Fall/Winter 2014 Coast&Kayak Magazine

COAST&KAYAK
Magazine
The magazine of Pacific coast adventures and recreation
Volume 24, Issue 3
Fall/Winter 2014
FREE online
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Going it alone
$5
The next generation

shares adventures:
Tara Mulvany,
around New Zealand
Print subscriptions
See page 3
Russell Henrys
Vancouver Island
speed record
PM 41687515
Bjorn Dihle,
around Alaskas
Admiralty Island
www.coastandkayak.com
COAST&KAYAK Magazine
1
Fall/Winter 2014
Check out our new

online store
1717 Salton Road

Abbotsford, BC, V2S 7P2
(Near Hwy 1 and McCallum Road)
www.westerncanoekayak.com
Rental Fleet Sale!
Come check out the discounted gear
14 Necky Kayaks
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Deep Cove Outdoors
deepcoveoutdoors.com / 604.987.2202 / 352 Lynn Ave, North Vancouver

2
Fall/Winter 2014
Inside
Were extending our...
This issues cover
by Alex Matthews
When Russell Henry set the new speed
record for paddling around Vancouver Island,
few people were more enthusiastic than
skills instructor Alex Matthews. Russell is one
of the most exciting things to happen to sea
kayaking in ages, he writes. This young man
is very likely to log some more expeditions
in the coming years. Its going to be exciting
to watch him get after it. Russells story is
one of three in this issue looking at not only
solo efforts in paddling but also from the
viewpoint of the next generation, with all
trips taken by paddlers who were in their
twenties. Russells story starts page 8.
Leaving it all behind
$5
print subscriptions
12
Tara Mulvany is one of the most exciting newcomers

to the paddling world, a quiet, unassuming paddling
powerhouse who has just paddled around Vancouver
Island after finishing her New Zealand odyssey. This is
her story of how it all started.
The call to Kootznoowoo
20
Bjorn Dihle was no stranger to Admiralty Island, having

grown up in nearby Juneau, but circumnavigating it at
the age of 28 brought new light to this remarkable place
and everything it encompasses particularly the wildlife.
Join Bjorn on his 11-day journey around Kootznoowoo.
Get one full year of Coast&Kayak

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So how to take advantage? Go to
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Price valid for Internet purchases only.
The state of the industry
44
The kayak manufacturing industry is changing at the

speed of light. So why would Seaward Kayaks turn
its back on new materials to focus on composites
when so many others are turning their attention to
thermoform and rotomolded kayaks? The answer lies
in the aftermath of a prime-time television appearance.
Consider it life after the Dragons Den.
First Word4
News6
Subscription form7
Plan your northern adventure25,28
Destinations: Discovery/Desolation 29
Destinations: The Gulf Islands 33

Kayaking Greece 36
Instruction directory 40
Skillset41
Gearing Up44
Fall/Winter 2014
Were still here!

The list of paddlesports
magazines that have disappeared
is growing. Sea Kayaker
Magazine. Paddler Magazine.
Kanawa Magazine. California
Paddler Magazine.
We have no intention of going,
but we are evolving. Our new
subscription sale price is easy
on the pocket and helps ensure
we stay off the list. Thanks to
everyone who has responded!
The First Word
Adapting to life on water

Fall/Winter 2014

Volume 24, Number 3

PM No. 41687515
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PO Box 24, Stn A
Nanaimo, B.C., Canada, V9R 5K4
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Email: kayak@coastandkayak.com
Website: www.coastandkayak.com
Physical address: Aboard the MV Wild Coast,
Somewhere on the Pacific Ocean
The Coast&Kayak Magazine office in downtown Nanaimo was never perfect.

Staffing it meant a daily commute, searching for parking, listening to traffic from the
office window (and a busker on an electric guitar who played the riff from Dont Fear the
Reaper Romeo and Juliet, together in eternity daily for hours). So when the landlord
said, Oh, you should have been paying hydro, heres the bill for the past two years, I
decided it was time for a change.
It took a while to figure it out, but it all came together when
an email alert came in for a price change on a boat for sale (the
big kind, not a kayak). It was the right price, it had all the right
pieces to work as a floating office, and it came with assumable
moorage.
Added to that was the fact it was assumable live-aboard
moorage. Live-aboard? Living on the water, the place I love so
much? That got me thinking...
Well, I bought the boat figuring even if it never left the slip at
the marina, it would serve well as an office and on-water refuge. The moorage fee was
about the same as the office rent, plus the boat had huge advantages, particularly being
on the water. No buskers, just fish, seagulls, seals and otters. But not being one to let
things sit, I began a renovation process (I guess thats a refit in nautical terms), and it all
came together this spring (except for some parts left over with no inkling of where they
go), which meant I could work from the boat at anchor pretty much anywhere I wanted.
Okay, thats overstating it. Remote is a relative term, and technological advances are
huge for a remote office these days, but the line in the sand is the need for a cell phone
signal. That tends to limit things somewhat, especially since anchorages close to large
communities can miss cell phone coverage due to some quirk of wavelength physics.
But still... As I rewrite this I set out over six weeks ago, and Ive been living and
working aboard ever since. Theres a simplicity to it, which is either good or bad
depending on your perspective. Water and electricity arent on the end of a tap or wire
out here, so you have to adapt or say the dreaded word uncle and head back to shore.
You are also much more keenly tied into the elements, which I happen to like, but extra
care and planning is necessary for everything. Fortunately, Ive been on the luckier end
so far this year, providing three tows for others (a disabled 36 sailboat, a disabled dinghy
and a paddleboarder caught in the wind and having difficulty getting back to shore).
Count me lucky as the one to provide help, not need it for now anyway.
Its all for the love of the coast, of course, but in BC youd have to be crazy to be near
the water and not own a boat. And it helps to be a bit crazy if you do own one as well.

- John Kimantas
editor@coastandkayak.com
The worlds only magazine published from aboard a boat

(that we know of, anyway).
2014. Copyright is retained on all material (text, photos and graphics) in this magazine.
No reproduction is allowed of any material in any form, print or electronic, for any purpose,
except with the permission of Wild Coast Publishing.
Some elements in maps in this magazine are reproduced with
the permission of Natural Resources Canada 2010, courtesy
of the Atlas of Canada. Also, our thanks to Geobase for some
elements that may appear on Coast&Kayak maps.
Coast&Kayak Magazine is dedicated to making self-propelled

coastal exploration fun and accessible. Safety and travel
information is provided to augment pre-existing safety and
knowledge. A safety course and proper equipment are advised
before any exploration on water. See a list of paddling instruction
locations at www.coastandkayak.com
Coast&Kayak Magazines
office, newly renamed the
MV Wild Coast, at Lamalchi
Bay off Penelakut Island.
Fall/Winter 2014
For all your outdoor adventures we are your choice
Fall/Winter 2014
News
Help the sea star disease battle
Clusters of starfish clinging to intertidal
rocks have been a common sight along the
Pacific coast until now. Those familiar
masses of purple and orange have virtually
disappeared.
Its called the sea star wasting
syndrome, and it has ravaged the sea
star population along the Pacific coast
in an unprecedented way. The sea stars
(also known as starfish) have seen their
populations devastated to the point that
a healthy cluster is now a rare sight along
much of the Pacific coast.
The die-off began in 2011, but passed
virtually unnoticed as it took place quickly
and underwater. Reports began to surface
in June 2013 along the Pacific Northwest
and Southern California, then in
Vancouver in late August. Cases are now
reported from Alaska to Mexico.
To date the scientific community is
stumped on what microbe is causing the
disease, or even whether the root cause is a
virus or a bacteria.
The syndrome differs by species, but
generally involves a curling of the arms, a
deflated look and lesions. Finally the arms
Remember these guys? Chances are you

didnt see many on your trips this year.
fall off and the internal organs spill out as

if the sea star is melting. A video of the
diseases progression can be seen here:
http://vimeo.com/80181246.
The syndrome has galvanized the
scientific community, with reportedly
more than 100 scientists and activists now
working on the case. Among them are
the aquariums in Vancouver, Seattle and
Monterey Bay, which all saw their captive
sea star populations devastated.
The other mystery is the ecological
consequence. Sea stars are generally a
predator species and considerably less
often prey, leading to the possibility of a
population explosion of their food species.

The University of Santa Cruz is hoping
public observations will play a key role in
their understanding of the disease, and is
encouraging people to submit observations
of juvenile sea stars using an online entry
form. The university is hopeful the species
will replenish itself with new sea star babies
(larvae), with encouraging evidence of
babies in some locations previously ravaged
by the disease. The question remains: how
extensive is the recovery? The university
is creating a juvenile sea star identification
guide to help with proper identification.
Photos with the entries is encouraged. The
online form is available here:
http://www.eeb.ucsc.edu/
pacificrockyintertidal/data-products/seastar-wasting/observation-log.html
More information about the disease can
be found at these sites:
www.seastarwasting.org
vanaqua.org/act/research/sea-stars
echinoblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/
starfish-wasting-disease.html
inaturalist.org/projects/pisasterdisaster-tracking-starfish-wasting-disease
www.sickstarfish.com
Your Kayak Adventure Begins Here

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Voted Best Kayak Store in Canada
1824 Store Street

Victoria, BC V8T 4R4
Toll Free: 800.909.4233

Ph: 250.381.4233
oceanriver.com
oceanriveradventures.com
CLOTHING FOOTWARE OUTDOOR GEAR KAYAKS CANOES SUP

INSTRUCTION RENTALS NATURE TOURS HARBOUR TOURS ONLINE STORE
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Fall/Winter 2014
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITES!
News
LNG plants to dot the coast?
An agreement is in the works between
the Huu-ay-aht First Nation of Bamfield
and Steelhead LNG of Vancouver. It
would see about 30 million tonnes a year
of liquefied natural gas from northeastern
BC pipelined to a new facility in Sarita off
the Deer Group in Barkley Sound.
Numerous regulatory hurdles mean the
project is many years away.
A second LNG plant is proposed
for Howe Sound near Squamish at an
abandoned pulp mill site. Woodfibre
Natural Gas Limited plans to export
2.1 million tonnes of LNG per year to
Asia in about 40 ships per year travelling
through Howe Sound then south around
Vancouver Island. Woodfibres parent
company, Pacific Oil and Gas, owns an
LNG import facility in China.
Meanwhile, the Port Alberni Port
Authority has a project of its own dubbed
the Port Alberni Transshipment Hub
(or PATH). It proposes a facility on the
Alberni Inlet 30km south of Port Alberni
to move Asia-Pacific freight along the
Alberni Inlet and through Barkley Sound.
It is being billed as the worlds largest
shipping facility.
Steve and Jacquie Ree show off the new

Coast&Kayak flagship tourer: a Seaward Quest.
Yoshi vogues in his new NRS life vest on the

MV Wild Coast deck alongside the company
cannon, ever useful for SUP target practice.
Office news: we have a new kayak!

Coast&Kayak Magazines parent
company Wild Coast Publishing has a
selection of new toys to play with this
year. Among them is a new lead touring
kayak, a new kevlar Seaward Quest.
Editor John Kimantas picked it up from
Seawards Chemainus plant on Vancouver
Island, with owners Steve and Jacquie Ree
presenting the custom-painted kayak that
will have a lead role in future tours. Those
will include kayaking the central BC coast
for the third volume of the BC Coast
Explorer series. Volume 2 for the BC
South Coast is due out next spring.
A change for the company is the name
of the floating office. Along with a new

coat of paint is the new name: MV Wild
Coast, which replaces the old name Rainy
Day. This and a cannon on the bow should
make it among the more conspicuous of
BCs coastal cruisers.
Also getting a new toy is MV Wild
Coasts skipper, Yoshi, a fox terrier who
helps with office duties, most prominently
barking at visitors. Yoshi was an
abandoned stray found with a shattered
pelvis after being hit by a car. Helping out
was NRS, which donated one of its dog
life jackets to help Yoshis transition to life
aboard our boat-office. Thanks to Karen
Woodard of NRS for helping with that.
$5
Notice to
Subscribers:
Were changing. Heres how.

Were no longer sending renewal notices by
mail. Instead, starting this issue the address
label will contain additional information. If it
states, Your subscription has now expired, you
can renew at our $5 sale price by signing up at
coastandkayak.com. We hope you do! Its fast,
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For one year

if you subscribe
or renew by Paypal at
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If you prefer to pay by cheque/check or credit

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International prices apply outside US and Canada. Email addresses are used only for delivery difficulties and renewal notices.
Mail a check/cheque to: Wild Coast Publishing, PO Box 24 Stn A, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, V9R 5K4
Fall/Winter 2014
News
ussell Henry was on his

way across the Caribbean by
paddle with his brother last year
when he heard about Jerome Trurans
attempt to set a speed record for paddling
around Vancouver Island.
Jerome never made it; like many before
he faced strong headwinds down the
outside of the island, and with no chance
of a record in sight and just half way
around the island after 10 days of hard
paddling, he bowed out at Ucluelet.
That was inspiration enough, though,
for Russell to give it a try himself, and after
completing the 6,500-kilometre trip from
Brazil to Florida he was certainly in shape
for the try.
His initial plan was to head out as
quickly as possible after his Caribbean
What
crossing to keep the momentum going,
he says, but instead he spent the next two
months on ski patrol. So on May 29 still
early in the season the plan became to
leave from Willow Beach near his home in
Victoria.
That didnt happen either due to
preparation issues. At the top of the list
Fall/Winter 2014
was having to wait for the glue to cure on

the thigh braces and foot boards attached
to his Stellar S18R.
The delay turned out to be a favourable
one, though, as it gave him a chance to
react to the long-term forecast. Leaving
from Victoria as planned would put
him heading up-Island against a steady
forecast of strong northwesterlies, so
instead of fighting headwinds he changed
his strategy, changed his departure date
again by a day, loaded up his old truck and
headed north.
The revised plan was to launch from
Winter Harbour. From there his timed
run was set to start off Kains Island at the
north entrance to Quatsino Sound.
This put him in a situation no other
paddler has had in the race to round
Vancouver Island: consistent tailwinds
down the entire outer coast.
News
it takes
photo by Trigo Morrison
Russell Henry sets a new speed

record for rounding Vancouver Island
by paddle. Heres how he did it.
Fall/Winter 2014
News
His mission was a simple one: paddle
70 kilometres a day to beat the previous
time set by rower Colin Angus. But the
physical demand took its toll early.
Day two was a wall, he says. That
was only day two, so I started thinking I
dont know if I can do this, I dont know
if I can do two more weeks. Why am I
doing this?
Russell had learned from his Caribbean
expedition, though, that managing
adversity was his strong card. His brother,
Graham, definitely no slouch in terms of
paddling ability himself, had a different
response to tough situations.
Where Graham got tired I could see
I was growing stronger and stronger,
Russell says.
Russell was able to consistently meet
or beat the 70-kilometre requirement. It
is certainly the most consistent of the
record attempts for daily distances of all
the record contenders so far (to see a map
of all the stops by the record holders, see
www.coastandkayak.com/islandrace.html).
As he had never done multi-day solo
kayak trips before, one of the biggest
hurdles was getting used to the extra
Russell Henrys view of the world.
demands particularly having to carry the

kayak up the beach alone and make three
trips to load and unload the gear.
Disaster almost struck later in the
attempt when the hull on his boat cracked
from bringing it up the beach still loaded
to save time.
It was an 18-inch hole just from
dragging it up the beach. It was silly, he
says.
Duct tape and epoxy allowed him to
continue, and the final result was a time

of 12 days, 23 hours and 44 minutes,
departing May 31 at 10:28 a.m. and
arriving June 13 at 10:12 a.m.
The previous best time was by Colin
Angus in a rowboat, who rounded the
island in 15 days, 11 hours and 47 minutes.
The best previous record in a kayak was
set by Joe OBlenis in 2010 at 16 days, 12
hours and 14 minutes.
Logistically Winter Harbour was the
right choice, but for a celebration it left
something to be desired. Friends who
were in Port Hardy awaiting his arrival
figured he wouldnt arrive so early in the
day, so werent there to greet him.
Finishing was a little anticlimactic,
Russell says. I walked in (to Winter
Harbour) and no one was there, so I gave
myself a pat on the back. I had to walk
around for 10 minutes to find someone to
say I just did this thing.
Russell spent the summer working at
Strathcona Park Lodge as an outdoor
educator, but his adventures are far
from over. It may be Asia, it may be
the Aleutians. But whichever, be sure
adventure is now in his blood.
Come and Explore!

See the areas first monumental pole raised in
Gwaii Haanas in over 130 years.
Venez explorer!
Admirez le mt hraldique gant qui a t
hiss Gwaii Haanas, le premier dans la
rgion depuis plus de 130 ans.
10
Fall/Winter 2014
Fall/Winter 2014
11
Circumnavigating New Zealand
he faint glow of the moon

shining over the ocean was the only
thing to disturb the darkness. We
paddled blindly, threading a line between
the flickering moonlight and the rumbling
surf. Inching closer to a small sandy beach,
I bobbed nervously on the erratic swell,
trying to time the sets. After some bigger
waves passed I paused for a moment, then
surfed in through the darkness, bouncing
sideways towards land.
A few seconds later, Sim followed. Safely
on shore we set up our tent under a starfilled sky, ate some fruit bread for dinner
and then curled up in our sleeping bags.
This was the first night of what was
to be three months of paddling and
exploring the Fiordland coast on the remote
southwest corner of New Zealands South
Island. Our journey had barely begun and I
was already questioning my judgment. We
were heading for a wild land of rainforest
where gales rage more days than not, and
winter was only just beginning. I was excited
Tar
about our adventure, yet our night landing

had made me realize how important it was
to treat this coastline with respect. It was
going to be all about patience waiting for
the right conditions before committing to
paddling on the outside coast. One mistake
and it would be game over. Lying on my
leaky sleeping pad that night, the reality
of our ever decreasing daylight hours was
beginning to sink in, and I knew without a
doubt that this trip was not going to be easy.
How a 20-something
New Zealander's paddle with
a friend transformed into
a life-changing solo run
12
Fall/Winter 2014
by Tara Mulvany
Leaving
it
ra
ALLbehind
Tara Mulvany enters the surf at sunrise
at Kaka Point, on her way to the South
Coast. Photo by Belinda Mulvany.
Fall/Winter 2014
13
Adventure Paddling Solo
The calm after the

storm on the North
Islands East Coast.
Two days later we rounded Long Reef

with a southwesterly wind building behind
us. To our left was nothing but a giant
expanse of ocean nothing but a few
islands between us and Antarctica. Huge
albatross carved sweeping arcs in front of
us, flying low over the crest of the waves
before gliding upwards. On a bouncy and
chaotic sea, we surfed our way towards
Puysegur Point, dropping in and out of
14
the depths of the swell. A lighthouse stood

tall on the horizon to mark the entrance
to Preservation Inlet, the most southern
of the fiords. For decades, this beacon has
kept watch over violent storms, with winds
whisked up from deep in the Southern
Ocean, and then catapulted towards the
New Zealand coast.
We spent the next three weeks exploring
the arms and islands that lay within the
Fall/Winter 2014
granite walls of Preservation Inlet and its

neighbour Chalky Inlet. We paddled under
giant waterfalls that spilled from hanging
valleys and glided on eerily still waters. In
the evenings we huddled around raging fires
on stony beaches, with our freshly caught
fish sizzling in a pan. Life was simple and
perfect. This was exactly what I had hoped
for.
Then part way into the fourth week

of our trip, the first proper Fiordland
style storm arrived. We hunkered down,
anchored our tent to the ground with a
huge fly held in place with logs, and then
sat and waited for the storm to pass. For
three days 60-knot winds blasted through
our campsite, hail and rain belted down,
and roaring thunder shook the earth under
us. Autumn turned into winter. Snow slowly
coated the mountains surrounding us,
each day their whiteness growing bolder.
We curled up in our tent each night, the
pounding rain threatening to dampen our
spirits and the wind howling as the storm
raged on.
For the first week of the storm our
morale was still reasonably high, and
despite the discomforts that came with
being immersed in a soaking, freezing
world, the storm provided the sort of
excitement Id longed for. I had wanted to
see and experience the power of nature at
its wildest, and now I was inside it, with no
way out and no means of knowing how
long the storm would last. Each day came
with its challenges pulling on soaking
wet paddling clothes as we exited the tent,
collecting wood and then lighting a fire, a
task that often took at least an hour. But
staple of our diet, and as the days ticked

by our food supplies dwindled. With
reluctance we made the difficult decision to
start rationing our food. It wasnt that we
were desperately low, it was more that we
needed to be prepared for the possibility of
being stuck in Chalky Inlet for a long time.
Each evening we listened to the forecast
on our VHF radio, and day after day the
outlook remained very much the same:
Storm warning in force: southwest 65
knots, easing to 55 knots tonight, then
changing northwest 60 knots in the
morning. Very rough sea, southwest swell
eight metres. We were given no hope
of when the gales would finally pass and
slowly the excitement of our situation
began to disappear. I felt so distant and so
incredibly far from the outside world. No
one really knew where we were and we
had no means of communication. It was
solely up to us to get ourselves out of the
situation we had gotten ourselves into. But I
did not want out. I didnt long to be out of
the fiords I just longed for food and for
the winds to drop just enough so that we
could catch a huge feast.
After 14 days, when the winds finally
A misty morning in the Acheron Passage,

Fiordland.
the spark of warmth it generated was a

welcome reward for our efforts, and soon
a billy of water was dangling precariously
over the flames.
One of the main things that concerned
me was that the winds were so strong that
even inside the fiord it was impossible to
catch fish. We were relying on fish as the
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Fall/Winter 2014
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calmed enough, Sim paddled out to catch

some fish. I was out on the beach when he
arrived back, and with a huge smile spread
across his face I knew we wouldnt be going
hungry that night. Strapped on the back of
his kayak were two legs of venison, which
he claimed hed caught with his fish filleting
knife while the deer was swimming across
the fiord. I was in disbelief, but to his credit
hed taken before and after photos. Within
a matter of minutes, chunks of meat were
sizzling over our fire, soon to be devoured
by two hungry kayakers. We ate as much as
we possibly could, followed by more. Our
hunger vanished. It felt like heaven.
In the early morning, 15 days since the
beginning of the storm, we paddled away
from Chalky Inlet under a shimmering
sky. We followed the dark shoreline west
towards the open coast, and as the sun
began to rise, Chalky, after all it had thrown
us, now gave us an amazing send off. The
sky to the east was filled with a melody
of oranges, and the early morning light
sparkled on the white cliffs of Chalky
Island in front of us. A wave of relief
washed over me we were finally back
on the water, and I was confident that we
would make it up the coast that day.
Out on the coast there was no wind,
but the sea was still in a confused state. We
paddled hard, keeping our distance from
the rocky coast, rolling around on a fourmetre swell. By early afternoon a blanket
of thick fog crept in, covering the coast
and sapping the colour from the day. The
lack of visibility forced us much closer to
the shore than we wanted, but there was
no other option. Weaving around the worst
of the breakers we veered back out to sea
numerous times, then snuck back in closer
when we could. As the sun dropped lower
in the sky we approached the entrance to
Dusky Sound. It was right on dusk, just

like when James Cook first sailed past the
Fiordland coast back in 1770 aboard the
Endeavor. Afraid of its uncharted waters and
the fading light, he slipped past and didnt
return until three years later.
At the entrance to the fiord, a perfect
panorama lay ahead of us. A sprinkling
of islands dotted the waters edge. Ever so
slowly we inched our way closer towards
Cascade Cove, another 13 kilometres inside
the fiord, and the first place we could
land. In the darkness we followed the
shoreline, with the turning tide trying to
suck us backwards and the fog blocking the
moonlight. I blindly followed Sims blinking
strobe light, putting full trust in him that he
knew where we were going.
Swirls of shimmering green
phosphorescence spun off our paddle
blades, leaving a twinkling trail in the
darkness behind us. Finally, at 9.30 p.m.,
and after 14 hours at sea, we rammed our
kayaks onto dry land. I was wet, cold and I
desperately needed to pee, but I was filled
with immense satisfaction. We had reached
land, Dusky was in the bag at last, and our
food resupply buckets were stashed only a
days paddle away.
Weeks later, and after nearly 12 weeks
in Fiordland, Sim and I made our way into
Milford Sound, our journey sadly drawing
to a end. During our adventure out on the
coast, we saw autumn turn into winter, and
then winter turn into spring. We watched
the southern rata tree begin its bloom
of bright red flowers, a splash of colour
marking the arrival of spring. We saw the
snow first cover the mountains and then
slowly disappear.
Fiordland had given me a taste of
expedition paddling, and it left me longing
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Fall/Winter 2014
17
Typical West Coast surf at

Gorge River, South Westland.
for more. I wanted to embark on a trip

that was longer, harder and required more
commitment, and it wasnt long before the
idea of a winter circumnavigation of the
South Island was born. I was curious to
know how I would cope I knew this trip
would test my skills and judgment more
than ever before, but at the same time, I
was amped and ready. Many things really
scared me like the surf, the short daylight
hours, and the freezing temperatures but
my biggest fear of all was failure.
Sure, there many uncertainties, but I
was as confident in my paddling abilities as
I was in my decision-making and weather
interpretation skills. I knew I could do it,
and I was mentally ready for the challenges
that lay ahead.
year later, in May 2012, Sim

and I paddled away from Milford
Sound and headed north up the West Coast
of the South Island. We had delayed our
planned departure date for eight days as
gales lashed the coast. But with a slight lull
we slipped out into the Tasman Sea. After
months of dreaming, planning and waiting,
we were at last on our way, and I was filled
with excitement.
In the weeks that followed, we slowly
inched our way up the exposed coast
in the brief windows between storms.
Violent cyclones originating down in
the Southern Ocean forced gale-force
18
southwesterly winds over the lower South

Island, trapping us on land for days at a
time. It was frustrating, but I wasnt angry
at the weather it was more the fact that
I felt so removed from our expedition.
On our Fiordland trip the winter before,
the weather gods had trashed us many
times, but the difference then was that
we were in the thick of it. There was
no escaping the gales, and we had lived
wholeheartedly in our adventure, fully
immersed in our surroundings. But now I
struggled with the fact that it didnt seem
like we were on one continuous trip, and
the tempting comforts of small towns
were often not far away. I was still getting
used to this style of adventuring, and there
was nothing we could do but wait for the
storms to pass and the seas to ease.
On rare calm days, after a fight with
the surf, we were rewarded with incredible
views of a fairytale land. The Southern
Alps stood tall beside us, with their glaciers
looking like rivers of ice flowing into the
lush rainforest below. These were the
golden moments that I had longed for, and
the vivid blues of a still seascape washed
away my frustrations within minutes
of being on the water. We paddled into
glowing sunrises and surfed to shore in the
last of the light of the day.
After nearly two months, we rounded
Farewell Spit, which marked the end
of the West Coast. Camping under its
Fall/Winter 2014
lighthouse at the end of a 35-km long,

narrow strip of sand, we were filled with
relief. We hadnt made it this far without
our share of challenges, with many
testing days when everything inside of me
wanted to give up. Id been plagued with
seasickness, and on more than a handful
of days Id vomited for hours on end as
I paddled, my throat burning and tears
streaming down my face. But there was
nothing I could do about it, so I kept
paddling, firmly focused on the goal, or at
least the small milestones that lay between
us and the end. We had been trashed by
the surf, taken a handful of rolls between
us, and even been separated for several
days on a remote stretch of the coast. But
we had done it, and the next day we swung
our bows south towards the waters of the
Pacific Ocean.
Halfway around the South Island, things
took an unexpected turn. Our relationship
came to a sudden end. Pressure had slowly
been building, and combined with an
already shaky relationship, Sim decided
that hed had enough. I was gutted, but I
was not about to let my dream slip away,
so I packed my boat and took my first
strokes alone. A stream of tears rolled
down my face as I paddled away. It was a
strange feeling, leaving behind the security
that I had felt by having a companion and
swapping it for the uncertainty of a journey
ahead alone. But I found comfort in the

Fiji
fact that the success no longer depended
on us as a team. It was all about me, and I
knew that I had the skills, the drive and the
patience to ultimately succeed.
For the next six weeks I struck a rare,
calm patch of settled weather and made
quick progress down the East Coast. I
paddled for at least 12 hours, day after day,
until I reached Bluff at the end of State
Highway 1. Then, for 10 days I waited in
Invercargill while nine-metre swells battered
the Fiordland coast, the final leg of my
journey. Although I was aware of the
seriousness of this final stretch of coast, I
was comfortable with the thought of going
alone. It was home territory. I knew all the
places that I could land and I understood
the complex weather systems, which gave
me the confidence that I needed.
With the conditions finally improving,
and the forecast swell dropping to a
manageable five metres, I set off on the
home run with my kayak loaded with what
I hoped would be enough food to get me
back to Milford Sound, 500 kilometres
away. Day after day it rained, and on many
occasions the visibility dropped to less
than a kilometre. One afternoon, out on a
confused sea, with a three- and four-metre
swell rolling in from different directions, I
paddled as fast as I could, knowing that a
45-knot front was only hours behind me.
It took me nearly two weeks to make
my way back to the entrance of Milford
Sound. For the most part, apart from the
occasional crayfishing boat, I was alone
in the rainy, mist-shrouded yet perfect
wilderness. The ocean, the sky and the
landscape everything about it was vivid,
intense and powerful, and I was stoked to
be back in familiar waters, heading north.
On the final day of my 2,800-kilometre
journey, I slipped unnoticed and
unannounced back into the calm waters of

Milford Sound. The mountains towered
above, still covered in a light dusting of
snow, and a lone seal swam by, welcoming
me home. I crossed from point to point,
skipping between the sheer granite walls as
I made my way towards the inner fiord. A
while later, and alone, I paddled up to the
boat ramp where Sim and I had launched
five months earlier. I felt nothing other than
an enormous sense of relief: relief that Id
done it, relief that it was over, and relief
that I had given it my best shot. Despite all
the storms and challenges that I had dealt
with, I had somehow pulled it off and I was
quietly content.
In November 2013, I spent five magical
weeks circumnavigating Stewart Island,
New Zealands third largest island. Then ten
days later, I loaded my kayak onto the roof
of my car and drove alone for 12 hours
towards the top of the South Island. The
next day I jumped in my kayak and paddled
away, crossing Cook Strait and beginning
my circumnavigation of the North Island.
Three months and three weeks later, I
completed the loop, and on the April 6,
2014, I became the first woman to have
paddled around the North Island and the
whole of New Zealand.
Green
Camo
Desert
Tan Camo
Taras journeys are only just beginning. This

September marks the release of her book
about her South Island journey, which will be
available through her website,
www.tarasjourneys.com or direct from the
publisher, www.craigpotton.co.nz. After
completing her New Zealand adventure
she was invited by kayaker Jaime Sharp to
Nanaimo and stayed with regular Coast&Kayak
contributor and author Lyn Hancock before
paddling solo around Vancouver Island. On last
correspondence she was on the road exploring
the Rockies then down into the United States.
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Circumnavigating Admiralty Island
grew up in Juneau, Alaska,

isolated from the rest of the civilized
world by 1,500 square miles of
glaciers to the north and east. To the south
and west were mountainous islands and
beyond that, the open Pacific.
Living in an urban outpost surrounded
by nature had its perks. Just eight
kilometres away, across blustery Stephens
Passage, was Admiralty Island, a
designated wilderness national monument
full of brown bears, deer, salmon and
bald eagles. The Tlingit people, who have
lived here for thousands of years, call the
island Kootznoowoo, meaning Fortress
of the Brown Bear. It is believed to have
the densest population of brown bears in
the world, at one per square mile. On my
first venture to the island, when I was four
years old, I wandered up a stream full of
spawning pink salmon and stumbled upon
the carcass of a mostly eaten cub. Above
the river bank I watched a large bear ghost
away through the salmonberry brush.
Twenty-four years later, on an
unseasonably warm day in late April, I
kayaked away from the bustle of Juneau
determined to circumnavigate the island.
This meant rounding the north side
of Douglas Island, with its seaweed
and mussel-covered beaches. Beyond
it, Stephens Passage narrowed and I
crossed to Admiralty. Above me rose
Baldy Mountain at 1,200 metres. A few
kilometres farther south I paddled by a
large estuary covered with last years brittle
yellow sedges. I had once spent a pleasant
evening here watching seven bears grazing
grass and digging roots.
Humpback whales, returning from
wintering in Hawaii and Mexico, plied the
passage with gargantuan mouths spread
wide to gulp herring. The incoming tide
rushed me into Oliver Inlet past skinny
Dolly Varden feeding on salmon fry
leaving their nursery streams for the chaos
of the ocean. At the head end of the inlet
I loaded my kayak and gear onto an old
trolley and began to make the half-mile
portage over muskeg to Seymour Canal. In
the eerie dusk, three skittish deer watched
my ungainly progress before they vanished
into the cover of blueberry bushes and
jack pines.
Pack Creek in Fool Inlet, arguably
the most popular bear observatory in
southeast Alaska, was eerily quiet. In
20
another month the sanctuary would see

several human visitors each day until
the latter part of September. It was here
that Stan Price, a fiercely independent
prospector, logger and conservationist,
lived for decades in peace with the bears.
The local fauna became so trusting of him
Fall/Winter 2014
that he walked amongst them unarmed

and without fear.
In the late evening I paddled to a clamshell-covered beach on tiny Buck Island. I
sat on a rocky peninsula watching the sun
set beyond the glacier-rounded mountains.
Seals came close, their big innocent eyes
by Bjorn Dihle
Bjorn repacks his kayak near Swan

Cove in northern Seymour Canal on
Admiralty Island as part of his 11 day
journey.
The call to
Kootznoowoo
somehow strangely disturbing. In the
darkness a humpback whale groaned. I
laid in my tent listening to it long into the
night.
I passed Mole Harbor, where Allen
Hasselborg, Admiralty Islands most
famous hermit and bear-man, lived alone
for nearly 50 years. His relationship with

bears was the opposite of Stan Prices. In
his early years he guided trophy hunters
and killed multitudes for biologists eager
to discover new species of grizzly
bear. Later in life he hung up his rifle and
seemed to look down on the hunting
Fall/Winter 2014
of brown bears. Nonetheless, in one of

his journal entries from this mellow
period he shot a number of bears for no
particular reason.
A north wind picked up as I paddled out
of Seymour Canal into Stephens Passage.
21

I searched for shelter in the cliffy shore.
The nearest beach looked to be at least a
mile or two away. A wave washed over my
sprayskirt, saturated my fleece and nearly
tipped the kayak. Nearby a humpback
whale belly-rolled and frothed the water
in a violent frenzy. A moment later, four
killer whales broke the surface and pushed
the humpback underwater, thwarting
its attempt to breathe. Their black fins
seemed tiny against the humpbacks bulk.
Each killer whale breathed, the white
circles above their eyes barely showing,
and then disappeared into the waves and
froth. These were transient killer whales,
a culture of orcas said to have evolved to
eat mammals. I stared over my shoulder
at the rippling ocean hoping to see more,
but the north wind pushed me south into
a rollercoaster of waves too demanding to
ignore.
A few hours later the northerly eased
and the ocean calmed. I rounded the rocks
and kelp of Point Gambier and changed
into a drysuit. Bald eagles, biding their
time until the summer salmon begins to
run, dotted giant spruce and hemlock
trees. A half dozen young Stellar sea
lions bee-lined my way. Judging by their
roaring and floundering, I guessed them
to be adolescent males looking to pick on
a kayaker to better their self-esteem. One
popped its head out a few feet behind me
and snorted.
Get out of here! I bellowed and they
all ducked under. A few moments later
they surfaced five metres away, cocking
their long necks back and grunting like
aquatic apes. They took turns charging,
pulling away just inches before crashing
into my kayak. After 15 minutes they lost
interest, swam over to investigate a kelp
bed and my blood pressure began to drop.
Top: A marten takes a nap for a welcoming impression atop a Forest Service sign. Above: Two
young brown bears wrestle at Pack Creek.
22
Fall/Winter 2014
found the long narrow entrance of

Eliza Harbor leading deep into a wall
of dark forest. Here in 1929 the island
had its only documented fatal bear attack.
The story goes that Jack Thayer, a Forest
Service employee, was cruising timber
when he stumbled upon a resting bear.
The bear stood up, Thayer fired his rifle
and the enraged bear mauled him. Public
fury arose, with many lobbying to have the
island eradicated of bears. Whats known
as the Admiralty Island Bear Wars ensued.

Fiji
Bjorn pauses near Mole Harbor, on Admiralty Island, to take in the view of ocean, rainforest and mountains.
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Fall/Winter 2014
Adventure
23
Chris Miller paddles in front of the Chilkat

Mountains on the north end of Admiralty Island,
familiar territory for writer Bjorn Dihle.
Thanks to a number of hunters, fishermen

and other conservationists, the radical
movement eventually fizzled out.
To the south, Frederick Sound and
Chatham Strait stretched out in undulating
shades of gray. The dark forested hills
of Kuiu Island were barely visible in
the foggy distance. The ocean swell felt
like the breathing of a gigantic sleeping
monster. A raft of sea otters anchored in
an expanse of bull kelp eyed me curiously
as I paddled past. The largest members
of the weasel family, weighing up to 45
kilograms, sea otters eat a quarter of their
weight daily. Their recovery in Southeast
Alaska and their penchant for eating crabs,
clams and sea urchins has caused massive
changes to the oceans ecosystem and
commercial fisheries. Most noticeable are
the kelp forests. No longer kept in check
by hungry sea urchins, they are forming
underwater forests around the islands.
I stared into a skinny cove where the
remains of Tyee, a derelict salmon cannery
and commercial whale processing plant,
was slowly disappearing into the land. On
the southern tip of Murder Cove I set
24
up my tent atop a grassy deer bed. In the

gloomy twilight, Point Gardner, one of the
most dangerous sections of water along
the Inside Passage, looked as placid as a
swimming pool.
t five in the morning I paddled

by a giant wooden cross rising from
the rocky peninsula of Point Gardner,
marking the numerous fishing boats and
fishermen lost here. I hugged the rocks
as I rounded the corner and pointed the
kayak north. The docile morning abruptly
ended when an east wind rose. Torrents of
rain splattered into rising seas. I paddled
tight against the shore in the lee, avoiding
the brunt of the squall. At the edge of
Wilson Cove I watched the tide battling
the wind and decided to pull out onto a
pink quartz and clamshell beach. I made a
fire and spent the rest of the day exploring
the beach and listening to the wind and
ocean.
At first light I shoved off into a calm
sea and paddled into a steady drizzle. The
sun rose above the mountains and the
wind began to whistle through the trees.
Fall/Winter 2014
By the time I reached Point Caution at the

mouth of Whitewater Bay, the ocean was
getting dark and sloppy. Scars from logging
operations in the 1950s and 1960s still
marred the valleys and hillsides. I paddled
several miles into the shelter of the bay
before starting across. Twenty minutes from
shore the ocean got nasty. Six orcas swam
in circles, feeding. This was a small group
of resident orcas the other more affable
group of killer whales that stick to fish, not
mammals. Groups of humpback whales,
spouting and lunge feeding, surfaced in
all directions. A lone humpback popped
up nearby, its giant black leathery face
preoccupied with the dozens of pounds of
herring it was swallowing. I pounded my
kayaks hull with my paddle to let it know
I was near. Waves steadily grew until water
regularly sloshed over my sprayskirt. Instead
of risking another crossing I beached my
kayak and managed to get a fire started at
the mouth of Chaik Bay.
In the early afternoon of the following
day I paddled towards the Tlingit village
of Angoon. Nestled amid dark old-growth
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Fall/Winter 2014
25

Juneau
Douglas I.
Funter Bay
Stephen
s Passag
e
Oliver Inlet
Hawk Inlet
Fool Inlet
Cube Cove
Jims Cove
l
ana
ur C
mo
Sey
Chatham
Strait
Mole Harbor
Point Gambier
Mitchell Bay
Angoon
Chichagof Island
Chaik Bay
Whitewater Bay
Wilson Cove
Point Gardiner
Eliza Harbour
Frederick Sound
Murder Cove
forest and surrounded on three sides

by ocean, Angoon is the only village on
the island. The sea and the woods still
provide much of the 400 residents table
fare. A hundred years ago, Tlingit elders,
with their superfood diet, were said to
commonly live more than a hundred years.
I paddled past the villages graveyard,
around Danger Point and the entrance to
Mitchell Bay. Men trolling for king salmon
shrugged to show the fishing was slow
and waved. Deer with bloated bellies and
protruding ribs worked the rocky shore
eating kelp. A very pregnant doe stopped
and stared at me with a long clump
of seaweed hanging from her mouth.
Her fawn of last year kept close. In the
evening the rain let up and golden light
poured through the clouds, illuminating
the less dramatic but still beautiful snowy
mountains of Chichagof Island.
The next morning dark clouds
clung to massive logging scars on the
mountainsides. Earlier in the century
and as recently as the 1970s, most of
Admiralty Island had been slotted by the
Forest Service to be logged. Southeast
Alaskan residents soon became aware
WHALING STA
26
Fall/Winter 2014

Fiji
logging was destroying valuable watersheds
and laying ecological and aesthetic
waste to the island. With five species of
salmon and the future of brown bears
in jeopardy, an alliance of commercial
fishermen, hunters and concerned
citizens formed to fight the logging
companies and the Forest Service.
Thanks to their efforts, and President
Jimmy Carters signature in 1978, nearly
ninety per cent of Admiralty Island was
designated a national monument, with
logging limited to this northwest section.
slight ripple on otherwise

calm ocean caught my eye. A minute
later I was paddling for my life as waves
towered above and crashed down on
me. It was so bad I considered dashing
my kayak against a cliff and walking the
25 kilometres back to Mitchell Bay, but
instead I stayed calm and put all my focus
into avoiding a capsize. Twenty minutes
later, Jims Cove broke the monotony of
the cliffy shore and the ocean threw me
up onto a muddy beach. Soaked, shivering
and shaking from the adrenaline, I hauled
my boat and gear into the guard timber. A
full-on southeast Alaskan storm, blowing

50 knots, had the trees groaning and
bending wildly. I spent most of the day
exploring the beach and the giant oldgrowth forest while watching the waves
crash by. In the gloomy twilight three deer
emerged above a creek and nibbled at the
first of the years greens.
The sea finally calmed the following
afternoon, so I hurriedly launched my
kayak and continued north. Most of the
mountainsides and valleys bore scars left
by clearcut logging. Rotting trees lay in
chaotic heaps above the shore. Across
Chatham Strait, Chichagof Island, just as
ecologically wild and vibrant as Admiralty
Island, is not a wilderness reserve and
much of its forest of cedar, spruce and
hemlock is now a mess of brush, stumps
and second growth.
I passed Cube Cove, the most
prominent contemporary logging camp
on Admiralty Island. This section of the
island will remain an open wound well
beyond my lifetime. The white massifs
of Snowy Mountain and Mount Robert
Baron shone through the wet gloom as I
paddled across the mouth of Hawk Inlet.
The infrastructure of Greens Creek Mine,

the fifth largest producer of silver in the
world, rose out of the hillside. In the wake
of considerable controversy, the mine
had opened in the 1980s. A freighter, the
Orient Express, was being loaded with ore
to be processed somewhere in Asia. The
ocean lay flat and glimmering as the sun
set beyond Icy Strait. I pulled out onto a
cobblestone beach, happy Juneau was only
some 50 kilometres away.
The following morning I broke camp
and hauled gear down to the ocean in
darkness. The sea lapped calmly and the
exhalations of whales sounded steadily just
beyond the range of my vision. As I was
pushing off, a small pod of orcas swam
by, their black dorsal fins silhouetted in the
morning gloom.
Three young and well-behaved sea lions
trailed 20 metres behind as I neared Funter
Bay. My stomach tightened when I noticed
the two-metre black fin of an approaching
bull orca. A more experienced kayaker
once told me when killer whales are in the
area, sea lions will jump onto anything to
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Adventure
Fall/Winter 2014
27
Plan your next northern adventure tour
Bjorn Dihle is a lifelong Alaskan who works

as commercial fisherman, guide, writer
and kayak instructor. He can be reached at
bjorndihle@yahoo.com.
28
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Paddling harder, I tried to leave my furry

entourage behind, but they showed no
intention of letting me get away. The killer
whale surfaced 100 metres distant and
bee-lined our way. The sea lions became
tense, sticking their long necks out of the
water and looking for a way to get out of
the water. I pressed my kayak against a
cliff and weighed my odds of being able
to climb out of my kayak. The sea lions
bobbed six metres away, staring anxiously
as the pod approached. The bull orca
swam past, then headed south. I guessed
him to be a resident killer whale who
enjoyed going out of his way to mess with
sea lions.
A female, much smaller than the male,
swam by with a tiny baby. More and more
orcas trailed past. The white skin on many
looked jaundiced, even corpse-like. One
slashed underneath the water towards us.
My heart nearly stopped as I watched its
black hulk zip by underneath me. When
the last of about 30 killer whales had
passed, the sea lions and I gave each other
a sheepish look and went our separate
ways.
The sun tore away clouds, revealing the
Chilkat Mountains rising from Lynn Canal,
a long glacier-carved fiord. I neared Point
Retreat, where in 1794, Joseph Whidbey,
credited with being the first European to
discover and chart Admiralty Island, fled
from a 13-metre war canoe paddled by
Auke Tlingit warriors.
The old familiar white lighthouse
rose from the northern tip of the island.
Recreation boats putted up and down
Saginaw Channel. The blue and white
Malaspina ferry swept past on its way to
the northern end of the Inside Passage. I
crossed to Shelter Island, the mountains
of the Coastal Range rising familiar and
jagged from behind. Tired but happy,
I paddled the last few miles into Auke
Bay. My brother and his three daughters
gave me a traditional Southeast Alaskan
welcome by roaring circles around me in
their skiff and yelling excitedly. Bobbing
in their wake, I looked back in farewell to
the mountains of Admiralty Island rising
into clouds.
bcseakayaking.com
1.800.665.3040 or 250.338.2511
Adventure is Our Nature

Specializing in remote beach access and
kayak transport.
Kayak rentals!
1-866-934-6365
dive@tahtsadivecharters.com
www.tahtsadivecharters.com
Sea Kayak
Tours & Rentals
Tofino & Ucluelet
1-877-479-3232
info@paddlewestkayaking.com
www.paddlewestkayaking.com
Over
10,800
timeshares for
rent worldwide
Enjoy a fun-filled vacation for a fraction
of the price charged by many resorts
Call Toll Free: 1-877-815-4227

Fall/Winter 2014
Destinations
Desolation Sound/Discovery Islands
Paddling the entrance to Small

Inlet: the charms are subtle but
evident for those who look.
Small wonders
Not every adventure needs to be epic.
This is where Small Inlet fits nicely.
eading about trips to

remote parts of the world may be
inspiring, but for most of us such
demanding destinations arent an option.
Instead, well meander sheltered waterways,
explore little islands and probably have a
lunch on a pleasant beach with maybe a
walk somewhere usually within a days
travel of home. You may not even want to
take a tent.
This style of relaxed exploring is

what makes the Discovery Islands so
appealing. Adjacent to Desolation Sound,
they offer an offbeat assortment of
shops and accommodations with enough
paddling daytrips to keep you occupied
for weeks.
The two main islands are Quadra and
Cortes. Both are reached by ferry starting
at Campbell River on Vancouver Island,
Fall/Winter 2014
a good two hours north of Nanaimo if

you are crossing by ferry from the BC
Mainland.
Most of Quadra Island is sparsely
developed on the south end, while farther
north the terrain becomes more hilly and
is mainly logging territory with just a light
scattering of houses. Towards the northern
tip two inlets pinch off the island,
29
Destinations
Fiji
Desolation Sound/Discovery Islands
almost splitting it in two. The road ends at a small place called

Granite Bay. Its little more than an access road leading to a few
houses, a boat ramp and a small government wharf.
Granite Bay makes a perfect launch location for reaching
the inner northwest waters of Quadra Island. While strong
diurnal winds can blow down nearby Discovery Passage (the
southward continuation of windy Johnstone Strait), protection
can usually be found in Kanish Bay, which connects both
Granite Bay and Small Inlet.
Small Inlet is the namesake for one of the two provincial
parks here. Until this year both parks were separated by private
land, but the purchase by the provincial government in March of
400 hectares of forestry land surrounding Small Inlet means the
two parks now join and the Small Inlet coastline is protected in
its entirety. (Part of the deal was a land exchange with the former
owners giving them property on nearby East Thurlow Island.)
At the head of the inlet a mucky intertidal beach fronts the
trailhead for a walk across the short distance to Waiatt Bay on
Quadra Islands east side. Waiatt Bay tends to be busier, mostly
as an anchorage for boaters visiting Octopus Islands Marine
Park or kayakers who may camp on the Octopus Islands or at
other spots nearby (the prettiest being Francisco Island, just off
the map shown above).
For quietude, Small Inlet may be preferable. It is about six
kilometres from the Granite Bay launch to the Small Inlet
trailhead, so an easy paddle by any standards. There wont be
much in the way of wildlife or wow scenery, but a smattering
of islands, scenic bluffs and even a few pleasant beaches along
the way make it appealing enough for a day trip.
Another option is to head west to explore the Chained
Islands, a cluster within Kanish Bay.
As for wildlife, well, there are seabirds but most of the
action lies underwater: salmon, herring spawn, groundfish,
Dungeness crab, clams, cockles and coonstripe shrimp. Most
notably, though, it will be the jellyfish, as Small Inlet is known
30
Fall/Winter 2014
for a high concentration. Its an apt characteristic for the inlet:

Theres no flash or glamour here, just small points of interest that in
combination make for a day well spent.
Hiking the short trail between Small Inlet and Waiatt Bay is an
essential part of a visit to Small Inlet Marine Park.
Plan your Desolation Sound/Discovery Islands adventure

Discover the Power
in your Nature
Kayak Tours, Rentals & Transport

Instruction & Leadership Programs
Maps, Charts & Books
Central waterfront location & launch site
Lund, BC | 604-483-7900 | 888-552-5558

www.terracentricadventures.com
Campbell
River, British Columbia
www.discoverylaunch.com
Half an hour to a
great adventure.
Transport
for up to 12
passengers,
kayaks and gear.
N ewp!roof/
r
O n wa t e f p a p e r
o
tear-pro
Desolation Sound and
Discovery Islands
dlaunch@telus.net
www.discoverylaunch.com
Marine Trail Mapsheet
43
See page g
in
r
e
d
fo r o r
on
in fo r m a ti
Talaysay Tours
Kayaking and Cultural
Adventures
www.talaysay.com / 1.800.605.4643
.
Journey into ancient lands;

paddle our majestic waterways
Fall/Winter 2014
Book now for your Multi-day Custom

Kayak Trips. Private Campsites, Ancient
Aboriginal Villages with Giant Forests and
Rock Paintings. Sechelt (shshlh) Nation
Story Telling, Drumming and Singing.
31
Kayak Repair & Refit

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(250) 654-0052
Component Replacements Keel Line Rebuilds

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Structural Repairs
Vancouver Island South
Deltas light touring kayaks are a great choice for the

recreational or transitional paddler looking for better
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Advanced
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The AdvancedFrame Kayak delivers the portability

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See our complete line of products and find a dearer near you.
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Fall/Winter 2014
9/28/12 11:17 AM
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and hit the water in minutes.
H AMER
Destinations
Fiji
The Gulf Islands
Walking out onto

Panther Point; a
pod of killer whales
would join us
shortly.
Wallace Island musings

Little island a quaint blend of quirks and memories
e walked the trail south

along Wallace Island to arrive
at Conover Cove amid a
commotion. The boaters at the dock were
unusually animated, and for good reason:
criss-crossing in front of the mouth of the
cove was a pod of killer whales.
That might not be newsworthy for a
region where killer whales are common,
but one of the boaters summed it up: In
all the years Ive been coming to Wallace
Island, Ive never seen a killer whale
before. Certainly visits by these marine
mammals this far north through the Gulf
Islands are more rare, so we enjoyed the
view for a few minutes before continuing
to the lookout on the south end of the
island at Panther Point.
Our arrival was timed with the
appearance of the orcas once again. They
went around the point and fed for a few
moments before continuing their trip to
more familiar waters in the south. The
viewing boats were well-behaved, keeping
their distance and allowing the whales to
continue on unmolested a remarkably
good showing of voluntary compliance.

Not all pods are so lucky when they pass
through areas busy boating areas.
Their appearance was a fortunate aside
to a walk along Wallace Island, a provincial
marine park tailor-made for kayaking.
Oddly, sea kayakers were absent this visit
and the main kayaking campsite at Chivers
Point was empty, despite it being the peak
of the kayaking season in early August.
Instead, paddlers were limited to the
small run-abouts tied to the larger visiting
cruisers at the parks two anchorages. Of
the run-abouts, there were many.
When first surveyed in 1859, Captain
Richards called it Narrow Island, certainly
a more descriptive name. When surveyed
again in 1905 it was renamed for Captain
Wallace Houston, who served on the coast
here in the 1850s (and is also the namesake
for adjacent Houston Passage).
The island was purchased after the
Second World War by David and Jeanne
Conover, who built a resort still visible in
a few remaining cabins and some other
Fall/Winter 2014
Three of the seven original resort buildings

remain. This one has been converted into a
signpost shrine.
The beach at Chivers Point isnt large but it

works. The tent pads are set back from the
headlands in the forest.
33
Destinations
Fiji
debris (notably the rusting carcass of an
old truck in a field mid-island). For those
who spend time here, recommended
reading is David Conovers book Once
Upon an Island, his memoirs of the trials
and tribulations of owning a remote island
in an era when life in the Gulf Islands was
still in the pioneer stage.
(David actually wrote three others
books, including Finding Marilyn, a Resource,
which details his discovery of Marilyn
Monroe while on assignment for the army
at an aircraft plant. It turned out to be
Marilyns first photography shoot, though
certainly not her last.)
Conover bought the resort because of
his fond memories of staying here as a
child. The resort he built had five cabins,
plus the old store and lounge, which still
stands in a remarkable transformation as
a shrine to visiting boats. The creativity of
many of the visitors is quite remarkable.
(These shrines tend to pop up occasionally
along the coast. Another is at Octopus
Islands in the Discovery Islands north of
Desolation Sound.)
Conover eventually sold most of the
island to a group of Seattle teachers in the
34
The Gulf Islands

late 1960s, but disputes among
the partners led to court
proceedings and the eventual
sale, with the province
purchasing it as a park in 1990.
It is a now a cornerstone
of the Gulf Islands for both
kayakers and mariners, offering
refuge at a strategic mid-way
point for longer Gulf Islands
excursions. Kayakers can also
enjoy it as a day trip. Its a
quick hop from Hudson Point
on Saltspring Island, making
Wallace Island an easy and safe
trip for novice kayakers.
The main campsite for
kayakers is at Chivers Point
on the islands north end.
Tent pads stretch along a
trail leading from a narrow
beach set between two rock
headlands. The island is remarkable for
these vertical rock ledges, a reminder of
the ice age when pressure collapsed the
stratified rock and tilted the land sideways.
Another smaller campsite, best suited
to one small group, is located at Cabin Bay.
Fall/Winter 2014
The third site is a field setting at Conover

Cove. Connecting it all is a trail that runs
the length of the island. This makes the
island as interesting to explore by foot as
by paddle, and who knows you may even
see some killer whales.
Plan your Gulf Islands adventure

Gabriola Sea Kayaking
West Coast Sea Kayak Adventures
and Guide Training. Unforgettable
paddling and great people. See you
on the water!
250-327-3346
info@KayakToursBC.com
www.KayakToursBC.com
90
100
90
Cr
.
gs
Ho
llin
110
120
Handysen Cr.
SS
PA
IER
RL
W12332'
yson
Rd.
tream
McCoskrie Rd.
Rd.
Murray Rd.
Price Rd.
W12330'
Rd.
Mills
Rd.
tree
Rown
Arm Rd.
Fernwood Pt.
Victoria Shoal
Victoria Rk.
Kayak Tours and Lessons Kids Kayak Camps Gourmet Beach Picnics
Kayaking and Yoga, Sunset Paddles Stand Up Paddleboard Tours
250-247-8939
Walker Rk.
12
35
8.4
Mc
Ga
Clu
nn
W12328'
W12332'
W12334'
To Walker Hook
To Montague Harbour
park and boat launch
W12330'
Cr.
W12336'
en
W12338'
t Dr.
Cedar Rd.
Kulleet Rd.
Finla
PO
194
W12340'
h Rd
Fadd
Sunse
Nicola Rd.
Greenway Rd.
Westgyle
Degnen Rd.
Allison Way
Fairtide Rd.
eam Lake
270
280
W12334'
W12334'
W12336'
W12336'
W12338'
W12340'
W12342'
W12344'
310
300
290
130
Rd.
South End
Woobank Rd.
Cedar Rd.
m Rd
sla
Ha
Cooper Rd.
Maple Ln.
PEBBLE BEACH
Walk-in camping
Rd
Quadra Hill
11
6.9
ac
W12342'
Hudson Pt.
Be
le Dr.
Mc
st Eag
N.
Idol I.
W12344'
d Rd
Saltspring I.
We
Sandstone Rks.
North Reef To Vesuvius Bay
En
W12346'
rth
W12348'
Stone Cutters Bay

8.2
7.6
1.6
No
Rd
W12350'
ard
Pt.
us Rd.
W12352'
ey
Tent I.
Cliff nests
Gabriola
Island
Fall/Winter 2014
ey
Conover Cove
Panther Pt.
www.silvabaykayaking.com
Stream
uth
Chemain
Access Rd.
1-877-KAYAK BC
www.SealegsKayaking.com
Mill
So
Tank Farm
Kayak & SUP Sales

Lessons, Rentals, Tours,
Snorkeling
Transport & Taxi Service
Rd.
Vin
Retreat
Scarrow Reef Cove
Retreat I.
Wallace Island
Marine Park
reference designed by kayakers for

kayakers. Its the essential part of your
Gulf Islands kayak kit.
and Marine Adventures
tream
L
4.4
Conover Cove
3.5
Plan your route
SEALEGS KAYAKING
Mills
Dr.
Dr.
NE
Grappler Rk.
TENT I.
Camping by permission
Penelakut First Nation
11
To Crofton
ach
ge
AN
Bodega Ridge
Provincial Park
Chivers Pt.
Cabin Bay
2.2
TON PASSA
US
G
HO
Southey Pt. E
3.5
Southey Bay
Princess Cove
3.3
The Gulf Islands are laid out in
250-629-6939 Toll Free: 1-855-629-6939 www.kayakpenderisland.com
tt Rd
Cr.
a Be
ssa
282
colour, 22x36 both sides in a

Thanks veryfullmuch.
GULF ISLANDS TOURS,

Kayak tours from 2 hours to 5 days RENTALS & LESSONS
rtle
Niagara
deg
Rock ledge shore,

occasional beaches, mostly
undeveloped private land
Bodega
Hill
If we do not receive changes, the ad

goes to press in this format.
Pender Island Kayak Adventures
Ma
Cr.
Bo
r Pa
9.8
CH
Jackscrew I.
Beaches east side

of Kuper I.
Historic
cemetery
Augustus Pt.
Rd
. Bare Pt. Rd.
ia
.
Rd Victor
Rd
AL
us
nry
rlie
Pass blocked
lower tides
Lamalchi Bay
ain
He
Po
CO
NNE
em
MacMillan Bloedel FSR
Cook Rd.
IN
CHA
Ch
11
TR
ur
Secretary Is.
7.6
8.1
Active Pt.
6.3
Industrial area
Goldstream
Provincial Park
Dr.
Mowgli I.
Kuper I.
n Arm Rd.
Teanock
Matson L.
Bellam
Mount Finlayson Trail
419
Mount
Finlayson
Prospectors Trail
Hidden Spring Falls

Wolf
Hill
ina
Rd.
Harbo
Rd.
r Pt.
aph
m Bay
Foste
Cla
Telegr
Spotlight Cove
5.1
(Penelakut FN)
Finlayso
Stewart Mtn
Dev
Hall I.
Josling Pt.
Pine St.
Oak St.
Arbutus
Rd
Clam
Donckele Pt.
Mitch
Galiano Island
Ecological Reserve
Norway I.
Penelakut
Rd.
Tunnel
Hill
Se
Private road. Gated.
North Galiano
CROWN ISLET
Sensitive islet ecology
Penelakut Spit
Clam Bay
Bay
leb
e Rd
SANDSTONE CAMPGROUND
Rock ledge - may not be accessible
in all weather conditions
2.5
3.4
Lone Tree Hill

Regional Park
Pik
Roundtree Loop
Sawluctus I.
GOLDSTREAM ESTUARY
No boat access
N4901'
Dionisio Pt.
Perry Lagoon
Race Pt.
Virago Pt.
Alcala Pt.
7.1
5.4
River Rd.
Coon Bay
1.4
Rd
2.2
Hudson I.
6.3
CHEMAINUS
Camsusa Cr.
y Pt.
Preedy
Harbour
Dayman I.
Foster Pt.
Cliff nests
N4857'
ARM
FINLAYSON
ke
us
Rd.
Cayetano Pt.
See warning above
Reid I.
Leech I.
Marina Dr.
2.2
Scott I.
Alarm Rk.
N4858'
Whittaker
Adshead Rd.
n)
se
Pil
ES
as
Inlet
UR
ww
Cufra
ain
Cardale Pt.
Rose Islets
Ecological Reserve
5.8
161
Centre Reef
Crescent Pt.
False Reef
8.7
Saltair
2/6/2010 1:39:14 PM
5.2
ART
em
OU
STU
Ch
RB
Dr.
HA
Moore
Hill
Vernaci Pt.
Ca
Lenfesty Pt.
GREATER VICTORIA
WATER SUPPLY AREA
Niagara Falls
No access
NE
Elliot Way
Coffin Pt.
Coffin I.
Cove
Nares Rk.
Sharpe Pt.
9.9
AN
ood
CH
gw
IT
sa
r (T
LI
Do
N4858'
e Rd.
h Cov
es Dr.
Forb
Evening
N4902'
Canoe Islets
Ecological Reserve
2.3
Thetis I.
THE CUT
Dredged channel runs
shallow at low tides
Third L.
Ridge Trail
Holmes
Peak
Christmas Pt.
19
PORLIER PASS
Max. current 9 kn. Overfalls,
rips, turbulence.
MA
5.0
Pocket beaches
west Thetis I.
Nort
4.4
Noel Bay
N4859'
250-539-2442 / kayak@gulfislands.com
...from the hub of the gulf islands
ve
CO
e.
www.seakayak.ca
GulfIslandsKayaking_map.indd 1
IN
8.7
Av
e.
Transfer Beach
LA
DY
S
N4830'
Shaw Pt.
6.8
Caves, lumpnose
bat colony
h Rd
th
Av
Six
ird
e.
Th
Av
Since 1988
Pilkey Pt.
North Cove
Rd
N4903'
Informal trails
Ragged Its.
1.6
Fraser Pt.
Churc
h Rd
st
Instructional/ Wildlife Tours in sheltered waters

Challenging Current Paddles in Active & Porlier Pass
Available all year Only 1 hr from the Mainland
Economical camping tours in Gulf Islands, Clayoqout
and Barkley Sounds
Also Costa Ricas Osa Peninsula, DecemberApril
Wallace Island Provincial Park: Blessed with easy access from

Saltspring Island, Wallace Island is a key destination with camping at
Chivers Point, Conover Cove and a small site at Cabin Bay. Trails run
the length of the island.
Islet camping: Islets in the north Gulf Islands are not protected by
Gulf Islands National Park and as such have no restrictions on access
a mixed blessing, as this makes them prone to intrusion that can
destroy the sensitive coastal bluff ecology. Tread lightly if you visit.
Key sites are off Reid Island and north Valdes at Kendrick Islet (the
small islet south of the yacht club outstation on Kendrick Island).
Rose Islets are off-limits as an ecological reserve.
N4859'
Rentalsall year
Used Kayaks For Sale
Daily Guided Tours
Getting you out there!

Tent Island: This island off the south end of Kuper Island is Penelakut
First Nations property formerly leased as a recreation site. It retains
its recreational function thanks to the hospitality of the Penelakut.
Campsites dot the islands south and west side. Prior permission
should be sought from the Penelakut. Contact (250) 246-2321. The
island offers great shoreline well worth a circumnavigation.
TR
Chemainus IR
(Chemainus FN)
ac
iew
Be
ev
ell
Tid
Sh
Transfer Beach Blvd.

Fir
Explore the beautiful Gulf Islands
www.silvabaykayaking.com
ou
Log booms
LADYSMITH
Please proof this ad carefully

and reply ASAP with your OK or
changes. If you have changes,
please respond ASAP, thus allowing
the production team time to make the
changes indicated.
Dionisio Provincial Park: Located on the north end of Galiano

Island, this is a gem offering trails, a wonderful beach at Coon Bay
and a sandy lagoon. A historic feature is a large midden. Depending
on how you reach this park, you may have to cross Porlier Pass
to get here. Do so only at slack tide. Porlier Pass is prone to
strong currents, rips, turbulence and overfalls. A kayak campsite,
Sandstone Campground, is provided south of Perry Lagoon on the
outer shoreline. Access is by rock ledge, not beach, and can be
problematic. In the event of swell, a landing at Coon Bay or Perry
Lagoon may be advisable. From there a second camping area is
available up from the lagoon. Not officially accessible by land due to
adjacent private property, the park is usually nonetheless frequented
by cyclists and hikers.
Miami It.
3.9
Shingle Pt. Reserve

Shingle Pt. (Lyackson FN)
4.6
Kulleet Bay
Sun God petroglyph
N4900'
A DV E N T
Yellow Pt.
Deer Pt. Rd.
250-247-8939
Adventure Outfitters
VA BA
IL
nc
NE
Rd
Yellow Point
4.1
Timberman Trail
Jocelyn
Hill
en Rd.
Mysery Bay
252
Shamans pool petroglyph
Woodley Range
Ecological Reserve
Va
AN
Pt.
Blue Heron Park
Detwiller Pt.
Mexicana
Hill
Old growth forest
First designated
marine trail campsite
Golland Tod
Provincial Park
5.3
Asp
Wrigglesworth L.
N4831'
Island access
via logging roads
Blackberry Pt.
Ra
and
Gowll
Pease
Elbow Pt.
Repulse Rk.
N4904'
1.4
2.3
Danger Reefs
3.2
Cr.
Cr.
Valdes I.
Log dump
Tree I.
Nicholson Cove
Rd.
Irving
Warwick Range
N4832'
Pylades I.
N4901'
KAYA
Blackberry Point: This was the first campsite created as part of

the future BC Marine Trail. It features an expansive group camping
area, some private spots and a composting toilet. Located on private
property it has no official status and pending a renewed leasing
arrangement with new owners, it faces an uncertain future until it is
eventually purchased as a park (knock on wood).
N4902'
Gulf Islands service providers:
The following businesses supported the production of this map and

are eager to make your visit to the Gulf Islands more enjoyable.
Pirates Cove Marine Park: This popular park offers anchorage, trails
and camping. It is a popular kayaking park with tent sites set on pads
overlooking the main beach on the islands south side. This is also the
best beach for kayak access.
Pt.
Code Rd.
Newcastle Island Provincial Park: This gem set in Nanaimo

Harbour is skirted with trails and dotted with history. It features
numerous great beaches, scenic shoreline and camping with full
facilities. A foot passenger ferry service makes it easily accessible.
Group and individual party camping is available, as is moorage. Bikes
are welcome on the ferries and some of the trails. The beach facing
Protection Island and Kanawa Bay are the most popular day use
areas. A good viewpoint overlooks the northeast end of the island. A
historic 1930s pavilion offers services in season. Park management
is by the Snuneymuxw First Nation, which is introducing cultural
programs for visitors including war canoe trips.
163 Fulford-Ganges Rd ToLL FREE: 1.888.529.2567

w w w.islandescapades.com
CH
llow
North Gulf Islands parks and camping:
Yellow
Colpman
N4905'
6.0
Camping allowed,
poor sites only
2.0
Yellow Point Bog

Ecological Reserve
McKenzie Bight
Rock ledge shoreline
Whaleboat Island
Ruxton I. Marine Park
Whaleboat Passage
Here is a low-res pdf of your ad

for proofing via email.
Our$30 th$$
ASe
high
version will be used in
asonres.
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printing.
N4903'
Cliffs
West Bay
Sheppard Pt.
Qarry Bay 7.2
N4834'
an Lak
e Rd.
N4833'
NE
RT
4.9
3.6
Roberts Memorial
Provincial Park
wnig
McCurdy Pt.
SQUALLY REACH
STRAIT OF GEORGIA
AN
UA
Ruxton Passage
9.0
7.6
Smokeh
Whitta
N4906'
CH
ST
Pirates Cove
Marine Park
Ye
ll Rd
Sha
Lyackson IR
(Lyackson FN)
8.6
er
ne
DE
Riv
en
De Courcy I.
4.1
De Courcy Rd.
Quennell L.
Qu
Cassidy
(Nanaimo)
Airport
LA
imo
Greenway L.
Long I.
5.3
Park trails planned
Log booms
2.7
Etched sandstone
to
Narrow, shallow passage
3.7
Reynolds Pt.
Boat Harbour
Flewett Pt.
Senanu
Huge development
planned for Bamberton
Bamb
er Cr.
Spectacle Lake
Provincial Park
N4907'
PY
Nana
Rd
Tozier Rk.
SAANICH
N4835'
KENDRICK I.
Yacht club outstation
KENDRICK ISLET
Rock ledge access
6.1
Oliphant L.
N4908'
Kendrick I.
Wakes Cove
Provincial Park
Verdier Pt.
rry
ram
Fe
r Rd
Ing
GABRIOLA PASSAGE
Max current 9 knots.
Rips, turbulence.
Rogers Reef
Cordero Pt.
1.5
Dibuxante Pt.
Cr.
Johns
Bamberton Provincial Park
N4836'
Murdoch Rd.
Gabriola
Reefs
Drumbeg
Josef Pt. Provincial Park Breakwater I.
Degnen Bay
GABRIOLA PASSAGE
3.7
Link I.
CEDAR BOAT RAMP

Limited parking
N4905'
Cassidy
Dr.
Passable highest tides only
Round I.
Boat Harbour Rd.
y Rd
Malahat Cr.
N4909'
Bath I.
Saturnina I.
.
Rd
ast Fenwick Rd.
Rd
da
General suggestions for exploration by kayak: Great day and

overnight trips are possible for novice kayakers. A launch from
Saltspring around Wallace Island and its nearby neighbors is a great
outing, as is a launch from Cedar along the DeCourcy Group for
a picnic at Pirates Cove. This will take you along some incredible
fretted sandstone cliffs. From Silva Bay an exploration of the Flat
Top Islands has its rewards. Novices will also enjoy exploring
Ladysmith Harbour and its islands or a trip around Newcastle Island,
which has the advantage of being a park, with accessible and
undeveloped shoreline. A circumnavigation of Thetis and/or Kuper
Islands is possible from launches at Chemainus or Evening Cove
near Ladysmith, though the distance across Stuart Channel makes
this a trip for intermediate paddlers. Cartopping to Thetis is an option.
The rewards are nice beaches and mostly undeveloped shoreline.
More advanced paddlers can circumnavigate Gabriola Island or hop
the regions various camping options. The outer shore of Valdes and
Galiano are the least explored but potentially the most challenging.
ds View
Sear I.
Thrasher Rk.
er
Islan
Co
Degnen Bay Dr.

1.5
South Rd.
5.0
5.4
Holden L.
Hemer
Provincial
Park
Law Pt.
Silva Bay
Stalk
El Verano Dr.
Petroglyphs
2.8
Tiesu Rd.
ll Ba
FALSE NARROWS
Curents half speed
of Dodd Narrows
Mudge I.
N4904'
Launching: Boat ramps are few and far between for the Gulf
Islands, making them potentially congested, and especially stressful
for kayakers loading for long trips amidst the bustle of boat trailers
loading and unloading. Beach accesses provide a good alternative
for cartop boats (kayaks and canoes), but parking is often an issue
particularly for overnight exploration. Be sure to watch the signs or
risk being towed. Unloading then driving to park your vehicle nearby
is generally a good option. Wherever possible launch locations are
marked on the map, but the quality of options vary. For instance,
Mi
N4837'
Brant Reef
Acorn I.
Shipyard Reef
Tugboat I.
Crown islets
South Rd.
Petroglyph
e Rd.
24 hour response required
Eco Adventures
in the Gulf Islands since 1991
Noowick Rd.
Malahat IR
(Malahat FN)
Carlos I.
Lily I. Vance I.
ag
Ce
CEDAR
South
Wellington
Mill Bay
Bay Rd.
Frayne Rd.
N4910'
Gaviola I.
ss
Percy Anchorage
Barnes Rd.
N4906'
Pa
n Rd
Fern
Purvis Pt.
Joan Pt.
DODD NARROWS
Max. 9.5 kn current. Eddies,
whirlpools, turbulence.
Holden-Corso Rd.
FLAT TOP ISLANDS

All private property except
two marked Crown islets
ore
9.1
ar Rd.
Duke Pt. Hwy.
Proper care and feeding of this region: The Gulf Islands are truly a
national treasure for Canada, blessed with a great environment and
exceptional scenic beauty. This has brought tremendous pressure
on these islands through development, travel and recreational use.
It is being loved to death. When visiting please ensure: (1) no-trace
camping; (2) a light footprint, and stay to designated trails to protect
sensitive wildflowers and the thin soil cover on which they eke out a
fragile existence walking on rocks can denude the soil cover; (3) no
fires at any time firefighting provisions are minimal and fires have a
history of causing great damage; (4) if in a boat, use a holding tank
for sewage; (5) leaves motors behind whenever possible, both on
land and in the water the islands are best enjoyed by paddle, foot
and bicycle; (5) support agencies fighting to protect and preserve
these islands and waters, including the Georgia Strait Alliance and
The Land Conservancy of BC.
N4911'
150
160
170
180
od
el
Hess Rd.
Coats Dr.
North Rd.
Rd.
ann
Sea lions on log booms

Oct.-Dec.
Nanaimo River IR
(Snuneymuxw FN)
Ced
N4907'
190
N4838'
rson
Tugs working booms
nd Ch
Industrial waterfront
N4908'
140
200
Pete
7.1
kso
Petroglyph Provincial Park
150
210
Whisky Pt.
Mill Bay
Handy Rd.
15
e Dr.
Drying mudflat
Shawnigan-Mill Bay Rd.
Millstr
bon
To
5.8
Ba
ale
mm
Rd
Nanaimo IR
(Snuneymuxw FN)
Log booms
Northu
mberla
270
Norwich Rd.
l Wa
nie
Da
Rd.
Bay
tt Rd
e Rd
PUBLICATION DATE:
JULY 16, 2014
Marine-based exploration: Great kayaking is possible along the

sandstone cliffs of the DeCourcy Group islands, Thetis and Kuper
islands and Wallace Island off the north end of Saltspring Island.
Sheltered waters help. The Flat Top islands also make for great day
trips off Gabriola Island. Suitable launches are infrequent, though,
with major staging grounds being Cedar, Ladysmith and Chemainus.
The outer waters of the Strait of Georgia are the most exposed
and challenging. Reaching them can also be difficult, as the major
passages Gabriola and Porlier and prone to dangerously strong
currents. Dodd Narrows between Cedar and Nanaimo is also a
renowned tidal rapid. A limiting factor is the amount of private land.
Public (Crown) land is rare; it is marked on the maps by yellow ground
cover. Most small islands are private, subdivided and developed. The
good news is the waterfront to the high tide line is generally public
property anywhere in Canada (exceptions might be marinas, which
have foreshore rights). This means you are welcome to stop at just
about any beach for a break, even if a house sits behind you.
W12346'
W12348'
W12350'
W12352'
W12356'
W12354'
Taylor
rre
sho
Co
uth
N4909'
Cliffs
Jack-Biggs Pt. Park
N4839'
SAANICH INL
Kilmalu Rd.
Cr.
Wh
rse
Inset
To Hatch Pt.
Meredith Rd.
nigan
Ho
Gabriola I.
So
Log booms
Jac
Land-based exploration: Gabriola, Kuper and Thetis islands are

the only north Gulf Islands serviced by vehicle ferry. Gabriola offers
good land exploration at Drumbeg and Sandwell Provincial parks but
is to the greatest extent private land. Gabriola is remarkable, though,
for the high number of petroglyphs, with an incredible selection to
be found behind Gabriola United Church on the islands southeast
side. Great hiking can be found on Newcastle Island in Nanaimo
Harbour, which is serviced by a foot passenger ferry throughout most
of the year. Kuper Island is a Penelakut First Nations reserves, and
is consequently largely undeveloped. Both Kuper and Thetis have
limited services, with most found at Thetiss two marinas. Valdes
Island has no ferry service, making it the least accessible of the large
islands, but as it is mainly undeveloped forest land has the greatest
potential for hiking and exploring, including spelunking.
Duke Point Ferry Terminal
19
120
180
220
and
La Fortune Rd.
Shaw
Descanso Bay Bruce-Lynn Dr.
Jack Pt.
AD PROOF
Where is the gulf? There isnt one. The islands were named before
the passage was found that creates Vancouver Island. Until that time
the Strait of Georgia was the Gulf of Georgia. The strait was renamed,
but the islands never were.
NANAIMO
N4912'
Rd.
Str
Cameron Taggart
Lock Bay
Sandwell Provincial Park

The
80
Malaspina Rd.
Mc
Co
Gabriola Sands
nve
y Rd Provincial Park
.
2.1
1.8
See geoma
for current g.nrcan.gc.ca
declina
tion
230
rt Ave.
1.9
Variatio
n 1738
(July
1, 2010) E
60
Chelwood Rd.
70
Hatch Pt. IR
(Pauquachin FN)
Pemberton Rd.
N4913'
30
Rd
Entrance I.
el
Orlebar Pt.
240
3.0
2.4
Protection I.
1.2
Gallows Pt.
Nanaimo
Harbour McKay Channel
int
Cobble Hill
40
210
GALIANO GALLERY
Sandstone formation
1.8
Float planes
Po
N4841'
30
250
Numerous marinas
rry
Ricardo Rd.
20
N4840'
ann
Clark
Bay
3.5
Be
od Ch
10
330
300
260
N4911'
N4910'
Forwo
350
340
330
320
ARTIFICIAL REEFS
HMCS Saskatchewan
and HMCS Cape Breton
Stewa
Adventure &
Accommodation
Getaways
Are these the north Gulf Islands? Well, yes and no. The official
name Gulf Islands refers only to the extent of the group pictured
here. However, in recent years the Gulf Islands are being grouped
politically with the Discovery Islands and others in the north end of the
Strait of Georgia, particularly Quadra and Cortes Islands. In addition,
BC Ferries will refer to these plus Texada, Hornby and Denman
islands as north Gulf Islands in its schedules.
4.4
60
N4912'
Trincomali and Stuart channels form the major marine corridors for
this region, offering travel to picturesque islands protected behind a
virtual land barrier the largest outer islands, Gabriola and Valdes
islands. This makes these inner waters significantly more serene for
exploration than the more exposed waters of the Strait of Georgia.
Gabriola is the most residential of the northern islands, home to about
5,000 residents. Valdes, on the other hand, is the largest of the Gulf
Islands with no ferry service. Consequently it is mostly undeveloped
forest land and dotted by infrequent cottages. In between these
islands and Vancouver Island are a selection of pretty island clusters,
most easily reached from launches on Vancouver Island.
SEABIRD NESTING
No access in season
Snake I.
Hudson Rocks
Ecological Reserve
4.0
Sea cave
Seals
Jesse I.
Brandon Is.
2.6
3.0
Departure Bay
Scenic cliffs
Nares Pt. 3.4
Tyne Pt.
McKay Pt.
Ferries, float planes
Departure Bay
Shaft Pt.
Angle Pt.
Ferry Terminal
Newcastle Island
1.8
Power Squadron Reef Malaspina Pt.
Provincial Park
Brechin Boat Ramp
Recreation Map and Trip Planner
Introduction:
Hutchinson Rd.
AQUA
North to Lantzville,
Winchelsea Islands
Pipers Lagoon Park
N4913'
50
North Gulf
Islands
240
Beachside Flat &

Lakeside Cottage
W12358'
Steps from National Seashore,

Bennett Bay and a kayakers paradise!
Governor Rk.
re
er
Rd
Dr.
Gali
Kayaking Greece
Ruminations on an irreverent, illegal

and ultimately ill-advised Aegean odyssey
as it tragic or celestial?
That depends on which one
of us you asked, and when
you asked it. Both terms apply, not only
for our voyage, but for Greece in general,
whence we ventured off in a childrens
tandem kayak with the hope of paddling
to Turkey.
Of course we soon discovered that
this expedition was entirely illegal. Kayaks
of this sort are not allowed more than
300 metres away from shore under Greek
maritime law. On our first day Giulio
dEramo and I got stopped by the coast
guard just four kilometres from our put-in
point in Lagonisi, just south of Athens.
Where are you going? the one
officer asked. We just looked at each
other while deciding whether to answer
honestly. Sprechen sie Deutsch? the
officers continued after assuming that our
silence meant we were German. We finally
replied, Turkey. The ensuing laughter
forced the officer to brace himself on the
handrail.
We were told to stop for the night
on the mainland, but somehow we
convinced him to let us continue to a little
uninhabited private island instead, even if
it was a restricted area, as we were told.
Go to island, sleep there for night,
tomorrow you must to go. Go now. And
we were off as they followed us for about
a mile before leaving us as we approached
Patroklos at sunset.
On Patroklos we found two residents
who were stranded immigrants. One
was Indian from Kashmir and the other
Pakistani. Between them they spoke each
36
others languages and with us in English

and Greek. They were living in a floating
hut in the middle of an aquaculture farm.
Immigration in Greece is a major issue.
Almost 90 per cent of Europes economic
migrants come through Greece and in a
country with this much coastline you can
imagine the difficulty involved with patrols.
Combine that with the Dublin Regulation
which says that any undocumented
immigrant found in the EU has to be sent
back to their original EU port of entry and
youll see that Greece has become a prison
of sorts for immigrants seeking to enter
the EU: theyre stuck here.
We politely decline an offer of food
saying that we had packed our own, but
nonetheless they took their utility boat

and came back from their hut with hot
Kashmiri food: the best Ive had outside
India.
They sat with us as we ate but spent
most of the time trying to connect to
Skype, with limited success.
We finished by eating the watermelon
they brought as they told us their plan
to sneak into Italy in the spring using a
trafficker. I guess two years in a floating
hut is enough to make you want to try
something new, despite the sometimes
fatal risks involved in crossing the Adriatic.
Exhausted from the first day of
paddling without a rudder in open sea, we
opt for sacking out on a few palettes we
After a seven-hour morning paddle the pair lands on Kea (also known as Tzia). The only shade
is under the tree to wait out the relentless midday sun.
Fall/Winter 2014
by Jeffrey Andreoni
Fiji
Too tired to set up a tent, the pair sack

out on some palettes on Patroklos.
The house belongs to the islands sole
inhabitant, a jolly shepherd. On the
right is the Cape of Sounio, the next
days target.
You cant get
THERE
HERE
from
find stacked above the waterline. The next

morning I trudge up to the only house
on the island to get some water from the
jolly farmer who obliges us by filling every
empty container we have. Already off
course and behind schedule, we depart
Patroklos at 8 a.m. in the direction of
Cape Sounion.
Coming around the cape we see the
bay filled with luxurious yachts, posh
villas and a glimpse of the Temple of
Poseidon. Our best option to stop is a
private beach in front of a villa between
Legrena and Lavrio. Despite our doing a
bit of volunteer trash-picking, we receive a
much cooler welcome from the locals than
we did on Patroklos. The swank young
educated couple whose beach we camped
on did their best to ignore us as we politely
inquired about some drinking water. When
they eventually saw that we were harmless,
they warmed up a bit and gave us some,
but then a friendlier neighbour came and
said hello, offered us coffee and had a
chat with us about our next destination,
Makronisos, destined to be our first sizable
crossing in open sea.
Before beginning the trip we were
contacted via Facebook by the guys
from Cannibals Kayak House telling
us to beware of the (Meltemi,
Giulio is in high spirits over their new kayak, a design inevitably ill-suited for the task ahead.
Fall/Winter 2014
37
Kayaking Greece
Etesian winds), but we didnt realize
just how powerful a force they would
be. On the way to Patroklos it was
behind us, speeding us along, but for
the next crossing it would be at our side,
threatening to push us out to sea.
Unable to sleep past the 6 a.m.
sunrise due to the heat, we spent the
whole morning as unwanted clients in
a restaurant down the road from our
camp. Eating fried food, drinking some
beer, reading weather reports all were
necessary preparations for the voyage.
With a few hours left before sunset we
packed up our waterproof duffel bags
and set off for Makronisos, the island of
snakes. Snake must be a euphemism
for communists, because we didnt
see anything slithering on the island,
just a bunch a former barracks where
communists were imprisoned in the early
1950s after the Greek civil war. A second
wave of imprisonment during the colonels
regime lasted until 1974, and included
basically anyone considered a liberal.
Walking around Markonisos can be an
eerie experience when you think about
what happened in the concentration camp,
something barely acknowledged by Greek
society.
Every island you go to in Greece has
a different political persuasion evident
as you move around, and Kea () was
definitely on my personal frequency. We
met so many people that it was easy to
linger and the variable weather made it
hard to leave, but we were falling behind
schedule and had to make a drastic change
to our plan.
Surprisingly, Kea is quite a popular
island for telecommuters since its very
easy to get to Athens via the Lavrio port,
which is well serviced by ferries. One
After their first crossing, the pair land on the haunted island of Makronisos. Hanging clothes
to dry, they then went to explore the abandoned structures of the former internment camp.
industrial designer we met said he is able

to go to meetings in Milan from Kea in
one day, because Athens international
airport is actually closer to Lavrio than to
Athens.
The designers Italian wife runs an
alternative healing centre on the island,
with the guest house destined for us after
a failed crossing. It seems our choice of
route backfired when we opted to go
around the north end of Kea instead of
the south. Afterwards, when recounting
this to disbelieving islanders, we were told,
But thats where some of the strongest
currents in the Aegean converge. We
learned that the hard way after capsizing
several times on some of the largest waves
wed seen on the trip. Luckily we were
able to save almost everything, except the
few things that werent tied down tightly
like all our drinking water, our Havaianas
Professionally guided tours

Broken Group Islands
Clayoquot Sound
www.oceankayaking.com
1-800-889-7644
Featuring kayaker shuttles to the Broken Group Islands.
38
Fall/Winter 2014
flip-flops and the lens from my sunglasses,

which, unfortunately, were not up to the
task of a trip like this.
After paddling for nearly an hour
amidst waves which were as high as the
length of the kayak, we did an emergency
landing on a secluded beach which, we
thought, was miles from civilization.
However, Kea is very civilized and within
minutes of hiking up the hill to a dirt road
we were able to hitch a ride back into
town with two attractive young Athenian
women who asked to see our passports
before letting us in the car. You can never
be too safe.
In town we met our hosts for the night.
We had fun exchanging stories with them,
as they had their own taste for adventure.
At one point they closed up their house
and took to living on their sailboat for an
entire year, sailing all over the Aegean.
The next day we hit the famous Spathi
beach for a day of lounging, determined to
make some headway in the evening.
The next morning was our fourth
day in Kea and the waves were still large
enough to flip us. We paddled about 500
meters to Spathi Beach (again), and I
decided to take the morning off in favour
of sitting in the cafe and drinking beer,
which I hoped would give me the courage
to continue kayaking in such rough seas.
Finally that evening we made a push to
get around the point and get to a position
where we could make the crossing to
GREECE
Kythnos. We wound up on a spooky beach
called (Telegraph Beach), which
being between two steep hills caused a
katabatic downdraft of almost gale force
wind which made it impossible to light a
fire and blew our tent into the sea. Sleeping
in a bag without cover with sand whipping
in your face is torture, and again we were
in need of rescuing. It came in the form
of Yorgos, who saw our equipment and
erroneously thought we were professionals
who were oddly attempting an Aegean
odyssey in a kayak with the performance
level of a bathtub. Yorgos, his wife and
his kids took us to their house where we
recharged and prepared ourselves mentally
for the next days crossing.
After six whole days on Kea we finally
(with encouragement from Yorgos) made
the trip to Kythnos, which we quickly
learned was a much less liberal island and
in fact made conservative Lavrio look like
the Burning Man festival.
After getting completely schnockered
on raki in the taverna on Kolona Beach
( ) near an underwater hot
spring where all the waiters look stoned,
we dragged the kayak over a sandbar
under a full moon and began paddling
down the coast in darkness. We thought
we were going perfectly straight, but the
GPS tells a jagged, zigzagging story.
The water is calmest at night and
we covered a record distance before
sobering up around 2 a.m. We wound
up setting the tent inside a childrens
jungle gym and woke up to surprised but
disinterested fishermen passing by. With
the sun too strong we left at dawn for the
southernmost point on the island, Agios
Dimitrios, to have some Greek salads and
beer. Eager to leave the island we decided
to make a break for Serifos at around
5 p.m. I felt at home on Serifos almost
immediately because when we arrived
at dusk, all we could see was two elderly
hippies in a Vanagon parked at the far left
end of the beach. The next morning they
came to video us with their massive VHS
camera, the likes of which I hadnt seen
since the 1980s. The place we landed was
drab, but the blister I got in Kea was quite
massive and demanded that I rest.
Our next stop, Megalo Livadi, coincided
with the anniversary of the famous Serifos
miners strike which came to a bloody end
on August 20th, 1916. Some pilgrims were
TURKEY
Athens
Patroklos
Temple of Poseidon
Makronisos
Kea
Kythnos
Serifos
Paros
Naxos
Sifnos
placing flowers on the memorial to the

miners who were shot dead for refusing to
work in inhumane conditions.
The historic strike was led by
Constantinos Speras, who was a pioneer
of anarcho-syndicalism which, like
democracy, was also born in Greece. Some
remnants of the mines can be found
around the little village, but for us one
of the main attractions was the equally
Keros
famous (Kyklopas Taverna)

which we had heard about several islands
back.
After running up a large tab, we
realized that we needed to get some cash
because there are probably five tavernas
in all of Greece that accept credit cards.
The usual: hitchhiking to town, taxi back,
sleeping on lounge chairs and departing
Pick your exotic adventure destination
Our$27 th$$
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Paddle with us in
the Worlds Aquarium!
Multi-Day Kayak Tours - Sea of

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Toll Free 1-866-765-BAJA (2252)
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Fall/Winter 2014
Jan2012ad_outlines.indd 1
39
08/01/12 10:17 AM
Kayaking Greece
the next day for Livadi, or almost, because
this is where our voyage undergoes a
drastic change.
This ends the first part of the trip, which
continued from Sifnos to Keros with a
change in participants. Spoiler alert: they

never made it to Turkey. Shocking, we know.
If youd like to see the second part published
in a future issue, let us know; its not often we
get articles on voyages quite this quirky, so
the response should be interesting. Consider
it a primer on how not to plan and execute
a kayaking expedition in foreign waters,

or domestic waters for that matter. Jeffrey
Andreoni (AKA Bezdomny) is a freelance
writer based in Athens, Greece. Originally
from Rhode Island, he is currently working on
a PhD in Digital Anthropology in the United
Kingdom.
Instruction directory
International
Sea Kayak
Association
of BC
Guide Standards & Certification
ACSKG.ca
TRIPS Multi-day / Single Day

TRAINING Beginner / Advanced
SOCIAL EVENTS With / Without Kayaks
CLUB MEETINGS Greater Vancouver
Learn more at www.skabc.org
Gwaii Haanas National Park

Expeditions, Mothership Tours & Courses
www.seakayak.guru
40
Fall/Winter 2014
West Coast
Outdoor
Leadership
Training.
Quality skills training.

Hesquiaht traditional
knowledge. Certification
courses include: Paddle
Canada Sea Kayaking
Levels 1 & 2, Introduction to
Kayaking Instructors Course;
Red Cross Wilderness First
Responder; Lifesaving; BOAT
& ROC(M).
www.hooksumschool.com
250.670.1120
info@hooksumschool.com
Whatcom Association
of Kayak Enthusiasts
Bellingham, WA www.wakekayak.org
Paddling club with day paddles,
multiday trips, meetings, training
Skillset
CLAP
for safety
by Alex Matthews
1. Communication
Four numbered illustrations by Damon Belanger/www.damonbelanger.com.
his summer I again

instructed at the excellent Pacific
Paddling Symposium. Something
that I sometimes like to do at these events
is to keep quiet in order to absorb what
other instructors are teaching. For one
rock gardening session I was teamed
with Michael Pardy of Skils and Rowan
Gloag of the Hurricane Riders. With three
instructors and flat conditions it was ideal
for me to lie low and listen carefully.
Michael invoked the CLAP acronym
that stands for Communication, Line
of Sight, Awareness (or Avoidance,
depending on whos teaching) and Position
of Most Effectiveness.
Rowan outlined a scenario to illustrate
how CLAP is applied:
Three paddlers are playing along a
coastline. Paddler P decides to shoot a
slot with a sharp right-hand corner in the
channel. In order to be safe as a team, they
must maintain communication with one
another.
The best vantage point for paddler A
will be at the mouth of the slot, but he
will not be able to see Paddler P once he
turns the corner. Conversely, being by the
exit, Paddler B cant see P until he makes
the corner. But by maintaining their line of
sight of each other, paddlers A and B can
easily monitor Ps progress and signal to
one another when P is making his charge,
when he is about to turn, if all is going
well, and when he has successfully cleared
the exit.
In this way, by watching one another,
paddlers A and B can have a good idea of
what is going on throughout, even when P
2. Line of sight
is out of sight.
All the while, the team must stay
aware of circumstances and conditions.
Fall/Winter 2014
Timing waves for instance, is an important

consideration. A common alert for
incoming swell is a loud shout of outside,
41
Skillset
3. Awareness
4. Position of most
effectiveness
which is the signal for everyone to quickly

sprint away from shore outside of the
break zone. Since Paddler P is likely to
be focused on his route through the slot,
the other two can pay closer attention to
incoming waves and sound the alarm or
give the go-ahead as appropriate.
Each paddler must take into account
the need to maintain communication,
lines of sight and awareness, while also
achieving a position of most effectiveness.
For instance, if Paddler B sits within
the slot right by the corner in order to be
closer should assistance be required, he
wont be able to see Paddler A, and hence
wont know when P is coming, or even if
a larger set of waves is rolling in and about
to crash through the channel. Nor can he
relay any information to A.
On the other hand, if B is farther
from the exit, he will be able to maintain
communication with A, but he wont be
close enough to lend assistance should P
require a quick tow out of harms way.
The position of most effectiveness will
vary depending on conditions, geography
and circumstance. In some instances
the best position may even be ashore,
stationed with a throw bag.
The CLAP acronym is a catchy
reminder of key ingredients that
contribute to our safety when afloat, so
make sure that everyone in your paddling
group knows to CLAP.
Alex Matthew is Coast&Kayak Magazines
skills guru and author of Sea Kayaking:
Rough Waters (Fox Chapel Publishing).
Accompanying his article is a set of four
illustrations by Damon Belanger, a designer,
illustrator and avid kayaker based in
California. More of his work can be seen at
www.damonbelanger.com.
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Fall/Winter 2014
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Discovery Islands
North Coast Trail
Recreation Trail Map
Broughton/Johnstone
Recreation Mapsheet
Gulf Islands
Recreation Mapsheet
Clayoquot Sound
Recreation Mapsheet
Where is
your next
adventure?
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Broken Group Islands
Let Coast&Kayak Magazines

range of resources lead the way.
Introducing our guide series for navigating the BC coast
The BC Coast Explorer
The BC Coast Explorer
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Covers North and West

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unrivalled detail. The
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Shop at retailers in this magazine or order online: coastandkayak.com

Fall/Winter 2014
43
Gearing up
An industry
In transition
I
t was a rare case of

national exposure on prime time
television for a kayak manufacturing
company. But when Seaward Kayaks
made its pitch on the top-rated Canadian
TV show Dragons Den to get financing
for a new line of polyurethane boats,
it set in motion speculation among
observers that ranged from praise to
bewilderment.
In the end Seaward got the green light
on the show from a financier, but that
never happened: Seaward turned down
the financing, decided not to launch the
poly line of boats and then sold off its
new thermoform line, retaining only its
original fibreglass manufacturing.
Despite the outcome far removed
from the original pitch, owners Steve
and Jacquie Ree are still enjoying the
benefits of major media exposure: The
phone is still ringing, Jacquie says.
The recipient of Seawards
thermoform line was Kayak
Distribution, headed in Canada by Marc
Pelland, who was on board at Montreals
Riot Kayaks when it went bankrupt
in 2008. The company managed to
continue the Riot name and distribution
through production in China, and the
new company has become the phoenix
of the paddlesports industry, since then
buying bankrupt BorealDesign, striking
an alliance with Estonias Tahe Marine
and managing to accumulate a catalogue
of about 150 kayak models.
Its an impressive show of growth
for an industry where overall gains have
been minimal and some segments have
seen sharp declines. The main casualty
is the traditional composite/fibreglass
touring kayak. Heavy in labour and
materials to build and costly to ship,
it has become the lost orphan of the
industry: difficult to stock for retailers in
any quantity and consequently difficult
to generate volume sales for the builders.
Larger companies such as Confluence
44
In a tough market,
kayak manufacturers
rethink their business
and Johnson Outdoors have taken
the approach to buy volume through
favourable credit terms, making them
financiers as much as kayak producers.
And thats made the market even
tougher for smaller players who cant
match the terms for retailers eager to
delay paying for an expensive product.
Adding to that is the Kayak
Distribution formula: get it done
elsewhere. Its not a new formula to
have boats built overseas, but Kayak
Distribution has taken it a step further
by basing its entire production offshore.
And so far its proved a healthy decision.
Pelland says sales are up about 30 per
cent this year perhaps no surprise
considering the increase in the size of
the companys catalogue but dramatic
growth, even on par with expectations,
is no small achievement considering the
market.
hile Kayak
Distribution has grown,
elsewhere the trend seems to be
consolidation. Necky Kayaks was one of
the first, going from Vancouver Island
ownership to become a brand of the
huge Johnson Outdoors conglomerate.
Victorias Current Designs followed,
selling to Minnesotas Wenonah Canoes.
Others have adapted. Long-time
fibreglass manufacturer Nimbus Kayaks
closed its Lower Mainland operation
and moved to Quadra Island as part of
a closer-to-retirement tactic for owners
Fall/Winter 2014
Steve Schleicher and Jan Bain. Now

they can build kayaks at a more leisurely
pace in blissful surroundings possibly
the most Zen-like way to deal with a
tough market. But most remarkable
was Atlantis Kayaks, which closed its
Ladysmith operation on Vancouver
Island with owner Robin Thacker taking
a delete, delete, delete approach to
emails and phone calls for all intents
disappearing from the market.
The surprise, though, was
BorealDesign, a strongly established
East Coast company with a long history,
a good reputation and every indication
it was on a growth cycle by taking on
the Zegul line of kayaks and purchasing
Beluga paddlesports gear.
In the end, despite good products and
a good reputation, the cost of Boreals
domestic production couldnt match the
realities of the new North American
market a fact that couldnt help but
give the kayak manufacturing industry
cause for concern.
It shows how tight the margins are,
Seaward Kayak owner Steve Ree says.
Joining Boreal in bankruptcy more
recently was Mid-Canada Fibreglass,
makers of Impex Kayaks and Scott
Canoes.
art of the trouble is the

increasing impossibility for kayak
retailers. With hundreds of models
plus various colours and features to
choose from, picking which ones to
State of the industry report
Seaward Kayaks chief designer Geoff Workman polishes out some repair work on a surf ski at the Seaward plant in Chemainus, BC. The
company is focussing on its composite models for the future, buoyed by recent publicity through the TV show Dragons Den.
stock becomes a gamble. Chipping

away on the other side is the Costco
syndrome. For several years now the
retail giant has stocked smaller Pelican
recreation kayaks, but has recently added
a 15-foot model under the Elie Kayaks
brand name. And while the appearance
of cheap polyurethane boats at nontraditional locations might seem to signal
yet more difficulties for the traditional
kayak store, in some ways it could be the
necessary gateway.
Waters Dancing
Its like Canadian Tire with hockey

equipment, says Mike Squarek of
Delta Kayaks. They have their entrylevel product and they sell a lot of that
product. But as people become better
athletes they go to specialty shops to
get their second, third and even fourth
pieces of equipment.
Delta is now the last manufacturer
of thermoform kayaks in Canada, and
is looking at as much as double-digit
growth led by a range of new products
but also the surprise performance

of some older models. For industry
observers, thermoforms remain a
material of contention in becoming
a universally accepted alternative to
the performance and durability of
composites. Critics maintain there
are still issues with repair, strength,
flex and longevity. But clearly in their
favour is the lower price with equivalent
showroom appeal to composites. Both
Squarek and Pelland see thermoforms as
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45
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Hospitals, Coast
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and much more.
Available at most fine kayak shops in BC

and on line at www.phkayaking.ca
the best segment for growth in the kayak

market, though fringe categories are also
showing the boom particularly fishing
kayaks.
Manufacturing giant Confluence is
also targeting both thermoforms and
kayak fishing for aggressive growth,
spurred in large part by the companys
purchase by the private equity firm J.H.
Whitney earlier this year, prompting
the hunt for new markets. The most
untapped as of yet is the under-$200
market for entry level rotomolded
kayaks, says CEO Sue Rechner, with
SUPs another possibility (though most
likely through acquisition of an existing
company).
As the worlds largest producer of
rotomolded kayaks, Confluence remains
seemingly immune to market difficulties,
with Rechner citing annual growth of
three to five per cent since 2008 the
year sales nose-dived for composites.
While Kayak Distribution may have its
crosshairs firmly planted on Confluence,
Rechner shrugs off the threat from
new overseas competition with no hint
of considering moving Confluences
production from stateside.
When you ship a kayak youre
shipping 90 per cent air. Theres not a lot
of labour involved. So I dont see where
the savings are, Rechner says.
Pelland doesnt agree, citing his own
savings with production in China.
It doesnt cost as much to put a skeg
on there, he says.
n the opposite end,

Seaward Kayaks has dug
exclusively into the most competitive,
costly and smallest corner of the
market, ending forays into both roto
TM
PADDLE S
ea
l
W er
el In
c q
o uI
m rI
e! es
ee
and thermoform kayaks to stick with

composites only. Why?
Were going back to our roots,
owner Steve Ree says.
Those roots are firmly entrenched
in the Pacific coasts kayaking history,
with the startup back in 1986 supplying
kayaks for the Barkley Sound freighter
Lady Rose at the urging of kayak legend
John Dowd. With some of the original
models still afloat and in use, Ree sees
the proven longevity and durability of
composites as reason to stick with what
the company knows best, even if that
means at the expense of growth.
Its certainly not a perspective
shared across the market. Pelland of
Kayak Distribution made his start
as a financial manager at Ernst and
Young and runs a private equity fund
with his breakthrough in skateboards;
his perspective is more focussed on
margins and growth markets. Now
the owner of the BorealDesign
brand name, he sees their demise
as symptomatic of the industrys
ills overall: an expensive product to
produce with a low margin.
You can increase the price but it
never stops as the volume drops, he
says. Its a downward spiral.
Steve Ree paints a different picture,
pointing to their fully owned production
facility as a huge advantage along with a
solid core of faithful business through
outfitters, who benefit from having
warranty work and repairs nearby if ever
needed. Its a far cry from the heyday of
producing four boats a day, but for Ree it
is a future nonetheless.
At some point you have to make a
stand, he says.
Coast&Kayak Magazine
Why Dig When You Can Glide?

46
Fall/Winter 2014
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Fall/Winter 2014 Coast&amp;Kayak Magazine

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