SISKA's September 2020 Newsletter. Upcoming events, reports and articles
View this email in your browser

September 2020 SISKA Newsletter

Introduction

 
Dear Tony,

Thanks to those members who contributed photos and materials. After enjoying a SISKA event or paddle, please consider sending a short (100-150 words) summary article; for more information, contact one of us. If you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!

Alan Campbell (SISKA president) and Tony Playfair (editor)
PS: You can find SISKA on Facebook at this link.

PPS: SISKA has a Meetup site for "impromptu" and other paddles organized by club members. For more details, go to https://www.meetup.com/SISKA-Meetup/. To join this, you have to be a club member.

PPPS: You can find the SISKA newsletter archive here: http://goo.gl/VUkafR

Table of Contents

 

Upcoming SISKA Events


Monday, September 07th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Esquimalt Gorge Park to Portage Inlet Paddle
Tuesday, September 08th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Todd Inlet Willis Point Paddle
Sunday, September 20th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Maple Bay Rowing Club to Booth Bay Paddle
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Maynard Cove to Telegraph Cove Paddle
Saturday, October 03rd, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Pedder Bay to Whirl Bay Paddle
Tuesday, October 06th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Agate Lane to Coastal transit north toward IVB Paddle
Saturday, October 10th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Spirit Bay to Whirl Bay Paddle
Sunday, October 18th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Relaxed Paddle - Cadboro Bay to Willows Beach Paddle
Tuesday, October 20th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Light Paddle - Island View Beach to Coastal transit south toward Agate Paddle
Sunday, October 25th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM - Energizer Paddle - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Mackenzie Bight via Bamberton/Spectacle Paddle
 
For more details, go to the SISKA website

Community Events of Interest

These events are not formally supported by SISKA, but considered to be of interest to a significant number of our members.

Any member may request an event to be included in this section by sending a note to chairperson@siska.ca.

SISKA’s Annual General Meeting by Zoom – Wednesday, September 23 @ 7 pm

by Alan Campbell
 
Since the Covid-19 pandemic will not be resolved in the next few months, it has been decided to hold SISKA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) this year virtually by Zoom, at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. You will receive formal notice of this meeting in early September by email, and be asked to install Zoom, a free download, on your device to participate in the video teleconference.
Our AGM is normally held each April to meet the requirements of the BC Societies Act as  SISKA is a non-profit corporation. Typically, the first business is to confirm that  a quorum of members is present. Under our bylaws, a quorum is 10% of the voting members (which is likely 35 as we currently have 344 members). The main business of the AGM is to approve the minutes of the last AGM, approve the annual financial report, receive any other reports of Club activities, and to elect or re-elect members to serve on SISKA’s Board of Directors. Unless there is any other business, the AGM is then adjourned.

Following our previous AGMs, which are usually fairly short, a regular monthly SISKA meeting has been immediately convened, and we have a presentation related to kayaking, the marine environment, or another topic of interest to members. Our Zoom meeting, a new experience for some, will require a little time at the beginning to get everyone online and oriented, but we are planning to make it as efficient as possible once we get going.
Then, once the AGM has been adjourned, we will begin our first monthly club meeting held by Zoom! We plan to have one of our accomplished SISKA members describe a unique kayaking adventure she had earlier this year.

Elizabeth Purdon, a PC Level 4 kayaker and Level 1 instructor, who recently circumnavigated Vancouver Island with her husband Bob, and paddling friend Marg Rees as “Bobby and the Sea Stars”, had the opportunity to paddle for several weeks in the Sea of Cortes, Baja, Mexico, with world-renowned kayaking legend, Freya Hoffmeister. Elizabeth impressed Freya (not easily done!) with her paddling skills and willingness to work hard to support this part of Freya’s current multi-year kayaking odyssey to circumnavigate North America. Elizabeth will share her experience with Freya by narrating an online slideshow she has created.
Mark Wednesday, September 23 on your calendar now and get ready to Zoom with SISKA!

Rolling Practice on Mondays

 
by BJ Porter
If your interested in practicing your rolling skills, BJ Porter has Mondays scheduled usually at Elk Lake or Oak Bay Marina. Let her know - bjporter108@gmail.com

Tips from the trips

by Lynn Baier
 
Rudder Cable Maintenance

On our recent trip to the North Brooks I learned a good lesson. I dutifully inspected my kayak for sea-worthiness before leaving and found a very slight fray in the steel rudder cable line where it disappears into the tubing inside the back hatch. I put down a bit of tape and declared it ‘fine’. We were day-tripping down to Orchard Point in active metre high seas when it broke. I had a beast of a time turning into Klaskino Inlet. When we found a friendly beach the repair was done. Fortunately I had brought along my repair kit and some handy repairers. Tony had switched over his steel cable and replaced it with spectra line, which has the strength of steel. This seemed like a good idea to me, as I know how to tie a knot but don’t trust my skill at crimping a steel cable, so I had some spectra line in my kit. The repair was quick and slick. I have now replaced the line on the other side along with another thimble and a bit of tubing, which are not essential in an emergency, but will prolong the life of the line.
NEED A BREAK or a BRAKE? Droop a piece of bull kelp over your hull to stop your kayak in moving water.
by Debbie Leach/Delcie

Camp Cookery

by Debbie Leach via Lynn Baier

Appetizer Idea

Cut cherry tomatoes in half, wrap in cooked, but still pliable, bacon and then toothpick skewer with a bit of lettuce. Voilà you have a BLT appetizer.