[Nick Heath]

There have been some developments on this site.

1) the ‘No trespassing’ signs were apparently removed in late 2018, but not by the land owner. It is reported that a local outfitter/guide removed them in irritation and continues to use the site, as do many others.

2) the landowner, Island Timberlands, appears to acknowledge that the site has high recreational value and through their public/community relations arm they are making inquiries about how it might be managed in future, given that they have been unsuccessful in stopping camping there so far and presumably don’t want the added expense of posting a caretaker/security guard either.

3) BC Marine Trails would prefer to not be involved directly because this is private land and the previous organization to BCMT went down this same route with MacMillan Bloedel, became the leasee and then ended up being burned when the site was sold and changed hands.

4) an organization could step forward – maybe a new one for “Friends of Blackberry Pt” or similar or maybe one of more paddling or boat clubs, preferably from nearby – to enter a partnership with the landowner –  sign a lease, buy insurance , indemnify Island Timberlands, so they don’t bear the risk of things going bad. repair the toilet  and maybe collect fees from users to cover their costs/hire a summer assistant etc.

5) if #4 happened, SKABC might be approached to support it, although we are quite distant for providing regular volunteer support. I’m sure several members would make use of it.

6) all this depends on the Lyackson FN accepting this arrangement- their current position is that this is (or is near) a sacred cultural site and there should be no camping here. It is also part of their land claim.

I’m bringing this up to keep SKABC members advised. It would be excellent to get public use of this site, but I’d rather see a long-term rather than a short-term solution.  I also consider that the majority of interest lies with boating and paddling clubs in southern Vancouver Island rather than the  Metro Vancouver area..

[Kapila Jayaweera]

Maureen and I am organizing overnight camping trip from Whytecliff Park to Keats Island Saturday July 20th.

Please refer to SKABC trip list page for more information.

https://www.skabc.org/events-2/whytecliff-park-to-keats-island-overnight-trip-3c/

Thanks

Kapila

kapila_j@hotmail.com

[Former Member]

No worries got it

 

[Former Member]

Hi, do you know the model?

thanks

[Maureen Benzon]

and a quick addition to Ellen’s rule 10. (Please correct me if I am wrong)

If you are travelling across current, it is preferable to keep your boat pointing at a right angle to the opposite shore. This will be the quickest route across even if you are pushed by the current, and your track is not perpendicular, so make sure you start the crossing at the appropriate place, or you might overshoot your destination. Attempting to adjust for the current, may keep you in the danger zone for longer. Crossing a shipping channel is not the place to practice paddling to a range, or transit, which I recently heard referred to as parallax

🙂

 

[Maureen Benzon]

You asked if kayakers listen.

Yes if I have before crossing Johnstone straight, or crossing to the Deserter group North of Port Hardy, or approaching Victoria. Otherwise no. I prefer to paddle with my radio off, and only switch it on when I need to listen or communicate.

If you are crossing a major channel, Coast Guard do not mind if you contact them and they will advise of shipping movements, but be sure to state that it is not an emergency, and that you contact them again once you have crossed safely. They will move you to a secondary channel, and you may need to wait while they deal with more pressing communications.

Daniel, I love the threads you start. They usually get a good conversation going.

Keep safe, but get out and explore.

[Rosalind Scarnell]

This boat has been sold

[Nick Heath]

Ellen’s info is perfect, and what I’m about to write will be inferior. Sorry about that.

Ship movements are monitored and controlled by Vessel Traffic Services – there are  2 main centres – Victoria and Pr Rupert, but they operate using remotely-controlled local transmitters using various frequencies, which are not so easy to determine. For the Vancouver area Ch 12, is the one to listen to, and in the Gulf Is it is Ch 11. You can listen in to help to decide when a big vessel might be coming by, but then you would need some idea of that vessel’s speed and heading,  which are not given. Also those vessels which are not required to call in (but might also be big and/or fast) will be missing entirely, so it is doubtful how valuable this would be to us kayakers.  That said, I have called VTS on a hand-held radio a couple of times, to find out in poor visibility what ship movements were known in that area and also to warn them that kayakers were about to  attempting a crossing, where there might be a possibility of collision (although wipe-out would be the more correct term, since the ship’s crew would never known that it hit us).  VTS seemed quite willing to transmit a warning about potential traffic conflicts even involving paddlers, but I would not do this routinely for fear of being considered a nuisance. It is best to not make those kind of hazardous crossings!  Still, it can be useful to know that no BC Ferry is due down a particular channel for another 2 hours or whatever, so it can help with the timing of some channel crossings.

Having access to AIS info on a mobile phone app might be more useful overall, however!

[Former Member]

Additional note for people who do not own a kayak, there is rentals next to the launch point at Brechin Boat Ramp. Details here:

https://www.coastalexpression.com/rentals

[Maureen Benzon]

I love my chest of charts. I keep them loosely folded, in no particular order. I buy a chart when I kayak in a new area. It’s as good as a bookcase. Every time I go to my chest to find a chart, I page through all my used ones, and the memories of those trips come flooding back.

Buy the charts at any marine outfitter, use and enjoy them!

btw. I also travel with a GPS. It is a fun toy that can be used to check speed and position if you are not sure. Best of all you can save your track and print using the electronic chart when you get home. I use Blue Chart and love it! It is worth the investment, but they are funny about licensing, so if you upgrade your unit you have to buy the software again, and that seems very wrong, but entering waypoints is much easier on a laptop than on the device. I don’t delete waypoints so if I revisit an area, I get the memories popping up again. Welcome to the wonderful world of kayaking.

Next year be sure to sign up for the Navigation course for some real inspiration.

[Quirine Schuyff]

Last minute!
I’m heading down a bit earlier but I’m willing to wait until a bit later if I know others are coming. Reply via email or you can text at: 778 839 2468

Beginners welcome but you should be able to handle a kayak; do a wet exit

I am not a leader or guide so you are responsible for your own safety.

If you don’t wear a dry/wet suit wear synthetic layers and have a change of clothes handy in a dry bag in your cockpit. I’m not sure what I’ll wear yet….I’ll see how warm it is when I get there. Maybe wetsuit.
Have water shoes, sunglasses, hat, snack, water, sunscreen and ALL SAFETY GEAR FOR YOUR KAYAK.

[Former Member]

Call in points on charts are used by large vessels travelling in shipping lanes or along Shipping routes. See Rule 10 of the Collision Regulations for the rules for shipping lanes. The Canadian Collision Regulations can be downloaded for free. The best source is the laws-justice website. As kayakers we should stay away from shipping lanes. As per Rule 10, if we are crossing them, we must do so at right angles to the shipping lane so as to get across and out as quickly as possible. As a kayaker, if I were planning to cross a shipping lane, I would first make a call to Vessel Traffic Services on the appropriate channel to determine the traffic and to let them know of my intentions so that they can warn vessels in the area.

The call-in points are used by Vessel Traffic Services (operated by the Coast Guard) to monitor the movement of ships. It is compulsory for some vessels and voluntary for others to call in at each CIP. What this means for us as kayakers is that we can, if we like, monitor the appropriate channel to determine which ships are in the area based on their calls at the various call in points.

The channel differs depending on the area you’re in. From what I’ve seen, the only channel that remains constant across all locations is channel 16. The Canadian version of the publication “Radio AIDS to Marine Navigation” will tell you which channels to use for a particular area. It is available in Marine stores or downloadable for free from the Canadian Coast Guard.

[Former Member]

Another point I forgot to mention is that you should probably get yourself a copy of Chart 1, which explains all of the chart symbols. You can purchase a hard copy or it’s downloadable for free at http://www.charts.gc.ca/documents/publications/Chart-Carte-1.pdf

[Former Member]

Join other SKABC members this September long weekend for a group camping trip! Make it a memorable time meeting old and new friends, sharing a meal and doing a few paddles and hikes together.

Newcastle Island Marine Park is a short paddle away from the Nanaimo Departure Bay ferry terminal, so there is option to walk on or drive your kayak and park in Nanaimo. Carpooling is encouraged.

Since this is a group event, there is a minimum number of participants required to make it happen. Please make sure you sign up by July 28th if you are interested. Check it out and sign up on the Trips page!

[Former Member]

Quick question:

on maps there CIP numbers. What channel do you listen on when near them?? How many does when kayaking?

[Author]

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