[Former Member]

Great place! Lots of varied paddling. Don’t miss a paddle out to White Cliff Islets. Best whale watching is on the outer edge, around Blackfish Sound and Swanson Island. Expect fog. Pay attention to tides & currents & plan to travel with them — heaviest around Johnstone Strait and the channels between the islands on its northern edge. Get a copy of the Wild Coast guidebook that covers this area — so much valuable info.

My trip report from 10 days in the region in 2017: http://aubade1.blogspot.com/2017/12/kayaking-in-broughton-archipelago_3.html?m=1

[Former Member]

Hello

Does anyone know if there is overnight parking at Southey Point on Salt Spring Island or anywhere near by?

Thank you.

Karen

[Former Member]

Hi everyone,

Hoping to paddle the Broughtons in a couple of weeks time, for around 8 days.

Looking for tips and advice from anyone who has done it before.  For example, highlights to incorporate, places to avoid, things to beware of…..etc

Planning to launch from Tele Cove and make our way to the Burdwood Islands.

Thanks,

Em

[Quirine Schuyff]

Destination from Jericho will be determined by weather, water and group dynamics.

I am open to relative beginners but you MUST:

-Be able to handle a kayak in turns and moving forward and be able to do a wet exit.

-Have all required safety gear and an appropriate style kayak. (or canoe)

-Come dressed appropriately for weather AND water. It’s warm enough to not wear a wet/dry suit but I recommend: Carry a full change of clothes in a dry bag which will be accessible on the water.

Suggested clothes: A thin synthetic or fleece layer(s) on the bottom and synthetic layers on top with a wind breaking jacket handy. Water worthy shoes. A sunhat. Gloves. Sunglasses. (we may travel directly INTO the sun) .

Other suggested items: A headlamp and/or other light source. A snack. Water. Camera. Chocolate for the organizer.

Return time will depend on group but I will aim for 8:30 latest return time. Please allow some leeway for unexpected circumstances.

Please email me with details: quisch@gmail.com

NAME
EMAIL
PHONE
SKILL LEVEL
BOAT: MAKE,SIZE,COLOUR
EMERGENCY CONTACT: NAME/PHONE
CAR: MAKE, MODEL, COLOUR, LICENSE

[Mick Allen]

Thanks for the info Allan.

It sure would be great to have another access and parking option for Pitt Lake and the Widgeon Creek area.  That whole area is just in our back yard, so having even more convenience would be really helpful. Just the marsh is beautiful against the backdrop of the tall mountains.

[Former Member]

Hello all. This news story popped up in my feed. Given the work that club members have done so far in the area, I thought it worth posting (in case you missed it). The 2nd round public consultation sessions are now complete, but you can still participate in an online survey until July 31st.

https://www.tricitynews.com/news/massive-park-on-edge-of-coquitlam-inches-closer-to-reality-1.23898866

[Helen Roberts]

Hi Mick and Heather,

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experience and advice.  I really appreciate it, as I was finding it difficult to find any useful information elsewhere.

With respect to camping on Jedediah, the BCMTN map shows two campsites – Home Bay and Long Bay.  Is there anywhere else we should consider (apart from the inlet mentioned by Heather)?

Thanks again,

Helen

[Former Member]

See the ad and picture here:

https://vancouver.craigslist.org/van/spo/d/vancouver-kayak-17-rotomolded/6943813258.html

[Heather Harbord]

This is apparently the second year in the Dept. of Forests’ new policy for Recreation Sites.  They have put contract hosts at several in the Powell River area and are charging $15/night. Triton, who wears a green host vest and drives around in a black truck with “HOST” in the windshield, is in charge of Shingle Beach.  He says PLEASE check with him before parking and if you can’t reach him, park up above the beach, not on it.

Have a look at his website: https://www.shinglebeachcamping.com/ If you have questions, send him an email at: reservations@shinglebeachcamping.com

NB Use this website rather than going through BC Recreation Sites websites which may give conflicting information.

If you are using Shingle Beach as your launch point we ask that you park in designated paring areas and leave basic information on a card, visible on your dash, including name and number of people in your party, your destination, when you expect to be back and a cell number to reach you as well as an emergency contact number. He charges $5 a day for parking.

 

[Kevin Amos]

Your old phone is essentially the same as a tablet. You can do anything except make calls over wifi. When you are not on wifi you can use it like in airplane mode. Here are some apps you might find useful.

– Maps.me for gps is very good but a bit quirky to get use too.
– Pocket for saving webpages for offline. Ie tide tables
– A PDF reader you may have a preference already.
– A Notes App. I like OneNote. I use this for packing & camp recipes
– Google Play Music for storing your old music
– TripIT for trip planning. I use this for my kayak trips planning.
– Google Hangouts to make calls over wifi to landlines.
– Your camera will still work to take photos.

Have fun and it will be interesting to see what people are using.

[Former Member]

Hi Allan,

 

So, the technical details so far:

 

-The old handset is a Galaxy S5 Active, which is a “ruggedized” “sport” model that is pretty tough (I’ve dropped it many times, has chunks out of the built-in armour, but never cracked the screen or broke open).

– It also supposedly has pretty good waterproofing, though I have never really tested it.

-I have downloaded a free Android app called “Polaris GPS Navigation”.    It lets me download maps (street, topos, marine…) that live in the phone and can be used offline.     **does anyone have any experience with this app?   Or suggestions for other GPS apps?**

-The plan is to use it without a data plan or sim card.    I can do all my app and map downloading over my house wireless.    The GPS function of the phone appears to work fine without a data plan.     I have read that it may even be usable as an “emergency” phone—apparently cell providers have to let you dial 9-1-1 over any network in range, even if you are not subscribed or have a sim card.   **can anyone verify if this “emergency” use is true?**

–I have ordered a bright armoured case designed for this model, and a waterproof floating phone bag with a lanyard ($20 for both on Amazon…)     The idea is to set up the GPS tracker app, put it in the bag, attach the thing to my PFD.   Then I can refer to  the map, note my speed, location, heading, etc as I paddle, and later download the logs of my track on the water.

–There are “extended batteries” setups available for many phones that come with a replacement back for the phone, that adds ½” or so to the phone thickness, and a bigger-than-original replacement battery.     Still looking for the one for my S5 “active” model.    Between a bigger battery and some “power saving” settings in the phone, I hope to get a long  battery life.

 

Steve

[Former Member]

It’s a cool idea Stephen. Better to upcycle technology than toss it where possible. Off the top of my head:

Pros

– Cases and accessories can be got for cheap, depending on how popular that particular handset was. You’ll want to hurry though.

– Cheaper than buying a new GPS outright.

– Larger screen and touch capacity.

– More apps available.

– Cellular voice and data capable if you choose to go with a pay as you go plan and are in range.

Cons

– Much less rugged than a dedicated GPS unit.

– Battery capacity and power management options are much more hands on and depend on the OS.

– GPS antenna probably less sensitive.

– Application options depend greatly on handset OS: iOS vs Android. I think there’s more options in Google Play.

– Data storage capacity depends on handset: you’re better off with Android handset that supports Micro-SD expansion for additional map data.

I’m a tech guy so this seems like a fun project. If you’re not a tech person, you may (understandably) lose patience with the process.

 

[Former Member]

So, I just upgraded my phone, and the thought occurred to me that I might be able to re-purpose the old one (it’s old and not worth much to sell, but works fine) as a kayak GPS and emergency phone.

Has anyone done this or have any thoughts or advice?

[Mick Allen]

And then looking from Partington Pt S over to Jedediah, you can get an idea of the usability of the site as well as a basic indication of the proximity of Jedediah. [to get a better view of any image, rt click and ‘view image’]

[Mick Allen]

The site identified as Partington Pt South on the bc marine trails map and it’s close neighbour Mt Shepherd [I called Partington Pt North – which sorta makes sense to me as they are so close] are 2 great staging areas in that part of Texada island.  The beach on the north site is a little smaller and there is a bit of a grass hill to hike up but there are loads of flat regions there. The South side has a beach to die for and an immediate flat upland that could hold many tents, though not sanctioned by BC parks. But in a pinch if one had to mark time for weather, sure looks great.

The far left beach in the distance is the northern site.

[Author]

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