.jpg)
Thank you, Joe.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Lost Our Ground Crew
I am sorry to report that one of our paddle group's ground crew, Joe Johanson, passed away quietly this morning. He had been in hospital and long-term care since a stroke in November. With the good care of his nurses, Joe was as well as possible for as long as possible, and had even recovered the ability to speak and swallow with the help of his wife.
.jpg)
After a long career in marine electronics, Joe was an attentive ground crew member for the Kayak Yak paddlers. He paid attention to our boats and gear, and advised us to be careful in changing weather conditions. On his advice, we invested in SPOT devices to communicate messages such as OK, Come Get Me, or SOS!911! Even so, he found it hard to know when we were paddling on open water. If we told him we were launching at Albert Lagoon and going around Albert Head to Witty's Lagoon, he would fret about us till we called to say we were done for the day, and he'd remember every tugboat captain who ever told him a story about rough weather off Albert Head. Or Sooke Harbour. Or anywhere else around our home waters, for that matter.
Thank you, Joe.
Thank you, Joe.
Monday, May 27, 2013
PFD For The Win! at an Island Siesta
Another guest post from our friend Joseph MacLean! He's making Powell River sound like THE place to be if you are a small boat enthusiast or a hiker. His note is accompanied by a photo of his and Katie's darling, garbed appropriately for time on the water.
Parents of small kids who are trying to think how to get their own offspring to wear lifejackets or PFDs should take special note of Joseph's tactics...
Parents of small kids who are trying to think how to get their own offspring to wear lifejackets or PFDs should take special note of Joseph's tactics...
 |
| Note that the collar on a kid's lifejacket can cushion the little head during a nap! |
May 26 (2013)
Island siesta. Today we loaded up the canoe and drove to Inland Lake, accompanied by a very dubious toddler. "No tanoe, walk walk," he called sadly from the back seat. Watching us tie the ungainly vessel to the roof, Ryan had decided that canoes were inherently boring things. So he muttered and complained all the way to the lake, right up until his gigantic life jacket was introduced. It was a critical moment, since to kids these are essentially buoyant straitjackets of doom. "Ryan," I said, measuring my words, "this jacket makes you look like a fire truck." And then we cast off, and my proud fire truck knelt in the prow of our boat, staring raptly ahead, as silent as the sun. Around him the lake moved, sparkles dancing on the waves. He was speechless, absolutely amazed. And 30 minutes later he was asleep, so much so that when we made landfall, I had to carry him bodily ashore like a shipwreck survivor. I propped my guy up on a log, and there the nap continued. Nobody does rockabye like a boat in motion.
Island siesta. Today we loaded up the canoe and drove to Inland Lake, accompanied by a very dubious toddler. "No tanoe, walk walk," he called sadly from the back seat. Watching us tie the ungainly vessel to the roof, Ryan had decided that canoes were inherently boring things. So he muttered and complained all the way to the lake, right up until his gigantic life jacket was introduced. It was a critical moment, since to kids these are essentially buoyant straitjackets of doom. "Ryan," I said, measuring my words, "this jacket makes you look like a fire truck." And then we cast off, and my proud fire truck knelt in the prow of our boat, staring raptly ahead, as silent as the sun. Around him the lake moved, sparkles dancing on the waves. He was speechless, absolutely amazed. And 30 minutes later he was asleep, so much so that when we made landfall, I had to carry him bodily ashore like a shipwreck survivor. I propped my guy up on a log, and there the nap continued. Nobody does rockabye like a boat in motion.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
On The Ferry Route
Making up for not being out in my kayak this morning is the fact that we're on the water anyway -- on a vessel rated to carry tons instead of the 1 or 2 passengers of our kayaks. Bernie and I are on the ferry from Swartz Bay to Tsawassen, going to meet his dad on the mainland for the day. Walked on, carrying a little bag each, and now we're set up with a newspaper, computer, cookies from home and our hot drink mugs.
It's just a day trip, not a grand adventure. But as I sit at a carrel and swivel to look out the port side windows and the starboard windows, I can see Russell Island between me and Fulford Harbour on SaltSpring Island on one side, and Portland Island on the other side. These two little islands are gems in the chain that is the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
Some people save up all year to take this trip. Some people read magazines and dream about paddling here. Bernie and I are lucky enough to be here, on a grey day with the clouds socking in around Mount Tuam and the sea the colour of steel. There are seals on the rocks at the shore of Portland, and a dozen beaches along the SaltSpring shore ...
There's Ganges Harbour, where we have to paddle again. Soon we'll pass Prevost Island, and go into Active Pass. I'm so full of plans for paddling this summer. Day trips, eh? and maybe an overnight on Galiano at Montague Harbour. Meanwhile, this gray day is a great day even though the water is too far away to touch.
(later)
Excellent meeting on the mainland -- everybody happy enough that this carbon-expensive day was more than worth it.
On the way back through Active Pass, Bernie saw a large seal and I saw four sea kayaks close to Miners Bay on the Mayne Island side. Hope it was a safe paddle for them!
It's just a day trip, not a grand adventure. But as I sit at a carrel and swivel to look out the port side windows and the starboard windows, I can see Russell Island between me and Fulford Harbour on SaltSpring Island on one side, and Portland Island on the other side. These two little islands are gems in the chain that is the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
Some people save up all year to take this trip. Some people read magazines and dream about paddling here. Bernie and I are lucky enough to be here, on a grey day with the clouds socking in around Mount Tuam and the sea the colour of steel. There are seals on the rocks at the shore of Portland, and a dozen beaches along the SaltSpring shore ...
There's Ganges Harbour, where we have to paddle again. Soon we'll pass Prevost Island, and go into Active Pass. I'm so full of plans for paddling this summer. Day trips, eh? and maybe an overnight on Galiano at Montague Harbour. Meanwhile, this gray day is a great day even though the water is too far away to touch.
(later)
Excellent meeting on the mainland -- everybody happy enough that this carbon-expensive day was more than worth it.
On the way back through Active Pass, Bernie saw a large seal and I saw four sea kayaks close to Miners Bay on the Mayne Island side. Hope it was a safe paddle for them!
Friday, May 24, 2013
Hey! New issue of Georgia Strait Alliance newsletter
Y'know, I figured that nobody really wants to hear again about me scooting around inside Cadboro Bay. I get to do it so often, and at times of day when other people are stuck indoors for things like jobs or appointments. No one needs another "freelance writers work long hours so we can take looooong coffee breaks in a kayak" post today, not when our pals Robyn and Mark are writing about a wonderful kayak camping trip they just took through the DeCoursey group of islands to Valdez for five nights. Check it out here, for photos of their boats and the shores, wildlife & float planes.
Maybe you'll wonder, like me, about how their buddy got a full-sized axe inside his kayak... I'm guessing it's handy when chopping driftwood for a camping fire, but ooo, not so much fun if he happens to roll his kayak.
Instead, I'll post a link to the latest issue of the Georgia Strait Alliance's newsletter. Hot damn, this is an active group, with connections to all sorts of groups in this area and info on what matters to bring to the attention of your local government, your MLA, and MP. If you're a paddler in the Salish Sea, whether year-round or on vacation, you can find out how to turn your interest into socially-responsible activities that support small boat users and the environment. Go here for the GSA's website with links to its online atlas and other resources.
Maybe you'll wonder, like me, about how their buddy got a full-sized axe inside his kayak... I'm guessing it's handy when chopping driftwood for a camping fire, but ooo, not so much fun if he happens to roll his kayak.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Go Pro In A Bear
Y'know that GoPro camera John uses for some of the great photos he posts here on the Kayak Yak blog? He's not the only one using these portable sport-y cameras.
Biologist Brad Josephs put a GoPro out in an Alaskan river to get some photos of grizzly bears fishing. Got a little more than that -- one bear tried to eat the camera. Amazing images. I had no idea that bears' palates had such deep ridges!
Check out his video!
Biologist Brad Josephs put a GoPro out in an Alaskan river to get some photos of grizzly bears fishing. Got a little more than that -- one bear tried to eat the camera. Amazing images. I had no idea that bears' palates had such deep ridges!
Check out his video!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Ship Cadboro
The bay where Bernie and I live and usually take our kayaks has an odd name. It's easy to pronounce and easy to spell, and isn't a familar or ordinary word. It's Cadboro.
The bay was named after a ship built in the shipyard at Rye in England for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1824, the brigantine Cadborough, later known as the Cadboro. The "borough" part is a familiar English word, and though it used to be pronounced Cad-bor-ufhh ending with a rough gutteral sound like the -ch in the Scottish word loch, it seems that the ship's name was pronounced Cad-bor-ow by the time the Cadboro arrived here on the West Coast in 1827.
I found a photo of the bay at Saanich Parks' website, on their page about Gyro Park on the Cadboro Bay shoreline. Check it out here, or another page here.
It's interesting to paddle here and learn a little about the recent boating history of the area, and the ship for which the bay was named. This brigantine was a fairly light and small ship with two masts and several sails, 56 feet long with a beam of 17 feet at its widest point. That's pretty big when compared with the many yachts at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club here in the bay, but not big at all when compared to the mega-yachts that will berth new marina proposed for Victoria harbour. When the Cadboro was travelling along the Coast, there were many First Nations canoes that were both longer and higher above the waterline.
The name Cadborough has been sticking in my mind, though, after finding references to the Cadboro in Nancy Marguerite Anderson's interesting book, The Pathfinder: A.C. Anderson's Journeys in the West. So I looked the word up online, and found a book of local history by Danda Humphrey -- On The Street Where You Live, Volume 3: Sailors, Solicitors, and Stargazers of Early Victoria. Here's a link to an excerpt from Humphrey's book, where you can see some photos of the bay pre-1900 and a drawing of the ship.
I also found some references to Cadborough, which is a town in East Sussex, England, part of Rye where the ship was built. There's even a place that rents out holiday cottages, called Cadborough Farm.
The upshot of all this Cadborough talk for kayakers is a confirmation that while Cadboro Bay is a great place to paddle, and apparently has been since the end of the Ice Age, plan to keep your kayak out of the parking lot at Cadboro-Gyro Park on August 11, 2013. That's the day of the summer festival in the park, which will have the parking lot crammed. Both the beach and the picnicking area will be full of people having fun.
The bay was named after a ship built in the shipyard at Rye in England for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1824, the brigantine Cadborough, later known as the Cadboro. The "borough" part is a familiar English word, and though it used to be pronounced Cad-bor-ufhh ending with a rough gutteral sound like the -ch in the Scottish word loch, it seems that the ship's name was pronounced Cad-bor-ow by the time the Cadboro arrived here on the West Coast in 1827.
 |
| Here's a photo of the bay from a high point on the bluff. |
It's interesting to paddle here and learn a little about the recent boating history of the area, and the ship for which the bay was named. This brigantine was a fairly light and small ship with two masts and several sails, 56 feet long with a beam of 17 feet at its widest point. That's pretty big when compared with the many yachts at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club here in the bay, but not big at all when compared to the mega-yachts that will berth new marina proposed for Victoria harbour. When the Cadboro was travelling along the Coast, there were many First Nations canoes that were both longer and higher above the waterline.
The name Cadborough has been sticking in my mind, though, after finding references to the Cadboro in Nancy Marguerite Anderson's interesting book, The Pathfinder: A.C. Anderson's Journeys in the West. So I looked the word up online, and found a book of local history by Danda Humphrey -- On The Street Where You Live, Volume 3: Sailors, Solicitors, and Stargazers of Early Victoria. Here's a link to an excerpt from Humphrey's book, where you can see some photos of the bay pre-1900 and a drawing of the ship.
I also found some references to Cadborough, which is a town in East Sussex, England, part of Rye where the ship was built. There's even a place that rents out holiday cottages, called Cadborough Farm.
The upshot of all this Cadborough talk for kayakers is a confirmation that while Cadboro Bay is a great place to paddle, and apparently has been since the end of the Ice Age, plan to keep your kayak out of the parking lot at Cadboro-Gyro Park on August 11, 2013. That's the day of the summer festival in the park, which will have the parking lot crammed. Both the beach and the picnicking area will be full of people having fun.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Line 'Em Up!
Got out on the water with my friend Nicole the other day. This wasn't her first time in a kayak, if you count paddling round a quiet lake (and yup, I count it!) at her family cabin. But it was her first time on salt water, and she hadn't been in a canoe or kayak for a long while, so we took out my double kayak.
Okay, it's a sit-on-top, not a sea kayak, but it's still a nice ride when I'm not sure how hard the bow paddler wants to work after the first half hour. The StraitEdge2 is a good, stable ride on flat water... and one day our paddle group will have to take it out on a day that's bumpy. Or maybe we'll take it down a Class 1 river.
This day was a nice quiet day on Cadboro Bay, with barely any breeze or ripples on the water. Nicole and I carried the boat to shore, followed the beach along to the cliffs on the east shore, and began seeing a marvelous line-up of wildlife.
First were the sea anemones. There are a lot more of the white and brown sea anemones living along this rocky shore now than there were five years ago. Since the tide was out, there were several places where anemones were only five or six feet down. It was easy to find them! Nicole was charmed to get a good look at the cauliflower-shaped anemones, and even more when we found sea stars clinging to some rocks. These were ochre stars, in their purple colour phase.
As we went along the shore, past Stein Island and around Flower Island, we saw more sea stars than I've seen before along this shore. That was pretty neat for Nicole's first time kayaking in the bay. Even better was when she turned round and spotted the head of a little harbour seal bobbing behind us. Could this be Mama Seal who comes out often when I'm paddling here? I think so: slim, grey, and spotted.
With almost no breeze, it was a good day to go round Flower Island. Though we didn't spot any otters today, their little trails were visible in the brush under the trees. It was while drifting along here that we saw the biggest animal in the day's wildlife line-up. A splash just offshore in the current told us that a big seal was fishing. It came up, and looped back down again, showing an impressive length of brown flank. A sea-lion! We don't see those every day, but it was far too large to be a harbour seal. It could even have been a young elephant seal, but that was less likely than a sea-lion.
Coming back, I sent a SPOT message so that it could be forwarded to Nicole later. Herons flew past as we returned to the beach, and the day looked a little brighter than it had when we set out. All in all, good time on the water and good hot chocolate at Olive Olio's afterward.
Okay, it's a sit-on-top, not a sea kayak, but it's still a nice ride when I'm not sure how hard the bow paddler wants to work after the first half hour. The StraitEdge2 is a good, stable ride on flat water... and one day our paddle group will have to take it out on a day that's bumpy. Or maybe we'll take it down a Class 1 river.
 |
| This tough inflatable is holding up well, even though it is no longer new. |
First were the sea anemones. There are a lot more of the white and brown sea anemones living along this rocky shore now than there were five years ago. Since the tide was out, there were several places where anemones were only five or six feet down. It was easy to find them! Nicole was charmed to get a good look at the cauliflower-shaped anemones, and even more when we found sea stars clinging to some rocks. These were ochre stars, in their purple colour phase.
As we went along the shore, past Stein Island and around Flower Island, we saw more sea stars than I've seen before along this shore. That was pretty neat for Nicole's first time kayaking in the bay. Even better was when she turned round and spotted the head of a little harbour seal bobbing behind us. Could this be Mama Seal who comes out often when I'm paddling here? I think so: slim, grey, and spotted.
With almost no breeze, it was a good day to go round Flower Island. Though we didn't spot any otters today, their little trails were visible in the brush under the trees. It was while drifting along here that we saw the biggest animal in the day's wildlife line-up. A splash just offshore in the current told us that a big seal was fishing. It came up, and looped back down again, showing an impressive length of brown flank. A sea-lion! We don't see those every day, but it was far too large to be a harbour seal. It could even have been a young elephant seal, but that was less likely than a sea-lion.
Coming back, I sent a SPOT message so that it could be forwarded to Nicole later. Herons flew past as we returned to the beach, and the day looked a little brighter than it had when we set out. All in all, good time on the water and good hot chocolate at Olive Olio's afterward.
Saturday, May 04, 2013
Happy Star Wars Day
Even Imperial Stormtroopers like to go paddling....
Happy Star Wars Day. May The Fourth Be With You.
Post #1300 on the blog! W00t!
Happy Star Wars Day. May The Fourth Be With You.
Post #1300 on the blog! W00t!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Beach is Beautiful!
The beach is beautiful even though the weather is gray and dull. My boat is beautiful even though it is short and wide because it is HERE on the water and it drifts past rocks and ducks and quietly slides along under the eagles surfing the offshore breeze over the treetops. And I too am beautiful even though i am gray and dull and short and wide, a good match for the weather and the boat. Bring it on!
Public Consultations for Draft Gulf Islands Management Plan
Got a little press release today, from Parks Canada and the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve! They're looking for public input on their draft management plan for GINPR. You can download a copy from their website link and read it -- the plan is an interesting short paper, summing up some good news and plans for the future.
It's not necessary to be a kayaker or other small boat user to send input to Parks Canada. Heck, you don't even have to be Canadian or a local resident! If you'd like to come visit this park speckled across several marvelous islands, give your opinions. If you have insights based on your experience of other parks, that's useful too. And tell them you heard from us about their call for public input.
Here's the English version of the press release:
Hello,
We are writing to invite you to participate in public consultations for the
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve’s draft management plan. From today
until June 9, 2013, we encourage you to obtain a copy of the draft plan and
to submit your comments and suggestions. This can be done via our website
at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/gulf, by e-mail at gulf.islands@pc.gc.ca or by
telephone at 604-654-4000.
We also welcome you to provide your thoughts in person at one of the
following public meetings being held in May:
• Saturna Island Recreation & Cultural Centre, Saturday, May 11, 11 am—2 pm
• Sidney—Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Thursday, May 23, 7—10 pm
• Mayne Island Agricultural Hall, Saturday, May 25, 12 noon —3 pm
• Pender Island Community Hall, Sunday, May 26, 11 am—2 pm
These meetings will begin with a short presentation followed by a question
and answer period and an opportunity for discussion with park reserve
staff.
Public consultation on the development of management plans is required by
Canada’s National Parks Act. However, we view this as an important
opportunity for ongoing dialogue with you, to ensure that the Gulf Islands
National Park Reserve remains a real and inspiring part of the Canadian
landscape.
We would like to thank you for your on-going interest in and support for
the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and welcome you to share this
information with others in your professional and personal networks.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
The Management Planning Team,
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
It's not necessary to be a kayaker or other small boat user to send input to Parks Canada. Heck, you don't even have to be Canadian or a local resident! If you'd like to come visit this park speckled across several marvelous islands, give your opinions. If you have insights based on your experience of other parks, that's useful too. And tell them you heard from us about their call for public input.
Here's the English version of the press release:
 |
| Photo from the GINPR website - I think this is Sunset Beach on Portland Island. |
Hello,
We are writing to invite you to participate in public consultations for the
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve’s draft management plan. From today
until June 9, 2013, we encourage you to obtain a copy of the draft plan and
to submit your comments and suggestions. This can be done via our website
at www.parkscanada.gc.ca/gulf, by e-mail at gulf.islands@pc.gc.ca or by
telephone at 604-654-4000.
We also welcome you to provide your thoughts in person at one of the
following public meetings being held in May:
• Saturna Island Recreation & Cultural Centre, Saturday, May 11, 11 am—2 pm
• Sidney—Mary Winspear Centre, 2243 Beacon Ave., Thursday, May 23, 7—10 pm
• Mayne Island Agricultural Hall, Saturday, May 25, 12 noon —3 pm
• Pender Island Community Hall, Sunday, May 26, 11 am—2 pm
These meetings will begin with a short presentation followed by a question
and answer period and an opportunity for discussion with park reserve
staff.
Public consultation on the development of management plans is required by
Canada’s National Parks Act. However, we view this as an important
opportunity for ongoing dialogue with you, to ensure that the Gulf Islands
National Park Reserve remains a real and inspiring part of the Canadian
landscape.
We would like to thank you for your on-going interest in and support for
the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and welcome you to share this
information with others in your professional and personal networks.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
The Management Planning Team,
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve
Monday, April 29, 2013
It's Oystercatcher Season!
Well, I think it's oystercatcher season, anyway. It's spring, the air is just a little too cool for crowds, and the wind has finally dropped after a migraine-inducing weather front that blew in big gusts of wind.
One of the things I like best about my little inflatable is noodling along shorelines, coming close to the kelp-covered rocks where the oystercatchers are scrambling around. Charming birds -- black as a crow or raven, but with bright eyes, red beak, and pink legs. And as if that weren't enough, they squeak. Honest. Cutest little sound on the shoreline.
No photos today. Check out artist Anne Hansen's blog for her dynamic and striking paintings of oystercatchers and other shoreline life.
One of the things I like best about my little inflatable is noodling along shorelines, coming close to the kelp-covered rocks where the oystercatchers are scrambling around. Charming birds -- black as a crow or raven, but with bright eyes, red beak, and pink legs. And as if that weren't enough, they squeak. Honest. Cutest little sound on the shoreline.
No photos today. Check out artist Anne Hansen's blog for her dynamic and striking paintings of oystercatchers and other shoreline life.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Vote For The Coastal Environment
Yes, there's an election called for May 14, here in British Columbia. No, that's not a kayaking topic, not at first glance. But I'm hoping we'll all go into this election ready to vote not only as citizens, but as small boat people.
I hope that we'll all make sure that whoever we vote for as a local candidate, whichever party they represent, all of the people we want to represent us will also represent our concerns for the natural world where we live. Sustainable use of our resources supports jobs and people as well as the environment! The Department of Fisheries and Oceans cannot do good work without good directions from provincial and federal authorities.
Check out Alexandra Morton's blog here to see her concerns for salmon preservation. There must be other websites and blogs that you can recommend to help us all be informed about our candidates and our parties, and our local concerns. I also like to go to Anne Hansen's blog, not only for her comments but for her artwork -- check it out and scroll down to see oystercatchers & other charming coastal creatures!
I hope that we'll all make sure that whoever we vote for as a local candidate, whichever party they represent, all of the people we want to represent us will also represent our concerns for the natural world where we live. Sustainable use of our resources supports jobs and people as well as the environment! The Department of Fisheries and Oceans cannot do good work without good directions from provincial and federal authorities.
Check out Alexandra Morton's blog here to see her concerns for salmon preservation. There must be other websites and blogs that you can recommend to help us all be informed about our candidates and our parties, and our local concerns. I also like to go to Anne Hansen's blog, not only for her comments but for her artwork -- check it out and scroll down to see oystercatchers & other charming coastal creatures!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Another Epic Journey!
Justine Curgenven has been talking about the epic journey being made by her friend, Sarah Outen. A word to the wise: when Justine Curgenven starts saying that someone is doing an "amazing journey" -- word up, folks, this is one amazing journey. Justine knows amazing.
The current leg of Sarah Outen's journey is a solo crossing of the Pacific in a rowboat. This ambitious crossing can be read about at Sarah Outen's website. It's only one leg of her planned human-powered trip around the world, on a route never done before, from London back to London as she bicycles, kayaks, and rows around the world. This photo was taken by a friend of hers near Choshi-shi, Chiba, standing on a breakwater as Sarah Outen launched on her Pacific crossing.
 |
| Photo by Buntari Martosudjiro, shown by Justine Curgenven on Facebook |
Friday, April 26, 2013
Know Your Boat
It's terrific getting out on the water on a spring morning when there aren't too many people on the beach and the water is still pretty clear from winter cold. Even the same old stretch of shoreline seems new when the tide is unexpectedly low (yeah, yeah, I could look at bigwavedave.ca and plan ahead). What I like is knowing this shoreline and knowing my kayak.
When I can see that iron loop above the water, I know the rock it's bolted into is just below the surface. I can get close enough to the corroded iron to tap it with my paddle, but not touch it with my hand, not before the skeg of my kayak drags on the underwater rock a little.
Knowing my boat at that moment is a good thing. I know the rigid rubbery skeg is a little lower than the rest of the hull, so that if I'm careful getting away from the rock, the barnacles won't scrape the hull of my inflatable. The hull is tough, but let's not take foolish chances with wear-and-tear!
I'm not the only one who knows my boat. Mama Seal came by -- or another speckled Harbour Seal that looks like her -- and nodded at me before ducking down after a fish. There must have been a school of fish that I couldn't see. The only one I saw was in the beak of a seagull, who landed on a rock and flipped the little fish so that it could be swallowed head-first.
I scooted around Flower Island, blooming now with the camas that gave it the name, enjoying all the starfish cuddled into wet cracks. There are a lot more starfish around the bay now than five years ago! Maybe this is a sign of an improving environment.
Then, back along the shoreline to the beach, and putting away the little inflatable. The tarp I pull over the other kayaks in the yard has been moved by wind. The wrinkles are never the same from one day to the next.
It's a darned good idea to know your boat in the water, and on land, too. When a child goes missing in Edmonton in winter, the call goes out on radio for everyone to look in their yards and garages and behind the shed, in case the missing child is shivering in some out-of-the way place. If your boat is on land, keep familiar with it in different ways from when you're on the water. If there's a tarp covering it that's got dust and leaves sifted into the folds and creases, I won't tease you! But you should be familiar enough with your boat and its cover to know if it's been moved by somebody. One day it might save somebody's life.
When I can see that iron loop above the water, I know the rock it's bolted into is just below the surface. I can get close enough to the corroded iron to tap it with my paddle, but not touch it with my hand, not before the skeg of my kayak drags on the underwater rock a little.
Knowing my boat at that moment is a good thing. I know the rigid rubbery skeg is a little lower than the rest of the hull, so that if I'm careful getting away from the rock, the barnacles won't scrape the hull of my inflatable. The hull is tough, but let's not take foolish chances with wear-and-tear!
I'm not the only one who knows my boat. Mama Seal came by -- or another speckled Harbour Seal that looks like her -- and nodded at me before ducking down after a fish. There must have been a school of fish that I couldn't see. The only one I saw was in the beak of a seagull, who landed on a rock and flipped the little fish so that it could be swallowed head-first.
I scooted around Flower Island, blooming now with the camas that gave it the name, enjoying all the starfish cuddled into wet cracks. There are a lot more starfish around the bay now than five years ago! Maybe this is a sign of an improving environment.
Then, back along the shoreline to the beach, and putting away the little inflatable. The tarp I pull over the other kayaks in the yard has been moved by wind. The wrinkles are never the same from one day to the next.
It's a darned good idea to know your boat in the water, and on land, too. When a child goes missing in Edmonton in winter, the call goes out on radio for everyone to look in their yards and garages and behind the shed, in case the missing child is shivering in some out-of-the way place. If your boat is on land, keep familiar with it in different ways from when you're on the water. If there's a tarp covering it that's got dust and leaves sifted into the folds and creases, I won't tease you! But you should be familiar enough with your boat and its cover to know if it's been moved by somebody. One day it might save somebody's life.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Update from BC Maine Trails!
It must be spring! There's more news from the BC Marine Trails Network. We just got their press release, which you can check out here. Or go to their regular website and keep up on all they've been doing to promote kayak travel along the BC coast with appropriate campsites to suit the local areas.
It's good to know there are so many people interested in supporting sustainable use of wilderness and 'near-wilderness' areas. What's going on in your home waters? Are you part of the solution or part of the problem when you're out and about in your own boat?
It's good to know there are so many people interested in supporting sustainable use of wilderness and 'near-wilderness' areas. What's going on in your home waters? Are you part of the solution or part of the problem when you're out and about in your own boat?
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Collaborating with Commander Hadfield
Hot off the interwebs is the latest photo posted by Chris Hadfield, commander of the International Space Station. He was passing overhead and took this lovely photo of my home waters around Saanich Peninsula.
It's not hard to make out the city of Victoria, or at least the downtown core around the Inner Harbour, Upper Harbour and the Gorge. My home on Cadboro Bay is obscured by the shadow of a cloudbank across Ten Mile Point, but you can see Cattle Point, Oak Bay, McNeil Bay, Foul Bay, Clover Point and the Ogden Point Breakwater, which I saw this morning from a little bus along with a small group from my Dad's nursing home. We could see across the water to Esquimalt -- just as you can see from above in Hadfield's photo -- and the shore from the Lagoon to Albert Head and Witty's Lagoon. Also clearly showing in the photo are James Island and even Brentwood Bay on Saanich Inlet. We've posted lots of trip reports here at Kayak Yak -- check 'em out with the Search function at the top of this page.
 |
| Thank you, Hadfield, for making your space photographs available! |
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Never Know What You'll See When You Go For A Walk
Pop quiz! What's this?
There's no prize, and you'll probably figure it by the end of the post. And no, it's not the zero-g toilet from a Soviet-era space capsule, as someone suggested.
Louise and I went for walk along The Gorge this weekend. We were too busy to go kayaking, as we have been a lot so far this year. Some kayakers we are.
But at least we were walking along our local kayaking route, so there was that.
And we saw some of the usual things we see while kayaking along here: herons...
...ducks...
...and swans.
Then we saw something that you don't want to see as a kayaker, namely a large chunk of the Saanich Fire Department stopping at a small beach with their rescue boat.
Fortunately, there was no emergency, only an equipment check-out and practice session.
A little push...
...and the rescue boat was in the water...
...while the "victims" prepared themselves...
...to be rescued.
The swans were not perturbed.
There's no prize, and you'll probably figure it by the end of the post. And no, it's not the zero-g toilet from a Soviet-era space capsule, as someone suggested.
Louise and I went for walk along The Gorge this weekend. We were too busy to go kayaking, as we have been a lot so far this year. Some kayakers we are.
But at least we were walking along our local kayaking route, so there was that.
And we saw some of the usual things we see while kayaking along here: herons...
...ducks...
...and swans.
Then we saw something that you don't want to see as a kayaker, namely a large chunk of the Saanich Fire Department stopping at a small beach with their rescue boat.
Fortunately, there was no emergency, only an equipment check-out and practice session.
A little push...
...and the rescue boat was in the water...
...while the "victims" prepared themselves...
...to be rescued.
The swans were not perturbed.
Friday, April 12, 2013
The One That Got Away
Last weekend a kayaker fisherman in Hawaii had a large tuna on his line. But a tiger shark also had dibs on the tuna and didn't want to share.
Check out the video below:
Check out the video below:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)