Alexandra - Wavelength Paddling Magazine

wavelengthmagazine.com

ECOMARINE 

Folding Kayak 

Sales and Rentals 

ecomarine.com 

(604) 689-7575 

1 888 4 C KAYAK 

sales@ecomarine.com

Consider us the means to get out, and see the world in 

a way you never thought possible, go places you 

always wanted to go, and do it with style, comfort 

and safety.. 

Eight revolutionary new composite sea kayak designs, 

including two tandems, two traditional North 

American designs, two British Style kayaks, two revolutionary 

designs and a high performance lightweight 

Xytec plastic design. There is an Azul kayak for every 

condition, situation and paddling desire. 

Unmatched innovation, comfort, performance and 

lightweight construction. These are the kayaks that 

have the whole industry in a stir. 

Ever wonder why? 

Phantom 

Calypso 

Sultan 

Diablo 

Spitfire 

New in Plastic! 

Triumph 

Azul Sea Kayaks: www.azulkayaks.com Tel (514) 931 0366

MAIL TO: RR-1 Site-17 C-49 

Gabriola Island, BC CANADA V0R 1X0 

(Courier: 974 Duthie Avenue, Gabriola) 

ISSN 1188-5432 

Printed in Canada 

Canadian Publications Mail 

Agreement No. 0688657 

WaveLength is an independent magazine, 

published bimonthly, available at paddling shops, 

outdoor stores, fitness clubs, sporting events, and 

marinas in Canada and the USA. Articles, letters, 

photos, events, news, etc. are welcome. 

DEADLINE IN-PRINT 

Feb 19/01 Apr 1 

Apr 19/01 Jun 1 

Jun 19/01 Aug 1 

Aug 19/01 Oct 1 

Oct 19/01 Dec 1 

Dec 19/00 Feb 1 

Published by 

Wave-Length Communications Inc. 

Copyleft 2001 

Permission hereby granted for one-time 

use of an article from this issue of 

WaveLength (unless copyright © is specifically 

indicated in the author bionote) for 

nonprofit use in your newsletter, website, 

or other electronic distribution facility, on 

the condition that WaveLength is cited, and 

contact information given. Thank you. 

© 

Editor 

Alan Wilson 

Promotions Manager 

Diane Coussens 

Associate Editor 

Laurie MacBride 

Associate 

Howard Stiff 

Webmaster 

Ted Leather 

Distributors 

Marty Wanless, Herb Clark, 

Rajé Harwood, DRM Mailing 

Bookkeeper 

Margaret Dyke 

Advisor 

Mercia Sixta 

SUBMISSIONS, ADS, DISTRIBUTION: 

info@WaveLengthMagazine.com 

Phone/Fax 250-247-9789 

Alternate Phone 247-8858 

www.WaveLengthMagazine.com 

Don’t miss an issue! 

SUBSCRIPTIONS (6 ISSUES) 

$19/yr in Canada ($33/2 yrs) includes GST 

$17 US/yr in the USA ($29 US/2 yrs) 

$22 US/yr overseas ($40 US/2yrs) 

subscribe@WaveLengthMagazine.com 

GST# 887432276 

ADVERTISING RATES AND WRITERS 

GUIDELINES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST 

INSIDE 

Volume 10 No. 5 

COVER PHOTO by Wendell Phillips 

7 You Can’t Just Build One 

Harvey Golden 

9 Arctic Kayaks 

Wendell Phillips 

12 The Greenland Paddle 

Adam Bolonsky 

14 Collapsible Boats 

Ralph Hoehn 

17 Designing in Cedar Strip 

Mike Walker 

19 Building a Plywood Baidarka 

Eric Schade 

22 Wooden Kayak Directory 

24 Woodworking Safety 

Doug Lloyd 

26 Europeans Embrace EcoForestry 

Gordon Hamilton 

31 News 

33 Green Investing 

Chris Bowman 

36 Books 

38 Unclassifieds 

44 Calendar 

Corey Friedman building a baidarka at WaveLength’s 

1996 Ocean Kayak Festival 

Wooden Kayaks—Part 2 

Photo Alan Wilson 

COLUMNS 

27 FROM THE RAINFOREST 

Dan Lewis 

28 FROM THE ARCHIPELAGO 

Alexandra Morton 

35 PADDLE MEALS 

Deb Leach with 

Lasha Reid 

37 WEB PADDLING 

Ted Leather 

40 KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS 

Bryan Nichols 

42 MOTHERSHIP MEANDERINGS 

Alan Wilson 

Boat frame and Greenland paddles, 

Okanagan Paddle Festival 1999. 

Photo by Laurie MacBride

Editorial 

When we started WaveLength ten years ago, someone said, 

“But how can you have a magazine just about paddling? Aren’t 

you going to run out of things to say pretty soon?” 

Looking around the office at our past covers posted on the 

walls, I shake my head in amazement. They’re proof that the more 

you look, the more you see. Every facet of paddling we’ve explored 

over the years has been like embarking on a trip—meeting 

new people, going new places, learning new things, discovering 

worlds within worlds, each leading to the next. 

For example, when we set out to do an issue on “Wooden 

Kayaks”, we received so many articles, from both the east and 

west coasts, that it grew into two issues. We limited the first 

one to cedar strip kayaks and plywood stitch & glue kayaks 

(Dec/Jan). The current issue (Feb/Mar) has articles on those 

forms but also looks at traditional arctic wood-frame boats. 

Harvey Golden of Portland and Wendell Phillips of Kelowna, 

both afficionados of wood-frame arctic kayaks, tell us of their 

passion for this traditional form. Ralph Hoehn of Stamford on 

the east coast tells about the evolution of European-style folding 

boats from their arctic progenitors to modern day. 

Frequent contributor Adam Bolonsky of Gloucester, Mass. 

details use of the Greenland wooden paddle, and gives a lucid 

introduction to its use. 

We get lots of detail on cedar strip building with Mike Walker 

of Vancouver and stitch & gluing with Eric Schade of Stamford. 

And we include a look at woodworking safety with frequent 

contributor Doug Lloyd of Victoria. 

We continue our examination of the loss of wilderness with 

Dan Lewis of Tofino—a veteran of the struggle in Clayoquot 

Sound—and Alexandra Morton of Echo Bay—an outspoken 

Wooden Kayaks—Part Two 

observer in the Broughton Archipelago. Both columnists warn 

that forestry practices in British Columbia are little changed 

after decades of effort—wilderness is still being destroyed and 

trees are falling at an usustainable rate. 

On a more upbeat note, we offer a success story in 

Ecoforestry, a model of how things will be if ethically-based 

market forces cause the forestry sector to refocus on eco-certification 

and sustainability. 

Buying ‘green’ can effect change, as we saw last time, but 

green investing also gives us a significant voice in how the world 

operates. Especially at this time of year, with the tax deadline 

for retirement savings plans approaching, consider the ethical 

implications of plan contributions—however large or small. 

Socially and environmentally responsible investing is a way 

to provide for our personal future without mortgaging the future 

of our children.We can build our retirement savings and 

‘vote’ for sustainability at the same time. 

The world is now experiencing the largest intergenerational 

transfer of wealth in human history as baby-boomers inherit 

the savings of the preceding generation. This makes for an unprecedented 

opportunity and is transforming the way business 

works. (See pages 33-34.) 

I hope you will join us for our April/May issue: “Paddling 

Basics”—with basic skills, essential gear and safety training. 

Deadline: Feb. 19th. 

And we look forward to seeing you at the Outdoor 

Adventure Show in Vancouver, at BC Place, 

Feb 16-18. Check out the News page 32 for details. 

Alan Wilson 

6 WaveLength FEBRUARY • MARCH 2001

You Can’t Build Just One Harvey Golden 

I 

had a sudden notion to build a kayak 

in the summer of 1994. I could hardly 

ery variations right down to the 

scantlings and lashing-patterns, where 

even call it an interest, for I knew noth- 

information is available. 

ing about it, and frankly still didn’t upon 

My first experience with a kayak rep- 

the completion of my first kayak. I merely 

lica was very pleasant despite the kay- 

wanted a small boat that I could travel 

ak‘s diminutive size—a 17" wide Aleut 

around in and I couldn’t afford one. So I 

kayak from the 1840’s (MAE 593-76 as 

chose to build my own, out of wood and 

published in David Zimmerly’s book 

canvas—based loosely on the Greenland- 

Qayaq). 

style. 

Pleased with the results and experi- 

It tuned out to be a rather hard boat to 

ence, I sought to replicate more obscure 

use—very unstable, with poor 

kayak types with design features that do 

maneuverability. But with persistence, 

not necessarily lend well to modern rec- 

patience, and because it was only kayak 

I had, I slowly developed the skills and 

ability to use it in flat water, and eventu- 

Harvey Golden on the Columbia River in his 

replica of an 1892 South Greenland kayak 

reational paddling. I built a 15-3/4" wide 

Copper Inuit kayak, 23' in length, and 

then three other extreme-formed Central 

ally in surf conditions 

Canadian kayaks including a 28' long single kayak. 

During this time, I became curious as to how traditional kay- These kayaks as well as most traditional types require much 

aks felt in the water. Howard Chappelle’s section on skin-boats patience and practice. They will not give immediate results and 

in his book The Bark Canoes and Skinboats of North America showed instant satisfaction. Traditional kayaks are highly refined and 

a phenomenal variety of shapes, sizes, and proportions within developed—also very specialized for certain conditions and hunt- 

arctic kayaks. I wanted to try them all, and found that the only ing patterns. 

way was to build full-size replicas. 

A big part of the ‘patience’ is having trust in the design and/or 

Six years and 33 kayaks later, I have still not built all the types original designer. A kayak replica may be hard to steer, hard to 

from the arctic, although I have made many sub-types and/or balance, or even downright infuriating on account of any number 

variations of certain forms. Each kayak is very different—both in of characteristics. With time and an open, optimistic mind, one 

construction, form, and performance. It is a very research-inten- can find the ‘essence’ of such a kayak. By studying the context of 

sive pursuit, especially since I’ve tried to mimic the regional join- the original kayak, one can start to understand why a particular→ 

“BEST DESIGN” 

CANOE & KAYAK 

MAGAZINE 

2001 FEBRUARY • MARCH WaveLength 

FUNCTIONAL 

TOURING 

GEAR FOR 

KAYAKS 

& CANOES 

PRIMEX of California Box 505 Benicia, CA 94510 

Toll Free 1 800 422 2482 

Ph: 707-746-6855 Fax: 707 746 0493 

Email: primex@deluge.com 

Visit Our Web Site: http://www.deluge.com 

Photo by Don Golden 

One kit, 60 hours, 

a lifetime of 

ADVENTURE 

Sea Wolf Wooden Kayak Kits are for the 

discriminating paddler who prefers the 

beauty, light weight and efficiency of a 

wooden kayak. 

• Kits include only the highest 

quality materials. 

• Easily built by anyone with 

limited woodworking 

experience. 

• These kayaks will 

last a lifetime 

and beyond. 

You can 

proudly say 

“I built it 

myself” 

ROY FOLLAND WOODEN KAYAKS 

130 Como Gardens, Hudson, 

Quebec, J0P 1H0 

(450) 458-0152 

Email: kayak@royfolland.com 

www.royfolland.com 

7

kayak was made with low initial stability, 

or why one was made to veer sharply 

when paddling has stopped. 

In a more abstract sense, kayak replicas 

have a great appeal to my imagination and 

Launching a replica kayak is much like 

stepping into a time machine 

intellect. Their forms inspire awe and 

genuine wonderment—especially when 

one considers the harsh context of their 

origin, and the diversity of their forms. 

Launching a replica kayak is much like 

stepping into a time machine—it drops 

you into a different time, culture, and experience 

as you leave the shore. You realize 

that the original kayak, now gathering 

dust in the backrooms of a national 

museum, once gave somebody much the 

same feel on the water that you are now 

experiencing. 

This curiosity with traditional kayaks 

has led me to conduct research at many 

museums. Having worked for so long 

from other researchers’ scale drawings, it 

is an incredible experience to go and see 

the original kayaks in museums, measure 

and survey them, draw up the lines and 

details, and then to create a full-size replica 

for my use. 

My experience with these many replicas 

has been very good. I can honestly say 

I haven’t made a replica that I thought was 

bad. Certainly not all are good for all types 

of paddling, but all are usable, educational, 

challenging, and—more often than 

not—extremely fun to use, and stunning 

to look at. ❏ 

Harvey Golden lives in Portland, Oregon. 

His passion for arctic kayaks has taken him 

to Baffin Island in Northern Canada and to 

kayak museums in Europe. He will be a 

speaker at the Okanagan Paddle Festival, 

June 16-17. © 

ON MUSEUMS 

With regard to museums visited, 

most of them do not have kayaks on 

display at all—they are all in storage 

and inaccessible. Several that do have 

kayaks on display are: 

• the Canadian Canoe Museum 

(Peterborough, Ontario: 

www.canoemuseum.net) 

• Greenland National Museum (Nuuk, 

Greenland) 

• the Whitby Museum (Whitby, U.K.: 

www.durain.demon. co.uk/index.htm) 

• the Hull Maritime Museum (Hull, 

U.K.) 

• the Westfriese Museum (Hoorn, 

Holland) 

• T’Houten Huis (De Rijp, Holland). 

Books I would reccommend as required 

reading are: Inuit Kayak in 

Canada, Eugene Arima; Contextual 

Study of the Caribou Eskimo Kayak, 

Eugene Arima; Contribution to Kayak 

Studies, Arima, et.al.; Baidarka, George 

Dyson; QAYAQ, David Zimmerly; 

Skinboats of Greenland, H.C. Petersen; 

Instructions in Kayak Building. H.C. 

Petersen; Den Gronlandske Kajak, P.S. 

Jensen 

Full references are available on my bibliography 

page at www.pacifier.com. 

—HG 


Arctic Kayaks 

Our modern home-made skin boats of 

canvas and synthetic nylon reflect a 

long and illustrious past of Inuit ingenuity 

and survival from Siberia to Eastern 

Greenland. Most archeologists suggest the 

storied past of these clever hunting boats 

dates back as far as 2000 years. Unfortunately 

the kayaks that survive today only 

record a very small portion of the past. 

Most of those preserved in museums are 

from the 19th and 20th century. 

Different regions produced kayaks that 

were remarkably different, to suit climate, 

sea conditions and hunting techniques. 

Inland kayaks of the Caribou Inuit were 

designed for speed to catch evading Caribou, 

while the sea mammal hunting kayaks 

such as Greenland boats were developed 

for stealth approaches. 

Today the modern day sea kayak is 

equipped with options that Inuit cultures 

of the past could not even have imagined. 

Traditional hunting tools like bladder 

darts, throwing sticks, lances, and harpoons 

have made way for more sophisticated 

equipment like the GPS, VHF marine 

radio and other modern day recreational 

gadgets. 

But it’s difficult to match the aesthetic 

quality and performance of seal and sea 

lion skin (the latter being the favorite of 

the Aleut’s Baidarka). In Greenland, the 

Harp seal was the preferred covering but 

was not always available. The Bearded 

seal common in many Alaskan kayaks offered 

special qualities of durability for 

open water, but often shrunk and stiffened 

when it dried. The hooded seal was 

adopted as well but the large and deep 

hair follicles created some seepage and it 

could become too flexible when sodden 

with water. Whale skin was introduced but 

was found too permeable and did not last 

while walrus was claimed to be unable to 

hold waterproofing oil long enough. 

Long before imperial and metric measurement 

systems, Inuit people used their 

The interior of a skin boat 


Wendell sculpts the frame of his latest skin boat 

own specific body parts to measure linear 

distances for kayak building to ensure 

a good fit. 

This anthropometrical 

system 

worked quite well 

and results varied 

from region to region 

with different 

methods. Today 

we have contemporary 

kayak 

designs of all 

shapes and sizes 

and the value of 


choosing the right fit is sometimes underestimated. 

Building your own skin on 

frame kayak to meet your personal dimen- 

Wendell executes a roll with his Greenland paddle 

9

sions gives you a feeling of what Arctic 

paddlers knew for centuries—fit is an essential 

quality. 

Many pieces of equipment we use today 

were commonplace among Inuit cultures. 

The Greenlanders employed a sea 

anchor made from depiliated seal skin 

sewn to a frame, and also used a inflated 

seal skin balance sack much in the same 

way we use ‘sponsons’ today. Other items 

included spray decks and paddle jackets 

made with seal skin, waterproofed with 

blubber oil. Some regions even created 

drip rings on paddles to shed cold water 

before it reached the paddlers’ hands. 

Greenlanders also created a skeg that 

could be lashed on for long open crossings 

and removed during the hunt. Other 

innovative ideas included the Aleut and 

Chugach Inuit design of a spindle-shaped 

wooden siphon used as a bailer. PFDs, of 

course, were not considered among the 

Inuit, as swimming was not an option in 

their frigid sea water. 

Many composite kayaks of today bear a 

resemblance to their Arctic ancestors, but in 

some cases you need to stretch your imagination 

to make any association at all. While the 

modern day is taking us to exciting new levels 

of performance and kayaking comfort, the 

home-made skin-on-frame kayak still holds 

a magical appeal, and its beauty still remains 

unparalleled. ❏ 

KAYAK COSTA RICA 

PADDLE IN PARADISE 

— our 15th season — 

• warm, calm seas and national parks 

• 6 nights/7 days paddling or 10 days 

paddling/mountain packages! 

• comfortable lodging on the beach 

• experience naturalist guides 

• weekly December through April 

• beginners & experienced paddlers 

• wonderful local cuisine 

Special Exploratory Tour 

of PANAMA 

Bocas de Toro (Caribbean) 

Glass & plastic expedition boats for sale. 

Ph/Fax: 250/539-2442 

kayak@gulfislands.com 

http://www.seakayak.bc.ca/tour 

Wendell Phillips is a kayak instructor and guide in Canada and Asia, based in Peachland, BC. 

He is also a avid practitioner of Greenland technique in his skin boat and is organizing 

a Skin Boat program at this year’s Okanagan Paddle Festival, June 16-17 in Peachland. 

For more information contact wphillips@silk.net or call 250-267-2225. 

The photos on these pages were made available to us courtesy of Wendell. © 

Passion for Rolling 

My introduction to Inuit technology came when I purchased a replica Greenland 

paddle at the WaveLength Ocean Kayak Festival in 1995 and began to experiment 

with traditional Greenland rolling techniques. 

The Greenland hunters were adept in the art of rolling with these long and 

narrow paddles, their only means of survival in the event of a capsize. 

My subsequent Greenland training 

has allowed me to perform a dozen different 

rolls, which is a portion of the 

30 known rolls in Greenland... plus 

some not so traditional! 

See more at the OK Paddlefest in June. 

For information see the Calendar, page 44. 


800-853 BAJA (2252) 

June 

16-17 

10 WaveLength FEBRUARY • MARCH 2001 

2001

Skin Boats in Transit 

Greenland skin kayaks when built anthropometrically, can 

be a very tight fit and seriously narrow by contemporary 

standards. My 

own construction 

efforts have 

resulted in boats 

17 inches wide 

which require a 

bit of wiggling 

to gain entry. 

My most ambitious 

skin boat 

project to date is 

building a 

Greenland 

kayak with fellow skin boater, Phil Soichuk. This boat is to fly 

with me this winter to Asia, where I work as a kayak guide and 

instructor, and be reassembled there. 

In preparation, I have cut all longitudinal pieces (gunwales, 

keelson and chine stringers) to produce scarf joints which will be 

connected and aligned with dowels and glue. The rest of the 16.5 

foot kayak will be lashed together and have replica joinery (mortise 

and tenon). 

The skin, a number ten duck canvas with a tight strong weave, 

will be sewn on overseas with unwaxed dental floss. Several layers 

of oil based house paint will be applied for waterproofing. 

The number of pieces to transport comes to 54 not including 

dowling and required tools. 

While building at home with band saws and cordless drills, 

my mind often conjures up images of generations of Greenlanders 

using only traditional tools. Implements that we would define as 

crude such as their Ulimaat (adze), savik (knife), Kaataq (hammer) 

and the niggit (drill) were sometimes utilized in dreadful condi- 


Wendell’s latest jigsaw puzzle 


tions. As my wife Nancy graciously delivers hot chocolate and 

biscuits to my heated wood shop, I have found it helpful to think 

of the adversity and challenges they faced. ❏ 

Canadian Canoe Museum 

Long before the arrival 

of Europeans in the 

Western Hemisphere, canoes 

and kayaks were at 

the centre of Aboriginal 

life in what is now 

Canada. The canoe was 

the principal means of 

trade and communication between First Nations. With almost 

half the fresh water of the world and the world’s longest coastline, 

it’s little wonder that paddling craft were so crucial in 

the development of Canada. 

The Canadian Canoe Museum, located in Peterborough, Ontario, 

includes 600 craft, from a great ocean-going whaling 

dugout of the Nootka people, to a folding kayak that fits in a 

pack, to Inuit hunting kayaks. 

The Museum has saved many historic Aboriginal craft from 

oblivion and promotes canoe and kayak building with courses. 

Peterborough has been one of the world’s foremost canoe 

building centres for more than a century. Located within the 

beautiful Kawartha Lakes region, it is close to major tourist 

arteries that link Montreal, Toronto and the USA. 

For more information on the Canadian Canoe Museum, call 

705-748-9153, email info@canoemuseum.net or check out their 

website at www.canoemuseum.net 

To learn from the First Nations of the Kawartha Lakes, near 

the Museum, contact Kawartha Lakes Tourism 800-461-6424 

www.thekawarthas.net 

11

The Greenland Paddle Adam Bolonsky 

Most kayakers who paddle wooden 

boats, and plenty who of those who 

don’t, eventually find themselves intrigued 

by the beauty and traditional appearance 

of the Greenland paddle. And 

with good reason, too. Greenland paddles 

are not only beautiful, they also offer distinct 

advantages over the more widelyaccepted 

and used ‘Eurospoon’. 

A quick look at the Greenland paddle 

reveals how its simplicity of shape, lack 

of complex dihedrals, and lack of scoop, 

feather, or compound blade angles, combine 

to make rolling, bracing, and paddling 

simpler and more straightforward. 

Because the blades are unfeathered and 

symmetrical, they don’t have power faces 

to search for, nor upside-downs, rightsideups, 

or diving faces to worry about. The 

faces are simplicity itself: narrow, flat, 

identical. 

Then there’s the paddle’s extremely 

narrow profile, the one attribute which 

tends to attract the most notice. “But it’s 

so skinny! How do you roll with it?” Because 

the blades are narrow, they tend to 

flutter and twist less in wind and breaking 

swell, and ditto when dipped into the 

water column. 

Then there’s the body positioning of the 

forward stroke. That very thinness which 

tends to gather so much notice also results 

in a highly-cadenced, wide, light and restful 

stroke. Torso forward, the Greenland 

paddler’s hands lie low, his or her torso 

Left to right: a standard Euroblade, a 

short Greenland storm paddle, and 

regular length Greenland paddle. 

never wound up into the rotational twist 

so required by a Eurostroke. 

For those just starting out, here are 

the basics of how to use the Greenland 

paddle. 

FORWARD STROKE 

Grasp the paddle loosely by the loom 

(shaft), slide your hands about shoulderwidth 

apart, lower the loom until your 

thumbs rest comfortably on the cockpit 

coaming, and orient the paddle so it lies 

at a right angle to the boat. Repeat the 

following words to yourself: short, low, 

short, low. Alternately dip each blade into 

the water so it slides six to ten inches down 

into water column. Be sure the blade lies 

shallow in the water column rather than 

deep, as the blade’s length, not its depth, 

creates power. 

THE CATCH 

Initiate your first stroke by reaching forward 

until your torso has rotated about 

half as much as you’re used to. Keep the 

blade and surface of the water roughly 

parallel, and pull back gently to initiate 

the stroke. Keep your hands low. Push 

gently against whichever footpeg feels 

most comfortable. 

If you do this right, your fist stroke will 

feel downright ineffective if not utterly 

insubstantial. You may feel as if you have 

no blade in the water column. The paddle 

may slice straight down into the water, or 

not even grab at all. Don’t worry about 

these sensations. They’re normal for the 

first Greenland stroke. What’s happening 

is your muscle memory of the Euroblade’s 

broad face, its immediate torque and 

power—factors pretty much irrelevant 


now—are guiding you. Try again. This 

time, keep your strokes short, light, and 

gentle until you become comfortable with 

the blade’s thinner feel and how your 

wrists don’t need to rotate. (Some 

paddlers can’t complete one all-important 

first stroke without going over and having 

to wet-exit the boat—or thinking that 

they’ll have to.) But don’t worry: the feelings 

usually go away after twenty or thirty 

strokes. Repeat until you can move your 

boat backwards and forwards. 

TROUBLESHOOTING 

Should success elude, here are a few 

troubleshooting notes: 

• if you release too far back, or catch too far 

forward, you’ll over-commit yourself to 

one side of the boat, which tends to 

exaggerate the tippy feeling and fear of 

flipping over 

• if all else fails, (in some cases all will), try 

to concentrate only on keeping your 

strokes short, choppy, highly-cadenced, 

mellow, and low 

• should frustration strike, remember that 

the stroke’s low hand position, its short, 

quick rhythm, its reduced torso rotation 

all serve very definite purposes. Not only 

is the lower hand position ultimately more 

restful but, come time to brace or roll, 

you’ll discover it keeps your body in 

position ready to create a brace or support 

stroke. 

CONCLUSION 

Many paddlers like myself who favor 

the Greenland paddle also soon discover 

other benefits to the paddle more interesting 

to talk about. For one, even though 


What they lack in width, Greenland 

paddles amply make up for in ease of 

use, comfort, versatility and style. The 

narrower blade results in a gentler, 

softer stroke. 

the paddle does keep the paddler at all 

times in the ready position to brace or roll; 

and even though the paddle’s decided 

lack of requirements for explosive power 

does twist the paddler into far less committed 

body positions; and even though 

the paddler’s body is always oriented forward 

with hands, arms, and blades close 

to the water, the bottom line, at least for 

me and many others, is that the Greenland 

paddle is simply a blast to use! 

Genuine Greenland boats are amazinglooking 

vehicles of extreme length, 

twitchy tippiness, and wisp-like volume. 

Stunningly fast, their remarkable seawor- 

thiness depends almost entirely upon the 

paddler’s skills, skills so advanced no one 

would ever put up with learning them if 

it weren’t fun to do so. The simplest of 

paddling tools, the Greenland paddle at 

first asks and then wholeheartedly allows 

you to conserve energy on long trips, yet 

remain at all time in ready position for 

bracing, sculling, rolling... or wholesale 

horsing around. 

Although it’s a paddle reduced to the 

barest essentials, any Greenland paddler 

who is honest will tell you the Greenland 

paddle is great fun to use. 

There’s also the Inuit storm paddle: a 

short, blunt paddle whose small size belies 

its power, and which offers almost no 

resistance to wind in a storm. Nearly three 

quarters of the paddle disappears into the 

water on each specialized slide-stroke, a 

stroke deployed only when the wind and 

waves build and when perseverance is all 

that counts. ❏ 

A frequent writer and teacher on kayaking 

and the outdoors, Greenland paddler Adam 

Bolonsky is based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. 

He teaches kayak navigation and 

guides kayak-fishing trips off the coast of 

Massachusetts.You can reach Adam at 

adambolonsky@yahoo.com © 

13

Collapsible Boats Ralph Hoehn 

Have you ever carried a 

kayak for any real length of 

time? Over rough terrain? Up a 

cliff after an emergency take-out? 

Down a ravine to reach that special 

put-in? 

“Rag Boats” make it possible. 

The term is a translation of the 

German “Hadernkahn”, a lovingly 

derogatory description for 

the type of skin-on-frame boats 

that you can disassemble into 

their constituent parts and conveniently 

pack into a bag. 

So-called “folding boats” have 

seen widespread use since the 

end of the 19th century. The earliest 

examples derived from the 

then popular wooden decked canoes—think 

McGregor’s Rob Roy—but 

rapid development towards the sophisticated 

hull shapes of true ‘folding kayaks’ 

soon ensued. Suffice to say that the wild 

upper reaches of most rivers remained inaccessible 

to would-be riparian adventurers 

until the arrival of such folding kayaks 

and the exploits of today’s whitewater 

enthusiasts. 

Edi Hans Pawlata was one of the first 

whitewater fanatics to recognize that arctic 

kayaks had performance characteristics 

and permitted paddling techniques 

that could be adapted to conquer the unexplored 

wild rivers of the Alps. So, in 

1926, after a visit to Greenland, he built 

BAJA MEXICO KAYAK TOURS 

LOW COST, SELF-CATERED, 14 YEARS IN BUSINESS 

• 6 & 7 day kayak trips 

from Loreto, Nov-Apr 

(Cdn$615-655) 

• NEW advanced paddle 

Loreto-La Paz, 

Mar 27-Apr 5 (Cdn$935) 

• Mtn. Bike & Kayak Combo, 

Mar 2-10 (Cdn$835) 

• Mainland Mexico bike tours 

A wooden folding kayak frame ... almost too beautiful to hide 

within its skin! 

the first folding kayak based on arctic 

hunting boats. He designed it specifically 

to master the technique of rolling back up 

after capsizing without leaving the cockpit. 

The resulting ‘Pawlata roll’ is part of 

the repertoire of techniques of many skilful 

kayakers to this day. The public attention 

that Edi Pawlata’s success received 

in 1927 did much to further the popularity 

of folding boats and kayaks built by 

amateurs and commercial operators alike. 

Thousands of paddlers regularly gathered 

on riverbanks throughout Europe on 

sunny weekends back in those days. 

The tradition of folding boats continues 

to this day. Most exciting is a revival of 

A D V E N T U R E O U T F I T T E R S 

Also 2-9 day summer trips to: 

• Johnstone Strait/Knight Inlet 

• Queen Charlottes 

• Clayoquot Sound 

• Nootka Island 

• Broken Group 

• or Gulf Islands Weekends 

pmarcus@island.net www.wi.bc.ca/gabriola 

RR1 Site 1 C-23 Gabriola Island, BC CANADA V0R 1X0 

PH: 250-247-8277 FAX: 250-247-9788 

amateur builders in recent years. 

Free from commercial constraints, 

they adapt designs of 

existing boats or design their 

own to suit individual physiques 

and the intended paddling 

conditions. Both north Atlantic 

and north Pacific kayaks 

influence these designs. The 

builders experiment with new 

hull materials and application 

methods. Modern adhesives expand 

the possibilities of working 

in wood, allowing builders continually 

to drive forward frame 

‘technology’. And that’s no little 

accomplishment when one considers 

what has already been invented, 

tested and developed to 

high levels of sophistication over this last 

century! 

Building your own folding boat is a 

highly rewarding undertaking: 

• you choose the design most appropriate to 

your needs or create a new one, 

• you build the boat to fit your personal 

dimensions, 

• you incorporate the features that you want 

in your folding kayak, 

• you experience the intense satisfaction of 

paddling your own creation, 

• and then you fold it up and take it home! 

There are many similarities between 

building a traditional skin-on-frame 

kayak and building a craft that ‘folds’. In 

both cases you first construct a frame and 

then build a skin to fit. But there are also 

some significant differences. In traditional 

(rigid) skin-on-frame construction you 

join frame parts in the right order starting 

with the gunwales, each piece leading to 

the correct position and dimensions of the 

next piece. 

Folding construction is more likely to 

succeed if it is executed from carefully 

thought-through designs and plans. Draw 

your design and then derive the correct 

position and shapes for the various parts 


from this design. This involves some lofting 

and fairing which can be intensely 

exciting and satisfying in themselves. 

A debate over the use of wood vs. aluminium 

for frames rages on. There are 

many rational arguments for both. Personal 

preference and your confidence in 

your abilities with one or the other material 

will have much to do with your final 

decision. 

Hull materials present an even wider 

array of choices. There was once such a 

thing as commercially available ‘folding 

boat skin’, consisting of one, two or even 

three layers of canvas sandwiched between 

coatings of rubber. In time, natural 

caoutchouc gave way to synthetic rubber, 

as well as to different types of PVC and 

urethanes. The substrate fabric is now 

usually some type of strong, stretch-and 

rot-proof nylon or polyester instead of 

hemp or cotton canvas. Most people still 

favor proofed canvas for the deck, however, 

because of its breathability, look and 

feel—and yes, these decks are watertight! 

In 1958 Josef Locher (Germany) wrote 

Faltboot ñ Anleitung zum Selbstbau, a short 

building manual for amateurs for a design 

that could be adapted to produce a one-, 

two- or three-seater folding boat. Percy W. 

Blandford (England) published Canoes and 

Canoeing in 1962, describing the construction 

of folding ‘canoes’ he had designed 

for the boy scouts. The authors in these 

examples presented traditional ‘Euro’ 

river touring boat shapes, a decked canoe 

hull driven by double paddles. Over the 

years, hundreds built boats to these and 

similar manuals. 

Lorenz Mayr (Germany) took a slightly 

Villas de Loreto 

A charming beach resort on the 

Sea of Cortez in the old town of Loreto 

Offering sea kayak rentals, diving, bicycles, pool, 

air conditioning, complementary breakfast 

—NEW at Villas!— 

Restaurant & PADI Dive Shop 

www.villasdeloreto.com 

Ph/Fax: 011-52-113-50586 

Apdo. 132 Loreto B.C.S. Mexico 23880 


more sophisticated route. He built the first 

of his folding whitewater kayaks in 1952 

to the adapted lines of an earlier design 

by one Herbert Slanar (a famous kayak 

designer of the pre- and post-war years), 

which itself had been derived from sleek 

arctic shapes, but was optimized for serious 

whitewater use. Some 42 years later, 

Mr. Mayr finally set down on paper what 

Keep a folded boat in the trunk 

of your car ready for immediate 

action when you happen upon 

that irresistible put-in. 

he had learned in the meantime about 

technical solutions and construction details 

of folding kayaks. 

His book includes a great many detailed 

technical sketches, as well as lines drawings 

of proven kayak hull shapes, both for 

whitewater and for coastal paddling. Mr. 

Mayr drew on his personal experience, as 

well as on generous contributions by modern 

and several famous old time German 

and Austrian builders, who, in turn, had 

learned their tricks from the pioneers of 

the early 20th century. 

Mayr emphasizes the beauty and efficiency 

of arctic hull shapes, but what he 

has to say about their construction applies 

equally to the boat types favored by 

Locher and Blandford. 

(Author’s note: I am currently completing 

an expanded and updated bilingual 300-page 

edition of this book which spans a century of 

folding boat and kayak building experience 

with methods specifically tailored to the amateur 

builder.) 

Villas de Loreto 

Baja Mexico 

There are folding boat and kayak builders 

in all corners of the globe, most 

strongly represented in Europe and North 

America. The Internet has enabled this 

splintered community to re-establish the 

traditional practice of sharing information, 

ideas, solutions, plans and designs. 

(The fledgling ‘FoldingBoats’ internet mailing 

list is dedicated to these amateur folding 

boat builders.) 

What can a folding boat do for you? 

The ability to separate the skin from the 

frame and then fold both up into small, 

easily managed bundles makes possible 

travel by train, bus, on foot and nowadays 

by air! This allows you to head for destinations 

that leave other boats behind. 

Keep a folded boat in the trunk of your 

car ready for immediate action when you 

happen upon that irresistible put-in. Tight 

apartment storage poses no problems either. 

And folding boats are immortal— 

you maintain the boat piece by piece and 

repair or replace worn or broken parts individually 

and thus cost effectively. 

Frames, still in working condition after 

fifty years of use or more, are not uncommon; 

skins tend to need replacement after 

20-30 years. 

The concept of folding kayaks survived 

the dark days of the Second World War, 

as well as the onslaught of cheap, massproduced 

plastic boats in the 1960s. They→ 

KLEPPER 

World’s Finest Folding 

Kayaks Since 1907 

For those who can’t afford to 

buy anything but the Best 

Light and compact, the Klepper 

“Aerius” one or two seater stows in two 

carry bags for travel freedom by plane 

or car trunk to anywhere. Assembles 

easily in minutes into a unique 

performance boat for sea kayaking, 

river/lake paddling, or island sailing. 

KLEPPER CANADA 

4718 1st St. S.W. Calgary, AB 

1-800-323-3525 

www.klepper.com 

amscgyca@cadvision.com 

15

were able to do so because they are strong in appeal and tough in 

use. 

Enough of the commercial! 

For those who wish ‘merely’ to purchase their folding boat, 

there are a number of commercial builders in operation today: 

Klepper (Germany) features rock solid engineering and finish; 

Pouch (of former East Germany) is well known for efficient hull 

shapes and light, yet stiff wooden frames; Feathercraft (Canada) 

leads the pack in experimenting with space age materials for 

frame and skin; Folbot (USA) builds highly functional boats at 

attractive prices; Nautiraid (France) uses simple but effective wood 

frame technology; Triton (Russia) has developed very useful boats 

from former military production models using aluminium and 

PVC. And there are more out there. 

Happy folding! ❏ 

Ralph C. Hoehn has been a carrier of the highly contagious folding 

boat bug for 30 years. You can reach him by email at Ralph@ 

PouchBoats.com. The address of the amateur builders’ website is 

http://www.PouchBoats.com/building.html. The ‘Amateur Folding 

Boat Builders’ Corner’ on the site is hosted as a non-commercial 

undertaking by his import business of Pouch folding kayaks. © 

Folding Kayaks 

Here are some manufacturers and suppliers of Folding Kayaks. Some of 

our retail advertisers also carry folding kayaks, so check with them too. 

Feathercraft—Vancouver, BC. Seam-welded urethane folding 

kayaks, aluminum alloy frame. Ph: 604-681-8437. 

info@feathercraft.com www.feathercraft.com 

Folbot—Charleston, SC. Strong, lightweight folding kayaks 

since 1933. 800-533-5099. Ph: 843-744-3483. 

folbot1@aol.com www.folbot.com 

Folding Kayak Adventures—Seattle, WA. Specializing in 

Feathercraft sales & multi-day rentals, shipping available 

anywhere in USA. Ph: 800-586-9318. 

www.foldingkayak.com 

Klepper Canada—Calgary, AB. Folding kayaks since 1907. 

Ph: 800-323-3525. amscgyca@cadvision.com 

www.klepper.com 

Klepper West—Somerset, CA.. Largest selection of folding 

kayaks in USA, including Klepper, Feathercraft, Folbot & 

Nautiraid. Ph: 503-626-6647. www.klepperwest.com 

Pouch Boats—Ralph@PouchBoats.com www.Pouch 

Boats.com Ph: 425 962-2987 

INFLATABLE FOLDING KAYAKS 

AIRE—Boise ID. Durable inflatable kayaks. Ph: 800-AIRE-432. 

info@aire.com www.aire.com 

Innova—Edmonds, WA. Quick to set up. Ph: 425-776-1171. 

innovagp@aol.com www.innovakayak.com 

STEARNS—St. Cloud, MN. Lightweight & inflatable in minutes. 

Ph: 320-252-1642. stearns@stearnsnet.com 

www.stearnsinc.com 

PEACHLAND, British Columbia 

Peachland 

Chamber of 

Commerce 

250-767-2455 

$5.00 

PER PERSON PER DAY 

SPONSORED BY: 

June 

16-17 

Email: peachlandchamber@cablelan.net 

• TRADE SHOW featuring kayak, canoe, 

gear, and tour companies. 

• TRY-OUTS of the latest designs. 

• ON-WATER instruction with pros. 

• ON-SHORE CLASSES—kayak, canoe 

building, boat design, navigation, risk 

management, slideshows, etc. 

• ALSO outrigger races, children’s program, 

great food, & live band Saturday night! 

• SPECIAL SKIN BOAT PROGRAM: 

boat & paddler building, slide shows, 

Greenland paddling demos, etc. 


2001

Designing in Cedar Strip Mike Walker 

I 

started building kayaks about 4 years 

ago. Mostly it was through my frustration 

of not finding something on the market 

that I liked. 

One day I noticed my neighbour building 

a cedar strip canoe in his back yard. I 

was fascinated because I had never seen 

one being built before. As Howard carefully 

added strip after strip, he told me 

that he had built several boats in his lifetime, 

60-foot fishing vessels to 50-foot 

schooners, and one that was a scaled 

down version of the Bluenose. Howard 

was from Newfoundland and from three 

generations of boat builders. 

I asked him if he had ever built a kayak. 

He responded by saying that canoes were 

his passion, not kayaks. I asked if he 

would ever consider building one. He responded 

with a big fat ‘No’ and reaffirmed 

that canoes were really his passion. Then 

I asked if he would change his mind if I 

paid him to build me one. His face lit right 

up and asked if I would like another beer. 

The advantage of having Howard build 

my boat was I could have it built to my 

specifications. After many visits to the local 

pub and listening to Howard’s incredible 

tales of life on the shores of Newfoundland, 

I finally got the design I 

liked—a sloop-rigged sailing sea kayak 

with a drop center daggerboard and flush 

hatches. The deal was that I was to pay 

Howard for most of the building but I 

could also participate and act as his apprentice. 

To help pay for the cost of designing a 

new boat we thought that we could use 

the first one as a plug for a mold, then 

make several more and sell them. I started 

advertising right away, even before we 

had our cedar strips cut. Howard thought 

I was crazy since we didn’t even have an 

actual boat to show anyone. I told Howard 

at the time that if Bill Gates could do it 

with Windows 98 then I could do it with 

our new boat design. 

It wasn’t long before I had eight people 

interested in our boat. I told them I would 

contact them as soon as the prototype was 

finished. We started the project in January 

1996 and by March we had the prototype 

ready to show people. Three of the 

eight people showed up to view the prototype 

and all three deposited $500 toward 

purchasing a finished product. By May 

24th we had completed the three orders 

and also had several more lined up. The 

only thing we didn’t have was a name for 

the kayak. Our buyers asked what we 


John sanding the cedar strip hull 

called our new design. I was stumped. I 

looked at my dog Teeka and blurted out 

to them that they were called ‘Teeka Kayaks’. 

After a while Howard moved on to 

other things and it came time for me to 

Photo by Mike Walker 

build a new kayak design. I was entirely 

on my own this time so I hoped that I had 

absorbed enough knowledge from 

Howard from the first boat. I wanted it to 

be narrower, and have more keel than the 

first boat so that it would track better. I 

also wanted to increase the hatch size so 

that you could get long objects like tent 

poles in easier. And a locking back hatch 

would be nice to store your lifejacket and 

paddle so that you didn’t always have to 

take it with you whenever you tied up in 

busy populated areas. 

I used our original plans and modified 

the station templates to get my desired 

effect. Once I was satisfied, I glued the new 

templates onto three quarter inch plywood 

and began cutting them out with a 

jig saw. I slid them on a very straight 16 

foot two by four, slapped on the end pieces 

and voilà—I had a kayak mold and was 

ready to start nailing on the cedar strips. 

Then it was off to Sunbury Cedar to pick 

out my light and dark cedar strips, always 

remembering what Howard once told me 

in his broad, Newfoundland accent: “You 

gots to have lots of light and dark wood, Bye. 

It’s like candy for the eyes.” 

→ 

17

On our first kayak we planed each cedar strip to fit the previous 

stip. This time I decided to try bead and cove, and purchased 

the bead and cove router bits from Lee Valley Tools. I’m glad I 

chose this route because it made it much easier to join the strips. 

A good friend of mine, Karen, who had purchased one of the 

original Teeka Kayaks, helped me cut up the strips on a table 

saw and do the bead and coving through the router jig we created. 

I highly recommend this stage of building as a two-person 

job. There will be much less cursing involved. 

We decided to start on the hull first, adding each strip with the 

bead facing up, alternating from side to side, changing colours 

as we went. We used three quarter inch nails instead of a staple 

gun for appearance. 

Win a ‘Diablo’ from Azul Kayaks 

and support the marine environment 

See the kayak 

at the Outdoor Adventure 

Show in Vancouver, February 16-18. 

FIRST PRIZE in a fundraising raffle for the 

Georgia Strait Alliance. 

Tickets go on sale February. $5 each or 3 for $10! 

Don’t miss out. Call or email GSA now. 

250-753-3459 gsa@georgiastrait.org 

www.georgiastrait.org 

Once the hull was completely closed in, we flipped it over and 

started work on the deck. This was a little more complicated since 

we decided to create curved designs with the strips to add more 

style to the deck. 

Karen was very helpful in giving feedback at each stage of the 

building process and sometimes saved me from making some 

major errors that would have cost more time. Once the deck was 

closed in, except for the cockpit area, we pulled the deck and the 

hull off the mold. We had trouble doing this because some of the 

glue from the strips stuck to the plywood stations. Next time I 

will make sure I use low adhesive painter’s tape on the edge of 

all the stations so that we don’t run into this problem. It was pretty 

nerve racking, wondering if we would ever get the kayak separated 

from the mold. 

Then the fun part started: planning and sanding and applying 

our first coat of epoxy resin. This stage made it all worthwhile 

since the wood grain and wood patterns jumped right out at us. 

The next phase was glassing. We used a slow-cure epoxy so that 

we had plenty of time to work it into the cloth. We used a six 

ounce cloth for the inside of the kayak and exterior hull, and a 

four ounce cloth on the deck. We used four ounce on the deck 

because it was less conspicuous, and to keep weight to a minimum. 

After the epoxy resin had about a week to cure we cut the cockpit 

area out and front and back hatch as well. 

Russell Noel, who was waiting to purchase this new boat, came 

by and asked how I thought it would paddle. I told him I didn’t 

know, that designing a new kayak was like making a fine wine— 

you don’t know how it’s going to be until you pop the cork. 

We decided we couldn’t wait to see how it paddled and came 

up with an idea that would make CBC’s Red Green proud. We 

duct-taped the hull and the deck together, threw it in the river 

and paddled it. 

Russell was very pleased with how the kayak handled. I, on 

the other hand, felt that it needed a little more keel added at the 

stern . A week later the boat was back in the river with more keel 

added and I was finally satisfied with its performance. I felt it 

was now time to take a mold off my new design. 

This is the stage I am at as I write this article I hope to have the 

fiberglass models available for our next season. I can’t begin to 

describe the feeling of creating a new design and finally paddling 

it with all your expectations met. I can’t wait to do it all 

over again. ❏ 

Mike Walker has been hooked on kayaking since a Grey Whale 

popped up in front of him and dowsed him with spray on a trip in 

Clayoquot Sound. Since then he has paddled much of the northwest 

coast. In 1996 Mike established “A Great Little Kayak Co”. 

He can be reached at 604-671-3295 or at www.kayakme.com © 


Building a Plywood Baidarka 

I 

have been building kayaks since 1986 

and have built many styles. My brother 

Nick and I started by building strip kayaks 

out of necessity. At the time, we hadn’t 

even seen an ocean kayak, nor could we 

afford to buy one. I’ve now built 25 boats 

of many designs, each with its own character. 

In 1997, I started to design stitch and 

glue plywood boats. Many plywood kayaks 

have been rather boxy affairs but I 

tried to create plywood boats with more 

graceful lines. My first stitch and glue plywood 

design was called the Merganser, a 

Greenland-style kayak with a hard chine, 

moderate rocker and medium volume. I 

incorporated a graceful curving shear line 

to give the boat a unique look. 

After the Merganser, I turned to the clas- 


Panel cut-out plan 

GWAII HAANAS 

National Park Reserve/Haida Heritage Site 

A serene and wild place where 

natural processes occur unimpeded, 

where humans accept that they are 

a part of this natural order... 

http://parkscan.harbour.com/gwaii 

sic lines of the Aleutian Eskimo hunting 

kayaks which were called “Baidarkas” by 

the Russian fur traders of the 19th century. 

The Aleutian Baidarkas had a unique 

forked bow designed to improve the performance 

of the boat. The lower jaw of the 

bow is sharp and thin to provide a 

‘cutwater’ which parts the waves. The 

upper jaw is a full-bodied shape to float 

the boat over waves. The effect is much 

like the hollow bows of some modern 

boats, a shape not easily made from skin 

on a wood frame. Baidarkas also have 

unusual shaped sterns which provide 

good tracking as well as buoyancy to the 

stern of the boat. 

My Baidarka followed the classic lines 

as much as is possible, yielding a striking 

boat with friendly performance. I did the 

actual design on a computer so that I could→ 

Find your place in this world 

For a free information package and/or to make a reservation: 

Super, Natural British Columbia 

1-800-HELLO BC (in North America) 

1-250-387-1642 (outside North America) 

KAYAK RENTALS 

BROKEN GROUP 

ISLANDS 

AND 

BARKLEY SOUND 

UP TO 8 SCHEDULED 

TRIPS PER WEEK 

FROM PORT ALBERNI 

RATES: 

$35 per day Singles 

$50 per day Doubles 

SECHART WHALING 

STATION LODGE 

Rooms & Meals from $57.50 

per person per day 

based on 2 night minimum 

NEW 

Eric Schade 

Water Taxi Service 

from Toquart Bay 

For pickup ph: 250-720-7358 

For More Information 

Phone: 250-723-8313 

Fax: 250-723-8314 

M.V. Lady Rose & M.V. Frances Barkley 

located at Argyle Pier, 

5425 Argyle St., Port Alberni, BC 

CANADA V9Y 1T6 

TOLL FREE RESERVATIONS 

(April-Sept.) 1 800 663 7192 

www.ladyrosemarine.com 

19

calculate performance factors such as 

buoyancy, stability etc. and create patterns 

to cut the plywood. 

I started the Baidarka by buying several 

sheets of 4mm okoume marine plywood. 

Other materials included mahogany 

planks for the cutwater and skeg, 

thin copper wire for “stitching” the panels 

together, epoxy for bonding and sealing, 

3" wide fiberglass tape, 4 oz fiberglass 

cloth, some short strips of pine and long 

thin strips of hardwood for the coaming. 

The panels required for the Baidarka 

were longer than the plywood sheets I 

bought, so there were two ways to make 

the panels. The first was to cut the plywood 

and then join it with butt blocks. The 

second was to pre-join the plywood by 

scarfing several sheets into long continuous 

sheets before cutting the panels; that 

is what I chose for my Baidarka. 

I scarfed the plywood together by planing 

a taper onto the 

ends of the sheets 

to be joined, then 

glued the sheets together 

with the tapered 

ends overlapping. 

I ended 

up with two long, 

Hull ready for 

the deck 

Carving the ‘cutwater’ 

narrow, floppy sheets of plywood. 

I cleaned up the glue joints on these 

with a belt sander then prepared to cut the 

panels for the boat. 

I taped together the templates (five large 

sheets of paper) and checked that they 

were straight. I laid the template onto the 

plywood so that all the panels were on the 

plywood, and thumb-tacked the template 

down. Next I used a center punch to 

punch through the paper, marking the 

plywood every 2"-3" along the edges of 

the panels and 3/8"-1/2" from the edge 

on each 1 foot station line. After marking 

all the panels, I removed the pattern and 

used a long straightedge and a pencil to 

connect the dots, to draw the edges of the 

panels. 

Next, I clamped plywood sheets together 

with the best sides facing each 

other in preparation for cutting out the 

panels. I used a saber-saw (hand-held 

power jigsaw) to cut just outside the lines 

of each panel. With the panels still 

clamped, I planed the edges to the line 

with a block plane. 

I also drilled small holes along the edge 

so that I could wire the panels together to 

shape the boat. 

In preparation for that step, I took four 

packages of copper wire and cut them in 

half with a pair of tin-snips, to get hundreds 

of 2"-3" arcs of wire. 

Starting with the bottom panels, I 

started wiring the panels together. I added 

two permanent and two temporary bulkheads 

to help shape the hull. I continued 

adding panels until the hull was complete. 

I carbed the cutwater from one inch thick 

mahogany, epoxied it into the bow, and 

carved a fixed skeg for the stern. These 

were shaped to fit into the plywood panels. 

I also carved simple decorations onto 

the cutwater and skeg which added character 

to the boat. 

I checked that all the joints were tight 

and that the panels met cleanly. I made 

sure that the lines of the boat were fair, 

looking for humps and valleys in along 

the joints. I needed to adjust some of the 

joints with my block plane. 

When I was happy with the shape, I 

used a syringe to inject a bead of epoxy 

into each joint to solidify the hull. I 

avoided getting epoxy onto the wires, so 

that I could remove them when the epoxy 

set up. 

I wired up the deck and epoxied the 

joint between the right and left halves but 

not the joint between the deck and hull. 

When the epoxy cured , I removed the 

deck and bulkheads to work on the inside 

of the hull. 

I removed the 

wires, sanded off 

any drips and 

prepared to ap- 

Cutting hatches 

WEST COAST EXPEDITIONS 

Educational Nature Tours since 1974 

Sea Kayaking in the Kyuquot Wilderness 

Toll Free 800-665-3040 

www.island.net/~nature 

•Basecamp comforts 

•Educational focus 

•Cultural contact 

•Family oriented 

•All-inclusive 


Cutwater in place 

ply fiberglass to the inside of the hull. I 

thickened some epoxy with wood dust 

and squeegeed it into joints and wire holes 

to fill them. Then, I laid four ounce (4 oz.) 

fiberglass cloth into the hull and saturated 

it with epoxy. On the deck joint, I just used 

a narrow strip of fiberglass tape. 

When the epoxy cured, I cleaned up the 

excess fiberglass, sanded any sharp edges 

and re-drilled the wire holes which I 

needed to hold the deck onto the hull. I 

then wired the deck onto the hull. I carefully 

marked the location of the hatches 

and cut them out using my saber-saw. I 

made sure I did not damage the piece I 

removed so that I could use it as a hatchcover 

later. 

I laid the kayak on one side and, reaching 

through the cockpit and hatches, made 

a fillet of thickened epoxy inside the deckto-hull 

joint, then covered it with 

fiberglass tape saturated in epoxy. I 


screwed a brush to 

a long stick to get 

epoxy into the ends 

of the boat. When 

this cured enough 

not to drip, I did the 

other side. This 

made a very strong 

joint between the 

deck and hull. 

I cut the wires, Eagle inlay 

which held the deck 

in place, flush with 

the plywood. Then it was time to start 

sanding the Baidarka smooth. I concentrated 

on removing any drips, wire ends, 

splinters etc. while trying not to remove 

much plywood. I spent quite a bit of time 

shaping the skeg and cutwater to perfect 

the transition between them and the plywood 

hull. When I was satisfied, I sealed 

the entire boat with a coat of epoxy. 

The Baidarka was now starting to look 

like a kayak. And the wood looked great! 

I sanded the boat once more to remove the 

smallest splinters and provide teeth for 

later epoxy work. 

I also applied some wood veneer artwork 

to the boat. I cut a big Bald Eagle 

from walnut and ash-wood veneer and 

epoxied it to the forward deck. I taped a 

plastic bag over the inlay and used a 

vacuum pump to suck the veneer in place 

until the epoxy cured. I also used iron on 

veneer edging material from the 

lumberyard to create a light colored stripe 

along the shear line. 

I then covered the entire hull with two 

layers of 4 oz. fiberglass cloth and epoxy, 

with extra layers on the bottom to protect 

the hull from rocks. I only gave the deck 

one layer of 4 oz. fiberglass because it is 

less likely to be damaged. 

I made the cockpit by glueing short 

wood strips vertically around the inside 

of the cockpit cut out, smoothing the strips 

and covering them with fiberglass, then 

laminating strips of hardwood around the 

cockpit to make a lip. 

When sanded smooth and coated with 

epoxy this made a very nice nautical looking 

cockpit. I used two contrasting colors 

of wood for the vertical strips and the→ 

Proof of the pudding 

Island Outdoor Centre 

Visit Vancouver Island’s 

Adventure Specialists 

located in Ladysmith, BC 

NEW & USED KAYAKS 

ACCESSORIES & 

GEAR EXCHANGE 

Kayak & Dive Lessons 

& Equipment. 

Backpacking, Camping, 

& Boating Supplies. 

The Centre of Vancouver Island 

610 Oyster Bay Dr, Ladysmith, BC 

250-245-7887 

Mail orders welcome 

21

laminated lip for looks. 

The cockpit also includes a carved foam 

seat, floating backrest, hip plates and my 

own footbraces. The foot braces consisted 

of a movable bulkhead-like pedal assembly 

sliding on a rail, glued to the bottom 

and adjusted by looping a rope into hooks 

located on the rail between the paddler’s 

legs. 

The hatches were made waterproof by 

building a plywood lip inside the hatch 

for the cover to rest on and were sealed 

with a foam gasket. I used a knob and 

screw arrangement to hold the hatch 

closed. Based on a design by Jay Babina, 

the designer of the Outer Island kayak, I 

used a wooden bar with a nut in it to pull 

the hatch against the gasket. This made a 

nice flush hatch with only a knob protruding. 

To aid in getting a good seal, I stiffened 

the hatch cover inside with wooden 

ribs. 

I attached the deck lines with flush deck 

fittings made of hardwood. These fittings 

held the bungee tie-downs in front and 

behind the cockpit and the grab lines at 

the bow and stern. I also made wooden 

lifting toggles for the ends of the boat. 

After sanding and applying several 

coats of epoxy to fill the weave of the 

fiberglass cloth, the boat was smooth 

enough to varnish. I usually use about six 

coats of varnish but I was so excited that I 

only managed to get one coat on it before 

I took it for its sea trials. 

At 19’ long, 21” wide and weighing 

about 45 lbs, she was stable and tracked 

well. The long waterline length made her 

fast. Her low profile kept the wind from 

blowing her away and the forked bow 

kept her quite dry. Fun to build and fun 

to paddle! ❏ 

Wooden Kayak Directory 

Coastal Kayak Leadership Training Course 

May 11-20, May 25-June3 

Additional courses may be offered subject to interest 

Malaspina University-College offers a comprehensive 10-day ocean kayak course designed 

to provide participants with the knowledge and skill necessary to lead groups of kayakers in 

coastal waters. The course takes place on the west coast of Vancouver Island. $1100 

includes all kayaking equipment and transportation from Nanaimo. Instructors: John Dawson 

and Dan Lewis. Discounts for Malaspina students. For more information, 

contact Don Cohen at . Wilderness First Aid Class 

for Kayak Leaders 

April 30-May 5 Cost $600 

M alaspina 

University-C ollege 

A GREAT LITTLE KAYAK CO. 

Richmond, British Columbia 

Manufacturers of Teeka Kayaks, we are a 

small company which builds kayaks as a labour 

of love. We start by building each new 

design in cedar. If the cedar strip kayak 

meets our criteria of performance we then 

start to manufacture it in fiberglass. We are 

always open to suggestions on new designs 

and ideas. Expedition and sailing sea kayaks 

are our specialty. Contact owner, Mike 

Walker. Ph: 604-671-3295. Web: 

www.kayak me.com. 

BEAR MOUNTAIN BOAT SHOP 

Peterborough, Ontario 

Renowned for pioneering the woodstrip 

epoxy construction technique, Ted Moores, 

author of CanoeCraft and KayakCraft, builds 

kayaks and canoes, teaches classes, sells 

plans and offers advice to first time builders. 

Please visit our web site and interactive 

bulletin board. Ph: 705-740-0470. Email: 

info@bearmountain boats. com. Web: 

www.bearmountain boats.com. 

CHESAPEAKE LIGHT CRAFT 

Annapolis, Maryland 

Chesapeake Light Craft has enjoyed a long 

development and widespread popularity, 

with 10,000 boats on the water worldwide. 

Kits are precision cut on our own machine 

from African Mahogany marine plywood. 

Our touring and racing sea kayaks are built 

and paddled by professional kayakers and 

rank beginners, young and old. These are 

highly sophisticated, high-performance 

boats that can be assembled by beginners 

in their own garages. Please check out our 

huge website: www.clcboats.com or call 

410-267-0137. 

GUILLEMOT KAYAKS 

Glastonbury, Connecticut 

Plans for building your own high performance 

wooden sea kayak. Distinctive designs 

to suit any paddling style. Rugged, beautiful, 

strip-built construction for complete de- 

Ph: 250-753-3245 local 2480 

Nanaimo Campus 900 Fifth St. 

Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5 

sign freedom. Accurate, computer generated 

full size patterns. Complete instruction 

book available separately. Web: 

www.kayakplans.com/l. Email: info@ guillemot-kayaks.com. 

JASON DESIGNS 

Branford, Connecticut 

The Outer Island kayak is a low volume 

kayak replicating the west Greenland lines 

in a conventional round chine hull. It meets 

the needs of advanced paddlers who desire 

a low volume kayak with easy rolling 

characteristics with its low back deck, no 

weather cocking and a fast hull with good 

stability. Four years of development into this 

one hull. Get ready to have people around 

your kayak when you build this one. Free 

brochure and video. Ph: 203-481-3221. 

Email: jbabina@snet.net. 

LAUGHING LOON 

Greenfield, Massachusetts 

Rob Macks’ kayak designs include the award 

winning Panache, the Georgian Bay and the 

North Star which was inspired by the 

baidarka kayaks of the Aleut Eskimos of 

Alaska. Ph: 413-773-5375. Email: 

laughing_loon@shaysnet.com. 

Web: www.LaughingLoon.com. 

NEWFOUND WOODWORKS 

Bristol, New Hampshire 

Newfound Woodworks has been supplying 

cedar strip/epoxy canoe and kayak kits to 

boat builders for 12 years. We supply everything 

from books and videos to completed 

canoes and kayaks. We will assist throughout 

your construction to help you get it right. 

Ph: 603-744-6872. Email: info@newfound.com. 

Web: www.newfound.com. 

O’HURLEY’S WOODEN BOATS 

Ladysmith, British Columbia 

We teach people to build their own 18' sea 

kayaks, Chestnut “prospector” canoes, 8’ 

dinghies, or 12' daysailers, and do custom 

boat building and small boat repairs. Ph: 

Eric Schade lives in Stamford, Connecticut and is a mechanical engineer who has been building kayaks and canoes since 1984. He started out 

building with his brother Nick Schade (Guillemot Kayaks), then started Shearwater Boats in 1995. In the spring of 2000, Shearwater Boats 

joined forces with The Newfound Woodworks of Bristol, NH to produce kits for stitch and glue kayaks. Eric offers plans for three versions of the 

Baidarka: 16 ft, 17ft and 19ft as well as a 21ft double Baidarka. See www. shearwater-boats.com or phone 203-359-6431. © 

Discover the beautiful Gulf Islands 

from our singles and doubles... 

Arluks, Teslas, Solstices, Kyooks, Amaruks, Lookshas 

• Camping • Showers • Hot Tub • Sales • Instruction 

BEGINNERS WELCOME 

PO Box 40, Mayne Island 

BC, CANADA V0N 2J0 

Tel/Fax: 250/539-2667 

kayak@mayneisle.com 

www.mayneisle.com/kayak 


250-245-5199. Email: ohurleys@sprint.ca. 

Web: www.ohurleys boats.com 

PYGMY BOATS, INC. 

Port Townsend, Washington 

Pygmy is the largest and oldest manufacturer 

of precision precut plywood kayak kits in 

North America. Started in 1986 by boat designer 

and software engineer John 

Lockwood, Pygmy produced North America’s 

first computer-designed sea kayaks. 

During the past 15 years they have expanded 

their line to include 15 models of 

sea kayaks, a rowing skiff and a wilderness 

tripping canoe. Call 360-385-6143 or visit 

www.pygmyboats.com. 

WHITE SALMON BOAT WORKS 

White Salmon, Washington 

The primary purpose of Ray Klebba’s White 

Salmon Boat Works is to teach first time boat 

builders the craft of building their own 

“dreamboat” — be it canoes, sea kayaks, 

rowboats or other small craft. Our boat shop 

specializes in using the woodstrip 

construction method and is home to the 

“Stars”, the award winning sea kayaks. The 

workshops are hands-on practical 

applications using our plans or your own. 

We also offer easy to assemble kits, plans 

and boating accessories. Everything you 

need know is on our webpage. 

www.gorge.net/dreamboats 

REDFISH KAYAK & CANOE CO. 

Boise, Idaho 

Joe Greenley of Redfish builds wood kayaks that 

are beautiful, fast and maneuverable. Their lines 

and finish make them as pleasing to the eye as 


they are to paddle. Ph: 208-344-7116. Email: 

joe@redfishkayak.com. Web: www.red 

fishkayak.com. 

ROY FOLLAND WOODEN KAYAKS 

Hudson, Quebec 

Roy Folland Wooden Kayaks was established 

four years ago. An experienced and 

accomplished designer, Roy’s objective was 

to bring the kayak kit business to a higher 

level of precision and beauty than was available 

at the time. With an innovative approach 

and unique construction methods, 

anyone can build these beautiful wooden 

kayaks. Call for assistance or advice. Info is 

available on several kits. Ph: 450-458-0152. 

Email: kayak@roy folland.com Web: 

www.royfolland.com. 

SHEARWATER BOATS 

Stamford, Connecticut 

Eric Schade of Shearwater specializes in 

designing and building unique wood-epoxy 

kayaks. Eric has designed a line of Hybrid 

construction kayaks which combine the 

simplicity of plywood for the hull and the 

unsurpassed beauty of strip construction for 

the deck. Web: www.shear waterboats.com. 

Phone: 203-359-6431. Kits are 

available from Newfound Woodworks in 

Bristol, NH (http://www.newfound.com). 

TRUE NORTH WOODEN BOAT CO. 

Summerland, British Columbia 

True North is dedicated to producing top 

quality, high performance wood/epoxy canoes 

and touring kayaks. As durable as they 

are beautiful, these fine wooden boats can 

be paddled with pride and confidence and 

are destined to become a treasured family 

possession. Ph: 250-494-4458. Email: 

woodboat@vip.net. Web: www.true 

northwoodenboat.com. 

WEST COAST CANOE COMPANY 

Campbell River, British Columbia 

The West Coast Canoe Company is 

dedicated to the crafting, restoration and 

repair of classic cedar and canvas canoes. 

Our product line features 14 different 

models ranging from a 10' trapper to a 20' 

freighter, yet we strive to make each canoe 

as individual as the customer that is 

purchasing it. We also hand-craft paddles 

and canoe boxes from the finest west coast 

materials and offer a complete line of 

supplies for the do it yourselfer. Call toll free 

1-800-446-1588 or email canoes@island 

net.com www.islandnet. com/~canoes. 

ZUZU PADDLES 

Flagstaff, Arizona 

ZuZu’s paddles are a truly unique combination 

of fine woodworking craftsmanship, 

revolutionary design, and the latest composite 

technology. Constructed of the finest traditional 

marine grade woods, the company’s 

entire line of canoe and kayak paddles 

also features the innovative Helix Lamination 

spliceless shaft, a patented technology 

combining the warmth and feel of wood 

with the strength and lightness of today’s 

composite materials. Ph: 520-774-6535. 

Email: info@zuzupaddles. com. Web: 

www.zuzupaddles.com. ❏ 

23

Woodworking Safety 

Safe woodworking has many similarities 

to safe paddling—you need to have a 

good understanding of the basics, followed 

by common sense and the right attitude. 

The motto, “safety first” really is a 

state of mind, requiring concentration and 

attention to inherent dangers. The days 

when anything that smacked of “shop 

safety” was seen as sissified are over. 

Shop-smart do-it-yourselfers and professionals 

alike care about injury prevention 

and personal health responsibilities. 

“Digitus longaevitas” is the new salute— 

with fingers intact. 

THINKING IT THROUGH 

Advanced woodworking skills are not 

required to build your own kayak—or to 

do it safely. Some kayak designs only require 

a few basic hand tools and a drill. The 

more challenging designs need to be broken 

down into manageable steps. What you 

will need is a good plan and an ability to 

stay organized. Accidents often result indirectly 

from not knowing what the next 

step should be, aggravated by too little patience 

combined with a rigid agenda. 

Though spouse-less (or soon-to-be!) 

folks have been known to build their kayaks 

in living space, a shop or shed is recommended. 

You need enough space to 

work, dry conditions, adequate lighting, 

ventilation, a safe source of comfort-inducing 

heat (in the winter)—and the right 

frame of mind. It also helps to keep the 

work area tidy—removing excess debris 

at each juncture or as needed—and to 

have tools and supplies close at hand and 

in proper working order. A mounted vice 

and a good bench help a lot. 

SAFETY GEAR 

By analogy to paddling, it is prudent to 

use safety gear and ‘safety back-ups’ in case 

something goes wrong. Flying debris, airborn 

off-cuts, and splashed solvents are 

dangerous. Proper eye protection is vital. 

Goggles provide good side- and topentry 

protection, and are best around 

chemicals, but tend to fog up. I much prefer 

a full-face mask, whose clear shield 

flips down. The latest eyewear from companies 

like UVEX are lightweight 

polycarbonate wrap glasses, unobtrusive 

to wear, that even fit over prescription eyeglasses. 

Doug Lloyd 

Pushsticks are another item sacrosanct 

in the safe-work ethic. Both pushsticks 

and pushpads help keep fingers away 

from moving cutter-heads and blades. 

With such devices I’ve taught well over 

1200 individuals the basics of woodworking 

safety. 

Most boat building will inevitably involve 

some sanding and possible exposure 

to chemical vapors. In most instances, 

the danger is in long-term exposure. 

Working outside helps, but why expose 

yourself to any degree of respiratory risk? 

Fine cedar dust can be particularly irritating, 

as is the sanding dust from certain 

exotic wood species. Inexpensive, semidisposable 

dust masks are available. Additionally, 

I always try to buy my power 

sanding equipment with built-in dust 

pickup. 

The proper protective device for fumes 

is an approved respirator with organic 

chemical cartridges (often with a dust/ 

paint particulate pre-filter). The cartridges 

will absorb impurities, so they should be 

sealed in small plastic bags when not in 

use. The respirator I use has interchangeable 

dust-specific filters and chemical fil- 


ters, allowing the fullest protection possible 

and quick-change ability to one or the 

other. For sanding epoxy I always wear 

the full respirator which seals around my 

face. 

Hearing loss is cumulative. Maybe you 

don’t care to hear your grandchildren later 

in life, but hearing protection does have 

immediate benefits. Ripping strips on a 

saw or running router bits, etc, can be both 

an annoying and an ear-exhausting experience. 

Quality earmuffs or even cheap 

foam earplugs lower exposure thresholds—while 

allowing greater relaxation 

and lower anxiety. 

CORRECT TOOLS & TECHNIQUE 

In the past, I’ve received some N-A-S- 

T-Y cuts from simple handsaws on the 

push-stroke. I now much prefer the highly 

rated Japanese saws, which cut on the 

pull-stroke. 

Boat building presents ample opportunity 

for the use of a router. Best described 

a motor with handholds, with a decorative 

or functional cutter-choice mounted 

on the end-shaft, they have revolutionized 

the home workshop. Mortise slots are easily 

done on Baidarka gunwales using a 

small made-up jig to reference the router. 

While a portable router is an effective freehand 

device, I much prefer to bring the 

work piece to the router, rather than bring 


the router to the work piece. You don’t 

need an expensive shaper table either. A 

router can be mounted upside-down in a 

homemade router table using a baseplate. 

Add a fence and an outboard switch, and 

you have a highly effective, inexpensive, 

and safe shaping device. This really is the 

safest and most efficient way to make 

those 15-foot long dowel stringers or coveand-bead 

those hundreds of feet of cedar 

stripping. 

Normally you always feed wood 

against the rotation of a cutter or blade. 

You should feel a steady resistance as you 

move the wood along. The average tipspeed 

on a tablesaw blade is close to 120 

mph. Moving the work piece in the same 

direction as the blade rotation, or backing 

up the piece during a cut, is to invite disaster. 

Push the piece past the danger area, 

and always wait until the blade stops 

moving before retrieval. I’ve found that a 

splitter mounted just behind the blade is 

the only fool-proof way of preventing 

kickbacks where the work piece climbs the 

back of the blade and throws it toward the 

operator. 

For long cuts on stationary power equipment, 

be sure to provide proper in-feed and 

out-feed support. I wax and buff metal surfaces 

with paraffin wax to make sure wood 

slides well, and use roller-stands and/or an 

out-feed table. For particularly long pieces 

of wood, create an extended fence. And 

don’t raise blades any higher than necessary 

to complete a cut. 

CONCLUSION 

I’ve only briefly touched on a few of the 

issues, but most shop accidents are preventable. 

Safety is up to you. Knowing what to 

do is as important as knowing what not to 

do. Good paddling is about knowing and 

respecting the dangers. So is shop safety. 

Respect the tools and respect yourself. That 

is the end of my sermon. ❏ 

Doug Lloyd is a longtime paddler and 

woodworker from Victoria. He is donating 

his author’s fee from this article to the 

Georgia Strait Alliance. © 

25

Europeans Embrace Eco-certification 

Andy Shaw’s prime red cedar is 

headed for Holland. The lumber, exported 

under the “FSC greentree” label, 

is worth $1.5 million. 

When Shawood Lumber owner Andy 

Shaw was trying to sell British Columbia 

cedar in Europe this fall he met stiff resistance 

until he told his clients he had ecocertified 

wood. 

Shaw is the first BC sawmiller to get a 

supply of rainforest logs certified to the 

most stringent world eco-standard — the 

Forest Stewardship Council. He was 

shocked at the response from his client. 

“They wanted to buy everything I had,” 

he said of the Netherlands customer he 

was dealing with. 

And not only did they buy his wood, 

they paid him a five-per-cent premium. 

It’s a $1.5-million deal for 300,000 board 

feet of prime BC cedar and the first truckloads 

with the FSC greentree logo stapled 

on the side have begun rolling out of 

Shawood’s Langley sawmill. It is this 

province’s first major shipment of rainforest 

lumber that even Greenpeace agrees 

is okay. 

“In terms of the kind of vision and commitment 

they are showing in moving 

quickly on this, clearly they should be 

supported,” said Tamara Stark, forest 

campaigner for Greenpeace and a veteran 

of anti-logging campaigns from 

Clayoquot Sound to the central coast. 

Shaw’s value-added mill is the final link 

in a chain of certification that stretches 

from the front gate of the Langley operation 

to a Fraser River primary sawmill 

where the logs are cut in large planks, to 

the towboats that haul the logs down the 

coast, and finally to a small logging camp 

on Knight Inlet, where the timber is harvested 

selectively, leaving behind a complete 

forest eco-system. 

FAST KAYAK GROUP TRANSPORT 

Access remote Grey and Orca whale 

areas, from Johnstone Strait to Village 

Island, Cape Scott to Cape Caution. 12 

passengers plus kayaks and all gear. 36 

foot aluminum, fully equipped twin 

diesel. 15 years guiding, 6 years 

commercial kayak group transport. 

NEW ‘ORCA WATCH’ ACCOMMODATIONS 

IN THE BLACKFISH SOUND AREA. 

The lumber is prime western red cedar, 

selling for $3,000 for 1,000 board feet. It is 

the best lumber BC produces, cleargrained 

and durable. It sells for almost 10 

times the value of construction lumber. 

Shaw was not a strong believer in the 

certification movement until he bought 

the eco-logs from Timfor Contractors, an 

FSC-certified logging operation run by 

long-time forester Esmond Preus. 

Shaw quickly converted, however, 

when he saw the enthusiasm among Europeans 

for his new product. When he 

looked further, the size of the market and 

the determination of the Europeans to use 

eco-certified wood took him by surprise: 

He was contacted by one consortium in 

the United Kingdom representing companies 

with annual sales of $7.7 billion. They 

are committed to using eco-certified wood 

by 2003 and they prefer the stringent FSC 

system over other industry-initiated systems. 

“It’s a $7.7 billion market. That’s billion 

—not million,” he said, as if he was still 

trying to convince himself as much as his 

listener that eco-certification is for real. 

Shawood has cracked the door open to 

that market but Shaw said his customers 

want assurances they can continue to buy 

FSC-certified wood. Promising a dependable 

supply is still an open question. 

Timfor is BC’s only major logging operation 

to have the FCS seal of approval. 

Office ph/fax: 250/956-3431. Cell: 250/974-8088 

Box 113 Port McNeill, BC VON2RO 

www.capescott.net/~vikingwest BROUGHTON ARCHIPELAGO 

Gordon Hamilton 

The company has a non-replaceable forest 

licence for 175,000 cubic metres of timber. 

They have already logged half of it 

and expect to log the remaining 80,000 

cubic metres in 2001. Once that is gone, 

there are no guarantees the province will 

provide them with more timber. And there 

is no certainty other operators will achieve 

FSC-certification. 

The BC forests ministry has no policy 

recognizing FSC wood and it is costly to 

operators like Timfor to operate without 

the certainty of supply. 

Forests Minister Gordon Wilson says he 

recognizes the dilemma BC operators face 

when they are seeking new markets for 

eco-wood. “Obviously there is a challenge 

to government now,” he said. 

Wilson said the forests ministry intends 

to make more timber available through 

open-market bidding to companies that 

become eco-certified but there are several 

hurdles to overcome first. 

Specifically, major licensees who control 

most of the province’s timber must be 

willing to give up some of their tenure to 

make timber available to independents 

like Timfor, he said. 

Also, there is still a dispute among BC 

producers over which eco-certification 

system will ultimately win out in the global 

marketplace. But FSC is generally considered 

to be more environmentally stringent. 

Shaw said he is convinced that is the 

system the European buyers want. The 

issue, he said, is clearcutting. 

“It seems highly unlikely they would 

buy from someone who clearcuts. That is 

the whole thing they are trying to stop,” 

he said. ❏ 

This article appeared in the Vancouver Sun, 

Dec. 5, 2000 and is reprinted here with 

permission. © 

Bowen Island Sea Kayaking 

OPEN ALL WINTER 

Tours • Rentals • Lessons 

Call to reserve 

604-947-9266 

www.BowenIslandKayaking.com 

Openings for Assistant Day Guides 

for 2001 

Fax resumé to 604-947-9717 

or email kayakbowen@telus.net 


From the Rainforest 

Tragedy and Opportunity Dan Lewis 

Ten years ago I circumnavigated 

Vancouver Island by kayak. It was 

the trip of a lifetime, moving slowly by 

the landscape, with lots of time to observe 

and reflect. 

Several things made a lasting impression 

on me. First, the intact natural landscapes 

were incredibly wild and beautiful 

places. Second, these natural areas 

were rare, and the clearcuts separating 

them were unbelievably big and bad. And 

finally, if things didn’t change soon, those 

precious few wild areas would be destroyed 

by industrial logging. 

A lot has happened on the Island since 

then. For one thing, the unsustainable rate 

of logging has continued, largely unabated. 

In fact, the rate of cutting has actually 

increased! Also, a lot of public scrutiny 

has been focused on the issue of 

clearcutting the remaining bits of globally 

rare coastal temperate rainforest on Vancouver 

Island. 

Most of the response to this scrutiny has 

been in the form of window dressing. In 

response to public outcry, the BC government 

set up commissions, created new 

parks, and even passed a Forest Practices 

Code that was supposed to impose stringent 

penalties against any malpractice in 

the forests. 

In fact, most of this has had little effect. 

The negotiation table set up failed to meet 

consensus—they never even really dealt 

with the substantive issues before them. 

The new laws governing logging have not 

yet been fully implemented. Even so, the 

logging companies complained about economic 

hardship when the Asian markets 

collapsed a few years ago. In response, the 

government gutted the already-feeble legislation. 

Don’t get me wrong, some very good 

things have happened. It’s important to 

celebrate positive changes. But mainly the 

government staged a PR coup. The household-name 

contentious areas were made 

into parks. To the extent that this has 

stopped logging in these areas, this is a 

good thing. 

But in a world of ␣ ten-second sound 

bites, not many of the Island’s wilderness 

areas were known to the average citizen. 

And the unknown areas have been harder 

hit during the last decade, now that the 

new parks are off-limits. 

Some of the government’s revenue from 

logging companies was made available to 

try to repair the damage caused by past 

logging. Salmon stream restoration was a 


big recipient of this funding. But the total 

effort so far is a mere drop in the bucket 

compared to how much damage remains 

to be healed. The mountains are still bleeding 

topsoil down into salmon spawning 

beds. And meanwhile new scars are being 

inflicted on the landscape. 

Recent developments are threatening 

the fate of Vancouver Island's old growth 

forests. Government officials recently 

signed a management plan for the Island 

which calls for almost half of the area to 

be logged to standards lower than Forest 

Practices Code—legally. More than a third 

will be logged according to the standards 

of the now-gutted Code. Less than a tenth 

will be “specially” managed—if it hasn’t 

already been stripped bare, like Mt. 

Paxton and Red Stripe Mountain near 

Kyuquot. 

All of this will have a direct effect on 

the many paddlers who come to Vancouver 

Island from far and wide seeking solitude, 

peace, and renewed connections 

with Nature. 

It’s tragic that the BC government has 

declined to implement any sort of progressive 

vision for the new millennium. They 

have failed to provide a landbase for the 

Island’s thriving ecotourism industry, and 

this is endangering rural communities trying 

to diversify their economies. 

If you enjoy visiting Vancouver Island’s 

wild places, take a moment to let BC Premier 

Ujjal Dosanjh know your views. (Ph: 

250-387-1715 Fax: 250-387-0087) 

Always ask. 

Netcage salmon farming pollutes 

the environment and threatens 

the survival of wild salmon. 

Georgia Strait Alliance: 250-753-3459 

www.GeorgiaStrait.org 

Photo: Wild BC spring salmon by Alexandra Morton © 

Paddlers should especially express concerns 

about the potential for destruction 

of the west coast of Nootka Island and the 

northwest coast of Vancouver Island from 

San Josef Bay to Quatsino Sound. 

But environmental battles are increasingly 

being fought in the marketplace. Informed 

consumers of wood products are 

having a huge influence on the policies of 

logging companies by demanding oldgrowth-free 

products. If these companies 

can’t sell ancient rainforest products, they 

won’t cut them. 

Whether you’re buying paper for the 

office photocopier, or wood for your next 

kayak, please take the time to source out 

wood that is certified oldgrowth-free. This 

is the only way to help these companies 

understand that they must stop logging 

in ancient rainforests and start producing 

wood on the millions of acres that have 

already been cut over. 

Consumer action can make the crucial 

difference—but time is of the essence. 

If you’d like more information, you 

might want to check out www.oldgrowth 

free.com. This site discusses alternatives 

and includes info on suppliers. ❏ 

Dan Lewis lives in 

Clayoquot Sound where he 

operates Rainforest Kayak 

Adventures with Bonny 

Glambeck. Toll free: 

1-877-422-WILD or 

mail@rainforestkayak.com 

Web: www.rainforestkayak.com © 

Is it wild or farmed? 

Eat Wild 

27 

Photo Mark Hobson

From the Archipelago 

Sending Out New Roots Alexandra Morton 

The fir tree outside my window bends 

low, the hanging moss twirling and 

spiralling crazily, snow driving deep into 

the cracks of the rough bark. The wind 

moans and the waves beat against my 

underwater microphone. Far in the watery 

distance I can hear the tiny voices of 

dolphins. Winter has come to the 

Broughton Archipelago. The schools of 

salmon have been replaced by dark 

masses of herring and an arctic stock of 

capelin which has increasingly been showing 

in these waters. The eagles are trying 

to catch these tiny oil-rich fish, but all too 

often the purple and silver shadows slip 

through their talons. The schools of herring 

are much smaller than I saw 16 years 

ago when I first moved here, but at this 

stage in history I am glad to see any fish 

at all. 

The web of living species found on this 

coast today is relatively recent. Life at the 

western edge of North America is dynamic 

and had only just reached a balance 

of sorts, moments before we began disassembling 

it. 10,000 to 15,000 years ago the 

glaciers covering the coast were well into 

their current retreat. The vast amount of 

SEA KAYAKING IN 

COMFORT & SAFETY 

• 68’ Mothership M.V. Columbia 

• Access Remote Wilderness Areas 

• Warm and Dry Accomodations 

•␣ Hot Showers • Superb Cuisine 

• Qualified Naturalist Guides 

• All Inclusive 6 Day Trips 

MOTHERSHIP 

ADVENTURES Inc. 

CALL US TOLL FREE 

1-888-833-8887 

VIEW PICTURES AND INFO 

www.islandnet.com/~momship 

Resident orcas live on healthy wild salmon and salmon in turn need intact forest 

streams to survive. It’s all connected, and it will all come apart if we don’t take care. 

water still locked in the ice created dry 

land in areas now flooded, such as the 

shallow sea floor under Hecate Strait, and 

this aided the spread of species, including 

Homo sapiens. The land beneath the 

glaciers emerged as a scoured rock face 

from beneath the melt. Miraculously, 

scraggly little shore pines germinated in 

this barren land and sent fibrous roots out 

to hold onto glacial deposits running off 

the land with each rainfall. Over thousands 

of years this pioneer species blanketed 

the raw land with a skim of rich organic 

soil built from the death and decomposition 

of each plant. 

For a plant that none of us has ever seen 

get up and walk, trees have a phenomenal 

ability to travel. Like the pine, the Sitka 

spruce also found its way to this coast and 

made a niche for itself, drinking up the 

magnesium wherever waves and wind 

threw salt spray upon the earth. Then one 

day in the trackless past, a seed of the 

Douglas Fir alighted on this hard won 

earth, and sprouted. The little shore pines 

were no competition for this giant of a 

species, and retreated to the bogs as the 

firs shot up an astonishing 100 meters. 

From that lofty vantage their seeds cascaded 

down to make a forest of titans. 

Gradually, the coast turned from graybrown 

to deep verdant green. But with the 

fir tree’s enormous success came a flaw 

that limited this species’ ability to dominate 

the coastal forest: the next generation 

of firs were unable to germinate in the 

deep, cool shade of the parent trees. So 

below the fir canopy, the forest floor lay 

Feathercraft... kayaks for all seasons 

Specializing in Feathercraft 

Sales and multi-day rentals 

Knowledgeable, personal service 

Rentals delivered anywhere in USA 

1-800-586-9318 

foldingkayak.com 

Seattle, Washington 

“Put a boat in your baggage and paddle the world!” 


Photo by Alexandra Morton

naked and inviting. And onto this deepening 

humus drifted a shade-loving species—the 

western red cedar. 

As this mixed forest matured, the 

salmon populations spread. No salmon 

could survive in the gritty fast flowing 

glacial run off, but as new river beds were 

carved, trees grew up along the banks and 

brought stability. Rain no longer hit hard 

ground and rushed headlong to the sea, 

taking the rock with it. Now it was intercepted 

by the highest branches and 

guided on a circuitous route, taking days 

through the living fibre of the tree. Water 

flows became regular, and heavy rainstorms 

no longer clawed away the soil and 

rock in a torrential rush for the sea. The 

addition of trees made this coast into a 

perfect home for the salmon. 

During glaciation, the salmon had taken 

refuge in a few rivers, including the Columbia, 

but this family of fish is coded to 

wander. A small percentage are always 

looking for new places to spawn and these 

wanderers carried their DNA into the virgin 

habitat. Salmon brought a new source 

of energy to the forest. They carried the 

photosynthesis of the Pacific ocean deep 

inland. This was a living alchemy— 

salmon transforming ocean nutrients into 

terrestrial ecosystems, carrying food up 

mountains in extraordinary abundance, 

feeding the entire forest web of life, and 

ensuring replication of their own species. 

The trees sucked up this gift from the sea, 

recording the size of prehistoric salmon 

runs in the width of each of their annual 

growth rings. Bears, wolves, martin, racoons, 

eagles, ravens, crows, king fishers, 

water oozles and humans took this protein 

from the open sea, a place none could 

reach on their own, and gave birth to burgeoning 

populations and cultures. 

Before the red cedar arrived, the brave 

humans who first eked out a living on this 

coast had hard, tough wood fibres to work 

with. But as the red cedar flourished, so 

did the culture of British Columbia’s First 

Nations. Now they had a wood that was 

softer, easier to carve, but also resisted 

decay—so craftsmanship endured. From 

the cedar they made their homes, clothes, 

boats, cradles, drying racks, storage containers, 

cooking ware and magnificent art. 

Red cedar was lighter, split better, had 

higher insulation properties, a natural fungicide 

and a straight grain that filled a 

wide range of cultural needs for the first 

people. 

By about 3500 years ago the coast 

reached an equilibrium of abundance. But 

in the last couple of hundred years a new 

“life” form arrived. Small and diverse at 

first, these rapacious invaders coalesced, 

eating each other, gradually morphing 


into a multi-headed, formless, non-carbon 

based organism. As its huge feet pressed 

deeper than the recent crush of the glaciers, 

life juices were squeezed dry and 

ceased to flow. Plunging its head deep into 

the nervous system of each river artery, it 

began pumping away the offerings of 

salmon and cedar, breaking the cycle of 

renewal. 

Obtusely protected by law, this abomination 

of human ingenuity will eventually 

turn on its benefactors for any interruption 

in the cycle of energy exchange 

between the organisms of this planet 

weakens all. Like a deflating balloon, the 

life-sustaining rhythm of life is now 

careening wildly into a cycle of uncertainty. 

The resource extraction economy 

is out-competing carbon-based life, but 

can not survive without it. 

The only real economy of earth is life, 

and life comes from the entwining of diversity. 

Nothing can survive alone, not 

even those astride a mountain of cold hard 

wealth. 

Many people give their lives to try and 

stop the mounting imbalances of life 

swaying dizzily around us. Here in the Archipelago, 

it is exhausting work. Just as 

Christmas was luring us happily away 

from daily life, Interfor asked for extensions 

to apply toxic chemicals on our land→ 

29

Sea Sea Kayak Guides 

Alliance of of BC 

BC 

The Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC is 

a non-profit society whose purpose is 

to uphold high standards for professional 

sea kayak guides and operators in BC. 

Through on-going professional 

development and certification, the 

Alliance strives to ensure safe practices 

on an industry-wide basis. 

EXAM DATES FOR 2001 

• Full Guide—Tofino 

April 17, 18, 19 

• Assistant Guide—Ladysmith 

April 23, 24 

• Assistant Guide—Victoria 

May 12, 13 

• Full Guide—Tofino 

October 17, 18, 19 

• Assistant Guide—Victoria 

October 23, 24 

WWW. SKGABC.COM 

PRESIDENT: 

Michael Pardy 

VICE PRESIDENTS: 

Brian Collen 

Colin MacNeil 

SECRETARY/TREASURER: 

Tracy Morben 

COORDINATING DIRECTOR 

Liz Young 

MEMBERS AT LARGE: 

Liz Richards 

Ian Ross 

Piper Harris 

SKGABC Membership 

To become a member of the Alliance, mail 

this form and a cheque to the address below. 

Company Membership—$100/year 

Individual Membership—$35/year 

Associate Membership—$25/year 

Alliance T-shirt—$20 each 

Subscription to WaveLength at 

special rate—$12/year (save $7!) 

Information and a copy of the 

latest newsletter—FREE! 

Name__________________________ 

Address________________________ 

______________________________ 

Phone_________________________ 

Email__________________________ 

P.O. Box 1005, Station A, 

Nanaimo BC, V9R 5K4 

250-245-3706 

majestic@island.net 

base. The salmon farmers are ignoring a 

decade of warnings and pouring a million 

more Atlantic salmon into farm after farm, 

fully aware they won’t be able to contain 

them. The logs are literally flying off the 

hillsides at unprecedented rates, while yellow 

cedar is piled high and burnt as waste. 

Oil may soon be sucked from beneath us 

and our fresh water pumped south. 

It is time to stop thinking that someone 

else, for better or worse, is looking after 

things. The guidelines and policies of this 

Province exist only on paper—the hope 

exists only in citizens like you and me. We 

must unplug this headlong pursuit of a 

wasteland before the water and air are so 

poisoned that we can no longer survive. 

Firmly astride a peninsula near here, a 

thousand year-old great red cedar has 

spread it roots far and wide. Shallow by 

design, these roots gain their strength by 

lacing intimately with their neighbours. 

Beneath the soil, tender tips touch and embrace, 

hair-like at first, then grow into 

arms, legs, mighty, inseparable gnarls of 

co-existence. We still have among us these 

sentinels of previous millenniums. My 

hope is that today, another thousand yearold 

red cedar is feeling the first stirrings 

of life in its tiny protective seed case. Red 

cedar and humanity grew up together on 

this coast and if we plan to stay, it is time 

to send out roots of life-sustaining contact. 

Without them we will atrophy and vanish. 

❏ 

Alexandra Morton is a 

marine mammal researcher 

and writer in BC’s 

Broughton Archipelago. © 

PAGE’S RESORT MARINA 

Silva Bay—Gabriola Island 

Cottages, Campground, Fuel, Moorage, 

Laundromat, Showers, Diveshop, 

Artwork, Charts, Books and 

PRIME PADDLING! 

near Drumbeg provincial park 

and the Flat Top Islands. 

Call 250-247-8931 

mail@pagesresort.com 

www.pagesresort.com 


Photo Alan Wilson 

UPCOMING ISSUES OF WAVELENGTH 

Apr/May—PADDLING BASICS 

Essential gear and training for safe and happy 

paddlng adventures. Deadline: Feb 19 

June/July—INNER WATERS 

Finally, a whitewater issue! Deadline: Apr 19 

Aug/Sep—PADDLING THROUGH TIME 

History & people in paddling. Deadline: Jun 19 

Oct/Nov—THE FUTURE OF PADDLING 

And our popular annual ‘Winter Getaways’ 

feature. Deadline: Aug 19 

Dec/Jan—MISADVENTURES IN PADDLING 

Have you got a funny story to tell? 

Deadline: Oct 19 

RETAIL•RENTALS•LESSONS 

WWW.SKIANDSURFSHOP.COM 

SKI & SURF SHOP 

333 Fifth Street, Courtenay, BC 

250-338-8844 

We specialize in touring, white water and 

recreational kayaking. Authorized dealer for 

Necky, Wave Sport, Riot and Trinity Bay kayaks. 

Servicing the Island’s paddlers for 10 years! 

O’Neill, Rip Curl, Billabong, Dish, Eddy, Toes on the Nose, 

Patagonia, Chlorophylle, Navarro, Teva, Merrell... 

Alex Matthews ©

News 

JOHNSTONE STRAIT SURVEY 

Commercial and recreational sea kayaking 

in the Johnstone Strait area is increasing and 

there is a growing consensus that management 

is needed to protect this valuable resource. The 

Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC is conducting 

a study of management issues and impacts 

by way of a questionnaire for commercial operators. 

The findings will be used for the development 

of a management plan for sea kayak 

operations in Johnstone Strait. The Guides Alliance 

will be soliciting input into this study 

from independent kayakers at a later date. For 

more information and a copy of the survey contact 

Evan Loveless, Johnstone Strait Management 

Committee, SKGABC at: ise@coastnet. 

com or call (250) 721-9078. 

GEORGIA STRAIT ALLIANCE WINS 

NATIONAL AWARD 

Congratulations to the Georgia Strait Alliance 

for its Green Boating Program. The GSA 

program was selected as the winner of the Canadian 

Safe Boating Association’s award for 

Best Environmental Campaign. For GSA’s 

Guide to Green Boating, visit www.georgia 

strait.org 

FARMED SALMON ‘CONTAMINATED’ 

Scientists are calling for urgent research to 

be carried out into the safety of farmed salmon 

after research showed that some fish contain 

worrying levels of potentially dangerous 

chemicals. Dr. Miriam Jacobs of Surrey University 

in England found the farmed fish contain 

up to 10 times higher levels of Polychlorinated 

Biphenyls (PCBs) than their wild cousins. The 

production of PCBs is banned in most countries, 

but the chemicals accumulate in oceans 

after being released by industrial waste. The 

chemicals are thought to affect human nervous, 

immune and reproductive systems. Greenpeace 

scientist Dr. Paul Johnston says: “We are maximising 

humane exposure to these chemicals 

The Paddle Sports Centre of the Universe 

≈ KAYAK SALES, RENTALS & TOURS ≈ 

Group or Private Tours/Instruction with Professional Guides & Instructors 

We have the finest selection of kayaks & paddling gear you can imagine! 

≈ W W W . O C E A N R I V E R . C O M ≈ 

1437 STORE ST. (MARKET SQUARE) VICTORIA, B.C. ≈ 250-381-4233 


by promoting an artificial food chain.” PCBs 

are among the most toxic and persistent pollutants 

in existence—attacking the nervous system, 

causing learning difficulties in children 

and suppressing the body’s immune system. 

Studies indicate the chemicals can cause decreased 

sperm counts, deformed genitals and 

lead to sterility. The World Health Organisation 

is so concerned about the potential consequences, 

it has cut its recommended guidelines 

on the intake of farmed salmon to just one tenth 

of the previous figure. 

PADDLING EVENTS 

The 3rd annual Okanagan Paddle Festival 

2001 will be held at Swim Bay in Peachland BC 

on June 16th & 17th, sponsered by Current 

Designs, Nimbus Paddles, and the Wendell 

Phillips Kayak Company. It will feature kayak 

& canoe try-outs, on-water demonstrations & 

clinics, Outrigger & War Canoe races, arctic skin 

boats, whitewater kayaks, workshops, live entertainment 

and much more. A special skin 

boat addition will feature paddle and boat 

building programs, slide shows from Greenland, 

exhibits of replica kayaks, hunting tools, 

paddles and Greenland paddling demonstrations. 

Keynote Speaker for the skin boat program 

is Harvey Golden from Portland, Oregon. 

For more information contact 250-767-2455 or 

email: peachlandchamber@cablelan.net 

The 3rd annual Vancouver Island Paddlefest 

will be held June 23 & 24th Ladysmith, BC. 

Tradeshow, clinics, fun! For information call 

250-245-4246, visit www.PaddleCentre.com or 

email: Paddlefest@PaddleCentre.com 

The annual Coast Kayak Symposium, the 

longest running BC paddling symposium, will 

be held on Thetis Island, May 19-21. This event 

is a great learning environment for those starting 

out or interested in enhancing their skills. 

It’s organized by Mercia Sixta and the crew of 

the Pacific International Kayak Association. 

WaveLength will be there. For more informa- 

1-800-909-4233 

1-800-909-4233 

tion 604-597-1122 or mercias@excite.com. 

WaveLength will be at all three shows. See you 

there! 

JET SKIS BANNED 

So called ‘personal water craft’ will be 

banned from all shores and waters of the Cape 

Cod National Seashore. The ban is expected to 

be in effect by April 2002. A similar ban exists 

in the whole of San Juan County on the US west 

coast. 

SPRING GUIDE EXCHANGE 

The Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC will 

hold their annual Spring Guide Exchange, April 

20-22 at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith, BC. 

Theme: A day in the life of a guide. How to set 

up a good camp for your clients, tarping for 

foul weather, setting up kitchens, etc. There will 

off-water sessions on risk assessment, and an 

on-water session Saturday doing advanced rescues. 

There will also be an off-water session put 

on by Seaward Kayaks regarding field repairs 

to boats. For more information Liz Young at 

elizabethy@hotmail.com or Brian Collen 250- 

245-3706. 

“ENHANCHING” WILDERNESS 

Western Forest Products plans to build roads 

into Grant Bay and Topknot Beach on the coast 

of north-west Vancouver Island, and characterizes 

this as “enhancing” the recreational values 

there. 

If you don’t want wilderness to be “enhanced”, 

write to Bill Dumont, Chief Forester, 

Western Forest Products, 2300-1111 West Georgia 

Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. V6E 

4M3. (604) 665-6200. 

For more information contact Jill Thompson 

(jill@sierraclubbc.org) Vancouver Island Forests 

Coordinator, Sierra Club of BC. Ph: 250-386- 

5255 (ext.214). → 

31

NEW CHART—HAKAI 

The Canadian Hydrographic Service has released 

a new chart of Queens Sound (chart 

3937) on the Central Coast of BC. This chart 

depicts the northwestern limits of the Hakai 

Recreation Area, including more than 120,000 

hectares of land & sea located approximately 

130 km north of Port Hardy and 115 km southwest 

of Bella Coola.The Hakai Recreation Area 

is the largest provincial marine park on the BC 

coast. It has no developed facilities and is only 

accessable by sea or air. This new chart is available 

from your CHS chart dealer or the CHS 

Sales & Distribution office. chartsales@pac.dfompo.gc.ca 

or Ph:250-363-6358. Also available 

are small format paddlers’ charts produced by 

H & R Nautical Ventures & the Canadian 

Hydrographic Service, currently available in 

three sets covering the area from Sooke to 

Nanaimo including the Gulf Islands. CHS chart 

dealer or H & R Nautical (250-386-9886). 

ADVENTURE SPORTS SHOW SERIES 

Be sure to attend the Coors Light Outdoor 

Adventure Sports Shows in Vancouver, Calgary 

or Toronto through February and March. 

WaveLength, along with the Georgia Strait Alliance, 

will be joining other kayak and outdoor 

companies in the Vancouver Show at BC Place 

on Feb. 16-18. Azul Kayaks of Montreal has 

donated a kayak to the Georgia Strait Alliance 

and the show is the start of a four-month 

fundraising raffle for the Alliance. Azul’s 

Corran Addison (who recently came in second 

overall in an extreme competition in Zimbabwe, 

Africa) along with Jean Francois Rivest 

and a team of paddlers will be ripping up the 

Mazda whitewater pool. Azul will also be donating 

a Max Velocity at each of the shows in 

the series. For info: www.national event.com 

INDUSTRY BRIEFS 

• The Island Outdoor Center in Ladysmith 

(250-245-7887) is broadening their focus to include 

dive gear & lessons. 

Meet 

WaveLength’s 

Diane 

Coussens 

(right), as well 

Alan Wilson 

and Laurie 

MacBride, at 

the Outdoor 

Adventure 

Show in 

Vancouver, 

Feb. 16-18. 

• Powell River Sea Kayak Ltd. is moving full 

operations to Penrose Bay on Okeover Inlet. Toll 

free 1-866-617-4444 for more information. 

Bud & Sheryll Bell of Sealegs Kayaking are 

donating a portion of the revenue from sales of 

their T-shirts to the Georgia Strait Alliance. To 

order a T-shirt or arrange a kayaking trip with 

Sealegs call 877-529-2522. 

• Simon River Sports of Quebec will begin 

manufacturing the designs of Struer (Denmark), 

for distribution worldwide. Simon River Sports 

manufactures performance touring paddles 

and paddlecraft products. Struer is a world 

leader in sprint racing boat designs. Toll Free: 

1-877-529-2518. Email: kayakit@cgocable.ca. 

Website: www.kayakit.com. 

• Noah International and Noah UK are relaunching 

Noah Kayaks in the UK. Much has 

happened to the company in the ten years since 

fire destroyed the original factory in the USA. 

More details can be found at www.paddle 

able.co.uk or contact info@paddleable.co.uk 

• Strathcona Outfitters has opened a new store 

in Nanaimo BC, in Woodgrove Crossing (250- 

390-0400). 

• Valhalla Pure has relocated from the center 

of Nanaimo to the north end of town on Metral 

Drive (888-551-1858). 

North Island Kayak Rentals & Tours 

Serving British Columbia’s 

Northern Vancouver Island 

and the Central Coast 

For Information or Brochure: 

Toll Free 877-949-7707 

nikayak@island.net 

www.island.net/~nikayak/ 

ADVENTURE TOURISM EDUCATION 

Tim McGrady, who teaches ecotourism at 

North Island College, has just launched a new 

website which serves as a directory for adventure 

tourism education programs in British 

Columbia. Feel free to send along suggested 

links for incorporation into the site which will 

be updated regularly. See www.island.net/ 

~laluna” 

2002—UN YEAR OF ECOTOURISM 

The year 2002 has been declared the “International 

Year of Ecotourism” by the United 

Nations. This will be a time for celebration as 

“ecotourism” starts to achieve its potential 

around the globe. The United Nations Environmental 

Program and the World Tourism Organization 

are organizing events and activities 

including the May 2002 World Ecotourism 

Summit in Quebec. Planeta.com has a new 

online resource guide that will review the 

upcoming “International Year of Ecotourism” 

at www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/ 

tour/year.html 

NEW PROTECTED AREA WEBSITE 

The United States government has launched 

a new web site on Marine Protected Areas 

(MPAs) of the United States. The web address 

is http://MPA.GOV/ 

MPA.GOV is designed to provide information, 

facilitate partnerships, help identify key 

needs and challenges, and encourage public 

participation in the design, implementation and 

evaluation of marine protected areas. For more 

information please contact: Roger Griffis, National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

US Department of Commerce, P: 202-482- 

5034 F: 202-501-3024 email: roger.b.griffis 

@noaa.gov ❏ 


Green Investing 

Not everybody agrees with the politics 

of big business. But that doesn’t 

mean you have to avoid investing altogether. 

Instead, consider playing 

financial markets through socalled 

“ethical” mutual funds. 

These funds invest your money 

only in companies that fit their 

standards for being ethically, environmentally 

or socially responsible. 

Ethical funds operate in the same manner 

as conventional funds, with one important 

difference: they carefully screen 

the companies in which they invest to ensure 

they meet certain ethical criteria. For 

example, the screening process can be 

designed to rule out investments in companies 

that distribute alcohol and tobacco 

products, engage in harmful environmental 

activities, make products that are hazardous 

to health, do business in countries 

with repressive political regimes or racial 

oppression or that have a record of poor 

relations with their workers. 

The screening process can be comprehensive. 

It may involve sifting through 

corporate holdings to ensure the company 

and its subsidiaries aren’t engaged in 

questionable practices, determining 

where and how the company does business, 

sorting through its lists of customers 

and monitoring business practices. For 

an individual investor, this would be extremely 

difficult or even impossible. 

Beyond the screening process, ethical 

funds generally offer all the benefits of 

other funds. These include professional in- 


Chris Bowman 

vestment management, ease of investing, 

and investment diversification, depending 

on the fund’s objectives. 

You don’t have to sacrifice investment 

returns by investing in 

ethical funds; the top performers 

are often right up there with the 

best conventional funds. However, 

you should be aware that 

the investment styles of these 

funds can range from conservative 

to aggressive—a factor that can affect 

the risks of investing in a particular fund. 

As with all mutual funds, this should play 

a part in your investment decision. 

There are a number of ethical funds 

available. Not all use the same standards 

to make investment decisions, so you 

should determine their ethical criteria by 

examining fund literature. 

For example, in Canada, the Investors 

Summa Fund is an ethical fund that invests 

primarily in Canadian companies 

that are socially responsible, and have 

adapted progressive standards and practices 

illustrative of an awareness towards 

economic, social and environmental issues. 

The fund avoids investments in companies 

that manufacture or distribute alcohol 

or tobacco products, companies that 

manufacture weapons and those involved 

in the gambling industry. The fund also 

attempts to avoid companies with poor 

pollution control and environmental 

records and those that support activities 

of repressive political regimes. Here is a 

brief summary of some of the funds available 

to you in Canada. 

→ 

If you’re planning a paddling trip near 

Northern Vancouver Island or the 

Central Coast, RENT from us. 

ODYSSEY KAYAKING 

PORT HARDY 

Ph: 250-902-0565 

email: odyssey@capescott.net 

http://www.island.net/~odysseyk/ 

http://www.capescott.net/~odyssey/ 

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU 

OUTSIDER 

The outdoor store in 

Qualicum Beach, BC 

138 West 2nd, Qualicum Beach, BC 

Toll Free in BC 

1-877-752-6610 

Vancouver Island 

Dealer for AZUL 

SUN 

RIOT 

Unique retractable rudder system 

West Coast North America 

Dealer Inquiries: 250-248-2075 

• Touring Singles & Doubles 

• Whitewater & Surfboats 

• Paddles & Accessories 

33

Clean Environment Funds. Managed by Acuity Funds Inc. 

There are three Clean Environment Funds that invest in companies 

reflecting the concept of sustainable development. Stocks 

are chosen according to a scientific analysis based on sustainable 

technologies, processes or products. (Acuity Funds have just 

launched two new mutual funds, the Acuity Social Values Canadian 

Equity Fund and the Acuity Social Values Global Equity Fund. Contact: 

David Holmes: 416-628-5605, dholmes@holmesmark.com) 

Desjardins Funds. Managed by Desjardins Trust. Includes four 

funds. Three hold units in various Ethical Funds, screened for 

industrial relations, racial equality, tobacco, military production, 

nuclear energy and environmental practices (see below) As well, 

Desjardins manages the Desjardins Environment Fund, which 

screens on a broad range of environmental issues. 

Ethical Funds. Managed by Ethical Funds Inc. Includes 12 

funds. These funds screen for industrial relations, racial equality, 

tobacco, military production, nuclear energy and environmental 

practices. Ethical Funds does not invest in tobacco companies 

and companies whose primary activity involves military production 

and nuclear energy. Ethical Funds also encourages companies 

to respect the environment and basic human rights, and practice 

progressive industrial relations. 

Mackenzie Universal Global Ethics Fund. Managed by Mackenzie 

Financial, the Universal Global Ethics Fund positively 

screens for community involvement, education and training, 

healthcare, employee relations, audits and openness, relationships, 

corporate governance and various environmental criteria. 

Negative screens include: alcohol, gambling, tobacco, irresponsible 

marketing, armaments, oppressive regimes, pornography, 

animal rights and various environmental criteria. 

YMG Sustainable Development Fund. Managed by YMG 

Capital. The fund uses a sustainable development index (SDI) of at 

least 80 measures of social, economic and environmental 

sustainability. The fund also uses an economic value-added (EVA) 

approach to evaluate the investment-worthiness of companies. ❏ 

CANOE & KAYAK SALES, 

RENTALS AND INSTRUCTION 

Located at the corner of Pembroke 

and Government Streets in Victoria BC 

Specializing in kayak & canoe repairs 

Ask about our Voyageur Canoe trips 

FORMULA KAYAKS 

Serenity, Diamante, Montauk, Mystic 

575 Pembroke Street, Victoria, BC V8T 1H3 

Ph: (250) 361-9365 Fax: (250) 361-9375 

Email: kayakcentre@voyageurcanoe.bc.ca 

www.voyageurcanoe.bc.ca 

Chris Bowman is a Financial Advisor at Investors Group Financial Services 

in Nanaimo, BC. He has a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of 

Victoria. Phone: 250-754-8223 Email: chris.bowman@investorsgroup.com © 

Chris’article is presented as a general source of information only and is not intended as a 

solicitation to buy or sell investments, nor is it intended to provide professional advice including, 

without limitations, investment, financial, legal, accounting or tax advice. For more information on this 

topic or on any other investment or financial matters, please contact a financial advisor. 

Investing With Your Values 

Hal Brill, Jack Brill, Cliff Feigenbaum. New Society 

Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0-86571-422-3. 375 pp. 

Softcover. $26.9 Cdn/$18.95 US. 

“What can one person do? Quite a lot,“ says Amy 

Domini in the introduction to Investing With Your Values. 

Domini is one of the foremost voices in socially 

responsible investing in the USA and president of the Domini Social 

Equity Fund. 

“One person at a time,” she says, “the introduction of values into 

investments is taking place. As these values take hold in the corporate 

soul, the means to clean our rivers, to heal our communities, to 

being peace and stability to emerging nations, and to look forward 

with courage to the next century will be created.” 

Although our money appears to be out of our hands, it is actually 

doing our bidding in the global economy. The question we must all 

face is: how do I want my money to represent me in the world? 

Even as we challenge the idea that the best decisions are made 

by purely ‘market-driven’ forces, we recognize that our global 

economy is the central nexus of human activity on the planet; its 

influence radiates into every sphere of human endeavor. 

Fortunately more and more people are taking this issue seriously. 

In 1999, assets in Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) in the US 

totaled $2.2 trillion. This represented one out of eight dollars under 

professional management in the US. In just two years, from 1997 to 

1999, SRI funds soared by 82% and now nearly every mainstream 

investment option has a value-based alternative. 

It was shareholder activism which caused Home Depot, the world’s 

largest supplier of lumber, to adopt a new policy in 1999 pledging to 

cease selling old-growth wood and to seek out sustainably harvested 

lumber. 

You don’t need a lot of money—several screened mutual funds 

and community banking options welcome small investors who can 

start with as little as $50. 

Solid statistical evidence shows that investments chosen with 

social, environmental or ethical criteria perform as well or better than 

those chosen with financial criteria alone. So much for the myth that 

‘goods guys finish last’! 

Investing With Your Values teaches all about Avoidance Screening, 

Affirmative Screening, Community Investing, and Shareholder 

Activism. It covers emerging fields such as alternate energy and natural 

foods as well as the latest developments in industrial ecology. As 

Domini says, it’s “a powerful tool that enables each of us to become 

a part of building a just and sustainable world.” 

—Reviewed by Alan Wilson 

New Society Publishers is located on Gabriola Island. For their 

catalogue of great books on social and environmental themes write: 

PO Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0. 

SALES • RENTALS • INSTRUCTION 

TOURING KAYAKS: • Formula • Perception • Necky 

GEAR: Aquabound & Harmony paddles. Extrasport and 

Serratus PFDs. Brooks & Whites’ wet wear. North Water 

safety gear. Recreational & whitewater kayaks by Perception. 

MIDDLETONS’ SPECIALTY BOATS 

2095 Flynn Place, N. Vancouver, B.C. 

david@middletonsboats.com 

(604) 240-0503 www.middletonsboats.com 

See our booth at the Vancouver Boat Show Feb 7-11 

and Formula Kayaks at the Outdoor Adventure Show 

Feb 16-18 at BC Place, Vancouver 


Paddle Meals 

Add a Flash of Lash 

Following a feast featuring Dave’s “Bengali Bambi” and 

“Stewart-Cassiar Highway Huckleberry Pie”, Lasha served 

us shots of a thick pink liquid at their home near Victoria airport. 

Pepto Bismol from Nurse Reid? No—a creamy strawberry liqueur 

(Baja Rosa) that capped our Yuletide merriment. Soon to be a 

staple on camping trips. 

This winter expect to find Lasha coaching paddlers on rolling 

in the pool, surfing her RPM at Jordan River or telemark skiing. 

Next season Lasha and her faithful Welsh terrier Sadie will be 

canoeing or ocean kayaking or heading off to rendezvous with 

Dave, who flies choppers up North. At home or off in the wilderness, 

Lasha enjoys entertaining and appreciates the effort put into 

making a meal. Recipes that her paddling pod recommends are: 

MANDARIN ORANGE SALAD 

In a salad bowl [or Ortleib basin] toss: 

1-2 heads of torn leaf lettuce [or washed and trimmed Romaine that 

travels well] 

1⁄2 cup slivered almonds–toasted 

1 can Mandarin orange sections–drained 

Shake dressing in a glass [or plastic] jar: 

1⁄2 cup olive oil 

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

2 tbsp sugar 

squirt of prepared mustard 

1-2 cloves garlic, minced␣ 

LASHA’S WHITE CHILI 

Cook this at home (A) or dehydrate ingredients for camping 

(B). Use fresh or (B) dehydrate separately: 

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken 

1⁄2 cup diced raw potato 

1 onion, chopped 

2 stocks celery, chopped 

Spices (B – in a ziploc bag) 

1 tsp ground cumin 

1 tsp ground thyme 

1⁄2 tsp chili powder 

1⁄2 tsp salt 

pinch cayenne pepper 

1 bay leaf 

EXPECT THE BEST! 

LOCATED AT OKEOVER INLET— 

THE GATEWAY TO DESOLATION SOUND 

Toll Free Reservation Centre 

1-866-617-4444 

www.prcn.org/kayak 

kayak@prcn.org 

Powell River Sea Kayak 

Sales • Lessons • Rentals • Tours 


2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno pepper 

2 c cooked white kidney beans, drained 

1 cup chicken stock 

1 tbsp fresh lime juice 

Deb Leach with Lasha Reid 

(A) In a large saucepan, heat oil. Cook turkey, celery, garlic 

and onions until well cooked. Stir in jalapeno and spices. Cook, 

stirring 1 minute. Add beans, stock and potato; bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer, partly covered for 30 minutes. Discard 

bay leaf and stir in lime juice just before serving. 

(B) Put dehydrated turkey, potato, celery and onion in a pot. 

Cover with boiling water. Let sit 1 hour. Drain. In large pot, heat 

garlic in oil, add rehydrated food and rest of the ingredients except 

lime juice. Cook 15-20 minutes. To serve, remove bay leaf 

and stir in lime juice. 

GUGGLE-HUPF (LEMON BUNDT CAKE) 

This cake lasts well on trips 

Grease and flour a bundt pan. Preheat oven to 375. 

Mix together in a large bowl: 

1 cup margarine 

1 1⁄2 cups sugar 

3 eggs 

grated rind and juice from 1 lemon 

Mix together in a smaller bowl: 

3 cups flour 

3 tsp baking powder 

handful of raisins or craisins (dried cranberries) 

Add dry ingredients to margarine mixture alternately with 

1 cup milk 

Mix together and pour into bundt pan. 

Turn oven down to 350. Bake for 1 hour. 

Invert on cooling rack and sprinkle with icing sugar. 

Deb Leach, her kayak and computer live 

in Victoria, BC © 

35

Books 

Qayaq: Kayaks of 

Alaska & Siberia 

David W. Zimmerly, 

University of Alaska Press, 

ISBN 1-889963-10-0, B&W, 

soft cover,103 pp. $16.95 US 

Qayaq was originally 

published in 

1986 by the Alaska 

State Museum in conjunction with an exhibit 

on traditional kayaks. In this new edition, David 

W. Zimmerly reviews the construction of different 

kayaks from various regions of Alaska, 

Canada and Siberia. He discusses techniques, 

materials and the special approaches of individual 

craftsmen. He shows how the vessels’ 

design varied in response to the demands of 

climate, the available resources and the needs 

of the paddlers. He also considers associated 

equipment, from paddles to paddlers’ clothing. 

This is a succinct, authoritative overview of the 

kayaks of Alaska, the Mackenzie River delta 

and Siberia, containing many interesting and 

informative photos, maps and drawings. 

Kayaker’s Little 

Book of Wisdom 

Corran Addison. 

Globe Pequot Press, ISBN 1- 

57034-079-X, Soft cover, B & W 

$9.95 Cdn, $6.95 US/ 

This small book was written by Corran 

Addison, world record holder for the highest 

waterfall ever run in a kayak (100 ft. vertical), 

competitor in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 

many time US, European and South African 

freestyle champion, and Silver Medalist in the 

1995 World Freestyle Championship. It’s a collection 

of humourous and thought provoking 

suggestions, observations and reminders for 

kayakers. Corran will be in Vancouver at the 

Outdoor Adventure Show February 16-18 at 

BC Place. 

“The definition of a successful expedition is: 

a disaster you wouldn’t have missed for anything 

in the world.” 

Subscribe to WaveLength—or renew your 

subscription—and you could win a trip on the 80-ft 

kayak mothership, the Rolano! 

3-day trip valued at $1000 

One year subscription: 1 entry. Two year subscription: 2 entries. 

If you give a GIFT SUBSCRIPTION, your name will also be entered. 

The contest deadline has been extended to February 19, 2001. 

TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW YOUR SUB: 

• $19/yr in Canada or $33/2 yrs (both include GST) 

• $17/yr US in the USA or $29/2 yrs 

• $22/yr US (or Cdn equivalent) overseas ($40/2yrs) 

Clip or photocopy this coupon, and mail it with a 

cheque to WaveLength: RR-1 Site-17 C-49 Gabriola 

Island, BC CANADA V0R 1X0 

FM01 

Aleutian Kayak 

Wolfgang Brinck, 

Ragged Mtn Press ISBN0-07- 

007893-9 soft-cover 170 pp. 

B & W, $19.95 US 

The Aleutian Kayak 

tells you everything you 

need to know to build 

an authentic baidarka 

in your basement or 

garage for about $200. 

You don’t need extensive woodworking experience, 

an elaborate tool collection, or exotic 

woods. Author Wolfgang Brinck shows that if 

you can use a handsaw, block plane and a 

drill, you can build a baidarka. Here are clear, 

well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions to 

guide you through the process from buying 

materials, tailoring the boat to fit your body, 

building the frame and deck, and sewing on 

the skin. He also includes instructions on paddle-making, 

sewing your own paddling jacket 

and spray skirt, repairs and using your baidarka. 

Touch Wood—BC Forests 

at the Crossroads 

Edited by Ken Drushka, Bob 

Nixon & Ray Travers 

Harbour Publishing, 1993. ISBN 1- 

55017-074-0 softcover, 236 pp, B&W, 

$18.95 Cdn 

The thoughtful essays compiled 

in Touch Wood go to the 

roots of the degradation of our 

environment. The Forest Act of BC has granted 

tenure over ‘public lands’ to logging companies 

for the past 120 years and this needs to 

be challenged. 

“A forest is much more than trees or timber”, 

observes Herb Hammond in his essay. “A forest 

is an interconnected web whose stands 

are composed of rock, soil, water, light, climate 

and a community of life: animals, microorganisms, 

fungi and plants, including shrubs 

and herbs as well as trees. Our culture, including 

our economy, depends on protecting, maintaining, 

and restoring healthy, diverse forests.” 

Complete Folding 

Kayaker 

Ralph Diaz 

Ragged Mountain Press, 1994. ISBN 

0-07-016734-6, soft cover, 159 pp 

B&W, $26.95Cdn, $15.95 US 

As the editor of Folding 

Kayaker, Ralph Diaz has 

paddled all the major models 

of folding kayaks, heard 

from nearly 1,000 folding boat owners, and 

talked to manufacturers about the construction 

and care of their boats. He summarizes this 

information in the Complete Folding Kayaker, 

organized into three parts. Part One, “What 

You should Know” explains the advantages of 

folding kayaks, the history of folding boats, 

and how to choose a folding kayak and basic 

equipment. Part two covers “Handling Skills for 

Foldable”. Part Three offers how-to advice on 

“Using and Enjoying” your folding kayak. This is 

an interesting, well-written source of information 

for anyone interested in folding kayaks. 

Fish For Thought: 

An Eco-Cookbook 

Living Oceans Society 

Arsenal Press 2000. ISBN 1- 

55152-081-8, soft cover, 155 pp, 

color, $21.95 Cdn, $17.95 US 

Fish For Thought is a 

beautifully designed 

cookbook for those concerned 

with the future of 

our oceans. It presents 

wonderful recipes for seafood dishes such as 

grilled wild salmon with soapberry mousse, 

sautéed prawn a mango salad, and Asian coconut 

shrimp. The photographs are gorgeous 

and will make you hungry. It also provides 

information about declining fish stocks, and 

how to purchase and prepare sustainably 

caught seafood to benefit both our oceans and 

the coastal communities that depend on them. 

WaveLength has already kitchen-tested several 

of these receipes and we heartily recommend 

this book! 

888-649-6669 

explorecharters.com 

NAME____________________________________________________________ 

ADDRESS_________________________________________________________ 

PROV/STATE_______________ CODE _________________ 1 YR 

EMAIL_____________________________________________ 2 YRS 

GIFT Subscription with gift card: “From _______________________________________________” 

(Print your name if you wish us to send a gift card and sub to a friend or relative.) 


Web Paddling 

Useful Sites 

If they say that a picture is worth a thousand words,␣ what could 

they say about video? There is a web site, ShowMeTV, which 

plays video excerpts from various sporting activities including 

kayaking. Eight video clips from Performance Sea Kayaking␣ and 

thirteen others from The Kayaker’s Edge, both␣ featuring kayaker 

Kent Ford, as well as clips from Surf Kayaking and Kayaking Ocean 

Rocks are featured on this site. 

Although downloading video on a slow modem may take some 

time, it is well worth the wait.␣ Go to www.showmetv.com and 

click on “Video Library” and then “Sports”. 

STOLEN KAYAKS 

I now switch to a less upbeat but more important topic—stolen 

kayaks. Whether you have recently been the target of such a 

theft, are looking to buy a used kayak, or just wanting to take 

precautions,␣ there are some sites that you should visit.␣ 

Mariner Kayaks: www.marinerkayaks.com has a very good list 

of stolen kayaks which you can check out if you are buying a 

used kayak—or you can post to if you’re unfortunate enough 

have had your kayak stolen.␣ 

ItsBeenStolen.com: itsbeenstolen.com lists many items, includ- 


Ted Leather is the WaveLength Webmaster 

and operates Clayrose Internet Creations, 

an internet services company specializing 

in website design and management. Email: 

webmaster @WaveLengthMagazine.com 

Ted Leather 

ing kayaks, with the added feature of registering your serial 

number as a precaution, before you have problems. 

And check out the Boulder Outdoor Center’s paddle-sports-specific 

National Bulletin Board for lost, stolen, or found boats and 

gear, www.boc123.com. 

Encourage paddling shop owners to post lists of stolen boats, 

or suggest your paddling club posts notices in its newsletter or 

passes lists around in meetings. 

These and many other links to paddling info on the web can 

be found on the WaveLength website at www.WaveLength 

Magazine.com. From the home page just click on “Paddling Logo 

Links” or “More Links” to see our extensive list. ❏ 

37

Ph/Fax: 250-539-5553 

RENTALS, TOURS, LESSONS 

rbruce@gulfislands.com 

121 Boot Cove Rd. 

Saturna Island, BC V0N 2Y0 

sea otter AK 

seaotter@he.net 

www.he.net/~seaotter/ 

Kayakers & Divers 

General Transport 

VIC NADURAK MARINE SERVICES Landing Craft Charters 

333 Chemainus Rd., Ladysmith, BC V0R 2E0 

Vic_Nadurak@bc.sympatico.ca 

2 B&BS ON BLACKFISH SOUND (VANCOUVER IS.) 

BED & BREAKFAST ON THE BEACH 

Gabriola’s south coast paradise. 

Beachfront. Wildlife. Hot tub. 

Gabriola Island, BC 

• KAYAK RENTALS • 

Ph/Fax: 250/247-9824 

www.island.net/~casablan 

GALIANO ISLAND KAYAKING 

Ph/Fax: 250/539-2442 

kayak@gulfislands.com 

www.seakayak.bc.ca/tour 

Ocean Sound Kayaking Co. 

Gwaii Haanas National Park in the Queen 

Charlotte Islands. Every reason to sea 

kayak is found here. With 10 years 

guiding these waters, let us show you! 

2977 W. 5th Ave. Vancouver B.C. V6K 1T8 

Ph/Fx:604-736-0377 Toll Free:888-736-0377 

http://www2.outer.net/oceansound 

Ph: 250-245-3532 A GREAT LITTLE KAYAK CO. 

“The Teeka Wave”—new design. 

Special 1st 10 orders @ $800 off 

Baja Sea Kayak Adventures 

with Nahanni Wilderness Adventures 

Explore Baja’s beautiful desert 

islands in the Sea of Cortez. 

retail. And No GST! Call for more 

details (604) 671-3295 or visit 

our site www.kayakme.com 

Local guides/interpreters. 

Based at Villas de Loreto. 

Call Toll Free: (ph/fax) 1-888-897-5223 

Email: adventures@nahanniwild.com 

Website: www.nahanniwild.com 

KAYAKERS TRANSPORT (17 yrs) 

ORCA WHALE WATCHING (15 yrs) 

CHARTER & SCHEDULED 

SEATS TO REMOTE LOCATIONS 

OR DAY PADDLE FROM THE 

SWANSON ISLAND B&BS 

vikingwest@capescott.net 

250-956-3431 (Pt. McNeill) 

VHF 73, 79 

SECHELT INLET 

Paddlers’ Paradise 

Accessible wilderness only 

2 hours from Vancouver. 

Escape by the hour, day or week. 

Ocean kayak & canoe rentals, sales, lessons 

& trip planning. BOOK AHEAD 604/885-6440 

pedals_paddles@sunshine.net 

www.sunshine.net/paddle 

UNLIMITED LONG DISTANCE 

CALLING ONLY $59.95 PER MONTH 

USA WaveLength readers only... 

Must mention ad #5150 

1-800-868-0836 

America’s Importer of 

Germany’s Pouch Boats 

50 years of experience building single 

and tandem folding boats tough 

enough for the military, yet practical in 

more casual use. Efficient under paddle or sail, 

Pouch Boats go on family outings and arctic expeditions. 

www.PouchBoats.com 

Ralph@PouchBoats.com. Ph: 425 962-2987 

Mothership adventures and ocean 

kayaking tours 

• Johnstone Strait, Broken 

Group, Clayoquot Sound, 

Gulf Islands • Day Tours 

• Sunset Tours • Moonlight 

Tours 

Ph/Fax: 250 752-8693 

Toll Free: 1-877-752-8693 

current@island.net 

www.extremeinterface.com/intothecurrent 

TREE ISLAND KAYAKING 3025 Comox Rd. 

Courtenay, BC 

V9N 3P7 

tree@island.net 

www.island.net/~tree 

May to October 

250-339-0580 

Rentals • Lessons • Tours • Necky Sales 

VARGAS ISLAND INN 

Affordable Wilderness Resort accommodations 

in Clayoquot Sound on Vargas Island beachfront. 

• 5k N.W. Tofino • Ideal for kayakers • Inn & 

cabins • All self-catering • Passenger & kayak 

transport from Tofino available • Lots to do! 

CALL 250-725-3309 

Sea Kayak Association of BC 

Meets once a month. Also trips & 

training. Box 751, Stn. A 

Vancouver, BC V6C 2N6 

Or call 604-738-8406 

http://skabc.tripod.com 

KAYAK 

ADVENTURES 

Offering custom, cost-effective guided 

tours on the BC Coast since 1993. 

TOURS • LESSONS • RENTALS • SALES 

1-800-632-0722 

www.egmont-marina.com 

WaveLength Magazine has 

50,000 readers per issue 

six times a year plus 150,000 

hits per month on 

WaveLengthMagazine.com 

If you’re planning a paddling trip 

near Northern Vancouver Island or 

the Central Coast, RENT from us. 

ODYSSEY KAYAKING 

Ph: 250-902-0565 

odyssey@capescott.net 

www.island.net/~odysseyk/ 

www.capescott.net/~odyssey/ 

Costa Rica Sea Kayaking 

since 1987 

BUILD YOUR OWN BOAT 

Kayaks/Rowboats, Skiffs/Canoes 

Box 754 Ladysmith B.C. V9G 1A5 

Ph:250-245-5199 Fax:250-245-5180 

www.ohurleysboats.com ohurleys@sprint.ca 

610 Oyster Bay Drive 

on the Ladysmith waterfront 

SEA KAYAK TONGA WITH 

FRIENDLY ISLANDS KAYAK CO. 

Tonga based operator since 1991 Tropical sea 

kayaking, snorkelling, mtountain biking, whale 

watching. No experience required. 

Escape to a remote South Pacific kingdom! 

Ph/Fax: +676-70-173 

kayaktonga@kalianet.to 

www.fikco.com/kayaktonga 

Odyssey Kayaking is accepting resumés for guides and 

helpers for the 2001 kayaking season. Guides require 

a verifiable industry standard certification and experience. 

First aid and CPR must be current for 2001 

season and a minimum of “Essential Wilderness First 

Aid” for leaders. Replies held in strictest confidence. 

Please submit replies to: Odyssey Kayaking, Box 1349, 

Port Hardy, BC, V0N 2P0 or Email: odyssey@island.net 

Ph: 250-902-0565

Gwaii Haanas 

“Place of Wonder” 

Nourish the body, 

mind and 

spirit 

Archipelago Ventures Ltd. 

Queen Charlotte Islands Haida Gwaii 

www.island.net/~archipel 

1-888-559-8317 toll free 

TROPICAL & POLAR PADDLES 

FIJI, ANTARCTICA AUSTRALIA, ANTARCTICA 

AND THE HIGH ARCTIC 

7-15 day adventures. Lovely beaches. 

Great snorkelling. Wilderness & 

Cultural trips. Ice and wildlife. 

Toll Free: 1-888-283-0954 

Fax: 510-848-2565 

Email: cventure@pacbell.net 

www.southernseaventures.com 

ZEBALLOS EXPEDITIONS & KAYAKS 

Paddle the Breathtaking West Coast of Vancouver Island 

RENTALS TOURS TRANSPORTATION 

TRIP PLANNING 

Nootka, Kyuquot, Bunsbys, Brooks 

PO Box 111, Zeballos, BC V0P 2A0 

Phone (250) 761-4137 

kayak@netcom.ca www.zeballoskayaks.com 

NEW ZEALAND 

Seakayak & Cycle Tours & Rentals 

Natural High, Adrenalin Dealers 

WWW.SeakayakNewZealand.com 

WWW.CycleNewZealand.com 

adventure@natural-high.co.nz 

64-3-5466936 

64-3-5466954 fax 

EXPERIENCE BOUNDLESS LAKES & WATERWAYS IN THE KOOTENAYS 

OF BC’S INTERIOR • VIEWING OSPREY, EAGLES AND ALL WILDLIFE 

KINETIC KAYAKINGLTD. 

KAYAK RENTALS, LESSONS, TOURS 

Located in Port Alice on northern Vancouver 

Island, a 30 minute scenic drive from Hwy. 

19 north of Port McNeill. 

Marcella Hewco 

250-284-3205 or 

Kayak Lessons, Day Tours & Expeditions 

Sailing Programs & Wilderness Camps for Youth 

Gulf Islands, Johnstone Strait, Costa Rica and 

Dominica—Nature Isle of the Caribbean 

Salt Spring Island, BC 

1 888 529-2567 escapades@saltspring.com 

www.islandescapades.com 

80 ft Kayak Motorsailer Mothership 

Explore! Desolation Sound and Gulf 

Islands. Also custom cruises: 3,4 and 7 

day expeditions. Adventure with 

Comfort and Safety. No experience 

necessary. Everything provided. 

www.explorecharters.com 

explore@explorecharters.com See our ship 

Toll Free: 888-649-6669 on page 36 

Ph:250-642-6669 Cell:250-360-6763 

PROFESSIONAL SAIL REPAIRS 

JAN’S SAIL REPAIR 

Jan Dorzinsky 

Gabriola Island, BC 

250-247-8770 

Epub Adventures 

Interactive CDs on Sea Kayaking 

Now available “Master Sea 

Kayaker: Derek Hutchinson”: 

over 60 minutes of MPEG1 video, dozens of 

historical photos. Microsoft operating system 

compatible. MasterCard/Visa accepted. 

Available at: www.Epub-Adventures.com 

SPECIALIZING IN MARINE AREAS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 

15 MAPS AVAILABLE 

Bella Bella, Hakai Passage, Johnstone Strait, Broughton Archipelago, 

Kyuquot, Desolation, Nootka, Barkley and Clayoquot 

Sounds, Gulf Islands, Georgia Strait, Sunshine Coast, Esperanza 

Inlet, Quatsimo-Goletas Channel. Coastal Waters Recreation 

Suite 547, 185-911 Yates St., Victoria, BC V8V 4Y9. 

www.coastalwatersrec.com/maps/ info@coastalwatersrec.com 

Kayak Lessons, Rentals & Tours 

Custom Classes & Tours 

Bud and Sheryll Bell 

Ladysmith, BC 

250-245-4096 

or 1-877-KAYAK BC (529-2522) 

www.Sealegs-Kayaks.bc.ca 

Visit 

WaveLengthMagazine.com 

—your Gateway to the 

World of Paddling 

KAYAK SALTSPRING ISLAND 

Luxurious oceanfront accommodation for the 

discriminating guest. Adult oriented, ensuite baths, 

jacuzzis, hot tubs. Fireplaces. Perfect for relaxing. 

KAYAK RENTALS 

Reservations: 1-888-633-9555 

nancy@saltspring.com 

www.saltspringisl.com 

Arbutus Point Oceanfront B&B 

BC, BAJA, TUSCANY & BEYOND... 

Saltspring Kayaking 

Daily Tours, Rentals & Sales 

Ph/Fax: 250/653-4222 

sskayak@saltspring.com 

www.saltspring.com/sskayak 

2923 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Saltspring Island, BC V8K 1X6 

Stop Theft in Paddlesports! 

Post/View Stolen Gear for Free! 

www.BOC123.com 

hosted by Boulder Outdoor Center 

Wilderness Experience in Comfort 

Whale watching, forest tours, native art & dance. 

Kayak Mothershipping available. 4 to 6 day 

cruises. Comfortable and friendly with wonderful 

food. G. Cook’s Tours, Box 22, Alert Bay, 

BC, Canada V0N1A0. Toll free 1-877-974- 

5002. Email: waletail@island.net 

Web: www.alertbay.com/cooktour 

MAJESTIC OCEAN KAYAKING 

Ucluelet, BC. Guided day trips, half day 

trips and multi day trips. 

Quality equipment, gourmet 

food, knowledgeable guides. 

1-800-889-7644 

majestic@island.net 

www.majestic.bc.ca 

In action 

for 24 years! 

LAND AND WATER BASED 

• 14 week semester programme 

• Outdoor Education Practicum 

Phone (250) 286-3122 

www.colt.bc.ca 

Half & Full Day Kayak Tours 

Voyageur Canoe Tours 

—Liz Issac— 

Ph: (250) 728-3535 Fax: (250) 728-3534 

Toll Free: 1-877-728-3535 

Email: deer_paddles@hotmail.com 

Ocean River Sports is proud to offer brand new 

CRCA Sea Kayak Certification courses for 

Recreational Paddlers and Instructors. We also 

offer Assistant Guide Training courses for the 

Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC. 

Recreational Courses 

Level II (Tidal) June 22-25, July 17-20 

Level IV (Advanced) April 9-13 

Instructor Training 

Basic Instructor July 24-27 

Level I Instructor May 7-10 

Level II Instructor March 17-20 

Assistant Guide Training 

April 27-May 6, May 11-20, May 25- 

June 3, September 8-17 

For information, call 250-381-4233, email 

adventure@oceanriver.com or check out 

www.oceanriver.com

Know Your Neighbours 

Northwest Bushes 

Sure the Northwest is famous for its forests, but try stepping 

past the beach fringe in many fine kayaking areas and you’ll 

find it difficult to see the forest for the bushes. Coastal “forests” 

can seem a lot more like scattered trees surrounded by impenetrable 

bush. Venture in on foot and you’ll realize why so many 

First Nations relied on dugout canoes to move about. 

Bushes are woody like trees, but have multiple stems and are 

generally less than ten meters tall. Naturally there is some blurring 

betwixt the two—junipers, willows and numerous other trees 

will often grow as bushes in poor conditions. But bushes aren’t 

there just to slow us down. They can grow in places where trees 

cannot, building and holding soil in extreme areas. They often 

provide more direct food to wildlife and are essential to the ecology 

of our coast. 

Many of us have come to think of shady, closed canopy second 

growth plantations as normal “forest” in the Northwest. Natural 

old growth forest is more often a mosaic of trees and bushy openings, 

forest with three layers—the tree canopy above, a bush level 

one to four meters high and herbs at ground level. 

You might have heard that one in the hand is worth two in the 

bush—that’s because things are darn hard to find amidst a heavy 

shrub layer. If you do any wandering into coastal bush, bring 

your compass—no excuses. Of course, bush/people interactions 

are not just about bushwacking and thrashing your way from 

beach “A” to point of interest “B” overland. Bushes can be attractive—we 

ship salal leaves all over the world to provide backdrop 

for floral arrangements. Bushes can be useful—ocean spray’s 

hard wood was used for all sorts of tools. And bushes can be 

Bryan Nichols 

delicious—many on this month’s checklist have yummy berries 

for your bearlike browsing. 

Most of BC’s predominant coastal bushes belong to just two 

families. The very successful heath family includes heathers, 

rhodos, salal, and all the huckleberries and blueberries—together 

they from the vast majority of the coastal shrub layer. The rose 

family is more prickly, and includes things like thimble, salmon 

and blackberries as well as wild roses of course. I’ve included a 

couple others on this list—scotch broom is a legume and devil’s 

club belongs to the ginseng family. 

If you venture from shore and dare to wander off trails or logging 

roads, you will encounter bushes. You might curse them as 

they scratch you, jab you and attempt to lose you; you might 

praise them as they provide berries, beauty and something to 

cling to on those steeper slopes. Either way, look for these twelve 

types next time you’re out. ❏ 

Author’s Note: Plants of Coastal BC remains the best for 

bushes and just about any plants. 

Bryan has spent way too much of the last five years 

thrashing around in bushy coastal forests instead of 

paddling serenely along their edges. 

The berries help make up for it. © 

KAYAK SUPERNATURAL BRITISH COLUMBIA’S 

NOOTKA ISLAND 

Enjoy the breath-taking scenery and wildlife of 

historic Nootka Sound, with all the comforts of a 

world renowned lodge. After a day of adventure 

and paddling, return to the lodge for a hot shower 

and a delicious meal. Guided tours available, with 

lessons for beginners. Rent our kayaks or bring 

your own. Fishing packages and zodiac 

tours also available. 

2 night, 3 day 

packages 

$679 per person 

INCLUDES ROOM, ALL MEALS, 

GUIDE, KAYAK & GEAR, 

AIRFARE FROM GOLD RIVER 

Nootka Island Lodge 

October to April, ph. (250) 752-0455 

www.nootkaisland.com info@nootkaisland.com 


SALAL Gaultheria shallon 

The king of coastal bushes, salal dominates the 

understory of many forests we paddle along. 

It grows to an imposing five meters with thick 

stems, white flowers and blue berries. In some 

areas it seems there is far more salal than trees 

and moving through it can be a daunting task, giving true 

meaning to the term “bushwacking”. Those abundant berries 

are usually bland but sample them—occasionally you’ll find a 

bush with some really sweet, tasty ones. 

BLUEBERRIES Vaccinium alaskaense and V. ovalifolium 

Vaccinium species are second only to salal in 

abundance along our coast, though the species 

vary as you move north. Alaskan and oval-leaf 

blueberry can completely cover hillsides, growing 

together to form a dense shrub layer up to 

two meters tall. In summer and fall they are 

often laden with big, juicy blueberries. There 

is considerable variation in the flavor between the two species 

and even individual bushes, but it’s great to just “be the bear” 

and wallow up the hillside shoving berries (and the occasional 

leaf) into your purple mouth. 

RED HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium parvifolium 

In southern BC and Washington, red huckleberry is often the 

most abundant shrub. It is an attractive plant with pale green 

leaves and berries so red and bright you can use them to catch 

fish (it really works). I love them but you have to be careful— 

they can be tart. They’re great in things like pancakes or fruit 

salads though, and add zing when mixed with salal or blueberries 

for a fresh berry medley. 

EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY Vaccinium ovatum 

This bush loves the ocean and often grows right 

to the high tide mark. The tasty berries mature 

late and you’ll find them right through to Christmas 

in some areas. The catch is strong, inflexible 

stems—this stuff is a nightmare to move through, 

worse than salal or the other vacciniums. In all 

dense bush, remember to make plenty of noise so you don’t 

startle the bears that make those low trails you’re following. 

OCEAN SPRAY Holodiscus discolor 

How can kayakers resist this one? A tall bush 

that seems to like steep coastlines, its creamy 

clusters of tiny flowers do remind us of ocean 

spray even when we’re paddling in calm waters. 

The wood is really hard and was used to 

make a wide variety of pointy death sticks including arrows, 

spears, harpoons and even fish hooks. 

ROSES Rosa sp. 

Roses aren’t just for tame city gardens—wild 

roses along the coast include baldhip 

(gymnocarpa), nootka (nutkana) and clustered 

(pisocarpa). Nootka rose bushes can get pretty 

big; in good years you’ll find them covered in 

rose colored flowers. Don’t lie down though—this bed of roses 

also has plenty of sharp, straight prickles. Foreign roses on the 

lam from gardens have curved prickles. 


Checklist # 17—Coastal Bushes 

THIMBLEBERRY Rubus parviflorus 

Thimbleberry bushes have big, hairy, maple 

shaped leaves that come up from rhizomes 

underground. They love open areas and do 

well along logging roads and settlements, new 

or old. The flowers are white and the soft red 

berries are probably my favorite, though many folks would 

disagree. Toss the fresh shoots into your salad and sample the 

berries until you find the right bush at the right time—then 

feast away. 

SALMONBERRY Rubus spectabilis 

There are those that don’t much like 

salmonberry. It is a tall, prickly plant that 

forms dense, painful thickets around 

streams and wet areas. I like any plant I 

can eat though, and in spring the shoots 

and berries are both edible. You do have to find the right bush— 

the always squishy berries can be bitter. 

DEVIL’S CLUB Oplopanax horridus 

Latin names can be evocative, as anyone who has 

walked through streams choked with devil’s club 

will agree. The stems and even the leaves of this 

large ginseng relative have nasty prickles that 

break off and fester in your skin. It’s attractive 

though, with huge maple-like leaves and bright 

red berries. An important medicinal plant for centuries, 

lately it has fallen into favor with the herbalists, which 

has resulted in many areas being exorcised. 

RED ELDERBERRY Sambucus racemosa 

Elderberries love wet areas and you’ll often spot 

(and smell) them next to creeks. It’s a big plant (to 

six meters) with beautiful bright red berries that 

look tasty but beware. Most of the plant contains 

cyanide relatives and the berries themselves will 

make you sick unless you cook them. On the other hand, elderberry 

wine is rumored to have mysterious romantic powers... 

BLACKBERRIES Rubus sp 

Himalayan blackberry (R.discolor) from Asia 

and evergreen blackberry (R. laciniatus) from 

Europe have overtaken many disturbed sites 

in southern BC, particularly along roads and 

trails. Though they get dissed occasionally because of the zeal 

with which they form dense thickets, most of us don’t complain 

about these plants despite their hefty prickles. If you 

haven’t gorged on the huge, delicious berries until your tongues 

and lips are black, you need to work on your Northwest lifestyle 

choices. 

SCOTCH BROOM Cytisus scoparius 

This increasingly common invader is not 

nearly as well regarded as the blackberries. 

Allegedly started from just three seeds and a 

homesick Scot back in 1850, broom is sweeping 

across the drier parts of Vancouver Island, 

choking off many of our native plants. There are organized 

efforts to remove or control it; ask for advice if you find it in 

your yard or favorite campsite. 

© Bryan Nichols 2001. No reproduction without permission of the author. 

41

Mothership Meanderings 

The Broughton Archipelago—Part 3 

This is the 3rd in a series of columns on the 

Broughton Archipelago. This time we look at 

the marine services available in the area. 

When August rolls around each year, 

we leave the deadlines and crises 

behind and head up the coast to the 

Broughton Archipelago for a month-long 

holiday cruise on our ‘mothership’. 

We love paddling this maze of evergreen 

encrusted, rocky islets, still a wild 

place despite the millennia of the First Nations 

habitation. While the predominant 

experience is a coastal wilderness, here 

and there are village sites, float homes, 

marine resorts, private boats, logging 

camps, even clearcuts and fish farms. 

More often now we see the flash, flash of 

paddlers’ blades in the distance, or pass a 

group of kayakers, but isolation is still the 

dominant experience. 

We seek those spots where we can be 

alone, sometimes for days at a time, and 

just drink up the peace and beauty of the 

marine wilderness. 

We catch crab, bake bannock, go off on 

exploratory paddles, shoot a lot of photos, 

and come back to the boat to curl up 

with a good book and a glass of wine. 

From weekend exploring to serious offshore navigating... 

RITCHIE ® 

Kayaking Compasses 

have the accuracy you need. 

Ritchie SportAbout Features 

• 2” Easy to Read Dial 

• Impact Resistant Silicon Case 

• V-Notch Sight and Lubber Line 

for Heading Alignment 

• Neck Lanyard 

• Ideal Hand Bearing Compass 

for on-shore treks. 

RITCHIE ® 

Call, write or e-mail for a FREE 

Outdoor Sports Catalog. 

SportAbout 

Model X-11Y 

SportAbout 

Kayak Tie-Down Mount 

Model X-TD 

(Bungee cord & clips included) 

NAVIGATION 

Since 1850. Your Most Important Instrument 

243 Oak Street • Pembroke, MA 02359 

Telephone (781) 826-5131 • Fax (781) 826-7336 

http://www.ritchienavigation.com 

The Broughton Archipelago is a maze of evergreen encrusted rocky islets 

The Broughton Archipelago is ideal for 

this—an isolated area of islands, inlets 

and protected backwaters where you can 

lose yourself from the world outside. 

Boaters can find good, sometimes private 

anchorage, and paddlers can discover 

desolately beautiful campsites. 

We tend to avoid the marine resorts, 

where some of the ‘social’ boating crowd 

hang out, but I’ll admit Laurie and I find 

Wet Notes Model W-50, 

the perfect waterproof 

notebook. 

Kayaker 

Model S-59W 

Ritchie Kayaker Features 

• 2 3 /4” High Visibility Blue Dial 

• Course Minder Movable Bezel 

with Heading Indicator 

• Mounts Easily to Deck or Tie-Down 

• Low Mounting Height 

Kayaker Tie-Down Mount 

Model K-TD 

(Bungee cord & clips NOT INCLUDED) 

Alan Wilson 

it very nice, in the midst of our annual retreat, 

to periodically stock up on fresh water, 

veggies, do the laundry, have a hot 

shower or meal, restock the wine and 

treats, and get fuel and water for the boat. 

Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of a 

few dedicated individuals, there are good 

services available in the Broughton. While 

some of these marine resorts have catered 

primarily to boaters and sports fishers in 


Photo by Russ Heinl, ImageNetwork Inc. ©

the past, now ecotourism is bringing more 

paddlers into the area, diversifying the 

clientele. 

Prices are obviously higher than down 

south due to the high costs of shipping, 

and selection is limited, but it’s great to 

find missing ingredients for a favourite 

recipe or get some treats. 

When you’re planning your trip—by 

power, sail or paddle—it’s very useful to 

consider the locations of these resorts, and 

the type of services you can find in each. 

See page 44 for details. 

ACCESS 

The Broughton Archipelago is isolated 

yet accessible. Private boaters and commercial 

motherships sail north from Vancouver, 

Victoria or Seattle, while paddlers 

often take the ferry and drive to northern 

Vancouver Island (with their own kayaks, 

or rent on arrival, or meet up with a tour 

group) for the paddle across Johonstone 

Strait. Some catch a ride with a charter 

boat, carrying their kayaks and gear right 

into the Archipelago, and get picked up 

later. An even quicker option is to fly in 

on scheduled or charter float plane service 

to a marine resort, bringing along a 

folding kayak as luggage. Paddle off into 

the wilderness for a few weeks, or rent accommodation 

as a base for day paddling. 

See Marine Services Directory, page 44. → 

Dry Bag Systems For 

The New Millennium 

Our goal is to offer you the best value 

for your dry bag $ you’ll find 

anywhere on the planet. Check out 

our innovative and functional 

product line at your local watersport 

retailer in Canada. Or check out our 

on-line product catalog at 

www.venturequest.net 

Gear up and find out why more and 

more of the world’s top guides are 

using Aqua Quest gear... you’ll luv it! 

Distributed By 

Venture Quest Enterprises, Inc. 

(604) 970-2890 

www.venturequest.net 


Echo Bay 

Echo Bay has a special place in our hearts because it is the home of Alexandra 

Morton and Billy Proctor, friends from our days on the provincial Salmon 

Aquaculture Review Committee (the environmental review that brought to light many 

of the ills of fish farming). 

Visiting with Alex and her family (Eric, Clio and Catherine), and Billy nextdoor, 

is a highlight of our trip to the Broughton. Alex brings us up to date on the marine 

mammals of the area, as well as the latest fish farm fiascos. 

Billy always has some surprises—in 1999, a museum, in 2000, a gift shop where 

you can buy Alex’s photos, cards and t-shirts to help fund her research, as well as 

Alex’s husband Eric’s wooden bowls and other local artists’ work. 

Echo Bay hosts both Echo Bay Resort and Windsong Sea Village and is well supplied 

for paddlers and other boaters, with a good store. The Bay also a has Marine 

Park with camping and even a school for local kids like Alex’s daughter Clio. The 

nearby Burdwood Islands, with their gleaming white middens, are a great spot for 

paddlers to visit. —AW 

Billy’s giftshop 

(left) and Alex 

(right) with 

Mocha, her Jack 

Russell terrier, 

on her boat at 

Echo Bay 

Photo Laurie MacBride Photo Alan Wilson 

43

ADVENTURE IN COMFORT AND SAFETY 

EXPLORE! BC Coast by Kayak 

and 80-ft Mothership 

Subscribe to 

WaveLength 

for a chance 

to win a trip 

on this ship. 

For details 

see p. 36. 

10 

9 

Broughton 

Archipelago 

Marine Park 

* * 

6 

4 5 

BROUGHTON MARINE SERVICES DIRECTORY 

1. Fishdance Lodge: resort in Soderman Cove 

with dock, rooms & meals. Ph: 604-591-8536 

www.fishdancelodge.com. Monitors VHF 

channels 73 & 06. 

2. Lagoon Cove Marina: on East Cracroft Island, 

fuel dock, store, washrooms, shower. 

Open all year. Monitors channel 73. 

3. Minstrel Island Resort: rooms, pub, cafe, 

fuel dock, showers, laundry, moorage for 

guests. Open all year. Ph: 250-949-0215. 

Monitors channels 73 & 06. 

4. Echo Bay Resort: full service, fuel dock, water, 

lodging, store, laundry, showers, haulout, post 

office. Open all year. Ph: 250-956-2121. email: 

echobay@island.net. Monitors channel 73. 

5. Windsong Sea Village: float houses for rent, 

moorage for guests, washrooms, showers, art 

gallery, bakery. Open May—September. Ph: 

250-974-5004. email: windecho@ island.net 

Monitors channel 73 & 16. 

8 

3 

2 

1 

7 

6. Pierre’s Bay Lodge & Marina: brand new 

facility on west shore of Scott Cove, moorage, 

restaurant, shower, laundry, gift shop, suites. 

Ph: 250-949-2503. Monitors channel 73. 

7. Kwatsi Bay Marina: off Tribune Channel, new 

marina on floats, showers. Cellular 250-949- 

1384. Monitors channel 73. 

8. Shawl Bay Marina: floating marina, washrooms, 

shower, laundry, store, water, power. 

Monitors 73. 

9. Greenway Sound Marina: full service resort, 

guest moorage, power, restaurant, washrooms, 

laundry, store. Open June - September 

15. Ph: 800-800-2080. Monitors 73. 

10. Sullivan Bay Marine Resort: open all year 

for fuel & post office, seasonally for guests, 

moorage, store, washrooms, showers, laundry, 

power, post office, garbage drop, air service. 

Ph: 250-949-2550. Monitors channel 73. 

* Starred sites are Orcawatch B&B: paddlers’ accommodation on Swanson Island with transport 

services by Viking West Charters 250-956-3431, and Village Island Tours with camping, transport 

and First Nations presentations 250-282-3338, www.villageisland.com 

OCEAN RIVER SPORTS 

800~909~4233 

www.oceanriver.com 

EXPLORE! CHARTERS 

Toll Free 888~649~6669 

Cell: 360~6763 

explore@explorecharters.com 

www.explorecharters.com 

Calendar 

For 2001, Waggoners have 

grouped the Broughton area into 

a single, more accessible section. 

We swear by this book, oriented 

to boaters but packed with 

information for paddlers and 

others. Toll free: 1-800-733-5330. 

www.waggonerguide.com 

Paddlers who wish to camp in the Broughton should 

ask permission of the First Nations bands with 

jurisdiction. Yvon Gessinghaus, MTTC in Alert 

Bay, can tell you who to call. She’s at 250-974-5516. 

A number of tour companies advertising in this issue 

offer trips to the Broughton. North Island Kayak 

Rentals (toll free: 877-949-7707) and Odyssey 

Kayaking (250-902-0565) are both based on 

Northern Vancouver Island and both offer rentals 

and tours for the Broughton. ❏ 

Feb 16 -18, 2nd National Adventure Tourism 

Industry Conference, UCC Campus, 

Kamloops, BC. Contact: Sandy Eastwood 

250-374-5899 or Gilles Valade 250-371-5843 

or advgconference @cariboo.bc.ca 

Feb 16-18, Outdoor Adventure Show, BC 

Place, Vancouver, BC. Info: 800-891-4859 or 

info@momentumevents.com, 

www.nationalevent.com 

Feb 19, Deadline for the Apr/May issue of 

WaveLength: “Paddling Basics”. Call 

250-247-9789 or 247-8858 or email 

wavenet@island.net 

Feb 23-25, Outdoor Adventure Show, 

Toronto, Ontario. Info: 800-891-4891 or 

ronc@nationalevent.com 


Feb 23-25, Florida Gulf Coast Sea Kayak 

Symposium, www.WaterTribe.com 

Mar 2-3, TrailsFest at the Seattle Center Flag 

Pavilion, sponsored by Washington Trails 

Association and REI. Call 206-635-1367. 

www.wta.org 

Mar 13-18, World Surf Kayaking Championships, 

Santa Cruz, California. Contact 

Dennis Judson 831-458-3648. 

www.asudoit.com 

Mar 23-25, Paddlesport 2001, Garden State 

Exposition Center, Somerset, New Jersey. 

Contact Jersey Paddler: 888-225-2925. 

www.jerseypaddler.com 

Mar 30-Apr 1, Outdoor Adventure Show, 

Calgary, Alberta. 800-891-4891 

maureenhenderson@sprint.ca, 


Apr 20-22, Annual Spring Guides Exchange, 

Ladysmith, BC. The Sea Kayak Guides 

Alliance of BC’s kayak guide skills exchange. 

Theme—“A Day in the Life of a Guide”. 

Contact 250-245-3706. www.SKGABC.com 

May 18-21, annual Coast Kayak Symposium, 

Thetis Island, BC. Contact Mercia Sixta at 

604-597-1122 or mercias@excite.com 

Mar 19-20, 5th annual San Juan Challenge 

Kayak Race, Anacortes, Washington. Call 

360-299-2300. www.sjcraceandexpo.org 

Jun 2, Ecomarine Demo Day, Jericho Beach 

(Vancouver), BC. Kayak, paddle, skill demos. 

Public awareness on safety and environmental 

issues. Call Kathryn at 604-689-7520 

Jun 16-17, Okanagan Paddle Festival, 

Peachland, BC. Contact Wendell Phillips at 

wphillips@mail.silk.net or 250-767-2225 

Jun 23-24, Vancouver Island PaddleFest, 

at Transfer Beach, Ladysmith, BC. Ph: 250- 

245-4246, paddlefest@PaddleCentre.com, or 

www.PaddleCentre.com 


REAL ESTATE 

SOLD 

Pics at WaveLengthMagazine.com 

LAURIE RECEIVED DOZENS OF CALLS 

from WaveLength readers as far away as Alberta 

and California. And yes, WaveLength readers 

bought her house! 

HOME & OFFICE. Modern 1500 sq. ft. cedarsided 

house on treed half acre on Gabriola 

Island, BC. (WaveLength Magazine’s head 

office). Heat efficient south-facing passive solar 

design, with wood and electrical. Three 

bedrooms and office with separate entrance 

(could be playroom or workshop). One and a 

half bathrooms. Bright, spacious, open plan 

kitchen/dining area with parquet flooring. Also 

patio, storeroom, two woodsheds, fertile 

garden, and 8,000 gallon concrete cistern for 

excellent water supply. Handy to ferry, 

shopping, school. Just minutes from kayak 

launch. Good privacy. Good neighbours. Easy 

access to Vancouver by air. Asking $125,000 

Cdn (approx. $80K US). Contact 250-247-8858, 

247-8670 or awilson@island.net 

REAL ESTATE 

ARTISITC ENTRYWAY WELCOMES YOU to 

deluxe 3425 sq. ft. executive family home. This 

architect designed Victorian heritage style, is 

located an easy 25 minutes from Vancouver 

(no bridges!), in finest and oldest 

neighbourhood of New Westminster, BC. 

Surrounded by green space, just steps from 

Queens Park, tennis courts, hockey arena, 

children's petting zoo, workout circuit. 

Incredible landscaping, totally private back yard 

with fish pond, waterfall and garden boxes. 

Nanny accommodation or separate 400 sq. ft. 

private office. Hot tub. Hot water heat, 

hardwood floors, crown mouldings, vaulted 

ceilings, heated double garage with lane access. 

Minutes from the Fraser River and close to 

many whitewater opportunities in the the Fraser 

Valley. List price: $649,000 Cdn. Contact 800- 

535-1737. 

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 

EXCITING ECOTOURISM BUSINESS for 

sale: successful British Columbia lodge-based 

sea kayaking operation. 30 kayaks and gear, 

plus small boats/engines, core of reliable employees/guides, 

strong returning client database, 

website, marketing program and existing 

relationships with mothership and educational 

institution. Reasonable lease available on beautiful 

7-acre waterfront site with 1000 sq. ft. 

lodge, camping, and dock facilities for 

mothership. Work with owners in summer 2001 

and take over for 2002 season. Perfect for 

semi-retired couple with marine and/or tourism 

experience seeking seasonal island life- 

2001 style. Serious FEBRUARY • inquiries MARCH WaveLength to WaveLength. 

45

Alexandra - Wavelength Paddling Magazine

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?