SISKA's November 2016 Newsletter. Upcoming events, reports and articles
View this email in your browser

November 2016 SISKA Newsletter

Introduction

 
Dear <<First Name>>,

Here is the next edition of the SISKA newsletter. We hope you enjoy it. We also hope that members will continue to send in a couple of photos from our various paddles or maybe the odd 100-150 word article; if you can, please contact one of us.

You can find an archive of all our past newsletters at: http://siska.ca/members/siska-newsletter-archive

Michael Jackson (SISKA president) and Ben van Drimmelen (editor)
Seasonal kayak?

Table of Contents

 

Upcoming Events


November 13, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm,  (ENERGIZER)

November 20, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, 

November 23, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, 

November 26, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm,  (RELAXED)

November 29, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, 

December 3, 9:30 am - 11:30 am,  (RELAXED)

December 03, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, 

December 11, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm,  (ENERGIZER)

December 18, 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm, Christmas Carolling in Victoria Harbour (RELAXED)

December 18, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, 
 
 
For more details, go to the SISKA website

Tips for the trips


Pack a compact umbrella along to eat lunch in the rain.

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.
 

Sooke Inlet to Otter Point

One of our paddles this month was from Whiffen Spit to Otter point, so our names article focuses on that area this month.

Whiffin spit

John George Whiffin was a clerk aboard the RN survey ship HMS Herald under the command of Captain Henry Kellett in 1846-7. (Kellet named many of the features in Sooke Basin.)

Otter Point

Is named after Henry Charles Otter of the Royal Navy. Otter gained a reputation during the Crimean War and Captain Kellett named Otter "Head" after him in 1846.

Secretary (Donaldson) Island

Secretary Island was the name adopted by Henry Kellett in 1847 and it may have originally been named by James Douglas, though the origin of the name is not known. The island was renamed in 1911 to avoid confusion with the Secretary Islands in Trincomali Channel off Saltspring Island. Alexander Dawson Donaldson was a Scot who had come to BC by way of Wisconsin in search of gold, but eventually bought Silver Spray Farm in East Sooke. 70 years later it was decided to revert to Secretary Island since local mariners had not taken to "Donaldson Island". The hydrographic service decided to put it on the charts as Secretary (Donaldson) Island, and it seems to still be that way on charts!

Sheringham Point

Another 1846 Henrey Kellett name, Sheringham Point is named after a fellow surveyor, William Louis Sheringham. The point was named Punta de San Eusebio by Manuel Quimper in 1790. the lighthouse was built in 1912 and was automated in 1989.

Muir Point

John Muir came to BC in 1849 to work for the HBC. He and his family were pioneer farmers in the Sooke area and have several features named after them (Muir Cove, Muir Creek and Mt. Muir). Muir was a magistrate and a member of Vancouver Island's initial elected colonial assembly. His son Andrew Muir became Vancouver Island's first sheriff in 1857.

Parsons Point

William Forster Parsons was 2nd master aboard The HMS Herald under Captain Henry Kellett. The prolific namer, Kellett, named the point after Parsons in 1846. By the way, Kellet made some of BC's earliest Admiralty charts along the south coast of Vancouver Island in 1846-47.

Kayak technique tip


There are lots of resources for kayaking technique tips out there on the web and I thought it would be good to showcase some of these in our newsletter. If you have a favourite that you would like to share, please do so by sending it to newsletter@siska.ca.
 
The first tip that I found is on "The Ultimate Forward stroke" from Paddling.net. The article can be found here.
The Ultimate Forward Stroke for All Kayakers
The ultimate forward stroke

Recipes and tips for Camp Food


We are starting a new segment in our newsletter, sharing recipes that can be made deep into a multi-day kayak trip, or any recipe that makes the cooking part of a trip more enjoyable.  Please submit your contributions; we'll be posting a new one every month.  You can send them to me at lbaier@telus.net.

I'm going to start it off with one of my favourites- 'Ziplock omelettes in a wrap'.
 
Crack two eggs into a medium size Ziplock bag.  Squeeze it around to mix up the yolks and whites.  Now add anything you like.  This one has chopped up ready-pack bacon and cubes of cheddar cheese.  Next, drop it into the water you are boiling for your morning coffee, making sure it doesn't touch the sides of the pot.  It will take about 5 minutes to cook.  Slide it onto a wrap, fold it up, and enjoy.  The second best part?  No dishes :-)
Boiling in a jetboil