Introduction
Dear <<First Name>>,
Welcome to the next edition of the SISKA newsletter; happy reading. After a busy summer, this is quite a long issue!
We are very pleased that paddle leaders are now tending to send in short articles on their trips. Grateful thanks for that! Sometimes they also need a couple of photos (one can't really lead and shoot), so let them know if you have taken photos. If other members have contributions (like the new "Tips for Trips" feature below), do contact one of us.
All our past newsletters are archived at: http://siska.ca/members/siska-newsletter-archive
Michael Jackson (SISKA president) and Ben van Drimmelen (editor) |
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Upcoming Events
October 1, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Telegraph Cove to Cadboro Bay and beyond Paddle (RELAXED PADDLE)
October 9, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, Rescue Clinic and Pool Drop In
October 16, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Whiffin Spit to Otter Point Paddle (ENERGIZER PADDLE)
October 23, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, SISKA Pool Clinic and Drop in session
October 26, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, SISKA General meeting, topic to be confirmed
October 30, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Spirit Bay to Becher Bay shoreline Paddle (ENERGIZER PADDLE)
November 13, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Spirit Bay to Cabin Point Paddle (ENERGIZER PADDLE)
November 20, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, SISKA Pool Clinic and Drop in session
November 23, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, SISKA General meeting, topic to be confirmed
November 26, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Esquimalt Lagoon to Millstream Falls Paddle (ENERGIZER PADDLE)
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SISKA's Christmas Party
Mark your calendars now! SISKA’s Annual Christmas Luncheon Party will again be held at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on Saturday December 3rd, 12-3 pm.
Great food, terrific company and loads of festive fun are guaranteed so look for more details to come in the next few weeks and be sure to register early!
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Lost Paddle at Cattle Point
A local paddler, Fred Gladu, found a Werner paddle at Cattle Point and would like to return it to it’s owner. Anyone who recently lost their paddle at Cattle Point can contact Fred Gladu at gladu@shaw.ca and describe the paddle.
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September's Club Meeting - John Kimantas
Meetings are back underway after our summer "recess" and our September meeting featured John Kimantas. John came down to Victoria to share with us some stories about things he has learned over a few decades of paddling our coast. He divided the talk up into ten "topics" ranging from wind to food to wildlife and shared many wonderful anecdotes with a packed room. One of John's most important lessons learned is when not to head out - good judgement is a key seamanship skill!
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TIPS FROM THE TRIPS
(Little things that make life easier when you are out there)
This is the first in a new series, courtesy of Debbie Leach. Please send your trip tip ideas, including recipes and whatever else, to her at debbieleach52@gmail.com.
Bring Boots
Your feet stay warm and dry. Great for washing dishes and avoiding ankle bug bites and sandy socks.
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What’s in a Name?
This is our local name series. Most of our featured names are drawn from “The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names” by Andrew Scott. We have a copy in the library (see the next article)!
Pat and Coles Bays
Last month we had a paddle from Pat Bay to Coles Bay and back, so it seemed appropriate to look at their names.
Previously known as Union Bay, Patricia Bay was renamed after Princess Patricia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria. She came to Canada with her parents when her father Prince Arthur became Canada's 10th governor-general. In 1918, she was named the commander-in-chief of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. However, she relinquished all of her royal titles when she married Alexander Ramsay in 1919.
Coles Bay was named in 1860 after John Coles, a midshipman aboard the HMS Thetis under Captain Augustus Kuper (after whom Kuper Island off Chemainus was named, until recently renamed Penelakut Island). Mr. Coles retired from the navy in 1857 and tried farming for several years near the bay named after him but soon retreated to the UK, maintaining that the Saanich land was "not even good enough to grow potatoes".
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SISKA's Library
The SISKA Library has dozens of CDs, DVDs and books covering a wide range of topics including weather, seamanship, navigation, camp craft, cooking, kayak repair, travel, natural history and wildlife. We also have videos to inspire you with paddling opportunities in BC and around the world plus guidebooks to help you plan your own explorations. On a dark, wet and blustery winter night, perhaps you'd like to curl up with A Boat In Our Baggage - Around the World with a Kayak by Maria Coffey, or the DVD This is the Sea!
The library catalog is available online at www.siska.ca; just sign on with your SISKA userid and password, then hover your mouse over the Members tab and click on "SISKA's Library". Find an item you'd like to borrow? Library materials can be signed out at every SISKA monthly meeting at tables at the back of our meeting room. Is there something missing from our library? Send your suggestions to Librarian@siska.ca or donate a book or DVD by contacting our librarian.
Drysuit Repair Kits
If all your adventuring has started to make your drysuit neck or wrist seals turn gummy or they're starting to split, it's time to do a little gasket repair. The SISKA library has two drysuit repair kits for Kokatat suits available for sign out, with the jigs and instructions needed to make the repairs. You'll need to supply your own replacement gaskets and aquaseal (from a local paddling shop). If you borrow a kit, please return it to the club librarian immediately after the repair so that other members can use it. Contact the SISKA librarian at Librarian@siska.ca if you need to use a gasket repair kit.
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The Discovery/Chatham Island wolf (Photo by Cheryl Alexander)
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Discovery Island Marine Park Closure
Many of you may have heard that the park is closed to visitors until the spring while the Conservation Officer Service assesses the situation. A group brought a dog with them to the park but then called the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre to be "rescued" from the interested wolf when they felt "threatened". You can read about this story on the CBC web site (one of the few media reports to accurately describe what happened).
The club has sent a letter (click here to view) to the minister responsible as well as the BC Parks Branch protesting at this seemingly unnecessary closure. Though the park is closed above the high tide line, it is still possible to land on the beach for a break without contravening the closure. (Thanks to Dave Chater for his help with the letter!)
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Another Cheryl Alexander image of of our neighbourhood wolf. Cheryl has been studying him for several years now.
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Sidney Spit Birding Paddle
Bob Purdon, guided by birder extraordinaire Daniel Donnecke, led this paddle on September 10.
Twelve members went on a “birding paddle” from Sidney to Sidney Spit, then along Forrest and Dock Islands, the Little Group, Roberts Bay and back to Sidney. Originally planned as an Oak Bay and Chatham/Discovery Islands trip, it was changed to avoid strong winds. Plan B put us into a perfect sunny, warm fall day with light wind.
Before the paddle, most of us recognized gulls and cormorants, but very few appreciated the diversity of species among these groups. We were introduced to 55 cormorants in 3 species (Pelagic, Double-crested and Brant's) and 470 gulls in 5 species (Heermann's, California, Bonaparte's, Mew and Glaucous-winged). The largest concentration occurred on the exposed rocks just off the Amherst put-in; sometimes you don’t have to go far to find good bird viewing!
We had lunch at Sydney Spit, where Daniel set up his spotting-scope to view a dry intertidal lagoon where smaller birds where observed - American Pipits, oystercatchers, sandpipers, a white-crowned sparrow and a Caspian Tern. We did not go into the big lagoon near the Sidney Spit campground because this a protected reserve.
Between the weather, Daniel's eye and commentary, the birds and the camaraderie we had a great day!
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Daniel saw 31 species, the rest saw... well... "some".
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Bon Voyage to Sheila Porteous
Many of us have come to know Sheila P. as a very dedicated volunteer for our club. She has been with us since soon after we formed as a club and she has led paddles, run courses and clinics and also served as club president for 4 years. Sheila has just moved to Comox and will be stepping down from her role as the club’s Safety Coordinator. She will continue to serve as “Past President” on the executive until the next AGM, as she can still participate via Skype! We are going to miss Sheila and her cheerful, positive personality, but hope that some of us will make it up to Comox to paddle with her and vice versa!
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Sheila in her element!
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Pearson’s College-Weir’s Beach Paddle
Dave Chater provided a summary of his inaugural leading of this relaxed paddle.
The weather on August 6 was spectacular for a mid-summer paddle with very light winds, beautiful sunshine, relatively small waves and minimal current. The 7.8 mile trip went from Pearson College (Metchosin) along the south shoreline of Pedder Bay, across the mouth of the bay and around William Head before reaching Weir’s Beach. Ten paddlers came out for this, a new paddle on the SISKA calendar.
Highlights included poking around the south shore of Pedder Bay and enjoying lunch on the white sand of Weir’s Beach. As a bonus, we were entertained by members of the Team Canada mens’ rugby team practicing on the beach! After lunch we took a brief detour to take in a waterside view of a spectacular beach house, with a man-made stream and waterfall that bisects the house. Very unique! After the paddle, we reconvened at the MyChosen Café to enjoy some lemonade and ice cream.
Although advertised as a “relaxed” paddle, this was more of an enhanced relaxed paddle due to the length of the paddle and the typically bumpy water around William Head. This was probably a bit of a stretch for some of the paddlers, but all made it around the point with no issues and all apparently thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
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The white sand of Weir's Beach.
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Societies Act changes are coming.
The BC government is replacing the legislation governing not-for-profit societies. A new Societies Act comes into effect on November 28, and all societies have two years to transition to the modernized rules.
The changes for SISKA are not substantial, and many of them will allow us to operate more efficiently, such as allowing electronic communication. We plan to bring the updated bylaws to the April 2017 Annual General Meeting, and will be providing details before the meeting. Until then, if anyone is interested in learning more about the bylaw updating project, please contact Lynn Beak at 250-598-3584.
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Cooper’s Cove- Sooke Basin Paddle
Dave Chater led this relaxed paddle on September 11.
The 7.8 mile trip from Cooper’s Cove (Sooke) around the Sooke Basin offers an interesting shoreline among small islets and “pocket” coves in the eastern portions of Sooke Harbour. Ten paddlers went out and ten came back, so Dave passed that first and most important test for a paddle leader.
The weather was spectacular for a late summer paddle - very light wind, beautiful sunshine and, happily, no fog! Highlights included poking around in Anderson Cove and Roche Cove (a small regional park) and noodling along the northern shore of Sooke Basin.
We enjoyed a lovely lunch on a small pocket beach near the entrance of Anderson Cove. We were startled as one of our party took a pre-lunch plunge for a brief and undoubtedly refreshing swim! No one else decided to join him.
As tradition demands, a few of the paddlers stopped at “The Stickle Back” restaurant beside our launch point for a very civilized debrief with cold beer, calamari, chicken wings, fries and various chocolate goodies. A great day to be on the water.
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Poking and noodling along the shore
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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.
After a short, romantic northern holiday for nesting, many of the birds who like to winter here are back.
The Surf Scoter is a bulky sea duck that fishes a bit offshore in small flocks. The white patch on the back of the male's head and thick orange beak are distinctive. If we paddle too close and cause them to take off, their wings make a pronounced whistling.
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Surf Scoter, male and female
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Identifying many shorebirds is tricky, as the plumage of many species changes dramatically with the seasons. One tall, elegant and distinctive shorebird that looks the same all year is the Greater Yellowlegs. It likes shallow shorelines like Willows Beach or mudflats where you will see it gracefully walking in the shallows. As it takes off, you will hear 3-4 short, loud calls - deew, deew, deew.
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Greater Yellowlegs
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Reporting Dead or Entangled Mammals
Occurrences of entangled whales or other distressed marine mammals are becoming more and more frequent off the coast of BC. Kayakers are uniquely positioned to discover a dead dolphin or a whale in apparent distress. The BC Marine Mammal Response Network responds to reports of dead, injured, sick, and harassed marine mammals and so would love a report from us on every such incident.
The Network helps in the conservation and protection of marine mammals and sea turtles in BC waters.They help distressed marine mammals and collect data from dead ones.They also keep track of threats such as disease outbreaks, inappropriate or illegal human activity, contamination, disturbance, vessel strikes and entanglements.
How do you reach them if you find a marine mammal dead or in apparent distress? They have a toll-free reporting hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 1-800-465-4336.
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BC Marine Trails Network Association looking for volunteers
The BCMTNA, which SISKA is a member of, is looking for volunteers for several positions. Fred Pishalski is our club representative and has attended several meetings on our behalf. One position that they are looking to fill is that of "Vancouver Island Region Manager (Volunteer Position)". This person would be responsible for maintaining and managing site information for Vancouver Island sites which are part of the network. This person should ideally already have a good knowledge of the the Island's paddling opportunities.
Please contact Nick Heath, Secretary, BC Marine Trails Network Association if you might be interested.
By the way, BCMTNA is holding their "Fall Forum" on October 22nd in Nanaimo. More details can be found on their website.
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