovery.
For further information, please contact:
Laurie Sthamann, Communications Coordinator
CRD Regional Parks
Tel: 250.360.3332 cell: 250.889.8030
lsthamann@crd.bc.ca
www.crd.bc.ca/parks

Didn't Anyone Tell Him That Sharks Have Sharp, You Know, Teeth?

I first spotted this at the always interesting SimonWillis.net, but it originates here.
Chuck Patterson was stand-up-paddling with some friends when sharks circled them for a few minutes. Sensing a video opportunity, Chuck returned the next day on his SUP board with a GoPro camera mounted on a pole. Sure enough, a 3-metre great white was soon circling his board. Check out this vid:

Me my Shark and I from Chuck Patterson on Vimeo.