Introduction
Dear <<First Name>>,
As many of us head off to summer adventures, it is good to see that we still have plenty happening in the club with eight paddles over July and August.
Continuing thanks to the members who contribute photos and 100-150 word articles. For more information, contact one of us. And if you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!
You can find SISKA on Facebook at this link. SISKA also has a Meetup site for "impromptu" and other paddles organized by club members. (To join this, you have to be a club member.) For more details, go to https://www.meetup.com/SISKA-Meetup/.
Please also note that you can find archived newsletter articles in the SISKA newsletter archive page. These can be also be found via the members area of the website.
Michael Jackson (SISKA president) and Ben van Drimmelen (editor)
July 8th paddles confusion
On July 8th, there are two SISKA paddle events happening - a paddle from Whiffin spit to Otter Point led by Debbie Leach and a Butchart Gardens fireworks paddle led by Mark Byrne. However, our web site currently has a quirk in that it cannot display more than one event on the same day.
So note that the Whiffin Spit to Otter Point paddle is actually happening on July 8th, as shown below, and not on July 7th as indicated on the SISKA website.
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Upcoming Events
July 1, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, McNeil Bay to Finlayson Point- CANADA DAY! Paddle (RELAXED)
July 8, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Whiffin Spit to Otter Point Paddle (ENERGIZER)
July 8, 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm, Brentwood Bay Butchart Gardens Fireworks Paddle (RELAXED)
July 9, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Island View Beach to James Island Paddle (ENERGIZER)
July 22, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Yoga and paddle to near Mill Bay (ENERGIZER)
August 5, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Brentwood Bay Butchart Gardens Fireworks night paddle Paddle (RELAXED)
August 13, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Amherst to Rum Island Paddle (ENERGIZER)
August 26, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Fleming Beach to Fisgard Lighthouse Paddle (RELAXED)
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Got a caption suggestion for this superb shot from the SISKA Picnic?
Please send it to us
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What’s in a Name?
- Vic Turkington
JEMMY JONES ISLAND
On the return paddle from the north end of Chatham Island we often cross Baynes Channel to Jemmy Jones island. The island is named after James (Jemmy) Jones (1830-81), a well known skipper who built several schooners, including the Carolina. The Carolina was later wrecked on Jemmy Jones Island.
Jemmy was quite the character and adventurer. He was imprisoned in Victoria for debt. Later, he took his steam boat, the Jenny Jones, to the US to avoid creditors. However the law caught up with him and he was arrested and his ship seized. He escaped from jail and crossed the Juan de Fuca Strait in a canoe, disguised in women's clothing and boarded his ship at Olympia, as a passenger. When the crew of the Jenny Jones went ashore the next night, he hijacked his ship and steamed it single handed back to BC. The intrepid mariner then sailed to Mexico; sold the boat and was later arrested again and released in San Francisco, before finally returning home to BC. - quite the adventurer!
So as we paddle past Jemmy Jones island on the way back to Cadboro or Oak Bay, we can give a thought to this old colourful mariner.
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TIPS FOR TRIPS
- Debbie Leach
TIE ONE ON!
Attach strings to the items that you stuff into the bow and stern. That makes it easy to pull them out again.
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Salish Sea Marine Trail Opening Event
- Fred Pishalski and the BCMTNA
The BC Marine Trails Network Association is celebrating the grand opening of the Salish Sea Marine Trail on September 16-17 at Newcastle Island.
Join us Friday night, the 15th, in the group campsites on Newcastle Island to be here in time for the events starting Saturday morning and running throughout the day, including the grand opening ceremonies featuring a group paddle converging on Newcastle Island on the Saturday afternoon. Other events include a race around Newcastle Island and ongoing workshops, guest speakers, games and special attractions.
Don't miss this once-in-a-marine-trail-lifetime event! Check out the event page (where you can register for camping) and/or the more detailed article.
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Tony P and Heather J at the SISKA Paddlefest booth
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SISKA @ MEC Paddlefest
On June 18th SISKA participated in the MEC Paddlefest with a booth near the Tea Room. The day started out damp, but gradually improved.
We had lots of visitors and interest in the club. In addition, SISKA paddlers Jo Nicolson, Mike Jackson and Dorothea Hoffman instructed clinics on the forward stroke, kayaking for women, intro to kayaking, kayak rescues and Greenland paddling.
A big thank you to Rod Stiebel and his team for managing the booth during the day.
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Dave G. tells us about bull kelp and its uses.
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Willows Beach Intertidal Exploration paddle
On June 11th, half a dozen paddlers joined Mike Jackson and Dave Giuliani for another intertidal exploration paddle.
We began with a beach talk discussion of intertidal life and tides and then went for a paddle around Mary Tod islet and Oak Bay Marina. We saw many kinds of invertebrates and seaweeds and had a great sunny and calm paddle.
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Mike J. talks about the invasive wireweed (sargassum). It has become much more abundant over recent years.
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2017 SISKA survey results
- Alan Campbell
Many thanks to the almost 100 members who responded to the recent online survey to have their say on a wide variety of issues. The results will be reviewed in detail over the next few months but here is a short summary for now.
There was lots of good feedback on our many courses and paddles that will help us make these even better in the future:
- Some advertising of related businesses in return for a member discount was strongly supported by respondents
- Most are pleased with SISKA’s activities but more activism by the club on issues important to kayakers was suggested by some, particularly preserving and enjoying our marine environment
- Our current club meeting arrangements continue to meet the needs of the great majority of members
- Most people liked the “SISKA Summer Shorts” idea that Gary Jacek suggested, featuring very short clips of members’ trips, so… get out there with your cameras!
The aggregate results have been posted on the club website for everyone to check out. Thanks again for participating and helping to keep our club on track!
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SISKA 2017 Picnic
- Jane Jacek
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The day turned out pretty nicely - after the night's downpour.
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Jennifer's "Lego kayak" by Point65 of Sweden, plus other kayaks
being inspected and tried out on the beach.
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On Saturday June 10th, forty kayakers gathered to spend a fun-filled day at Cadboro Beach.
The gear swap started the day with members old and new thrilled to find or pass on needed gear. Thanks to Gary J., Gary W. and David M. for erecting the tarp to keep the swap dry. Members then headed to the beach, keen to try out other people's rides. Of particular interest was Jennifer's plastic kayak which consists of three pieces that clicked together like Lego blocks (photo above).
Around noon, a surprise visit, organized by David M., by the Oak Bay Sea Rescue. Our own Heather J. and Sandy got to play kayakers in distress. (photos below).
Wet and hungry, the kayakers headed back to the picnic tables to enjoy their own picnic lunches, supplemented by trays of veggies, fruit and desserts, plus coffee and tea supplied by the club. During lunch, names were drawn for two MEC gift certificates; Mark B. and Jennifer S. were the lucky recipients.
The afternoon began with an excellent crabbing clinic organized by Mike J. and Julie T. and led by Edmond. Kayakers then headed to the beach, some to collect their previously-set crab traps and others waiting on the beach in anticipation. A number of Dungeness and Red Rock crabs were caught in the different style traps, but only one legal-sized male was a keeper; the rest were returned to the open water.
We wound up the day with kayak games, organized by Alan C., Heather J., Denise T. and Ali R. Participants demonstrated skill, agility and balance and, sometimes, their competitive nature. A number of participants ended up in the water one way or another, providing much entertainment for all.
In closing, thanks to everyone who volunteered and participated to make our picnic such a success.
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Kayakers ready to race in the games.
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Gordon Brown on proper positioning
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Gordon Brown shows proper positioning in a kayak.
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Catfish Kayakers off to Alaska again
The Catfish Kayak Group with David Maxwell, Rob Zacharias, Henry Grayman and Alan Campbell headed north on June 23rd to enjoy paddling in southeast Alaska again, determined to “smell the icebergs” more this time. They will return July 21st.
The plan is to take the Alaska ferry from and to Bellingham, paddle and camp in Glacier Bay for several days and then take another two weeks to kayak from Juneau to Petersburg via Admiralty Island and the Pack Creek Brown Bear Sanctuary. This is a pretty accessible (though not inexpensive!) way of paddling in Alaskan waters, so we hope to inspire some of you to do likewise in the future!
As it turns out, we will cross paths with SISKA members Vic Turkington and Barbara MacDougall along the way! They are driving through BC and Yukon to Skagway, Alaska to catch the ferry to Glacier Bay at the same time!
We’ll have our inReach satellite communicator with us to make daily posts and, as of June 23rd, have started to leave a GPS track on our Mapshare page at https://share.garmin.com/WhereweareontheCoast. There is also a Facebook feed set up though, since we’ll be off the grid most of the time, we’ll only be able to upload photos to it when we are in a town; try fb.me/coastalpaddlers.
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Kayakable Birding
Birds are a fine feature of any kayak trip. But which is which? In each Newsletter, we’ll describe a couple of species that you are likely to see at this particular time of year.
Although it seems early, the arctic-nesting sandpipers are already heading south for the winter. The adults tend to come down this month, and the young of the year have to make their own way down next month.
The Western Sandpiper is fairly common on mudflats and sandy beaches, always watchful for hungry peregrine falcons which seem to prefer delectable shorebirds. Note the black legs, heavily-spotted and streaked breast and those reddish patches on the wings and head.
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Western Sandpiper
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The slightly smaller Least Sandpiper is less abundant, but will join Westerns in mixed flocks (more eyes means better falcon detection). It is brownish without the reddish patches and has a white belly. If not obscured by dark mud, the Leasts show greenish-yellow legs.
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Least Sandpiper
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Gulf Islands National Park Camping
As many of you may already know, some of the "backcountry" campsites in Gulf Islands National Park Reserve are available for reservation. You can find out more about reserving these sites at this link.
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To Buy or Sell
If you have any buy/sell items that you would like to post in the Newsletter, please send a short description and your contact info to newsletter@siska.ca.
Our first item:
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Looking for a used Telkwa Sport. Jennie Sutton, 250-592-6434.
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