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12 THINGS TO TRY WITH YOUR MOTHERSHIP KAYAK THE ESSENTIALS 1. Start on shore—or the floor Is it easy to get in and out? Now go to the beach for a tryout. How stable does it feel when you enter in knee deep water? Compare it to another kayak. Paddle over to a floating dock. That’s more challenging still—you may need the help of a ladder to get out. All these ins and outs are a great way to test the stability and cockpit size of a variety of kayaks. 2. Store it on deck Or on top of your wheelhouse. Or alongside the rails. Find somewhere it’s least in the way but still reasonably accessible. Make sure the kayak you want will fit the boat you have—it’ll seem a lot bigger when you try to squeeze it between stuff on deck. 3. Into the water—back on the boat Now it’s on your boat, take it off. Can you launch over the side? Do you need to wrestle it to the stern? Always launch with a bow line firmly in hand so it doesn’t get away—then you can probably walk it around to the swim grid or ladder. Haul it aboard. Does your back protest? Does it crash against precious trim? There are ways to make the process easier, including simple practice, but now’s when you might find you’d prefer a smaller, lighter kayak. 4. Climb in and out How easy this is depends on your kayak, your balance and your big boat. Low swim grids and ladders make it a snap—high freeboard sailboats can be decidedly more interesting. With care I can stand in my little kayak, so getting in and out isn’t too difficult, if I’m wide awake and sober. I wear a PFD every time and tie the kayak to the boat before I step in or out—having it shoot away from underneath me would be chilly, embarrassing and potentially expensive. 5. Use it to ‘stern tie’ Once you think you’re good, you might even find yourself using the kayak to stern tie. As you approach, ready the lines and the kayak on deck, then drop the anchor and idle back in reverse. When you pull tight, launch the kayak with the boat still in reverse, paddle smoothly to shore with your line paying out of a bag in your lap, hop out onto the rocks or beach, tie off and return. How ‘bout that? You and your pair of vessels are all working together smoothly. THE FUN PART 1. Socialize Dinghies are utilitarian to most boaters—they don’t inspire much conversation. But kayaks come in so many makes, models and colors, you might find yourself wandering through anchorages, chatting with other boaters about the pros and cons of paddling your particular little boat. 2. Scout an anchorage Ever wonder about that bay around the corner from your familiar anchorage? The one that looked too rocky or narrow to check out with your big boat? Well, kayaks are perfect for scouting those anchorages. Go in at low tide and you’ll likely see every rock your big boat needs to avoid. If the weather’s right and you have amenable crew, you can even do a “wet launch” of your kayak to scout an anchorage, having someone else hold off in the mothership until you’ve sussed out the area. 3. Gather oysters If you time the tides right, oysters will be right beside you in a kayak—what could be easier? With a valid license and awareness of ‘red tide’, you can paddle to rocky islands in cleaner water outside of the anchorage and nab some appetizers. 4. Take photographs If you’re not used to the low perspective a kayak affords, you’ll be surprised by the photos you take from your kayak. The scenery, including your own boat, will look bigger. The wildlife will let you get a bit closer, and all that colorful intertidal life will be right below. 5. Explore a lagoon Lagoons can be fascinating—small bays mostly cut off by narrow rock entrances or shallow bars. Often the tides make for small (or large) rapids going in and out. Either way, you don’t see big boats in them. Naturally you’ll want to explore those lagoons in your kayak—many open up to become surprisingly large, with beautiful steep walls and few signs of people. They’re perfect for exploring with a kayak, as long as you know what the tides are doing. 6. Explore an estuary With a careful look at a tide chart, those shallow, muddy estuaries can become new territory to explore as well. Ride in with a rising tide and you’ll find abundant wildlife—salmon, bears, birds—estuaries are remarkably productive. Also meandering channels and often rotting bits of history. Be sure to drift back out before the tide falls and leaves you stranded on a mud bank. 7. Circumnavigate an island A favorite habit of mine, while the sailboat is at anchor, is to paddle out of the bay and circumnavigate an island or two. It’s a great way to explore the coast and see wildlife, and if you’re like me you’ll also appreciate getting away from noisy anchorages—it’s great to be out on the water in such a quiet, simple boat. ❏ © 2004. Text and photos by Bryan Nichols. No reproduction without permission. 18 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com June/July 2004
KAYAKS SAVE THE DAY The last time Laurie and I were out paddling, we encountered divers stranded by a heavy current flow near Gabriola Pass. We towed one of them back to the boat and he was then able to pick up the others. —Alan Wilson Photo by Alan Wilson WELCOME TO HISTORIC aU’mista Cultural Centre aChurches aWhale Watching aAlert Bay Ecological Park aAccommodations aFishing Charters aWorld’s Tallest Totem Pole aCamp Grounds aMarina/Boat Launch a’Namgis Burial Grounds aRestaurants aMarine Fuel EASILY VIEWED FROM THE ROADSIDE aHiking & Biking Trails aUnique Shops aAlert Bay InfoCentre - Art Gallery aBig House aT’sasal ~ a Dancers (July & August) est.1985 GALIANO ISLAND KAYAKING • Instructional/ Wildlife Tours in sheltered waters • Challenging Current Paddles in Active and Porlier Passes • Available all year • Economical camping tours in Gulf Islands, Clayoqout and Barkley Sounds Paddle in Paradise: Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula Weekly, Dec–April, Since 1988 Come visit us and share our rich culture and history... all within easy walking distance. For all your cultural tour planning, call the U’mista at 250-974-5403. For more information please contact the Alert Bay InfoCentre Bag Service 2800 Alert Bay, BC V0N 1A0 Phone 250-974-5024 • Fax 250-974-5026 • Email: info@village.alertbay.bc.ca Rentals—all year! Used kayaks for sale 250-539-2442 www.seakayak.ca kayak@gulfislands.com June/July 2004 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com 19
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Page 37 and 38: Gear Locker Feathercraft K1 One of
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Page 41 and 42: INNCHANTER Welcome aboard InnChante
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Page 45 and 46: 2 heaping teaspoons basil, or 1 rou
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Page 49 and 50: Kayaks are typically one or two per
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