Good Friday Paddle

Any Friday that you can paddle is a good Friday as far as I'm concerned. And today the church of Gaia was open for business.


It was a cloudy morning, but the rain for the day had already fallen. The sun occasionally tried to poke through, but for the most part we faced a solidly cloudy day. But it was calm and the sea was flat.
Today Lila joined us in the red Pamlico. She's only been in a kayak a few times so Louise, Paula and I knew we would be sticking close to shore today. We decided to try a trip down to Cattle Point again, the same route that we abandoned in the wind a few days ago.


It didn't take long until I spotted...

...a heron.

In fact the herons were out in force today. You pretty much couldn't spit without hitting a heron, although spitting at herons is not really recommended.

It seemed like there was a heron hiding behind every rock.


And there were a lot of harlequin ducks out, too.



As we headed back, we encountered a group of four ducks swimming along. They looked they might have been fishing. Here's one diving in front of me.

But when they surfaced, they headed towards Louise and Paula and began squawking and quacking. Their quacks sounded just like they were saying, "Redrum! Redrum! Redrum!" We found that very disconcerting, and gave them a lot of extra room, just in case one of them had an axe.


And after we passed by the sailboats we were home again.


Trip length: 8.47 km
YTD: 32.44
My photos are here.

Need a Rez-Q?

Here's something cool. This is the Rez-Q, a rescue kayak designed to be used in post-flood conditions. Once the release lever is triggered, pneumatic cylinders open the kayak. The outrigger doubles as a stretcher and the sail can also be used to protect the occupants from the sun or rain.
More photos and info here.

No Line on the Horizon

We hit the rocky beach at Telegraph Bay early on Monday, hoping that the wind would not be quite as strong as yesterday. Today we're going for a three-fer -- three paddles in three days. While it was a bit breezy on our arrival, by the time we got in the water the wind was gone and we were in a flat calm. The sun quickly burned off the the thin cloud cover and we were in paddling heaven. Another perfect day on The We(s)t Coast. I'm almost starting to be convinced that winter just might be over.


But before we even started, something caught our eye on the beach. The seagulls were enjoying a meal.

Paula decided to investigate...

...and discovered that the gulls were feasting on a halibut. It was impossible for us to guess its size (there wasn't much left) but we guessed that it must have been dragged up here by a large seal, or the resident area sea lion. It certainly wasn't something the seagulls would have caught!


It was just the three of us today -- Paula in her pink Necky Eliza and Louise and I in our red Deltas.


It was just gorgeous on the water -- dead flat, no wind. You couldn't ask for better conditions.


Long-time readers of this blog will recall that every time we paddle here, we pass by one specific tree that always has an eagle in it. And today was no exception.


We saw a few eagles flying around, and a number of otters scrambling along the rocky shore and one that was happily swimming along.
We found the little cave and had a look around.



We carried on around the point. These rocks are usually covered in seals, but this time of year they are off some place else a little more private making baby seals. So the birds took over the rocks, and here we found a flock of sand pipers enjoying the day.



Too soon, it was time to head back.





Trip Length: 8.94
YTD: 23.77
My photos are here.
The Google Earth kmz is here.

Windswept

Occasionally, some paddles end up being exercises in frustration. Like today's, for instance. It was a sunny day, but unexpectedly breezy so we decided not to head out to Discovery and just putter around from Cadboro Bay to Cattle Point.

I stole this idea from Paddling With a Camera. By using an upturned monopod attached to a kayak sail base at the rear of my Delta Eighteen5, I hoped to get some shots from a new angle.


And that's when the frustration started. For some reason I couldn't get the camera to work. After a few minutes of pressing buttons and the camera bleeping and blooping, I discovered that the problem was operator error.
Sigh.
So I got the camera figured out and launched. Then my GPS crapped out on me. (I'm hoping it's just the batteries.) The paddle was not off to an auspicious start.


Louise was in her Delta Seventeen, while Paula took her Advanced Element AdvancedEdge that she is testing as she wanted to try it in windy conditions.


We headed out of Cadboro Bay towards Cattle Point.


I didn't get a lot of pictures today because the winds were just blowing us around. Anytime I stopped to take a picture with my big camera, the wind would sweep me away before I could get the shot.


As we explored the rock garden along the coast, Paula moved ahead to scout out whether the tide was high enough to allow us through the small channels. She shouted back that one looked too shallow to pass, but that was exactly what I was looking for at that moment. A heron had alighted and I thought if I grounded in the shallow channel, I would be stable enough to get a few shots. I snuck up to the heron and, as Paula thought, I grounded. Louise was coming behind me, and a sudden violent gust spun her sideways and into my stern. She pushed me over the bump I was on, and we both went sideways down the little channel, Louise trying to gain control of her boat, while I had no control as I quickly tried to stash my camera.
In the end, no harm done, but the wind was rising and we were all feeling a little frustrated. Paula was holding her own in an unfamiliar kayak, but we were all feeling like there wasn't much "fun" going on.
My camera mount was also leaning over precariously, the end result being a lot of pictures that looked like this:

The suction cups were giving way and I'm not sure why. Was it behaving like a sail in the wind? Or did I just raise it too high and make it unstable? The theory of the camera mount worked, it just needs to be refined. But with it leaning off to the side, it was in danger of leaning over too far and dragging in the water and that would have no fun on a calm day, let alone a stormy day like today. My paddle partners re-attached it and we headed back.

And, naturally, as soon as we packed up our boats, the wind died off.
And so it goes.

Trip length: 4km
My pictures are here.

Advanced Elements Test Trials

A few weekends ago I was happily looking forward to be finally back on the water. Instead, Louise sprained her ankle at the gym, and another winter storm blew in bringing snow, wind and cold temperatures. And then the next weekend I got the flu and another windy storm blew in.
25 days of flu-suffering later, the stars have aligned and we headed to Cadboro Bay to test some Advanced Elements kayaks that Paula acquired.


It was also the chance to test out some new gear, like my new hat. Bernie said it was the dorkiest hat he has ever seen.


Okay, maybe the hat wasn't working out so well, but the kayaks didn't do so bad. Louise headed out in the AdvancedFrame Expedition kayak...

...while Lila and I tried the Straitedge2...

...while Paula led the way in her Dragonfly.


These are perfect boats for slowly meandering along the shore. Terrific initial stability and maneuverability means that an utter novice could hop into in one and have some fun right away.



We put in at Sheep Cove...

...and played musical kayaks: Lila moved into the Dragonfly, Louise and Paula into the Straitedge and I tried the Expedition.


I liked both kayaks. The Straitedge was a lot of fun and tracked reasonably well. The Expedition tracked a little less well, but both were very easy to correct and keep on course. I did have issues with the seats and really did not feel comfortable. We're going to try these kayaks again soon, and I'll have to pay a little more attention to the seat adjustments and see if that helps.
Still, they're well-built kayaks and if they fit the style of kayaking you want to do, then are probably worth the investment.


Trip length: 4 km
My photos are here.

Public Hearing for the Mega-Yacht Marina

The Victoria Times-Colonist reports:

The federal government, after lobbying by Victoria MP Denise Savoie, has agreed to call a public meeting to discuss whether a controversial mega-yacht marina should be built in Victoria's harbour.
Savoie said she expects the decision to hold the meeting will delay the issuing of federal permits for the proposed $20-million marina, which features 48 berths for large luxury yachts in front of the Songhees area.

Developer Bob Evans said:

"If this is another rant opportunity, I don't think it will do much good."
He rejects suggestions of a lack of consultation, saying all levels of government have been involved in plans for the site for more than 20 years.
"We are building exactly what the city asked for," Evans said. "There's a group that just wants to change it again."

We at Kayak Yak say that it might have been what the city wanted 20 years ago, but it isn't what the city or its citizens need now.
Click here to help stop this unwanted and unwise development.

The Battle For Victoria's Harbour Continues

Citizens against the proposed mega-yacht marina are continuing the fight with this website. The marina will service huge mega-yachts, but will turn part of the now public shoreline into private docks and facilities, and take up a huge swath of the harbour, limiting room room for paddlers of all kinds. It's another example of the city chasing down the almighty and fickle tourist dollar by taking the beauty of the city away from the people who actually live here.
Sign the petition on-line here.

Dear Kayak Yak - Signals

Dear Kayak Yak
As kayakers, we should paddle the ocean with the ability to communicate with others and so we carry radios, cell phones and even whistles. But we have a hearing-impaired paddler in our group and I was wondering if there are any recognized visual signals used in kayaking.
Yours,
Toasted in Tofino

Dear Toasted,
There are many signals that can be used to communicate between paddlers to increase safety during your paddle. Here are some of the most common ones. (Remember that not everyone may use the same signals, so talk them over with your fellow paddlers ahead of time!)


This signal means "GO, proceed in the direction previously discussed." (It can also be done by raising one arm straight into the air).


Holding your horizontally paddle over head is indicating to your fellow paddlers that they should "STOP and hold their position." (This signal can also be done by holding your arms outstretched.)


Holding your horizontally paddle over head and alternately moving each end of the paddle up and down indicates to your fellow paddlers that they should "move BACKWARDS."


Pointing your paddle to one side or the other indicates the direction that you wish to travel. Here, our model is pointing his paddle to his right, indicating that he wishes to travel to the right.
If our model was holding his paddle in a similar fashion but waving it over his head, this would indicate "EMERGENCY." (Waving your arm over your head also means Emergency.)


This signal means that "my tandem paddle partner is very annoying and if he doesn't shut up soon I'm going to stab him through the chest with his own paddle."


This signal is seldom used on the water, but can sometimes be seen when expeditions have made camp for the night. It means that "this moron forgot to pack the food for our five-day trip."
Groups displaying this signal should be avoided whenever possible. They will be grouchy and annoyed and could possibly resort to cannibalism.


This signal means "you heard right, ladies: carbon shaft."


This signal is often used by Canadian paddlers and means "two minutes for hooking."

Finally, it could happen to me...

Yes, it's a lovely sunny day and after Paula got in from her paddle, we were cleaning up the yard. Pretty much on the spur of the moment, we decided to put the creek boat out at the road with a for sale sign on it. Within the hour, a young man named Joel had stopped to enquire about it. I took him down to the beach and put him behind the paddle while his mother and I watched, and he LOVED the boat. And, I must say, it seemed to love him back. He's in his early teens, so the boat really suited him--good initial stability without sacrificing much in the way of manoeuvrability. It even decided to track nicely for him! So his dad's on the way with $50 and a truck, and it looks like the paddling community has a new member.

Eastern Horizons Viewing Party

What better way to spend an evening than with good friends, good food, and a great new kayaking DVD?
Bryan Smith's Eastern Horizons starts off in Newfoundland with his group of paddlers doing something I've always wanted to do: paddle with icebergs. Man, that looked awesome. In fact, the whole film is awesome. I particularly enjoyed the segments on the New York Downtown Boathouse, and paddling along the sandstone cliffs on the Magdaline Islands.
Check out this DVD, it's terrific.

A New Vancouver Island Record Attempt in 2009

Joe O'Blenis, the former record holder for circumnavigating Vancouver Island in a kayak, is going after the record of 17 days and 4 hours and 49 minutes days set last fall by Sean Morley. Joe is setting his sight on making the trip in 16 days. He's planning to make the attempt in September. Follow his attempt on his Vancouver Island 2009 blog.