SEPTEMBER 2008

  COWICHAN VALLEY PADDLE NEWS

2.1 TRIP RATINGS:

As per past practice our trips will be rated as follows -

A - sheltered areas, B - some exposure or mild currents, C - expect some surf, swells or strong currents. 1 - less than six nautical miles per day, 2 - six to ten nautical miles per day, 3 - more than ten nautical miles per day.

Note that trips are sanctioned by our trip committee (Lis Farrell, Richard Bird and Dennis Wyatt ). If you would like to go on a trip, call the trip leader or coordinator at least two days before the scheduled date of the trip. All members are expected to be able to do a wet exit and re-entry for any of these trips and are expected to consider their own fitness level and skill before deciding to go. The trip leader has the option of refusing anybody who she or he feels is not fit or experienced enough to do the trip.

2.3 TRIPS

September 14- Fuller Lake Potluck- Bring your favourite dish to share. It is a good opportunity to practice wet exits, rolls etc. This is the one that we usually have in June. Call Ed at 743 1220 (campbed@shaw.ca) or Alice at 748 0716 (alice@gsi.bc.ca)

October 5- Shawnigan Lake (A2). Call Ed at 743 1220 or e-mail at campbed@shaw.ca .

3 Kayaking events:

September 19, 20 and 21- Sea Kayak Symposium Port Townsend, Washington

4. JULY 20/08 ARBUTUS RIDGE TO GENOA BAY PADDLE

Another gorgeous sunny day provided the perfect scenario for a beautiful 4½ nautical mile paddle from Arbutus Ridge to Genoa Bay. Dennis Wyatt and Jane Morris hosted this CKCC excursion from the picturesque grounds of the Arbutus Ridge Seaside Village. Since the facility is a gated community we were met by Dennis on his Boulevard scooter near Highway 1 at 8:45 AM. He then led our kayak parade through security to the boat launch. To facilitate the launching of our large group, a staggered departure of two paddle parties was organized. The "diners" left at 9:30 AM; followed by the "box lunchers" 20 minutes later.

The weather and water conditions were ideal. With the wind astern and a following sea the 4½ nautical miles were covered in approximately 1¼ hours. Little energy was expended on the trip to Genoa Bay (the return was a different matter). It seemed the kayaks progressed on their own, which gave us much opportunity to take in the surroundings. Jumping fish and jellyfish, osprey and eagles, patrolling ravens and territorial kingfishers kept our attention along the way.

Our group of 18 paddlers came upon our destination in three separate "waves". The first party of seven kayaks from Arbutus Ridge was led by Dennis. The second party of five singles and one double was joined by another single along the way, and was led by Lis. And the third party of three, which launched from Cowichan Bay, was led by Peggy. We were far from "owning" the water this day. Numerous power boats and sailing craft dotted the water all around. The wakes created by this milieu of boats, mingled with the varying currents of an ebbing tide, gave us a blend of cross currents and rolling waves. It was a perfect day to be on the water. Even the sky was occasionally dotted by amphibious craft as seaplanes passed by from Maple Bay or landed in Cowichan Bay.

Genoa Bay is an ideal spot to relax for lunch. The cozy setting of the small bay surrounded by green treed hills provided a restful environment, while the array of docked boats tantalized the would-be sailors in our group. Those who ate at the Genoa Bay Café enjoyed a delightful lunch on the patio. The rest of us shared our lunches at the marina picnic area on the dock, or purchased our fare in the marina store. A delicious ice cream was a treat with which some of us rewarded ourselves. After a quick perusal of the offerings in the gallery we set about launching for the return trip.

What a contrast! Leaving the quiet setting of Genoa Bay with its starfish and crabs, we soon met the onslaught of wind and waves in Cowichan Bay. What had been a gentle stern-wind on our paddle to Genoa had now turned into a strong headwind as we returned. The wind and waves intensified the further south we travelled. The wind from the southeast was blowing 15-20 knots with gusts possibly up to 25 knots, while the waves came at us in a 1-2 foot chop and 2-2 ½ foot swells. We enjoyed an occasional respite from the elements, but were soon buffeted again. There was no opportunity to observe wildlife, since we had to concentrate on the rolling and swelling action coming at us at a 45 degree angle. There was, however, serendipity in all of this. As we came around Cherry Point we saw the dancing kites of parasurfers in Boatswain Bay. The surfers cut a zigzag pattern with ease and delight, flying across the waves we considered a challenge. And then we reached the shore of the Arbutus Ridge Village. Our return trip took us 2¼ hours; a full hour longer than the trip up. With muscles a little strained and tired we happily came ashore and loaded our kayaks on our vehicles.

As is a usual event after a paddle we "debriefed" and shared some refreshments. This time we were graciously hosted by Jane and Dennis at their beautiful home with a spectacular panoramic view. We took in the sights of Salt Spring Island, Satellite Channel, Saanich Peninsula, and the Gulf and San Juan Islands beyond. It was a perfect conclusion to a wonderful day. (Thanks, Walter)

5. MARINE TRAILS AND GULF ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK UPDATE

Lois, Dave and Richard have been doing a lot of work and a great job of representing us (The CKCC) and presenting kayakers views both with the B. C. Marine Trails Task Force and the Gulf Islands National Park. An update is attached. Thank you Lois, Dave and Richard for the work that you have done.

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH- Do you have any good kayak websites that you would like to share? If so e-mail Ed at campbed@shaw.ca.

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