💙 Save the Date: In Loving Memory of Paul Austin James Heraty 💙

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Kevin Amos
Dear friends and family, near and far, old friends and new,
We are looking forward to gathering together in two weeks to honor Paul Heraty’s life, celebrating his legacy, and remembering a man's adventurous spirit and generous heart.
Let the music guide you through the details of his Celebration of Life, reminiscing about him, perhaps accompanying you on a walk, paddle, ski, or soaking in the beauty of the outdoors just as Paul loved.
Here we go...
When
Saturday, October 4th, 2025 from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Where
The Jericho Sailing Centre located at 1300 Discovery Street, Vancouver, BC V6R 4L9
(A place Paul loved to launch his kayak.)

What to Wear
In true Paul style, if he wasn't in a crisp, well-fitted suit, he was in athletic gear: a cherished Nordic tuque, a well-worn paddling wetsuit, a sun-bleached silk shirt, or vintage ’90s sport shades.

We ask that you honor his adventurous spirit by wearing your running, paddling, or ski attire - ready to channel your inner Paul.
What to Expect
3:30 pm - Words of Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
4:00 pm - Life Tributes & Memories
4:30 pm - Thank Yous & Heraty Foundation Announcement
Obituary
Paul’s obituary can now be viewed online and will also be published in The Vancouver Sun and The Province this Saturday, September 20th 2025.
Click here to view Paul Austin James Heraty’s Obituary
The Heraty Foundation
In lieu of flowers or cards, we have created a Legacy fund - The Heraty Foundation - through the Vancouver Foundation. The Heraty Foundation was created to carry Paul’s adventurous and generous spirit forward by supporting two causes close to his heart:
  • North Shore Search and Rescue - Reflecting his lifelong love of wilderness, adventure, and service.
  • The Parkinson’s Society of BC - Supporting individuals and families navigating Parkinson’s with courage, hope, and community.
Thanks for reading to the end - you’re a champ! We look forward to celebrating Paul, swapping stories, sharing a few laughs, and maybe debating which of his favorite songs should be our anthem for the day!
Warmly,
Georgia Heraty
(604) 763-6173

Dear friends and family, near and far, old friends and new,

It is with deep sadness, I share the passing of Paul Austin James Heraty who left us peacefully on June 26th, 2025, at the age of 72.

Paul was a man of remarkable strength, humour, and heart. He faced a long journey with Parkinson’s Disease and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma with courage and grace.

He was a devoted husband, a loving father, a caring brother, a true friend, a gifted writer, and an explorer of both the natural world and the creative spirit.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday October 4th 2025 at 3:00pm at The Jericho Sailing Centre. Located at 1300 Discovery Street, Vancouver, BC.

More details will be shared very soon, but in the meantime, if you have any photos, memories, or stories of Paul that you’d like to share, please feel free to call or reply to this email.
We look forward to coming together to honor his life, celebrate his legacy, and remember a man whose spirit inspired everyone around him.
With Gratitude,
Georgia Heraty & Family
(604) 763-6173
georgia.heraty@gmail.com
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Kayaking Trip Report – Sechelt Inlet

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Kevin Amos

Kayaking Trip Report – Sechelt Inlet (Aug 2025) bv Michele Filion

Participants: Jayne, Colleen, Kevin, Limor, Mackenzie, Michele

This was my very first SKABC trip, and it was such a memorable introduction. Beyond the paddling itself, I especially enjoyed hearing stories of everyone’s past kayaking adventures, as well as the shared knowledge that everyone had!

Day 1 – Thursday

We launched from Pedals and Paddles under breezy conditions, and the first leg gave us a taste of the wind Sechelt Inlet can deliver. We stopped at Tuwanek Beach to wait it out, which turned into the perfect chance for me to go for a short swim. Once the wind calmed, we carried on and made it to Nine Mile Beach, finding only one other camper already there. With rain in the forecast, we got to work: tents up, tarps up, and a communal tarp area for meals and downtime.

Day 2 – Friday

The forecast proved right—an atmospheric river arrived. Mackenzie and Limor set out for a calm (but wet) morning paddle up the shoreline, while the rest of us stayed tucked under cover. Later in the afternoon, Limor and I went for another gentle paddle down the shoreline. I was happy to try out my drysuit! Much of the day was spent either in tents or under the communal tarp area. I'm so glad we had extra tarps for this. We all managed to stay somewhat dry... unfortunately, Mackenzie’s rain poncho didn’t quite hold up. Note to self, rain ponchos from Canadian Tire will dissolve in the rain!

Day 3 – Saturday

The sun finally broke through, lifting spirits instantly. We crossed the inlet to Halfway Beach, continued to Kunechin Point, afterwards heading up the Salmon Inlet for a bit before paddling back to camp. We were able to lay out all our wet gear to dry and hang out in the sun and on the beach - a welcome change from being huddled under tarps. Jayne, Mackenzie, and I all went for a swim.

Day 4 – Sunday

Time to head home. We paddled back across the inlet, enjoying sightings of sea stars, urchins, jellyfish, and other marine life along the way. Lunch at Piper Point was a perfect pause before crossing the inlet back to Pedals and Paddles. To top it off, Mackenzie’s mention of SKABC earned us free parking—a cheerful end to a fantastic trip.

The mix of weather gave us a little bit of everything: wind, heavy rain, sun, and calm seas. It was a wonderful balance of paddling, relaxing, and sharing stories. I had a great experience on my first SKABC trip and really enjoyed the group!

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Trip report: Howe Sound Weekend 9-10 August, 2025

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Admin

Submitted by Maureen B. with Quirine S, Kelly R, Jenny Z and Leah B

5 of us met at Porteau Cove shortly before 8.00. We self-signed in at the camp site office to get a ticket for overnight parking and cars were parked and we were on the water at 9.00. A good start for a very good weekend. Winds were forecast at 10 to 15kn inflow both days picking up at around noon as to be expected in Summer. I checked Pam Rocks, and on Saturday we had 10kn, and on Sunday maybe 3kn.

We paddled straight across to the southern tip of Anvil then proceeded to putz our way up next to the rock cliffs. We knew from previous paddles in Indian Arm to expect lots of baby seals, so Kelly paddled wide to warn us if we were approaching hauled out seals. Once we got halfway up the island, we were all paddling wide because there were just so many babies. At one time I stopped to fiddle with my GPS and as I was carried along by the current, first 3, then 5 little baby heads were curiously accompanying me. After a short while 3 adults approached. When they saw me they dived with commotion, and all the little heads disappeared. I think they were being given the mom lecture to stay away from strangers.

At what we judged to be the appropriate point we ferried across to North Ramillies to check it out. We decided that with the high tides of the full moon on the 9th there would be no opportunity for camping. After a quick break we rounded the headland and landed on Ramillies official camp site. What a beautiful site with tents set up in the forest looking out at the beach. There were 2 spots left empty. Then along came a lone paddler who asked if there was room for one more. He chatted for a bit, then bivied on the beach and was up for a morning swim when we got up at 6.00. With very little to pack, he left as we had breakfast, back to where he had launched from, somewhere close to lighthouse park.

We were on the water at 9.00, paddling out to Pam Rocks. Knowing that there are usually lots of seals on the rocks, we kept wide, but still half of the seals got spooked and jumped into the water. We all felt bad…

Turning back towards Porteau Cove is my favourite part of this paddle, watching the mountains come into view and just enjoying the scenery.

We got back to Porteau Cove at around noon. We had seen very few boats on the water and I was not prepared for the mayhem at the boat launch. Next trip will include a second night so we can explore more of the sites and return on Monday. Hopefully it will be less busy.
Thanks to everyone for a great weekend!

See the full report complete with photos here

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Safety Bulletin: advice from a Search and Rescue point of view

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Admin

Submitted by Maureen B, SKABC Safety Officer:

In a recent conversation with a friend who used to serve on a Search and Rescue team, she highlighted the following:

It is a fairly common occurrence for a kayak to be spotted adrift in the Salish Sea. This initiates a search which is particularly stressful because of the of the likelihood that it is a recovery situation. If the call comes late in the day it results in a sleepless night with a scramble at dawn. In reality, quite often a call is made late morning to say the paddler overslept and is fine, with just their boat carried away by a high tide.

The first thing S&R try to do is discover who is the owner of the boat.

To lessen the stress and minimize the unnecessary waste time and resources, it would help if all kayakers marked their kayak withYour name and phone number, Your emergency contact's name and phone numberAnd make a habit of always informing their emergency contact of their trip plan.

It is club policy to create a float plan for every trip. Email this to your emergency contact and it should be an easy matter to contact someone in the group.

Paddle responsibly so we can all enjoy ourselves without causing undue stress to others.

Emergency contact numbers should also be on the welcome screen of your cell phone.

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Mercia Sixta has passed away

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Admin

We've received the sad news that Mercia Sixta, one of SKABC's founders and long-time president during the early days of the club died July 2. Her family contacted us to let club members know about her Celebration of Life at Spanish Banks in mid-August. Do reach out to them through the contact info in the obituary if you plan to attend as there has been some discrepancy on the date.

Her obituary and a memorial page are here: Heather Sixta (Mercia) - November 6, 1943 - July 2, 2025. Mercia was an inspiration to countless kayakers in BC through SKABC, PIKA, and Creative Options for Recreational Kayaking, which created adaptive kayaking programs for persons with disabilities.

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