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INSIDE
Lear ning t o St it ch and Glue
The Va r nis he d Ka ya k
21
A Brief Hist or y of Wooden Kayaks
John C. Harris
24
Guides War m up to Wood
Building a Volkskomponent kayak 14
33
Why Would Anybody Want a Wooden Kayak? 7
Shawn W. Baker
Nick Schade
4 th Annual Newfound Rendezvous 26
Donna Wilford
Ulli Hger
Volume 10 No. 4
Michael Vermouth
COVER PHOTO c our t esy of Pygmy Boat s, w w w .pygmyboat s.c om
2 8
3 0
www.WaveLengthMagazine.com
SUBMISSIONS, ADS, DISTRIBUTION
wavenet@island.net
Phone/Fax 250-247-9789
Alternate Phone 247-8858
11
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16
GIFT GUIDE
Search MeWEB PADDLING
4 0
The Cedar St rip Kayak 18
Editor
Alan Wilson
Promotions Manager
Diane Coussens
Associate Editor
Laurie MacBride
Associate
Howard Stiff
WWW
Ted Leather
Distribution: 604-682-5791
Marty Wanless, Herb Clark,
Raj Harwood, Frank Murphy
Bookkeeper
Margaret Dyke
Advisor
Mercia Sixta
Vaclav Stejskal
Dave Grimmer
Moving t o Ecoforest r y
29
3 6
37
The Brought on ArchipelagoPART 2 MOTHERSHIP MEANDERINGS
Alan Wilson
42
Ted Leather
Tranquil Forest s?FROM THE RAINFOREST
Dan Lewis
2 8
35
ECOBYTES
Blackfish SoundFROM THE ARCHIPELAGO
Alexandra Morton
Hume CookinPADDLE MEALS
Deb Leach with Sharon Hume
Coast al TreesKNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS
Bryan Nichols
Alan Wilson
WOODEN KAYAK DIRECTORY
10
38 UNCLASSIFIEDS
CALENDAR
4 4
W
ooden K
ayak s
P
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o
t
o

b
y

L
a
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r
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e

M
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P
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6 WaveLengt h DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1
For more on Ecoforestry, see page 29
Photos from: 1. Laughing Loon, 2. Chesapeake Light Craft, 3. Driftwood Kayaks
Wooden KayaksPar t 1
Edi t or i al
A
t long last, here is an issue devoted solely
to Wooden Kayaks! We hope you enjoy
reading it as much as we have enjoyed putting
it together. Thanks to the many boat builders
who contributed material.
In fact, we have been so overwhelmed
with stories and photos on this topicwhich
is obviously near and dear to many of you
that we have decided to extend the theme
to our next issue.
In this issue we focus on plywood stitch
& glue and cedar strip kayaks. In part 2
(Feb/Mar) we will look at arctic-style
wood-frame skin kayaks, woodworking
safety, and much more.
The reasons for building with wood are
many, as you will see in the succeeding pages.
Certainly for most of historyand prehis-
torywood has been the material of choice for kayaks and
canoes. Great cedar dugouts plied the Pacific Northwest
coast of North America for 10,000 years! Even with all the
great synthetic materials now on the market, wood still has
unique and wonderful properties for boat building.
I have a plastic boat myself, but I must admit theres a
special joy in paddling the wooden kayaks my father has
madeone from a kit and one of his own design.
Of course, building boats of glass and poly means we
dont cut so many trees. But on the other hand, the quan-
tity of material used in a wood kayak is tiny compared with,
for example, wood siding or shingles on even a single house
(I could have built a fleet of kayaks with the amount of cedar
siding used on my house). Kayaks can even be built from
waste, offcuts or recycled wood.
Nevertheless, trees are involved, and the problem for
wooden kayak enthusiasts is how to have a continuing wood
41 Wooden Schooner
For Sale
Classic eastcoast Pinky,
lovingly crafted by a
professional shipwright.
POTENTIAL MOTHERSHIP
PASSAGE YACHT SALES
in Nanaimo, BC
250-755-2001
250-741-1965
3
supply, yet conserve the forest for wildlife and
for the enjoyment of wilderness paddling
trips.
In fact, it is possible to have both wooden
kayaks and old growth forests. With the ad-
vent of Ecocertified wood products, we
can now purchase wood products from certi-
fied ecoforestry operations.
Ecoforestry aims for the highest economic
value for the least amount of wood har-
vested, and requires strict environmental
standards.
This doesnt mean we can stop demanding
that government regulate the forest industrys
environmental practices, but it does give us an
additional tool to use.
While ecocertified wood products are not
yet common, more and more woodlot operators
and private land owners are applying for certification. The
biggest success on this front has been the commitment by
some big retail chains (including Home Depot) to begin
changing over to ecowood. Although its still early in the
transition, the supply will grow with the demand.
Ecotourism and ecoforestry are actually partners in a
changing economy. Ecotourists play their role by helping to
diversify the economy in isolated communities which are
otherwise resource-dependent (logging and fishing) and
Ecoforesters will ensure there continues to be wilderness to
draw adventurers, as well as an ongoing wood supply for
the future.
By building with ecowood we can influence decisions
made in forestry and paddle our kayaks in the wilderness,
guilt-free.
Alan Wilson
1
2
7 DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1 WaveLengt h
Why Would Anybody Want a Wood Kayak?
BUSTI NG THE MYTHS
T
heyre fragile, theyre expensive, they
require a great deal of maintenance,
and dont have the high performance fea-
tures offered by their composite counter-
parts. Wrong!
Many people have the mistaken notion
that owning and paddling a wooden
kayak is a big compromise of features and
versatility in favor of having a beautiful
vessel. Yet every choice of kayak,
fiberglass or wooden, fabric or plastic, is
somewhat of a compromise, and while
there are tradeoffs, paddling a beautiful
wooden boat does not require sacrifices.
MYTH #1: WOOD KAYAKS ARE
FRAGI LE
Wood is not nearly as fragile as one
would suppose. Used correctly, wood is
one of the greatest building materials
known. Wood is, in itself, a composite of
tubular voids surrounded by harder lignin
cellulose. Harder, stronger summer wood
is bonded in layers to softer, less dense
spring wood. It is strong in tension (pull-
ing); strong in compression (pushing);
strong in torsion (twisting); strong in shear
away from the face composite, and is
much lighter for its given stiffness than a
hull constructed from solid fiberglass.
Some wooden kayak paddlers are
highly reluctant to drag their laden kayak
onto a rocky beach. The wood kayak de-
serves no less (and requires no more) care
than a similarly constructed composite
boat. A scratch in the varnish of a wooden
kayak is no more life-threatening than a
similar scratch in the gelcoat of a compos-
ite boat. Big holes are few and far be-
tweengenerally avoided due to woods
toughness and springinessand are eas-
ily repaired if they do occur. You learned
how to fix it in the process of building it
the skills are the same.
Plastic kayaks are much more durable
than fiberglass, kevlar, carbon or wooden
hulls, but most plastic kayaks suffer from
designs that are optimized for
rotomolding rather than optimized for
paddling. Composite and wooden boats
are less subject to hull deforming than
rotomolded kayaks.
I often get the comment, Gosh, Id sure
hate to put that in the water! from peo-
ple who think this beautiful wood boat is
Shawn W. Baker
(tearing) across the grain; and less affected
by severe fatigue cycles than more stiff and
brittle materials like carbon or fiberglass.
When the wood shell of a kayak is com-
pleted and sheathed with a protective
layer of stiffer, shiny fiberglass, a rigid
monococque structure is produced. The
wood and fiberglass composite offers a
unique symbiotic relationship. The
fiberglass protects the wood from water
saturation and everyday scrapes and
dings. The wood (aside from being beau-
tiful) provides a very stiff core material
that is less likely than a foam core to shear
Shawns beautiful creation
8 WaveLengt h DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1

9 DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1 WaveLengt h
OHurleys Wooden Boats
Build Your Own Kayak
No experience necessary!
Ph: 250-245-5199 Cell: 250-246-8578
Fax: 250-245-5180
www.ohurleysboats.com
Email: ohurleys@sprint.ca
Ph: 250-245-5199 Cell: 250-246-8578
Fax: 250-245-5180
www.ohurleysboats.com
Email: ohurleys@sprint.ca
610 Oyster Bay Drive, Ladysmith, BC
CLASSES START: DEC. 2, JAN. 13, FEB. 24, APR. 7
18 sea kayak, 44 lbs, strong, light, high performance
for day paddling or expeditions. Only 6 students.
50/50 male/female. $1695 +GST. Register Now!
18 sea kayak, 44 lbs, strong, light, high performance
for day paddling or expeditions. Only 6 students.
50/50 male/female. $1695 +GST. Register Now!
mysteriously going to disintegrate when I put it in the water. I
just grin and launch anyway!
MYTH #2: WOOD KAYAKS ARE EXPENSI VE
Are wooden kayaks expensive? The answer is no. And yes. If
you take the time to build your own kayak, they are the most
inexpensive kayaks available. If you have a skilled artisan build
your boat, it could tend to the pricey side of things, but youre
not buying a humdrum run-of-the-mill kayak either.
By sourcing your own materials, you can build a stitch and
glue kayak for as little as $300 US ($450 Cdn); woodstrip kayaks
can cost as little as $350 US ($525 Cdn). Kits run from $700-1000
US. A skin-on-frame kayak with a wooden frame could be yours
for little more than $100 in materials.
The trade-off here is time. A stitch and glue kayak can take 80-
120 hours to complete. A woodstrip kayak can take 200 hours for
a simple design to 3-400 hours for an intricately stripped deck
pattern with many contrasting species of wood. While time may
be money to some, when Im not at work, the cost of my time is
$0. Kayak building is a collection of many small stepsstrip-
building especiallyso its not hard to find a half-hour here or a
half-hour there to work on the boat. For many, its also a relaxing
stress-reliever, and that kind of time is priceless!
Custom-built kayaks can cost $3,000 to $5,000, but as Nick
Schade of Guillemot Kayaks says, Its an art, not a craft. Pro-
fessionally crafted kayaks draw the kinds of stares and oohs
and aahs that completely escape commercial kayaks.
MYTH #3: WOOD KAYAKS REQUI RE A LOT OF
MAI NTENANCE
People familiar with larger wooden vessels probably perpetu-
ate this myth. While wooden sailboats, runabouts and tall ships
require a great deal of elbow grease, the wooden kayaks
fiberglass sheathing protects the boat from weathering, and its
owner from all that work!
Most wooden kayaks are sheathed with fiberglass saturated
by epoxy resin. Epoxy is very tough, waterproof, and durable.
Its only drawback is low UV resistance. An annual or biannual
varnishing with a quality marine-grade spar varnish is all that is
needed to protect the boat from UV damage.
Most scratches and dings are in the varnish layer only, and
disappear during the varnishing ritual. Deeper scratches are gone,
too, when they are filled with epoxy, sanded smooth, and var-
nished over. Serious penetrations (if they actually occur) require
about as much fiberglass work as a similarly damaged compos-
ite boat. Gaping holes in plastic boats cant be reliably fixed.
MYTH #4: WOOD KAYAKS CANT BE HI GH
PERFORMANCE
If youve only ever seen a cheap plywood boat designed on
the back of a napkin by a hobbyist who threw the whole thing
together one cloudy Sunday afternoon, youll be pleasantly sur-
prised. Many commercial kayaks are pulled from molds which
were originally formed around a woodstripped prototype. Lots
of commercial designers use woodstrip kayaks in the prototyping
process to avoid the hassles of building a plug and mold that
may never be used again. If the kayak prototype paddles well, it
gets faired out completely, smoothed, and becomes the mold plug
and the predecessor to hundreds of commercial composite boats.
The fact that design possibilities of woodstrip kayaks are flex-
ible enough for composite designers to use them as a plug should
A simple hatch cover becomes a thing of beauty.
Sea Wol f Wooden Kay ak Ki t s ar e f or t he
di scr i mi nat i ng paddl er who pr ef er s t he
beaut y, l i ght wei ght and ef f i ci ency of a
wooden k ayak .
Ki t s i ncl ude onl y t he hi ghest
qual i t y mat er i al s.
Easi l y bui l t by anyone wi t h
l i mi t ed woodwor k i ng
ex per i ence.
These k ayak s wi l l
l ast a l i f et i me
and beyond.
I built it
myse lf
You can
proudly say
ROY FOLLAND WOODEN KAYAKS
1 3 0 Como Gar dens, Hudson,
Quebec, J0 P 1 H0
( 4 5 0 ) 4 5 8 - 0 1 5 2
Emai l : k ay ak @r oy f ol l and. com
w w w . r oy f ol l and. com
One kit, 60 hours,
a lifetime of
ADVENTURE
1 0 WaveLengt h DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1
serve as evidence enough that a woodstrip
boat can be built to accommodate abso-
lutely any design feature desired.
Even stitch and glue kayaks can be built
to high performance hull shapes. Stitch
and glued hulls are the easiest way to
make a hardshell kayak with hard chines.
The Current Designs Caribou was origi-
nally a stitch and glue design that per-
formed so well it was added to the com-
posite makers lineup.
Wood kayaks are as stiff as kevlar and
fiberglass boats, and much stiffer than
plastic. This stiffness means less paddling
energy is lost in flexing the hulla stiffer
Wooden Kayak Direc tor y
Sccr:uaSrar
a ucw ba:aara rc
Laughing
Loon
Custom Canoes
& Kayaks
Plans,
Kits &
Boats
Outstanding
Performance
Wood Strip
Canoes & Kayaks
Beautiful
Designs
833-L Colrain Rd.Greenfield, MA 01301
Catalog $5 US / $8 intl
413-773-5375 fax 772-3771
www. LaughingLoon. com laughing_loon@shaysnet. com
A GREAT LI TTLE KAYAK CO.
Ri c hmond, Br i t i sh Col umbi a
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 sugges-
tions on new designs and ideas. Expedi-
tion and sailing sea kayaks are our
specialty. Contact owner, Mike Walker.
Ph: 604-671-3295. Web: www.kayakme.com.
BEAR MOUNTAI N BOAT SHOP
Pet er bor ough, Ont ar i o
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 ad-
vice 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 LI GHT CRAFT
Annapol i s, Mar yl and
Chesapeake Light Craft has enjoyed a
long development and widespread popu-
larity, with 10,000 boats on the water
boat is a faster boat.
By and large, though, the best reason to
paddle a wood boat is that theyre just so
beautiful! While I have seen a couple of
wooden kayaks that were victim to less-
than-adequate handiwork, they still
looked better than an average economy-
model plastic boat. And a well-con-
structed wooden boat is a sight to behold.
A word to the wise, howeverif you
want to be able to gas your car, launch
your kayak, or travel anywhere in popu-
lated areas undisturbed, dont get a
wooden kayak. Wooden kayaks have the
knack of attracting slack-jawed stares and
the praise and compliments of complete
strangers. Sometimes its really nice to be
able to go unnoticed and enjoy your fine
handmade boat in solitude, but other
times its nice to know that the vessel you
doggedly worked on for all those hours
looks pretty good to others! t
Shawn Baker is a 25 year-old old married
guy, father of 2 Labradors, whos been
paddling for 4 years, building wooden
kayaks for 2.5. His greatest thrill so far has
been paddling his newest strip-built boat in
Deception Pass, WA this past summer.
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 pro-
fessional kayakers and rank beginners,
young and old. These are highly sophisti-
cated, high-performance boats that can be
assembled by beginners in their own ga-
rages. Please check out our huge website:
www.clcboats.com or call 410-267-0137.
GUI LLEMOT KAYAKS
Gl ast onbur y, Connec t i c ut
Plans for building your own high per-
formance wooden sea kayak. Distinctive
designs to suit any paddling style. Rug-
ged, beautiful, strip-built construction for
complete design freedom. Accurate, com-
puter generated full size patterns. Com-
plete instruction book available separately.
Web: www.kayakplans.com/l. Email: info@
guillemot-kayaks.com.
J ASON DESI GNS
Br anf or d, Connec t i c ut
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 devel-
Continued on page 15
opment 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.
LAUGHI NG LOON
Gr eenf i el d Massac huset t s
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. Website:
www.LaughingLoon.com.
NEWFOUND WOODWORKS
Br i st ol , New Hampshi r e
Newfound Woodworks has been supply-
ing cedar strip/epoxy canoe and kayak
kits to boat builders for 12 years. We sup-
ply 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.
OHURLEYS WOODEN BOATS
Ladysmi t h, Br i t i sh Col umbi a
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:
250-245-5199. Email: ohurleys@sprint.ca.
Web: www.ohurleysboats.com
PYGMY BOATS, I NC.
Por t Tow nsend, Washi ngt on
Pygmy is the largest and oldest manufac-
turer of precision precut plywood kayak
kits in North America. Started in 1986 by
boat designer and software engineer John
Lockwood, Pygmy produced North
Americas 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 wil-
derness tripping canoe. Call 360-385-6143
or visit www.pygmyboats.com.
1 1 DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1 WaveLengt h
O U T E R I S L A N D
GREAT
PERFORMING
LOW VOLUME
STRIP BUILT
KAYAK 18' X 21"
BUILDING PLANS / INSTRUCTIONS
Free brochure and video information e-mail: jbabina@snet.net
JASON DESIGNS 7 JEFFREY LANE, BRANFORD, CT 06405 USA
203-481-3221
A Br ief Histor y of Wooden Kayaks
N
obody knows when the first kayak was built. Somewhere
in the arctic along a sinking land bridge, someone was in-
spired to create the predecessor of what we currently call a kayak.
However, we can be sure that craftsman used the best material
availablewood. That ancestor of the Aleut and Inuit Eskimos
began the evolution of the boat that supplied the livelihood of
the people of the Arctic and later developed into the glossy plas-
tic craft paddled by enthusiasts today.
TRADI TI ONAL KAYAKS
One whole year and more is spent in build such a small boat, on
which account they prefer purchasing it at a dear rate. The bare collect-
ing together as much wood on the shore as is requisite for a [kayak], is
attended with infinite toil and trouble.
Gavriil A Sarycev, 1806, A Russian Explorer.
Kayaks were an integral part of the Aleut and Inuit lifestyle.
The Arctic is a harsh environment. The best source of food was
the ocean. What was needed was a means to access this plentiful
food source. The typical solution for most early peoples was to
cut down a tree and hollow it out. Unfortunately, large trees dont
grow in the far north. The solution they developed was probably
even better than a dugout canoe. By collecting the small pieces of
driftwood that made it to their shore, the residents of the north
fashioned a lightweight wooden frame and covered it with seal-
skin. This is the basis of the original kayak. Even quite large ves-
sels such as Umiaks, which could carry several passengers plus
gear, were made using this basic technique.
As the early arctic boatbuilders ventured out on the treacher-
ous waters they eventually thought of the idea of covering over
the top of the boat and securing the bottom of their cloak around
the opening to keep waves and spray out. This seaworthy, decked
boat combined with a sprayskirt was the first boat that we would
recognize as a kayak.
Wood was the most important resource for making this boat
possible. It provided the semi-rigid framework around which
could be stretched the sealskin. Wood is lightweight and resil-
ient, can be worked with stone-age tools, and it can be sculpted
into a wide variety of shapes. Wood provided a material that could
absorb the stress and strain of riding over waves and the impacts
of hard landings.
EUROPEAN ADVENTURES
Besides all this, the covered canoe is far stronger than an open boat,
and may be fearlessly dropped into a deep pool, a lock, or a millrace, and
when the breakers are high in the open sea or in river rapids, they can
only wash over the deck of a canoe, while it is always dry within.
A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe on Rivers and Lakes of Europe,
J. MacGregor, 1866
Around the turn of the 19th century European explores started
to find their way into the far north and send back reports of the
seaworthy, lightweight boats built by the locals. These reports
eventually prompted boat builders to adapt their techniques to
emulate the canoes of the north.
Nick Schade
The traditional kayak had a wood frame covered by seal skin.
John MacGregor popularized the covered canoe.
John MacGregor popularized the idea
of paddling a small, double paddled, cov-
ered boat with the publication of A Thou-
sand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe on Rivers
and Lakes of Europe, an account of his ad-
ventures in a small wooden kayak. [Avail-
able at http://www.eldritch press.org/jm/
tm.htm]
His Rob Roy was constructed of oak
and cedar using European building tech-
niques. The Rob Roy type became very
popular and widely emulated. J. H.
Rushton of Canton, New York was nota-
ble in North America for building small,
double paddled, decked canoes based
on the Rob Roy, and refined the construc-
tion to make his boats extremely light,
while sticking to European methods. In
1880 a Rushton Rob Roy canoe cost $80.
In 1930, the British were exploring an
Arctic air route. Gino Watkins led the ex-
pedition, became fascinated by the kay-
aks built by the Inuits of Greenland, and
helped reintroduce the amazing boats of
the arctic to Europe. Since 1907 Klepper
had been making folding kayaks and in
1933 Folbot entered into the market. Other
than the fact that they could be quickly
disassembled for transportation and stor-
age, these kayaks were constructed much
like the Inuit boats. They used a light-
weight, wooden frame, but substituted
canvas for the sealskin.
MODERN MATERI ALS
World War II spurred development of
new materials such as plywood, fiberglass
and resins such as polyester and epoxy.
The labor-saving techniques of building
with fiberglass soon took over the con-
struction of boats of all kinds. While fold-
ing kayaks continued to be manufactured
with wood, commercial kayaks soon were
only made with fiberglass or later,
rotomolded. Wooden boats became
marginalized with the perception of du-
rability, weight, strength and maintenance
problems. But ironically, the same technol-
ogy that pushed wood to the side also
gave new life to building wooden boats
of all kinds, including kayaks.
If wood absorbs water it is subject to rot.
Varnish or paint applied to keep the wood
dry eventually fails due to sun exposure
or the constant expansion and contraction
of the wood. A more impervious coating
is needed to preserve the wood. Fiberglass
and epoxy now provide this coating with-
out obscuring the beauty of the wood.
While wood is very strong, it is stronger
with the grain than across it. Traditional
boat building generally incorporated ribs
to provide support across the grain. Elimi-
nating the ribs could save a lot of weight
and make the interior cleaner and easier
to maintain. Plywood, with its layers of
veneer laid in different directions, made
ribs unnecessary in some boats. Other
boats used fiberglass reinforcement to
eliminate the ribs.
While commercial builders had mi-
grated to manufacturing kayaks with
fiberglass and plastic, homebuilders main-
tained an underground following for
wooden kayaks. Although building boats
with wood is generally too labor intensive
for commercial manufacturing, it re-
mained within the means of the basement
and garage handyperson with limited
tools. The new materials offered the means
for hobbyists to create boats as good or
better than commercially available.
THE MODERN WOODEN KAYAK
Back yard builders seeking to create
their own kayaks adapted the modern ma-
terials and building techniques to their
craft of choice. Some of these builders went
on to write articles on building kayaks in
magazines such as Popular Mechanics. These
articles often included full plans
and instructions for building your
own boat. And people around the
world have built from them. With
the growth of sea kayaking as a
sport has come a growth in the
popularity of building wooden
kayaks.
The main techniques for build-
ing wooden kayaks today are
stitch-and-glue, strip-building,
and skin-on-frame.
Stitch-and-glue uses precisely cut
panels of plywood stitched together with-
out ribs, then glued together with epoxy
and fiberglass. This technique was
adapted from techniques used for build-
ing large plywood boats. It produces a
lightweight boat quite quickly. The ply-
wood panels must be very precisely cal-
culated and cut in order for the boat to
come out the right shape. Modern com-
puter software has made this process
easier.
John Lockwood of Pygmy Boats was an
innovator in using software in the devel-
opment of plywood kayak designs. Chris
Kulczycki, formerly of Chesapeake Light
Craft, was instrumental in the populari-
zation of the technique through his maga-
zine articles and book, The Kayak Shop (see
Books, page 36).
Strip-building first made the transition
from large boats to small ones via canoes.
In this technique, narrow strips of wood
are wrapped around temporary forms and
then covered with fiberglass and epoxy to
make a rugged, lightweight boat. Com-
mercial builders often create a strip-built
prototype to test new design ideas because
this offers a lot of design freedom. The first
published mention of strip-built kayaks
seems to be from David Hazen in his book
The Strippers Guide to Canoe Building. Re-
cently a couple of books have come out
describing this method, one by myself, The
Strip-Built Sea Kayak, the other KayakCraft,
by Ted Moores who was instrumental in
popularizing the strip-built technique for
canoes with his original book, CanoeCraft.
Both stitch-and-glue and strip-built
kayaks have gained loyal followings. Peo-
ple like them for their light weight, dura-
bility and beauty. A typical stitch-and-glue
or strip-built kayak weights around 40 lbs.
While a scratch will be more noticeable on
a nicely varnished wooden kayak, these
boats dont differ much from fiberglass
boats with regard to maintenance since
they are covered in fiberglass and epoxy.
A fresh coat of varnish every few years
will keep the wood bright and fill in any
scratches.
There is something about the visual
warmth and texture of wood that attracts
attention. Next to the modern plastic boat,
wooden kayaks always stand out.
The original Inuit and Aleut technique
of skin-on-frame is still around and evolv-
ing. The skin material is now canvas or
synthetic instead of animal skin, but the
basic technique is the same. George Dyson
popularized this technique to the for many
in his book Baidarka, about the history of
the Aleut kayaking culture. Wolfgang
Brincks book The Aleutian Kayak provides
a complete description of how to build a
skin-on-frame boat in the Aleutian style.
Skin-on-frame boats are still some of the
lightest kayaks available. Because water
gets into the boat, the wooden frames need
to be dried after use. But with proper care
these boats are still a good choice. Many
people build them to help preserve the
traditions of the early Aleut and Inuit
builders; others like the intimate feel of a
boat that flexes and responds to the water
like an extension of their body.
FUTURE OF WOODEN KAYAKS
The wooden kayaks you see today gen-
erally gave been built by the person pad-
dling them, or custom built for
them. There are a few manufactur-
ers trying to maintain the beauty
and strength of wood in their kay-
aks, but the additional labor cost re-
quired to use wood will probably
keep these efforts marginal. From
the beginning, one of the greatest
beauties of a wooden kayak has
been the ability to build it with sim-
ple tools. The original kayakers de-
pended on this ability. They were
able to construct a vessel capable of
crossing the open ocean using tools and
materials gathered from near their homes.
Today, wood is still the fastest, cheap-
est and easiest way to build yourself a
high quality kayak. It is nice that wooden
kayaks also happen to be lightweight,
strong and beautiful.
Wooden kayaks will never be mass-
market products. Instead, they are a way
for an individual paddler to create a one-
of-a-kind boat personally suited to his or
her own paddling needs. It is a gratifying
experience to paddle the vast ocean in a
beautiful wooden boat of your own con-
struction. t
Nick Schade is the author of The Strip-
Built Sea Kayak, published by Ragged
Mountain Press, and the owner of Guillemot
Kayaks, a source for plans for people to build
their own wooden kayak.
He can be reached at
Guillemot Kayaks, Glastonbury, CT
Ph: 860-659-8847
Schade@guillemot-kayaks.com
www.guillemot-kayaks.com
One of Nicks designs built by Russ Cozens.
SEA KAYAKING
TOURS IN
Adventure
Travel
Since 1991
BELIZE, HONDURAS
HAWAII, BAJA
PO Box 332 Olga, WA 98279
Ph: 503-621-1167
www.laughingbirdadventures.com
lbadventures@hotmail.com
800-853 BAJA (2252)
Building a Volkskomponent kayak
...or why anybody would cut a per fec tly
good kayak int o t hree pieces!
P
lywood? A sea kayak made from 4
mm plywood? Is that a really good
idea? I stood in front of this little booth at
the 1999 spring fair in Halifax. My face must
have given my skeptical thoughts away.
Volkskayak-Gerry Gladwin had a gleam-
ing smile on his face when he told me all
about his Greenland-inspired kayak design,
a stitch and glue boat building method, and
his workshop where you can build one.
That day I had no idea that ten months later
I would be building my own Volkskayak.
During that summer I did a lot of sea
kayaking with one of the local outfitters,
and got hooked. By the end of the sum-
mer I decided that I had to have my own
boat. Facing the problem of storing a sea
kayak in my apartment, I remembered
Gerry and his Volkskayaks. One particu-
lar design, the Volkskomponentkayak,
could be the solution for my storage prob-
lem. This design, which breaks down into
three pieces, would fit in an elevator and
in the tiny storage room of my apartment.
One important question remained.
Familair with rotomolded seakayaks, I
was curious how the hard-chined
Volkskayak would feel and handle. Would
I like it? Could I handle a kayak without a
rudder?
couple of hours the result already gave an
impression of the kayak. The following
weekend I removed the wires, taped the
seams with fiberglass tape, coated the
wood with epoxy resin, and reinforced the
two bottom panels on the outside with
fiberglass cloth. After the deck and hull
were joined, my Volkskayak was almost
ready to paddle. But my boat was desig-
nated to become a Volkskomponentkayak.
In preparation for this step we had done
a modification during the previous steps.
We used beefier 8 mm plywood for the
bulkheads, and doubled them. Apart from
glassing in the doubled, heavier bulk-
heads the kayak was then built like a nor-
mal stitch and glue kayak.
Gerry handled the saw as I was too
afraid to mess this part up. The saw blade
had to hit right between the doubled bulk-
heads to separate the bow, cockpit, and
stern sections. The operation was a full
success, and the Volkskayak was trans-
formed into a Volkskomponentkayak.
For paddling, the three compartments
are bolted together with six bolts each
through the bow and stern bulkheads. If I
didnt like it for paddling, I would at least
have three pieces of unique furniture for
my apartment!
The next two weekends I glassed the
outside of the bulkheads and did a lot of
sanding and finishing. After Christmas I
I gave Gerry a call, arranged a test pad-
dle, and a week later I signed up for one
of his workshops. I started building my
kayak in November, restricted to week-
ends, and it took me two months to fin-
ish the project. The first weekend I
stitched the six plywood panels of the hull
and deck together with wire, then glued
them with thickened epoxy. After only a
Ulli Hger
Attachment system
Scene in Ullis garage
Villas de Loreto
Baja Mexico
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
www.villasdeloreto.com
Ph/Fax: 011-52-113-50586
Apdo. 132 Loreto B.C.S. Mexico 23880
KAYAK COSTA RICA
PADDLE IN PARADISE
our 15 th season
Ph/ Fa x: 2 5 0 / 5 3 9 -2 4 4 2
kayak@gulfislands. com
ht t p:/ / www. seakayak. bc. ca/ t our
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
Fall boat sale of glass & plastic expedition boats.
Special Explorat ory Tour
of PANAMA
Bocas de Toro ( Caribbean)
NEW at Villas!
Restaurant & PADI Dive Shop
Villas de Loreto
had my boat painted and was ready to go.
I launched it in the Northwest Arm of
Halifax harbour and since that day I have
covered a couple of hundred kilometres
in my Volkskayak, exploring the lakes,
coastline and islands of Nova Scotia,
Canadas Ocean Playground on the east
coast. And if I have to move to a new pad-
dling place somewhere else in this world,
my Volkskomponentkayak will be with
me. The first one became airborne last
spring, when Gerry checked it in as his
luggage for a trip to Mexico. t
Dr. Ulli Hger, originally from Germany, is
currently working in Halifax, Nova Scotia
at the Department of Physiology and
Biophysics Dalhousie University. More
details about building a Volkskayak can be
found at www.dal.ca/~uhoeger or
www.volkskayak.com.
REDFI SH KAYAK & CANOE CO.
Boi se, I daho
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 estab-
lished four years ago. An experienced and
accomplished designer, Roys objective
was to bring the kayak kit business to a
higher level of precision and beauty than
was available at the time. With an inno-
vative approach and unique construction
methods, anyone can build these beauti-
ful wooden kayaks. Call for assistance or
advice. Info is available on several kits.
Ph: 450-458-0152. Email: kayak@royfolland.com
Web: www.royfolland.com.
TRUE NORTH WOODEN BOAT CO.
Summer l and, Br i t i sh Col umbi a
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.truenorth
woodenboat.com.
Wooden Kayak Direc tor y
Continued from page 10
The assembled Volkskomponentkayak
WHI TE SALMON BOATS WORKS
Whi t e Sal mon, Washi ngt on
Ray Klebbas White Salmon Boat Works
primary purpose is to teach the first time
boat builder the art of building their own
dreamboatbe it canoe, sea kayak,
rowboat or other small craft. We special-
ize in the woodstrip method of construc-
tion in a workshop format with tools and
materials provided. Students build the
boat of their choice using our plans or their
own. We also offer easy to assemble kits,
boat plans and boating accessories. Email:
dreamboats@gorge.net.
ZUZU PADDLES
Fl agst af f , Ar i zona
ZuZu paddles are a truly unique combi-
nation of fine woodworking craftsman-
ship, revolutionary design, and the latest
composite technology. Constructed of the
finest traditional marine grade woods, the
companys entire line of canoe and kayak
paddles also features the innovative He-
lix Lamination spliceless shaft, a patented
technology combining the warmth and
feel of wood with the strength and light-
ness of todays composite materials.
Ph: 520-774-6535. Email: info@zuzupaddles.
com. Web: www.zuzupaddles.com. t
Anyone we missed should contact us for
our next issue, deadline December 15th.
Wooden KayaksPt. 2
Feb/Mar 2001
Deadline: Dec. 15th
T
he morning I walked into my first
build-your-own-wooden-kayak class,
I nearly dropped from shock. On the
workbench lay four of the flimsiest pieces
of plywood I could ever recall having
seen. My heart sped as I picked up one of
the pieces gingerly and wiggled it up and
down. It agreeably waved back.
I was expected to build my kayak out
of those? How was it possible for such
thin, wobbly wood to keep me afloat? My
140 lbs would shatter the wood in a twin-
kling right at the shore line.
Or, maybe even worse. My kayak
would break apart far out to sea, and Id
sink to the bottom.
Then another thought crept into my
mind. Maybe the instructors had run into
financial difficulty and cut corners on or-
dering their wood.
I needn't have worried.
By the end of the first weekend our team
of four classmates had sanded the flimsy
plywood pieces smooth on one side,
sewn the pieces together with 18-gauge
copper wire, twisted the wires to hold the
edges flush with each other, and gone on
to construct three other such hulls. We
checked each boat for being straight and
true, inserted bulkheads in the proper
places, carefully laid out two layers of fin-
icky fiberglass ribbon along all inside
seams and joints, and painted the whole
inside with epoxy.
The jigsaw pieces of 4 mm (3/16 in.)
Okume marine-grade plywood (from
okume trees in Africa, finished in Israel,
shipped to the USA, and registered by
Lloyd's of London as being high-quality,
marine-grade plywood) were beginning
to look like something. Maybe even some-
thing that would ultimately hold me afloat
in the great big sea. And maybe something
that would again bless me with that quiet
taste of freedom I'd experienced the first
time I slipped into a kayak five years ear-
lier, and gently pushed off into a rolling
swell of water.
There's a sudden separate universe that
exists when you push off onto water. It
doesn't matter that others may be with
you. You choose whether to paddle along-
side and join in conversation or not. Best
is just to paddle and listen to the sound of
the sea, your heart, your breath and pad-
dle strokes joining together in one long,
deep pulse. Best is just to imagine the
water under you running in one big ocean
river all around the world. Best is just to
stop sometimes and feel every little thing
suddenly brought to stillness.
But to get there in my own hand-made
wooden kayak required noise, dust, per-
severance, patience and just the maxi-
mum-I-could-stand of sacrificed week-
ends.
The second weekend involved more
basic construction and by the third week-
end, we all had our decks on, involving
more epoxy and nailing. The boats looked
stronger and stronger.
And in between all this you sand, sand,
sand, dictated Mother Therese, quality
control officer and co-instructor of our
classes, with husband John.
That repetitive sanding was one of the
Lear ning t o St it ch and Glue Donna Wilford
Best is just to stop sometimes and feel every little thing suddenly brought to stillness.
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Cour ses & t our s i n Cl ayoquot Sound w i t h Dan Lew i s & Bonny Gl ambeck
1- 8 7 7 - 4 2 2 - W I L D
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boring parts, which our class relieved with ribald tales of past
relationships, discussions abou today's teenagers (our children),
writing and performing a song for our instructors and reading
some rather questionable literary pieces having to do with sand-
ers during lunch breaks.
As we rounded the corner to the finish line, it was sand, sand,
sand, varnish, varnish, varnish, epoxy, epoxy, sand, sand, sand,
paint, paint. Then artist David Lloyd came to do custom artwork
on our kayaks. This was the most exciting part for me (after I
realized I was in good, experienced boat-building hands of my
instructors every step of the way, and that my kayak was not
going to break apart on me).
I had imagined the top of my kayak looking like a beach, and
the natural grain of the wood showed me where the rocks and
tidal pools would be. But I also wanted some kind of sea witch or
monster coming up from below. I turned the project over to David
and left.
When I next saw my kayak, a sea witch of weird fantasy swam
along my aft deck, seaweed hair trailing out behind, crab claws
slicing the water of my deck, fish tail undulating below the sur-
face, her face that of a First Nations mask. She was both beautiful
and terrible at the same time. My kayak named herselfCirSea.
I could hardly wait for the final steps to be finishedall the
bungy cords, seats, adjustable foot pegs, etc.so I could launch.
Other classmates felt the same. We had created four wonderful
pieces of floating art, pieces of beauty and function.
Instructor John O'Hurley was impressed as usual, surprised
once again at the uniqueness of each boat and the imagination of
each design: We assume everyone's going to go in there and
build a wonderful boat, and they do. I'm proud of every boat
that has come out of the classes.
Ever since CirSea first slipped into the ocean, I've enjoyed each
minute of peace upon the waters. I'm what you'd call a complete
novice at the craft of kayaking, but I look forward to years of
paddling pleasure, the sea witch at my back, but never, never
catching me.
There are several build-your-own-wooden kayak classes of-
fered in the Nanaimo-Ladysmith-Duncan area. The class I took
through O'Hurleys' Wooden Boats in Ladysmith involved six
weekends in a row of half-days each Saturday and Sunday
(www.ohurleys boats.com). O'Hurleys' can be reached at 250-245-
5199 or 250-246-8578, or by email at: ohurleys@sprint.ca. t
Donnas classmates with finished kayaks.
Donnas kayak CirSea (right) and sister craft.
Donna Wilford was born and raised on the west coast
but didnt get into kayaking until her 11-year-old son
Paul attended an outdoor wilderness camp at
Strathcona Park and then led the family
on a kayak trip.
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Also 2-9 day summer trips to:
Johnstone Strait/Knight Inlet
Queen Charlottes
Clayoquot Sound
Nootka Island
Broken Group
or Gulf Islands Weekends
PH: 250-247-8277 FAX: 250-247-9788
RR1 Site 1 C-23 Gabriola Island, BC CANADA V0R 1X0
pmarcus@island.net www.wi.bc.ca/ gabriola
A D V E N T U R E O U T F I T T E R S
BAJA MEXICO KAYAK TOURS
BAJA MEXICO KAYAK TOURS
LOW COST, SELF-CATERED, 14 YEARS IN BUSINESS
6 & 7 day kayak trips
from Loreto, Nov-Apr
(Cdn$615-655)
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Loreto-La Paz,
Mar 27-Apr 5 (Cdn$935)
Mtn. Bike & Kayak Combo,
Mar 2-10 (Cdn$835)
Mainland Mexico bike tours
The Cedar St rip Kayak
O
ne cannot help but touch the silky
smoothness of the cedar wood kayak
hull and imagine paddling in deep blue-
green water in search of solitude. It is the
spirit of discovery combined with the
builders artistic impulse, as well as the
pure functionality of the wood strip
kayak, that inspires passion and stirs thou-
sands of do-it-yourselfers around the
globe to clean up their basements, garages,
and attics and plunge right into construc-
tion of their dream wooden kayak.
Some start with only a set of plans in
their hands, a few sheets of particleboard
and a couple of planks of cedar. The ben-
efit of starting this way is the very low con-
struction cost and perhaps just as impor-
tantly, the complete control one has over
the selection and quality of wood and
other materials. Milling your own strips
simply makes it possible to create infinite
variety of decorative inlays with greater
ease. The craft may take a couple of weeks
longer to finish but you will have unques-
tionably built the kayak completely from
scratch!
Other builders start with a kayak kit be-
cause they may not have access to all the
machinery needed, or would prefer to dis-
pense with the prep work and tedious
dustiness of strip milling. The kit provides
all the major ingredientsthe full size
forms for building the kayak mold, cedar
strips, fiberglass, and epoxy. Some manu-
facturers offer add-ons ranging from
Minicel foam seats and foot braces to hard-
ware and varnish. The trade-off with kits is
that although they can shave weeks off the
project, there is a limit to the selection of strips
and epoxies and there is also a higher cost for
the prefabricated components.
So, how much does it cost to build a
stripper? It really depends, because eve-
ryones shop is equipped differently and
builders standards of quality and mate-
rial selection vary widely. Lets assume an
average 17.5 ft. kayak uses about three (3/
4 inch x 10 inch x 16 ft.) planks of cedar. If
you can mill the strips yourself it will
come to about $140 to $200 for the wood.
Add 2.5 gallons of epoxy, which may go
from $113 to $205 depending on the brand
of epoxy you choose. The last big item is
fiberglass cloth, which averages about
$100 at most. The rest of the materials such
as particleboard, plywood, varnish,
brushes etc. may add another $200 to $300
or so. The average total cost can range
from about $500 to $1000. Of course some
people will have a lot of tools and useful
material lying around their shop, which
will reduce the cost considerably, while
others may be building from ground zero.
Exotic wood, fibers and extras can add a
few hundred dollars on top but ultimately,
your wood strip kayak will be about half
the cost of a similar commercial fiberglass
kayakand of course, the labor of love
is always free!
The question I am asked the most is:
How long will it take? An average per-
son can transform a few bundles of cedar
strips into a completely varnished single
kayak in as little as two months of crea-
tive and enjoyable time. Large expedition
kayaks and doubles average about three
to four months.
Wood strip kayaks are built year round
but the vast majority of builders choose
the long dark days of winter and early
spring to get into the project. So, if you
start in February, both you and your kayak
will be ready for your maiden voyage in
May or June.
Vaclav Stejskal
Laying down cedar strips.
The construction of a
wood strip kayak often starts
with a table of offsets or ide-
ally with a very accurate set
of full size plans. The plan
templates are glued on
particleboard and the forms
are cut out with a fine-
toothed jigsaw. These forms
or stations precisely define
the shape of the kayak and
also serve as attachment
points for each strip. All
forms are arranged on a
strongback (spine), which
gives the whole structure the
kayak shape and necessary
rigidity. Unlike a table of off-
sets, full size plans almost
completely eliminate measuring and the mold is aligned visually
using register marks printed on the templates.
Once you build the mold, which takes about 3 to 4 afternoons,
there is a feeling of confidence and being over the hump. All
energy can now focus on imprinting the kayak with your crea-
tive imagination. Laying down the thin splines of colorful and
fragrant cedar over the mold is not unlike applying paint on a
clean sheet of canvas, and like in a painting, the character of the
kayak develops by planning but also by spontaneous experimen-
tation. The occasional mistakes are not hard to undo since the
body of the kayak comes together one strip at a time, each can
always be removed and replaced later. The actual stripping in-
volves stapling the wood strips to the edges of the forms with
long staples. The strips are glued together side by side and their
specially shaped edges (bead & cove) interlock together, forming
a smooth continuous core. The fact that the strip core can assume
almost any smooth convex or concave shape allows the kayak to
be designed and shaped with great flexibility. Out of all the
homebuilt construction methods, wood strip kayaks can truly
boast material-unrestricted, hydrodynamically efficient hull
forms.
In order to achieve the desired shape, the wood for this con-
struction must fulfill a few requirements, that is, be light, rela-
tively strong, flexible, and workable. The best and time-tested
woods are the cedar species, namely Western red cedar, eastern
white cedar, redwood, and yellow Alaska cedar. Other commonly
used wood are pine, Spanish cedar, mahogany, basswood, and
spruce. Exotic wood is most often incorporated in smaller quan-
tities because of its density. One strip of red Paduk, for example,
can weigh as much as 5 to 8 strips of eastern white cedar.
Once the entire mold is stripped over, the staples can be pulled
out but the wood core holds its shape now, even without the sta-
ples. At this point the surface is very rough, caked up with glue
as well as staple holes, which need to be filled with wood putty
or other water-soluble filler. Some builders avoid this step by fas-
tening the strips to the forms without staples. The results are of-
ten beautiful but the construction is slowed down significantly
because each glued strip must firmly set before another strip is
added.
Regardless, the surface is still at the ugly duckling stage and
needs more work to remove all the smudges and irregularity. This
is done at first with a plane or belt sander but the second and
most important smoothing step is accomplished with the fairing
board. A fairing board is a flexible piece of plywood about 4 inches
x 16 inches with 60 grit sand paper attached to it. It is the only
practical tool builders have in their arsenal to bring the kayak
surface to a ripple free, vel-
vety smoothness. Once the
dust clears, the inlay patterns
crystallize and the wood be-
comes flawlessly smooth and
clean. The outcome is often
so spectacular that one is
completely awash with the
resolve to get the thing on the
water as soon as possible.
Having finished the
woodworking stage, the con-
struction enters a completely
different phase, that of high
tech composites and modern
chemistry. In order to in-
crease the strength of the
kayak and to protect the ce-
dar from water, the entire
craft is encased in a fiberglass/epoxy skin, which bonds every-
thing together. The term epoxy sometimes elicits a nervous re-
action in new builders, for it may be associated with the fast set-
ting epoxy tubes in a hardware store. The epoxies used for clear
coating are very high quality, harden slowly enough to allow a
comfortable pace of work and are relatively foolproof. Many peo-
ple think of these kayaks as woodenwood being associated with
waterlogged, weak and outdated technology. In fact the more
appropriate term should be composite sandwich core kayaks.
Most high performance competition yachts at the Americas Cup
have balsa wood as the core material but few would think of
these sailboats as wooden. It is the cedar core, sandwiched be-
tween thin skins of high tensile skins that makes wood strip kay-
aks some of the strongest craft in relation to their weight. For
Preparing for inlays. Clamping inlays in place.
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example, a 17 foot stripper can beat the weight of the same size
Kevlar kayak by 5 poundsnot to mention its heavier fiberglass
counterpart.
After filling and sanding, the hull as well as the deck are cov-
ered with lightweight fiberglass cloth and wetted out with epoxy.
The epoxy, which has the consistency of maple syrup, is care-
fully spread and smoothed out over the fiberglass, which turns
completely transparent on contact with the resin. A couple more
filler coats bury the fabric weave and a couple of days later the
entire coating turns into a hard plastic shell. All other functional
parts of the kayak such as the cockpit, hatches, hip plates and
foot braces can now be built. When the deck and hull shells are
bonded together, the last fiberglassing task is to wet sand the
kayak with 180 grit wet/dry sandpaper in preparation for var-
nishing.
The kayak is basically done and the temptation to take it for a
spin is all but irresistible. But before you expose your woodcraft
to the full sun, the epoxy coat needs protection against the UV
light. Marine varnish provides the ultimate protection, highlights
your wood inlays, and gives the kayak smoothness and gloss.
At long last, the day to hatch the kayak out of the warmth of
the shop is here. By the time you get to the water, people will be
giving you thumbs up, but that will do little to dissipate the but-
terflies in your stomach. Will it float? What if it scratches? Then,
before you know it, you are hundreds of meters away from the
shore testing the performance envelope.
So, if you like a little challenge, clean out your basement and
go for it. You neednt be a carpenter to build a wood strip kayak,
because most builders arent. And it may just be one of the most
memorable projects you ever do. t
Vaclav Stejskal was born and raised in Prague, and competed for
14 years in rowing as a member of the Czech National Rowing Team.
He has worked as a boat builder in Germany building composite
rowing shells, and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering and
Material Science at Harvard University. Currently hes involved in
kayak hull design, naval architecture and development of
OneOceanKayaks.com.
The project nears completion. One of Vaclavs finished works.
North Island Kayak Rentals & Tours
For I nformation or Brochure:
Serving British Columbias
Northern Vancouver Island
and the Central Coast
Toll Free 877-949-7707
nikayak@island.net
www.island.net/ ~nikayak/
The Var nished Kayak
A
majority of kayak builders finish
their wooden kayaks brightwith
a natural wood finishbecause kayaks
with a varnished hull are much prettier
than plastic boats.
An all-varnish finish is a brave choice,
however. Varnish will show every wart
and mis-step in your carpentry work, so
youll have to be wary of blemishes from
the moment you start. Personally, Ive al-
ways liked painted hulls with varnished
decks, a tasteful approach that shows off
both the wood texture and the hull shape.
This approach also has the advantage of
hiding my (frequent) mistakes.
Nevertheless, a clear-finished kayak is
a worthy goal of craftsmanship and the
oohs and aahs from passersby are
worth the extra hours of sanding. And
sand you will.
Youll spend more time sanding your
wood-epoxy kayak than anything else
during construction. Sanding can be seen
as drudgery, or it can be a sculpture exer-
cise, depending upon your outlook. After
60 or 70 kayaks, I know that the quality of
my finish work depends largely upon pa-
tience with the sander. Accept that sand-
ing is going to be the difference between
a good finish and a bad one, and equip
yourself accordingly: buy a good sander,
lots of sandpaper, a respirator, and ear
protection.
A 5 inch random orbital sander will be
all you need, the more powerful the bet-
ter. I endorse the Bosch, Makita, Porter-
Cable, and DeWalt brands. Bear in mind
that they last a long time and you can use
a sander for all sorts of projects, so a good
one is worth the money.
A common mistake among boatbuilders
is not changing the sandpaper frequently.
This is deadly when sanding epoxy. Epoxy
fills the sandpaper quickly, especially the
types of epoxy that blush. As the sand-
paper fills, it stops cutting as easily, so the
builder presses down harder on the
sander to keep cutting. This in turn builds
up heat between boat and sander, soften-
ing the epoxy so that it fills the paper more
quickly, and so on in infinite regression.
Change the paper often. Find a wholesale
source and lay in a supply of 80, 120, and
220 grit paper, and expect to use it all. The
discipline of keeping sharp sandpaper on
the sander is rare outside of professional
shops, but its an essential practice for
smooth hulls.
Epoxy sanding dust is a toxic sensitizer,
so you must wear a mask. The high-end
disposable dust masks (such as 3M #8511)
will do for a short project, but the car-
tridge-type respirators are far more com-
fortable to wear. The vibrating whine of
the sander can also be tiresome, so invest
in a set of ear protectors or plugs. Any-
thing that makes the job of sanding more
comfortable means youll stick with it
longer.
Always keep the sander pad flat against
the work. Theres an urge to lift the pad
and sand with the faster-spinning outer
John C. Harris
edge of the disk, but this will always re-
sult in a lumpy hull, often covered with
unsightly half-moon shaped cuts that will
glare at you through the varnish. Not cut-
ting fast enough with the pad held flat?
Switch to a coarser paper. On hard-chined
boats, avoid the chines once youve
glassed the boat as the sander will quickly
cut through the glass on these hard points.
Use a hand-sanding block instead.
I start with 80-grit paper on a glassed
and epoxied kayak hull, mostly concen-
trating on epoxy runs and sags and areas
where the fiberglass cloth must be feath-
ered. 120-grit is next, then I continue on
to 220-grit. 80- or 120-grit paper will leave
little swirl marks in the epoxy that will
almost always be visible through the var-
nish, ruining or at best dulling the gloss
of the varnish. You know youve sanded
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Step 1: Apply varnish in vertical strokes
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enough when the entire hull is a uniform
cloudy gray, without little dark indenta-
tions in the epoxy indicating a low spot.
Try not to sand into the glass; this may
expose a weave pattern that shows up in
the final finish.
Remember, any wooden surfaces that
are to be displayed under varnish must
be sanded up to 220 grit prior to applying
epoxy and fiberglass, to eliminate the
swirls caused by the sander.
PREPARE SURFACE
Thats what it usually says on the var-
nish can, but these vague instructions hide
a lot of methodical work. These days you
have to think like a chemist to get your
polyurethane varnish to stick to your
epoxied hull.
Maybe, like me, youve had paint or
varnish shrink away from an epoxy coat-
ing like oil from water, making an al-
mighty mess of your kayak. This is actu-
ally a fairly apt description of whats hap-
pening. As they cure, many epoxy brews
form a greasy film on the surface called
amine blush. This film is mostly water,
one of the byproducts of the epoxy cure,
and its the very devil to get paint or var-
nish to stick to it. You can wash it off, but
the epoxy keeps curing, and blushing, for
a long time, so it may be advisable to let
the epoxied hull cure for weeks or months
before you apply the finish. A lot of peo-
ple just go paddling with bare epoxy on
the hull, but all epoxies lack UV protec-
tion and will break down in sunlight, turn-
ing yellow and brittle in time, so this is
not a good idea.
One alternative to the amine blush ag-
gravation is to use an amine-free brand
like MAS Epoxy. MAS resin, used with
their slow hardener, will yield a hard,
clear, blush-free surface that you can sand
and varnish within 72 hours if you have a
warm shop.
With the epoxy cured and sanded, you
should clean off the hull with some sort
of solvent, an essential step to prevent the
dreaded fisheyes in the finish. Most
brands of paint and varnish have a pro-
prietary solvent wash which I seldom
use because it is expensive. I use generic
lacquer thinner and a clean rag to wipe
off the hull, being careful to ventilate the
shop and let the lacquer thinner evapo-
rate for at least 45 minutes before apply-
ing the finish. (Dont use acetone or min-
eral spirits for the wipe-downthey are
filled with impurities.)
SOME VARNI SH AND A PLACE
TO APPLY I T
A bewildering array of varnishes are
available for coating your epoxied boat.
You should stick with a marine poly-
urethane varnish; spar varnishes sold in
hardware stores arent likely to have much
durability or UV protection. Here at CLC
weve covered scores of kayaks with Z-
Spars Captains Varnish, which we like
because its well-priced, easy to apply, and
has a nice amber tint. Ive also had good
success with Interlux and Epiphanes
products.
A clean workspace is essential at this
juncture to avoid the dreaded nonskid
finish. Every floating speck of dust in
your shop will fly into your wet varnish,
as if on cue, so you will have to go on the
offensive, purging dust from every sur-
face, including your own clothes. A pud-
dle of water on the floor around the boat
will prevent dust from being kicked up.
Banish kids and insects from the shop.
APPLYI NG VARNI SH
If youre lucky enough to own an HVLP
sprayer, know how to use it, and have ac-
cess to a spray booth, you can stop read-
1 4 3 7 STORE ST. ( MARKET SQUARE) VICTORIA, B. C. 2 5 0 -3 8 1 -4 2 3 3
Step 2: Horizontal strokes from dry to wet.
Ca ll 2 5 0 -2 4 7 -8 9 3 1
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near Drumbeg provincial park
and the Flat Top Islands
ing here, because thats the way to go.
Most of us will be brushing on the var-
nish by hand, however, so we should talk
about brush selection. Largely out of lazi-
ness, Ive forsaken my badger-hair collec-
tion for foam brushes. Foam brushes are
cheap, disposable, and ideal for applying
thin coats. The good foam brushes have
wooden handles running all of the way
into the foam head, without a plastic in-
sert.
A glossy finish without brush strokes
is a matter of brush technique. The objec-
tive is to apply a thin, even film. I varnish
kayaks upside down, the left hull bottom
and right hull bottom first, and deck last.
I dont think the order matters much.
Beginning at the bow, I apply the var-
nish with vertical strokes to an 18 inch
patch (less if its hot weather). Then, with-
out dipping the brush in the can again, I
follow this with lengthwise strokes
smoothing out the vertical strokes. In this
second step, it is crucial that the brush
strokes go from dry to wet (right to left in
the drawing). Never put the brush down
into wet varnish. The vertical strokes get
the varnish onto the boat, and the hori-
zontal strokes even out the varnish.
Without delay, repeat the process in the
next 18 inch patch, overlapping the fin-
ished patch slightly to maintain the wet
edge so that you dont have vertical lines
where you finished one patch and started
the next. Continue right around the stern,
finishing at the bow on the other side of
the hull. The varnish seam between left
and right sides is on the keel and wont
be ugly. I varnish the deck in one swipe,
from bow to stern.
I always wetsand with 400 grit between
coats. (Wetsanding, which requires special
paper sold at any paint or hardware store,
permits sanding with grits finer than 220.)
The kayak will require a minimum of
three coats for protection of the epoxy. It
will start to look really glossy at five coats.
More than 7 or 8 coats is probably over-
kill.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE A
FLOATI NG COFFEE TABLE...
Dont be afraid to use itI know of kayak
builders who put their boats on display in
their living rooms. The first few scratches
will be painful but after that, youll remem-
ber that you have a kayak that is light, stiff,
and fast on the water, not just gorgeous on
the top of your car. t
John C. Harris is the President and CEO of
Chesapeake Light Craft in Annapolis, MD.
He can reached at 410-267-0137.
Check out the Chesapeake website at
www.clcboats.com
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Out fit t er s and Guides War m up t o Wood
F
or years, professional kayak guides
and outfitters have relied on plastic
and fiberglass for their fleets of boats. Each
of them has their merits. One is lighter,
one less expensive. For some guides and
outfitters, though, a third option makes a
lot of sensewood. In the last several
years, a growing number of companies
have taken a second look at this alterna-
tive. Seeing wood kayaks as a way of set-
ting themselves apart from other compa-
nies, they recognize that many potential
customers are drawn to their beauty. They
recognize that the performance of wood
designs meet or exceed other materials on
the market.
What you see is not always all you get.
A common first impression of a wood
kayak is stunningly beautiful. This first
impression in years past was often quickly
coupled with Fragile? Heavy? These lat-
ter two misconceptions have eroded in
recent years. Outfitters and guides are
beginning to take notice.
Beyond the beauty is technology. Mod-
ern stitch and glue and strip built kay-
aks are encapsulated in fiberglass and
epoxy resins. The part you see, the wood,
is actually functioning as a lightweight
compression core. We have nature to
thank for providing such a beautiful and
suitable material. We have science to
thank for the rest. Fiberglass cloth adds
important tensile strength and abrasion
resistance to the wood. Epoxy resins join
the fiberglass and the lightweight wood
core. This sandwiching of lightweight
wood with fiberglass and epoxy results in
a hull that is rugged, yet much lighter than
a hull made from fiberglass alone. In ad-
dition, with a little energy, adding wood
kayaks to a fleet can be considerably less
expensive than fiberglass boats.
These factorsweight, cost and
beautyhave not escaped the attention of
some outfitters. Andy Gale, owner of
PTOutdoors in Port Townsend, Washing-
ton, started his guide service in 1996 with
two stitch-and-glue triples. The number
one reason, Andy says, was capital in-
vestment. With a little sweat equity I was
able to start my business for far less than
with fiberglass boats. At the time I didnt
want to use plastic boats. I thought that
by choosing wood composite boats I
David Grimmer
Andy Gale of PTOutdoors started his guide service with these wooden kayaks.
would also be offering a superior prod-
uct to my customers.
And then there is the weight. It is re-
ally nice to have twenty foot (wood com-
posite) triples weigh much less than our
eighteen-foot (plastic) doubles. Today
Andy has five wood kayaks, four triples
and a single, among his fleet of twenty
boats. He has plans to add to the fleet this
winter.
Brandon Davies of Blue Otter Outfitters
in Friday Harbor, Washington has also
embraced wood. His company does cus-
tom sail/kayak tours from a 48-foot tri-
maran mother ship. Riding piggyback into
remote paddling destinations are three
doubles and a single, all wood composite
kayaks. The choice for him was easy. We
wanted to hit the market differently,
Brandon says. We wanted to stand out,
and [wood kayaks] definitely make a dif-
ference. When we paddle up to a beach
and there are other kayak groups there,
there are always comments on the beauty
of our boats from the others. It gives my
clients the feeling they are traveling in
class. And they are.
He goes on to say that paddlers in his
boats have a different attitude. They re-
ally want to take care of the boats, getting
out of the boats before running ashore.
As much as this is appreciated by
Brandon, he adds, It is amazing the abuse
these boats can really take. He knows that
his wood kayaks are making an impres-
sion. About half of the letters he gets from
past clients praise the wood kayaks.
Lon Smith of Kayak Port Townsend in
Port Townsend, Washington saw the
popularity of triple wood kayaks in his
neighbors outfitter service and decided
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WEST COAST EXPEDI TI ONS
WEST COAST EXPEDI TI ONS
to add a couple to their fleet this past sum-
mer. John Burke, a guide for the organi-
zation, says this of their choice to move to
wood after 12 year in the business: We
were looking to add to the variety of our
fleet. We needed more boats. We could see
the popularity of the triples being rented
down the street. I guess a portion of it was
keeping up with the Jones.
After a busy summer season of heavy
use John truly believes adding wood kay-
aks was a good choice. They are more
popular than our fiberglass kayaks. We
could probably charge more for them. The
wood kayaks really bring people in. If you
are a company that has built kayaks, cli-
ents are impressed. It gives clients more
confidence in the guides and the business.
They really came in handy. We often put
weaker paddlers in the triple because they
are faster than our fiberglass boats.
Lon Smith adds, The Pygmy triples are
great, light weight kayaks that are per-
forming as well or better than any in our
fleet. Their wood triples are among the
fleet making an annual migration to Baja
for winter season tours.
It is unlikely that wood kayaks will ever
be the mainstay of the kayak tour indus-
try. Plastic and fiberglass kayaks are or-
dered from manufactures, they show up
and are ready to be launched. Wood kay-
aks require a time investment. Once a de-
sign has been settled on, wood kayaks
arrive as precision pre-cut wood panels,
epoxy, and fiberglass. A builder can expect
to spend around 70 hours building a sin-
gle boat or around 90 hours on a double
or triple kit. For some outfitters this is not
an issue. Building in the off-season can be
an enjoyable and rewarding change of
pace after a busy summer season of tours
and rentals.
The results for some are well worth the
effort. Andy Gale thinks differently of his
wood kayaks than his plastic ones. My
plastic boats are commodities. I use them
for a summer and then sell them while
they are still in good condition. I think of
my wood kayaks as a capital asset to my
business. There is some maintenance
needed after a season, but the boats start
the following year fresh and as good as
new. I plan on having these boats for the
life of my business. After building the
boats, maintenance is straight-forward.
This thought is echoed by Brandon
Davies as well, After three years, the
boats are in great shape. I have added
graphite powder to the boats below the
water line. At the end of the season, a lit-
tle maintenance is easy. I built the boats
so I know what to do.
As preventive maintenance, Kayak Port
Townsend has added Kevlar tape along the
keel of their triples. That really reduces
the wear from beach landings. Our boats
didnt wear much after their first season
of service. All the scratches are just aes-
thetic. Their boats are also painted with
graphite powder below the water line.
As the number of outfitters and guides
using wood kayaks increases, the impres-
sion of the public changes. Most of todays
paddlers have participated in a tour or
rented before eventually purchasing a
boat of their own. Individuals just getting
into kayaking today are more likely than
ever to encounter the full variety of op-
tions available to them. The public relies
heavily on the opinions of their guides. It
is nice to know that more of these guides
can speak objectively to their clients about
the pros and cons of all the choices avail-
able to them. Today you can find guides
and outfitters across North America from
Alaska to Florida, from Maine to Baja ply-
ing the waters in wood. t
David Grimmer has a background in
outdoor recreation. He has worked with
Pygmy Boats Inc. for the past five years.
During that time he has seen the popularity
of wood kayaks blossom with outfitter and
guide services. He can be reached at
Pygmy Boats Inc. 360-385-6143.
www.pygmyboats.com
Lon Smiths Kayak Port Townsend fleet includes wooden kayaks.
The 4 t h Annual Newfound Rendezvous
I
t took a years planning and many
man/woman hours but we were finally
able to enjoy another great gathering of
wood strip/epoxy boat builders at Ge-
neva Point Conference Center on Lake
Winnipesaukee, Moultonboro, New
Hampshire in September.
Attendees came from surrounding states
and locally. This was a first for many, but
there is a large group that has attended all
three Rendezvous, a sort of cult following
people who will spend all of their free time
between now and next year building the
perfect boat (surfers will relate with their
quest for the perfect wave).
Someone invited Hurricane Floyd to
last years Rendezvous so, as we got closer
to the date, I feared a repeat and couldnt
even watch the weather predictions. As it
turned out, we got drenched with rain for
a few hours on Friday but late in the day
the sky cleared. If you dont like the
weather in New England, just wait a
whileit will change. And it did.
We started the Rendezvous four years
ago when Nick Schade suggested we give
our customers and anyone who had built
a stripper a place (a reason?) to gather and
show each other what they had accom-
plished. At that time many people had
built beautiful boats on their own in base-
ments and garages, not really sure if there
might be others out there suffering from
this same addiction. I became addicted
when I picked up Canoecraft in 1987 and
saw the beautiful, functional cedar strip/
epoxy canoes.
It wasnt just that these boats were made
from wood for I had been exposed to
wooden boats before when I rebuilt the
transom of a Chris Craft and re-varnished
the whole boat in my woodworking busi-
ness. After seeing the rot and deteriora-
tion from years of neglect I was deter-
mined that I wasnt going to get involved
with wooden boats!
But this epoxy/fiberglass coating thing
was something else, sealing the wood and
giving it strength, and four coats of var-
nish giving the wood character and depth
you could only dream about. You also had
thin strips that could be arranged in de-
signs using different wood species! And
taking this one more step, these strips
were all put together in slick curves in a
boat that was functional. For someone
who was used to creating windows, doors,
and cabinets from wood, this was some-
thing that had to be explored.
OK, so back to this years Rendezvous.
The designers were there: Jay Babina
(Outer Island), Nick Schade (Guillemot Kay-
aks), Rob Macks (Laughing Loon), Jim
Luton (Islander Design), Peter Hunt (Little
Dubber), and Eric Schade (Shearwater
Boats). These are all people with a love of
boating and building, who go one step
further by creating their own designs that
will perform to high expectations. They
also provide their designs for others to
build, and offer assistance by phone and
e-mail to keep builders on the right track.
Demonstrations of canoe and kayaks
were conducted by Jim Luton (canoe sail-
ing), Jay Babina (Greenland paddling
techniques/rolling), Caleb Davis (tradi-
tional solo canoe paddling in a tandem
canoe), Harry Weidman (basic and inter-
mediate kayak instruction).
Many of the attendees discovered new
boat building techniques by watching
Mike Brooker stripping a Wee Lassie, Eric
Schade stripping a Hybrid kayak, Rob
Macks stripping a canoe by his staple-less
construction method, Nick Schade show-
ing creative stripping methods, Lenny
Lipton showing his method of making
secure kayak deck fasteners, and me dem-
onstrating fairing techniques. Other re-
lated woodworking topics were explained
by Bill Allen (split ash pack baskets) and
Ray Wisner (marquetry). Dr. Donald
Campbell gave a talk on muscle use in
canoe and kayaking, Peter Hunt explained
GPS use, and Mary Anne McFarland ex-
plored new methods of using epoxy.
This is the first year that we hosted a
Designers Forum. I wasnt sure what
to expect, but it turned out to be an inter-
esting discussion among the designers.
When we came up with this idea I was
afraid I might have to step in to break up
serious disagreements, but not so. Of
Michael Vermouth
The lineup on the beach was impressive.
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
Is it wild or farmed?
Is it wild or farmed?
Eat Wild
Eat Wild
course, each designer prefers his designs
because he feels they perform to his ex-
pectations, but this turned out to be a very
civilized discussion of design parameters
and wood/epoxy/fiberglass hull strength
issues.
Another couple of firsts should be
mentioned here. Late Saturday afternoon
we held the first Paddle-By where we
gave out numbers and people paddled
their boats by the crowd on the beach as
the announcer called out the name of the
paddler, the designer, the builder, etc. I
have to say that shivers went down my
spine as I looked up from assigning num-
bers to see more than thirty-five beautiful
boats all milling about at once. I know I
wasnt the only one, because the crowd
on the beach became really quiet. Ill bet
others were also thinking, Wow, look
what weve done.
The other item in the area of firsts was
in the unique design and accomplishment
categories. Generally we dont have any
kind of beauty contest here because thats
not what its about. Some builders are con-
tent to get through the building process
to have something that is functional and
others are in the works-of-art category.
Two builders broke new ground this year:
Kent LeBoutillier built a kayak with his
son that was decorated in flames reminis-
cent of those 50s hot rods. The flames
were made from real wood strips with fine
workmanship. Tony Hills kayak had a
high gloss black painted hull with alter-
nating mahogany and butternut strips on
the deck. This is unique because prior to
this many strip builders would have
chopped off their left hand before they
would think to paint a stripper. In this
case, Tony showed us all how judicious
use of paint actually enhances the appear-
ance of a stripper!
This years event was the best yet. Why?
Because it wasnt just a gathering where
the beautiful boats are all lined up to be
admiredalthough there were over 125
boats on Saturday afternoon. These boats
were also used and paddle-tested. The de-
signers and Newfound Woodworks had a
huge variety of different canoes, kayaks
and rowing boats available for those who
wanted to test performance. This is the
only place on the East Coast where this
many wood strip designs are in attend-
ance at once. (On the west coast, Joe Greenley
of Redfish Kayaks hosts the West Coast Ren-
dezvous in late August. Contact: 208-344-
7116, www.redfishkayak.com.)
Not only were there demonstrations,
but also a free flow of information regard-
ing construction techniques. The flow
went both ways, from demonstrators to
attendees and back. I find that every time
I teach someone how to build, I come
away smarter because they seem to come
up with new angles for a lot of our tried
and true methods.
There seem to be two major types of
people who get involved in wooden boats:
the boat users and the builders. The us-
ers are avid small boat enthusiasts who
get into building hoping to end up with a
more uniquely designed, quality boat. The
builders are people who have maybe
used a canoe or kayak before, but are smit-
ten with the beauty and functionality of
the wood strip/epoxy package. Some-
where in the process the users become
builders and the builders learn to use and
enjoy their works of art.
So be careful: there is a movement rum-
bling around out there. It isnt backyard
boatbuilding anymoreits custom
boatbuilding. It involves wood, sawdust,
shavings, epoxy, fiberglass, and the intoxi-
cating smell of cedar, and is very addic-
tive. Small boat building is alive and well,
and its growing rapidly. It grows every
time we take our boats to the water and
the uninitiated see them for the first time.
Once they try one, theyre hooked. They
have to go home and clean out the garage
or basement to make room. Those may be
the last household chores that get done for
quite a while. Instead, the important thing
will be getting the hull stripped or apply-
ing the next coat of epoxy. Next Septem-
ber maybe youll show up at the Rendez-
vous with your functional work of art!
I would like to thank the employees of
the Newfound Woodworks, their spouses,
and the many, many volunteers who do-
nated their time and energy to assisting
with this event. It wouldnt have hap-
pened without their assistance and en-
couragement. t
Michael Vermouth can be reached at
Newfound Woodworks, Inc. in Bristol
New Hampshire at 603-744-6872
or by email: info@newfound.com
www.newfound.com
Flames engulf bow of a wooden hot rod.
Fr om t he Rai nf or est
Dan Lewis
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Tranquil Forest s?
W
atching barges laden with
raw logs leaving Clayoquot
Sound for the first time in several
years has got me thinking again
about wood, and where it comes
from.
Clayoquot Sound, on the west
coast of Vancouver Island, gained
international media attention dur-
ing the summer of 1993. The ar-
rest of nearly 1,000 peaceful
protestors focussed attention on
the BC governments unpopular
decision to allow clearcutting of
Clayoquots pristine valleys of
globally rare temperate rainforest.
One of the promises made in the
1993 logging announcement was world class logging standards.
Yet these were not defined. The government was persuaded to
establish a blue ribbon panel of distinguished scientific experts,
to determine the standards. Unfortunately, the Panel was never
asked whether logging the rare pristine valleys of Clayoquot was
scientifically defendable. When they raised this question them-
selves, the government clarified their mandate: to determine how,
not whether or not, the forests of Clayoquot Sound were to be cut.
The panel came up with some progressive forestry policies. In
1995 the government heralded the end of clearcutting in
Clayoquot Sound. Conservation groups argued that it would
be excellent to see these policies applied to the rest of Vancouver
Islands forests, rather than experiment with this kinder, gen-
tler clearcutting in Clayoquots endangered rainforest valleys.
The on-the-ground standards basically called for what is known
as variable retention logging. This means leaving small patches
of trees standing in the clearcuts. It is the easiest thing to do with-
out actually changing anything in the way a logging company
operates. In 1997 I walked up the Tranquil Valley to check out
one of the new cutblocks. I was horrified to see that it was essen-
tially a smaller clearcut, adjacent to older large clearcuts which
run all the way to the estuary of a valley up which it had just
taken us several hours to hike!
The companies have met only a few of the 128 recommenda-
tions the Panel made for ecosystem based forestry, but are claim-
ing full compliance. Although they did meet a few of the opera-
tional standards, the long-term plans so essential to determining
whether the new standards could preserve endangered species
were taking a lot longer to develop. Finally the Panel died a quiet
death last year when the government pulled their funding for
implementation of the Panels recommendations. Without long
term plans were back to taking potshots in the dark, not really
understanding the ecosystem were busily destroying.
There was a lot of fanfare last year when several major envi-
ronmental groups (Greenpeace, Sierra Club of BC, Western
Canada Wilderness Committee, and Natural Resource Defense
Council) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iisaak, a
joint venture between local First Nations and Macmillan Bloedel
(within days, MB sold its BC timber cutting rights to US logging
giant Weyerhaeuser). The agreement stated that Iisaak would not
log in the pristine valleys, and would move towards ecoforestry
in second-growth forests. In exchange, the enviros would help
market wood products produced by the new company. Friends
of Clayoquot Sound, the local
group, chose not to sign, and has
taken a watchdog role
Iisaak began their logging this
summer past, hailed as a new era
of logging in Clayoquot Sound.
Rightly so. Iisaaks cutting looks
like nothing weve ever seen
herevery small openings, dis-
persed over a small area. How-
ever, the new company is still log-
ging in old-growth forests. Their
first cuts took place in a small
patch of old-growth at the mouth
of the Cypre River, a large valley
which was almost entirely de-
nuded during the last 30 years.
Without long-term planning and studies, who is to say that this
small fragment of remaining forest wasnt critical habitat for the
wildlife left in the Cypre Valley?
The bottom line is, the pristine valleys are too rare to be logged,
no matter how it is done. And the previously logged valleys are
already too fragmented, the remnants too small to be logged any
further. Iisaak, while a huge step forward from the conventional
logging companies, needs to honor its commitment to phase out
cutting ancient forests, and shift to cutting second growth.
Interfor is the other company with logging rights in Clayoquot
Sound. Unlike Iisaak, Interfor is still trying to maintain the indus-
trial logging status quo here in the Sound. This year they put in a
contentious clearcut very close to the boundary of Pacific Rim
National Park, the third most ecologically threatened park in
Canada, home to the threatened Red-legged Frog. Three people
were arrested in June for peacefully protesting Interfors logging
near the Park, and sentenced to 21 days in jail this fall.
In May 2000, Canadas Prime Minister was here in Tofino to
announce the new Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
This designation does not protect additional areas. It merely rec-
ognizes the globally unique ecology of the area, and the local at-
tempts to balance conservation with sustainable development.
For some, development is synonymous with logging. Anyone
who has paddled in Clayoquot Sound or visited Tofino knows
that there is already a lot of development here of another nature
tourism. It seems ludicrous to endanger such a vibrant, thriving
local economy by destroying the very resource it is based on
pristine wilderness.
Things are moving here in Clayoquot Sound. We are muddling
our way towards sustainability. The way forward is slow, the re-
sistance to change is huge, but the rate of cutting locally has
slowed tremendously, which buys time for the needed changes
to be implemented. And the longer it takes, the more obvious it
will become that its time to put an end to logging of ancient for-
ests anywhere on this beleagured planet. t
Dan Lewis lives in Clayoquot Sound, where
he operates Rainforest Kayak Adventures with
Bonny Glambeck. Visit their website:
www.rainforestkayak.com.
Toll Free: 1.877.422.WILD
mail@rainforestkayak.com
The Tranquil River valley.
Photo by Bonny Glambeck
Forest companies are at least now start-
ing to use the language of ecoforestry,
biodiversity, low impact logging. While in
some cases this is greenwash, its a start. t
Fo r fu r t h e r in fo r m a t io n , r e a d
Ec o fo re st ry: Th e A rt an d Sc ie n c e o f Su s-
t a i n a b l e Fo re s t U s e e d it e d b y Ala n
Gre ngso n and Duncan Taylo r (Ne w So ci-
e t y Publishe rs, 1997) and W ild w o o d by
Ruth Lo o mis (Re fle ctio ns, 1995).
To be include d in the Ec o fo re st ry Dire c -
to ry, contact Jay Rastogi of the Ecofore stry
Institute c/ o 13802 Hill Ro ad Ladysmith,
BC V9G 1G7<rastogi@ ecoforestry.ca> Ph:
2 5 0 -2 4 5 -5 5 4 0 . Bo t h b o o ks me nt io ne d
above can be o rde re d by co ntacting Jay.
The Eco fo re stry Institute is also wo rk-
ing in partne rship with The Land Co nse rv-
anc y to purchase Wildwo o d, the we ll-
known fo re stry o pe ratio n o n Vanco uve r
Island fo unde d by Me rve Wilkinso n in
1938. The pro pe rt y will be maintaine d as
a de mo nstratio n e co fo re stry site and will
be the site o f an e ducatio nal ce ntre . Do -
n a t io n s a r e b e in g a c c e p t e d b y t h e
Eco fo re stry Institute , Box 5070 Statio n B,
Victo ria, BC, V8R 6N3 and by The Land
Co n se r va n c y o f BC, 5 7 9 3 O ld We st
Saanich Rd, Victo ria, BC, V9E 2H2. Bo th
o rga n iz a t io n s a re re giste re d c ha rit ie s,
the re fo re do natio ns are tax de ductable .
Fo r to urs o f Wildwo o d fo re st co ntact
the Eco fo re stry Institute .
In t he USA, two majo r ce rtifie rs are
Smart Wo o d 802-434-5491 and Scie ntific
Ce rtificatio n Syste ms 510-832-1415.
Eco Timbe r o f Be rke ley, Califo rnia, is a
lumbe r co mpany which spe cialize s in ce r-
tifie d wo o d. Co ntact the m at 1020 He inz
Ave n u e , Be rke le y, Ca lifo rn ia 9 4 7 1 0 .
<e c o t imb e r@e c o t imb e r.c o m> Ph: 8 8 8 -
801-0855-1020. Fax: 510-549-3001.
Moving t o Ecoforest r y
Certification shifts the motivation for respon-
sible action from government regulation to
market pressure, and rewards those producers
who demonstrate ecological, social, and eco-
nomic responsibility.
Other certification schemes exist, such
as ISO, but these forest industry initiatives
are little more than management stand-
ards set by corporations to improve their
internal practices, and are not independ-
ently verified.
There impediments to ecoforestry, how-
ever. In British Columbia, for example, the
big five forest companies in BC have the
province largely sewn up with forest ten-
ures. Its only where private forest land
exists (or in crown woodlot licences) that
certification is likely. While there are more
and more private land owners pursuing
certification, there is no clear system for
connecting suppliers and buyers, no open
market for timber.
To rectify this, the Ecoforestry Institute
is developing an Ecoforestry Directory, and
is inviting ecoforesty practitioners and as-
sociated organizations to list. See sidebar
for contact information.
Part of the good news about ecoforestry
is prices! Generally speaking, wood from
ecologically managed woodlots sells at the
same price as lumber in the commercial
lumber stores.
Better yet, a number of big chains, like
Home Depot, have announced their inten-
tion to switch to certified lumber within
the next five years, subject to availability.
The million dollar question is whether
we can switch to ecowood before all our
forests are ripped down. But Clayoquot
Sound is a hopeful example. The model
Scientific Panel, established by the BC
government to develop an ecosystem
management system, will likely spread.
Alan Wilson
Y
es, there is a way to ensure wilder
ness forests for the future and con-
tinue to build wooden kayaks. Its called
Ecoforestry.
According to the Ecoforestry Institute
Society of Canada, ecoforestry is predi-
cated on maintaining the natural capital of
the forest ecosystem, while allowing a wide
range of values and benefits to be derived from
the interest of the forest.
Ecoforestry tries to maximize the value
of wood products from a given amount
of biomass extracted, seeking the highest
economic purposes for the least amount
of wood harvested.
Ecoforestry favours value-added manu-
facturing and local jobs by providing a
continuing, diverse and local supply of
forest products. Its practices favour native
tree and plant species which provide for
the needs of wildlife.
Ecocertification assures consumers that
the wood products they buy were grown
and harvested in a way that protects for-
ests for the long term. Certifiers assess the
on-the-ground forest practices of a given
operation against a stringent set of envi-
ronmental and social criteria. The certifier
also tracks the chain of custody of the cer-
tified wood to ensure that it is kept sepa-
rate from non-certified material at each
stage of processing and distribution, from
forest to finished products.
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is
a non-profit organization that accredits
certifiers whose programs conform to its
internationally recognized principles and
criteria, providing a consistent and cred-
ible framework for independent certifica-
tion efforts worldwide. The FSC enjoys the
support of most major environmental
groups.
As forester Herb Hammond puts it,
Discover t he beaut iful Gulf Islands
from our singles and doubles. . .
Ar lu k s , Te s la s , So ls t ice s , Kyo o k s , Ama r u k s , Lo o k s h a s
Camping Showers Hot Tub Sales Instruction
PO Box 40, Mayne Island
BC, CANADA V0N 2J0
Tel/Fax: 250/539-2667
kayak@mayneisle.com
www.mayneisle.com/kayak
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NEW ORCA WATCH ACCOMMODATIONS
IN THE BLACKFISH SOUND AREA.
A
s the words Blackfish Sound... Naiad
Explorer crackled over the radio, I
left the steaming canner of tightly sealed
jars of pink salmon and hurried to answer.
The first name in a radio call is the ves-
sel being called, and mine is Blackfish
Sound. The second name is the vessel call-
ing. Youd better get out here, came Bud
Butlers voice, first mate on the Naiad,
you are not going to want to miss this,
and he gave me his position out in Queen
Charlotte Strait. As I made sure the can-
ner wasnt going to explode in my absence
I could hear him chastising me for taking
so long to answer the radio. Everyones
been calling you. The rhythmic pulse of
the steam escaping from the canner must
have masked the previous calls.
There is nothing quite so nice as letting
go the boat lines and heading out for a
whale sighting, especially in the condi-
tions of that afternoonglassy calm with
wisps of cloud nestled into every cleft in
the hills. At the end of Fife Sound I spot-
ted the Naiad Explorer, the new whale
watching boat out of Port McNeill, owned
by Donna and Bill MacKay. She looks like
a fifty foot Zodiacan unmistakable pro-
file on the coast. As I approached, I saw a
sea of Orca dorsal fins.
Orca research of this coast is one of the
greatest and most cooperative scientific
pursuits in Canada. Underway for three
decades and passed like a torch from one
researcher to the next, it has probed the
secrets of one of the most difficult mam-
mals to study. A few researchers have been
involved from the projects inception
Graeme Ellis, John Ford and Paul Spong
but hundreds have participated.
It was Dr. Michael Bigg who discovered
that a good picture of an Orcas dorsal fin
can be used to distinguish that whale from
all other Orca for its entire life. Some
whales are easy to identify, others nearly
impossible, but it can be done. While the
concept is elegantly simply, the pictures
are difficult to get because Orca think
nothing of traveling one hundred miles a
day. That is why the contributions of so
many people have been essential. Gradu-
ally the pictures are allowing us to piece
together the fascinatingly complex and
unusual social life of the Orca.
The most important thing to the Orca
(after food and air) is family. Among some
groups of Orca, no one leaves their
mother! This is similar to elephant socie-
ties, but among elephants the males do
leave their natal groups, unlike male Orca.
The first researchers to look at Orca saw
a harem society, but the photo-identifica-
tion work taught us these werent harems,
but rather matriarchal groupsmothers
and their children. As the photographs
kept coming we learned that whales grow
up slowlyabout the same rate as us
not reaching full maturity until their early
twenties. We learned that the whales of
this coast are reluctant to mix and have
developed distinct societies with their
own culture of unique behaviours, terri-
tory and sound.
As I approached the waves of fins fall-
ing and rising from the waters surface I
struggled with an internal dilemmato
record sounds, which is my work, or take
pictures and contribute to the collective
database on the social life of the eastern
Pacific Orca. This was an unusually large
gathering of whales.
Lowering my hydrophone I entered
another world. Queen Charlotte Strait is
a broad expanse of water, but the voices
of 100 Orca easily filled it. The unique calls
Fr om t he Ar c hi pel ago
Alexandra Morton
Orcas (once known as blackfish) are very social beings.
Blackfish Sound
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KLEPPER CANADA
4718 1st St . S.W. Cal gar y, AB
1-800-323-3525
KLEPPER
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Wor l ds Fi nest Fol di ng
Kayak s Si nc e 1907
w w w .k l epper .c om
amsc gyc a@c advi si on.c om
of each lineage rippled out from their fam-
ily epicenters and surged into and around
the calls of other ancestry. This constella-
tion of sound washed up against the land
which contained it and poured back into
the Strait, weaving against the outgoing
threads of soundit was a whales uni-
verse down there.
Lost in the three dimensions of this sym-
phony, the whales became distant and the
fog slumped down the hillsides and
pooled along the waters surface. There
was no time to reflect. I left the marine
world and puttered after the Naiad and the
whales, not wanting to get lost in the fog.
I sidled up to one family after another
and snapped a visual record of who was
there. Many were the northern resident
whales from up around Prince Rupert.
There were As, Cs, Gs, Hs and Is, al-
most all the pods in the northern resident
orca community.
While a group of whales this big is ex-
citing to us humans, it is clearly even more
exciting to the whales. They were mov-
ing fast, breaching, roaring around in tide
linespresumably after salmon. Spec-
tacular all-male groups coalesced, explod-
ing to the surface to gulp air and vanish.
Whales blazed beneath the boat, chasing
one another, finding a new partner or re-
joining their families. They were spread
far and wide.
Where Queen Charlotte Strait narrows
into Blackfish Sound, the groups of whales
slid in one behind the other and became
waves of mammalian warmth and sound
in a salmon-filled sea. I stopped and let
these waves wash beneath and around
me. It is hard not to contrast my human-
ity against the backdrop of whales at mo-
ments like this, as they appear to have a
greater capacity to enjoy the company of
their own kind.
I left the gathering as it flooded into
Johnstone Strait and on down into Discov-
ery Passage. For days afterwards the
morning whale reportsusually re-
stricted to a local VHF radio channel
became mainstream news as this enor-
mous congregation of whales pushed fur-
ther and further south, into the territory
of the southern resident whales. These
whales reminded the coastal communities
of Powell River, Campbell River and else-
where that they have whales for neigh-
bours.
Some Orca came back right away, but
the others remained in the south, in the
territory of the southern resident Orcas.
The southerns, however, were away at the
time on the west coast of Vancouver Is-
land and the northerns remained until the
day before the southern whales returned
to the Strait of Georgia.
Whale choreography on this coast is al-
ways a little mystifying. They come and
go in interesting ways. Althoughtthey en-
ter each others territory periodically, we
have never seen southerns and northerns
mix and we didnt see it this year either.
Did the southerns get a taste of the
northerns on a current traveling west from
the Strait of Georgia and decide to come
home? Were they on their way home any-
way? Did they announce their return with
calls so loud it cleared the northerns ahead
of them, or did the northerns taste the
southerns on a northbound current and
skedaddle? Was the precise coming and
going a coincidence? I dont think so.
I spent most of the summer learning

about another sea creature which was ris-
ing with increasing regularity to the sur-
faceAtlantic salmon in the nets of com-
mercial fishermen. After I counted over
1,000 escaped farmed Atlantic salmon
caught in Johnstone Strait in 24 hours (see
my column in the last issue), I began ques-
tioning fishermen at every fishing open-
ing and going boat to boat to collect sam-
ples and take pictures. The fishermen were
wonderfully tolerant of my constant ques-
tioning at the busiest time of their year.
An opening near my home in Tribune
Channel produced over 3,000 Atlantic
salmon in one day. Many of these fish had
fresh pellets in them and so we knew these
fish had escaped within hours.
When the nearest fish farm at
Sargeaunt Pass was queried,
they initially denied losing any
fish. But later they had to an-
nounce they had found a hole
through which an unknown
number of salmon had been es-
caping for an unknown period
of time. If there hadnt been a
commercial opening they likely
wouldnt have become aware
of the hole until harvest time.
How many times a year does
this happen?
It was frightening to watch these big ten
pound fish hit the gillnets one after an-
other in broad daylightthere were so
many. Over 400 seals assembled in the
area and I began wondering if the vast
number of escaped farm fish were fueling
an explosion in the seal population.
Clearly commercial fisherman can catch
escaped farm fish and so Calvin Siider, a
Sointula gillnetter, hounded government
at all levels to reopen Tribune to try and
catch more of the estimated 30,000 escap-
ees in order to get them out of the water.
He was successful and this fishery pro-
vided a second look at the Atlantic salmon
which had now been free for at least six
days.
While none of the fish had food in their
are measures which would
make by-catch negligible.
The greater problem is that
no one knows who these Atlan-
tic salmon belong to. They are
not a wild Pacific fish, so per-
haps the Department of Fish-
eries and Oceans has no juris-
diction over them. The fish
farmers, on the other hand,
have refused for the past dec-
ade to tag their livestock so as
to avoid being held account-
able for escapesso perhaps
they have forfeited their own-
ership of these fish as well. But the fish
shouldnt be sold because they could have
recently eaten medicated pellets.
This is a new problem for this coast, re-
quiring new and creative solutions. But
while the politics are muddy, the biologi-
cal perspective is clearget Atlantic
salmon out of the Pacific before this ex-
periment runs its destructive course.
Please contact the provincial Ministry of
Environment and bolster their courage to
tackle this.
The tiny Echo Bay School opened its

doors again this fall and, like children
across the country, pupils piled maple
leaves high and jumped into them.
The tourists fled south, the sandhill
cranes close behind them. The dolphins
have been scarce because the ocean has
set its table far to the west, past Pine Is-
land. There the Naiad recently passed
through an aggregation of dolphins a mile
wide and four miles long.
The diminutive pink salmon came
home in such abundance this year that the
bears feasted heartily. The growth rings
of trees far up the slope will be marked
well this year with the special nitrogen
these fish impart to the earth.
The rainfall this fall is befitting of a
raincoast and even the beleaguered chum
salmon have made a brave showing.
Something is going right in the ocean and
wild salmon are benefiting.
The pulse of this coast may have
skipped a few beats, been squeezed and
trampled, but it is still thumping with
magnificent force.
Oh yes, reading WaveLength every cou-
ple of months has induced me to borrow
a kayak to ferry my daughter to school
and to find the peace you know.
Good winter to you. t
Alexandra Morton is a marine
mammal researcher in BCs
Broughton Archipelago.
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stomachs in the first Tribune opening, by
the second opening a small percentage
had eaten sticklebacks, which were abun-
dant in the area, along with herring and
small wild salmon. It appeared they were
quickly figuring out how to survive out-
side a pensomething government has
assured us they could not do. I also found
larger, much more mature Atlantic salmon
clustered around the outside of the pens.
These fish appeared to have been feeding
on pellets escaping through the nets. They
were maturing, an easy swim away from
the best rivers in the area. Indeed, observ-
ers spotted three Atlantics in a half hour
in the neighbouring Kaweikan River.
A few weeks later, a fishery a short dis-
tance away in Knight Inlet revealed an
even broader diet including shrimp and
crab. In all, I examined the stomachs of
almost 800 Atlantic salmon and found the
industry and government statement that
escaped Atlantics dont feed on wild food
to be wrong. I also found a disturbing
number of different types of Atlantic
salmon. Some were covered in spots, some
had no spots. Some looked like coho, oth-
ers like sockeye. Some had no teeth, some
long jagged straight teeth, others fine in-
ward pointing teeth. Some had been
treated for sea lice, others were crawling
in lice. These fish were not from one or
two breakouts: the range of conditions and
types suggested these fish were from
many farms over the years. By the end of
August I had counted over 10,000 Atlan-
tic salmon caught from Campbell River to
Alaska although I had talked to less than
one third of the BC fishing fleet and only
one Alaskan boat.
What do Atlantic salmon in the Pacific
mean? Well, they eat and attack Pacific
salmon, as well as carry exotic diseases
and enhance local pathogens, parasites
and predators. I dont think we need to
know any more before we take some ac-
tion. Calvin Siider is fighting hard to get
a winter fishery opened on Atlantic
salmon. In winter, very few Pacific salmon
are around that can be caught, and there
Alexs family in a wooden boat built by husband, Eric
Feat hercraft . . . kayaks for all seasons
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2002UN YEAR OF ECOTOURI SM
The United Nations General Assembly has
declared the year 2002 as the year of
Ecotourism and Responsible Tourism. The
most important event of the year (at the In-
ter-governmental Organizations level) is the
May 2002 World Ecotourism Summit in Que-
bec, Canada. www.unepie.or/tourism/home
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE SHOWS
A series of Adventure Sports & Travel
Shows kicks off in Vancouver, BC on Feb. 16-
18, then moves to Toronto Feb. 23-25 and
winds up in Calgary Mar. 30-Apr.1st. Includes
sea kayaking, canoeing and white water. Pre-
season deals on boats and gear. Watch the
experts & test products in the pool. Great
prizes! Speakers like David Suzuki.
WaveLength will be attending the Vancouver
show and we hope to see you there! Contact:
800-891-4859, info@momentumevents.com,
www.nationalevent.com
KAYAK EXPEDI TI ON SCHOOL
Wilderness Kayak Institute (WKI), a new
sea kayak education program geared to the
experienced kayaker, is being launched this
winter in Baja, Mexico. WKI is directed by
John Dowd, world-renowned sea kayaker
and author of Sea Kayaking.
WKIs Masters Program is designed to
take the experienced paddler or the moti-
vated beginner to an expedition skill level.
The program will refine technical paddling
skills, emphasize wilderness survival strate-
gies and focus on a wide range of seaman-
ship, including navigation and weather and
sea state assessment, all while paddling along
a section of remote and challenging coastline.
These 12-day courses operate in Baja from
February through April, and in the Queen
Charlotte Islands and Central Coast of Brit-
ish Columbia from May through September.
WKIs Expeditions are for those who
have completed the Masters Program or
have achieved a comparable skill level. Pad-
dle the Grenadines in the Caribbean or the
Straits of Magellan in Southern Chile. Con-
tact WKI toll free at 877-724-1808 or see
www.wildernesskayak.com
REACH! FOR UNBLEACHED
You can help BCs leading non-profit
group focused on pulp and paper issues
Reach for Unbleached!to promote clean
air, clean water and clean paper. Join Reachs
Bulk Office Paper Buying Club to lower the
price and increase demand for chlorine free,
recycled copy paper. The price is $53.50 per
case, plus tax and delivery. Order deadline
January 31st. Call 604-879-2992 or email:
info@rfu.org for more information.
DAVI D BROWER REMEMBERED
World renowned environmentalist, David
Brower, died this fall at his home in Berkeley,
California, at the age of 88.
Perhaps Browers best-known accom-
plishment was his success during the1960s
in leading a Sierra Club campaign to block
two hydroelectric dams proposed for the
Grand Canyon. Brower took out full-page
ads in the New York Times equating the pro-
posal to flooding the Sistine Chapel. He also
led Sierra Club efforts to pass the Wilderness
Act, halt dam construction in Dinosaur Na-
tional Monument, and create Kings Canyon,
North Cascades and Redwoods National
Parks and Point Reyes and Cape Cod Na-
tional Seashores.
An avid mountain climber and skier,
Brower pioneered 70 first-ascents in an out-
door adventure career that took him around
the globe. In addition to leading the Sierra
Club, Brower was nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize three times, and he founded the
Sierra Club Foundation, League of Conser-
vation Voters, Friends of the Earth and the
Earth Island Institute. Through Sierra Club
Books, Brower also launched the genre of large-
format conservation photo books to heighten
public awareness of wildlands, bringing images
of Americas landscapes and a strong conserva-
tion ethic into peoples homes.
The Sierra Club is the USAs oldest and
largest grassroots environmental organiza-
tion, with over 600,000 members nationwide.
NEW ECOTOURI SM FORUM
The Global Coalition for Advancement of
Ecotourism has launched a new, worldwide
interactive email forum on ecotourism
GREENTOURwith the intention of in-
creasing awareness of environmentally re-
sponsible travel. Information on new resorts
and seasonal destinations, value holiday
packages, announcement of contests and
news on upcoming events are welcomed, as
is research and debate on ecotourism issues.
GREENTOUR was launched in Nairobi,
Kenya on the occasion of the Conference of
Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity
held at UNEP Headquarters in May 2000.
To look at past messages and discussions,
you can browse the GREENTOUR archives
at: www.egroups.com/group/greentour. To
join the list, simply send a blank email to:
greentour-subscribe@egroups.com
ECOTOURI SM DATABASE
The World Wildlife Fund has started to
compile an ecotourism database on the
grounds that supporting community
ecotourism is one of the best ways to achieve
sustainable development. The database will
be a key tool for WWF to provide technical
support and information to conservation
practitioners and community-based tourism
developments.
Leeds Metropolitan University in England
will work alongside the WWF to establish
the database of worldwide experts who can
provide technical support (including plan-
ning advice and tools, training, information
sharing, monitoring and evaluation tools
and policy development) for the establish-
ment and development of ecotourism
projects in ecologically important areas.
The database will include all areas of com-
petence required to use ecotourism as a de-
velopment option, e.g. education and train-
ing, funding, marketing and organization,
specific ecological, cultural or regional ex-
pertise, etc. It will also include sources of in-
formation and companies as well as individu-
als. Contact Xavier Font: X.Font@lmu.ac.uk and
co-ordinated by Jan Taylor: J.T.Taylor@lmu. ac.uk.
BI ODI VERSI TY TO BE SLASHED
The Sierra Club of BC is warning that the
governments Landscape Unit Planning
Guide severely restricts biodiversity protec-
tion promised under the Forest Practices
Code. Landscape Unit Planning is the main
tool to protect biodiversity at the watershed
level. At the heart of the problem are Tim-
ber Impact Caps (TICs) that limit the im-
Ec obyt es
The Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC met in
October on Gabriola Island.
P
h
o
t
o

b
y

H
o
w
a
r
d

S
t
i
f
f
Coast al Kayak Leadershi p Trai ni ng Course
May 11-20, May 25-June3
Additional courses may be offered subject to interest
Wilderness First Aid Class
for Kayak Leaders
April 30-May 5 Cost $1000
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. Di sc ount s f or Mal aspi na st udent s. For more information,
contact Don Cohen at <cohen@mala.bc.ca>.
Malaspi na
Uni versi t y-College
Ph: 250-753-3245 local 2480
Nanaimo Campus 900 Fifth St.
Nanaimo, BC V9R 5S5
pact of biodiversity measures to 4.1% of the
annual cut.
Adding insult to injury, the new Guide
also directs that all old growth reserves have
to be located in areas that are non-contrib-
uting to the timber supplythat is, areas
that cant be cut anyway.
On Vancouver Island, for example, the few
reserves that are allowed for marbled
murrelets arent located where the murrelets
are actually nesting.
Timber Impact Caps for Old Growth Man-
agement Areas are just 2.3% See the guide at
www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/planning/lup.
The BC Ministry of Forests is also now
putting finishing touches on the provinces
first Higher Level Plan. The proposed plan
creates zones covering about 1/3 of Vancou-
ver Island to be managed differently than the
Forest Practices Code specifies. Enhanced
Forestry Zones will cover 24% of the Island.
Enhanced Forestry Zones (EFZs) are a
misnomer (they were formerly called High
Intensity Areas), where some legal stand-
ards set by the Forest Practices Code are be-
ing overruled in order to maintain an un-
sustainable rate of cut. It also fails to ad-
equately address First Nations issues and
the needs of other economic sectors, such as
fishing, tourism and recreation. Nor does it
protect endangered species adequately.
You can view the draft plan at http://
www.luco.gov.bc.ca/slupinbc/vanisle.
For more info and action contact Jill
Thompson, Vancouver Island Forests Coordina-
tor, Sierra Club of BC, at: jill@sierra clubbc.org
or call 250-386-5255 (ext.214).
COMMERCI AL FI SHI NG WI NS
Peter Tyedmers, former representative on
the BC Governments Salmon Aquaculture
Review Committee, has just published his
PhD thesis on the impacts of salmon farm-
ing. He analyzed the biophysical efficiency
of commercial fishing vs. netcage salmon
farming and compared their ecological foot-
prints and energy use. To analyze the eco-
logical footprints, he quantified the marine
and terrestrial ecosystem support areas
needed to grow salmon, sustain labour in-
puts, and assimilate CO
2
equivalent to the
greenhouse gases that result from industrial
energy and material inputs.
The results indicate that salmon farming is
the least biophysically efficient, and hence least
sustainable system for producing salmon cur-
rently operating in British Columbia. Com-
mercially caught sockeye, chum, and pink
salmon had the smallest total ecological foot-
prints. <tyedmers@interchange .ubc.ca>
ACCESS TO CROWN LAND
The Sea Kayak Guides Alliance of BC is
currently drafting proposals to BC Assets
and Lands (BCAL) to address land-use ten-
ures as they pertain to commercial sea kayak
tours under the Commercial Recreation
Land Use Policy. Legislation was passed in
May 1998 that requires all commercial rec-
reational tour operators who access crown
land to apply for some form of tenure.
Several sea kayak tour operators have ap-
plied for tenures since the fall of 1998, but to
date have not been granted any form of land
tenure, resulting in increased business un-
certainty. In the late spring of 2000 a meet-
ing between then Minister Corky Evans and
representatives of the SKGABC lead to an
understanding to work towards a resolve to
the issues by the end of 2000. For complete
information on the BC Commercial Recreation
Land Use Policy, visit the BCAL website at:
www.bcal.bc.ca/
USE EM OR LOSE EM
BCs chief forester Larry Pedersen has or-
dered logging companies to log along sce-
nic routes such as the Inside Passage to
Alaska, or risk losing some of their harvest-
ing rights. Pedersens comments refer to ar-
eas of BCs north coast which are as yet un-
touched because of environmental pressures.
This area is a potential ecotourism mecca
already a major draw for cruise shipsand
has unresolved First Nations land claims.
Pedersen may be trying to force increases
in logging activity, but he claims he is test-
ing to see whether the annual allowable cut
is an accurate assumption of the amount of
timber the region can produce, and if not,
the lands ought to be removed from con-
sideration.
Wilderness Sailing & Kayaking Trips
Nimbus, Necky, Current Designs
Meals, Rooms & Camping
Expert Instruction
Rental & Sales
Desolation Sound
Gorge Harbour Marina Resort
www.island.net/~taili
800-939-6644 250-935-6749
Cortes Island British Columbia
OCEAN RI VER DONATES TO GSA
Admission to evening talks and slide shows
at Ocean River Sports in Victoria, BC in fall/win-
ter 2000 is by donation, with proceeds to the
Georgia Strait Alliance. Call 800-909-4233.
DOLPHI N SLAUGHTER
Fishermen in central Japan are set to be-
gin hunting dolphins, an annual autumn
event. The dolphin hunting season officially
got under way in this fall in the small port
town of Taijithe traditional home of Japa-
nese whalingsome 450km southwest of
Tokyo. Poor weather prevented fishermen
from going out to sea at first, but they plan
to catch a total of nearly 2,400 dolphins and
smaller species of whales during the season,
which runs until the end of April.
Both whaling and dolphin hunting are tra-
ditions that date back hundreds of years in
Japan. But unlike Japans whaling pro-
gramme, which Tokyo says is for scientific re-
search purposes, dolphins are hunted purely
to provide meat for consumption. The hunt
is being carried out in accordance with Inter-
national Whaling Commission (IWC) rules,
according to a Japanese Fisheries Agency of-
ficial, with strict quotas set each year.
In addition to Taiji, dolphin hunting is al-
lowed at several other ports and a total of
nearly 17,000 dolphins are caught every sea-
son. For more info and action, contact: stopthe
slaughter@hotmail.com
NO OI L AND GAS
BC Premier Ujjal Dosanjh recently an-
nounced that until science proves the oil in-
dustry will not threaten BCs coastal envi-
ronment, the government moratorium on
offshore oil and gas drilling will be main-
tained. However, with a provincial election
looming on the horizon and Dosanjhs party
low in the polls, its anybodys guess how
long the 25-year old moratorium will remain.
For more information, contact the Living Oceans
Society at 250-973-6582.
UMI STA CULTURAL TOURS
Book tours in Alert Bay, BC with Lillian
Hunt. Lillian also manages the Gwakawe
Campground. Contact: tourab@island.net t
Per c ept i on & For mul a Kayak s
TOURING: 1 7 ' Eclipse, 1 6 Vizcaya, 1 6 ' Capt iva, 1 4 ' 6 " Cor ona
COMPACT KAYAKS: 9 ' 4 " Swifty, 1 1 ' Sierra, 1 3 ' 4 " America, Keowee II
Formula Kayaks available in fibreglass
1 4 Mystic4 0 lbs 1 6 . 5 Diamante5 0 lbs
1 7 . 5 Serenit y (3 hat ches)5 6 lbs. All wit h skegs.
Brooks Whit es AquaBound Har mony Ext raspor t Ser rat us
Middleton' s Canoes, Kayaks & Dinghies
SALES, OUTFITTING & TRIP RENTALS
2095 Flynn Place, N. Vancouver, B.C.
Ph. (604) 240-0503 Email: middletons@norf.net
Visit our site: www . nor f.net/ middletonsboats
Hume Cookin
Cook and Cool:
a) Rice: To speed cooking time, leave rice
to soak in saucepan (or Nalgene bottle)
with water for several hours. To pre-
parecover and bring water and rice
to boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to
low; cook for 15 minutes. Remove from
heat; let stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
b) Sauce: In a small saucepan combine vin-
egar, sugar, mirin and salt and heat to
boiling, stirring until sugar dissolves; let
cool. Spread rice in large shallow pan.
Sprinkle with half the vinegar mixture
and toss with fork until combined. Toss
with remaining vinegar mixture. Cover
with damp cloth; cool.
c) Mushrooms: Use small saucepan to soak
mushrooms in 1 cup warm water for 30
minutes. Add soy sauce and sugar; sim-
mer for 10 minutes or until no liquid
remains. Slice thinly.
Build:
Each diner spreads wasabi (or not) and
rice on their nori squares, adds toppings.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roll into a
cigar shape. Eat with pickled ginger.
Warm sake (Japanese rice wine) is a nice
touch. t
Deb Leach with Sharon Hume
Paddl e Meal s
Deb Leach, her kayak
and computer live
in Victoria, BC
wooden spoon until cheese melts.
Add Kirsch and stir until blended.
Serve bubbling hot.
Spear bread cubes, dunk, swirl in fondue.
Options: Bring along veggies like bell peppers
(cut in chunks), cherry tomatoes, baby carrots
or cucumber to dunk.
SENSATI ONAL SUSHI SQUARES
Snack for 4 or meal for 2
Not everyone likes raw fish, so roll your
own.
2 cup Japanese sushi rice
2 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tbsp mirin (rice wine)
2 tsp salt
4 sheets nori (pressed seaweed) cut in quarters
Toppings:
10 dried shitake mushrooms
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp white sugar
1 tbsp wasabi powdermix with water or
extra soy sauce to form a paste
200 g flaked crabmeat or imitation crab
(surimi) or 50 g smoked salmon, cut
in strips
1/4 English cucumber, cut in 1 cm thick
sticks
2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 avocado cut in slices
4 tbsp pickled ginger
Other Topping Ideas:
Shitake mushroom cooked in soy sauce,
peanut sauce, tamari or rice vinegar.
Chicken with peanut sauce, cut in strips.
Canned tuna or salmon.
Carrots cut in thin strips.
Wasabi mixed with light mayonnaise and
milk.
Thin omelet cut in strips.
I
love to cook. Make it easy, tasty and light.
Why buy freeze-dried? These are the
words of veteran camper, hiker and
paddler, Sharon Hume.
Sharon shops at health food stores for
organic instant cereals, Capers (complete)
pancake mix, quality products like real
maple syrup, and Cannor Brothers sar-
dines. And only the freshest vegetables
and fruit.
We had a wonderful time together
cruising the markets of Loreto (Baja) to
prepare for our kayak trip around islands
in the Sea of Cortez.
These days Sharon is a masters rower
with the Victoria City Rowing Club and,
as we go to press, her Womens Eight is
off to compete at the Head of the Charles
race in Boston. Go Vic Go!
BLACK TUSK FONDUE
No, not a walrus tuskthe Black Tusk
peak north of Vancouver. When Sharon
and Richard (now her husband) were at
UBC, they and a group of friends enjoyed
this fondue on a hiking trip.
Pack along:
1-2 cloves garlic
500 ml dry white wine
15 ml lemon juice
50 ml Kirsch
2 crusty French sticks
In zipper lock bagcombine and shake:
500 g shredded Swiss cheese
45 ml flour
nutmeg, pepper or paprika
At camp:
Cube bread so everyone has a piece of
crust. Rub pot with garlic; pour in wine
and heat gently until it starts to bubble.
Add lemon juice.
Add cheese by handfuls, stirring with
Web Paddl i ng
Ted Leather is the WaveLength Webmaster and
operates Clayrose Internet Creations, an internet
services company specializing in web site design
and management. Email: webmaster
@WaveLengthMagazine.com
Ted Leather
575 Pembroke Street, Victoria, BC V8T 1H3
Ph: (250) 361-9365 Fax: (250) 361-9375
Email: kayakcentre@voyageurcanoe.bc.ca
www.voyageurcanoe.bc.ca
Located at the corner of Pembroke
and Government Streets in Victoria BC
CANOE & KAYAK SALES,
RENTALS AND INSTRUCTION
Specializing in kayak & canoe repairs
Ask about our Voyageur Canoe trips
FORMULA KAYAKS
Serenity, Diamante, Montauk, Mystic
was from, give a brief summary of the page, and best of all, give
you direct access to that article via a link.
So next time youre looking for something specific on our site,
give our Wavelength Search a try. If you cant find what youre
looking for on our site, our Search page also accesses two exter-
nal search engines, About.com and Outdoorable.com, which spe-
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Now if I could just find that missing sock... t
Search Me
Book s
The Strip-Built Sea Kayak by Nick Schade, Ragged
Mountain, 1998. ISBN 0-07-057989-x,
soft-cover, 191 pp, B&W, $19.95 US
Nick Shade pre se nts full plans and instructio ns fo r
building thre e be autiful, se a-wo rthy strip kayaks. He
include s de taile d info rmatio n o n ho w hull de sign af-
fe cts pe rfo rmance , to o ls & mate rials, building te ch-
nique s, finishing, re pairs & mainte nance , safe ty and
risk manage me nt. This bo o k co ntains all the info rmatio n yo ull ne e d to build
a strip se a kayak, fro m se tting up the sho p to making the paddle .
KayakCraft by Ted Moores, WoodenBoat
Publications, 1999. ISBN 0-937822-56-6,
softcover, 171 pp, B&W, $19.95 US
Te d Mo o re s (autho r o f Can o e Craft ) be lie ve s that
pro fe ssio nal re sults can be e xpe cte d if go o d pat-
te rns are use d and simple ste ps pe rfo rme d with
care . In this bo o k he de scribe s the pro ce ss o f
building the En d e avo u r 1 7 , a po pular Ste ve Killing
de sign. He pro vide s all the ne cce ssary info rmatio n
abo ut de sign, mate rials, to o ls & te chnique s to e n-
sure that a first-time builde r can cre ate a wo o dstrip
kayak with truly pro fe ssio nal re sults. Cle ar de taile d instructio ns and e xce l-
le nt pho to s & diagrams.
The Kayak Shop by Chris Kulczycki
Ragged Mountain Press, 1993. ISBN 0-07-035519-3,
softcover, 154 pp, B&W, $19.95 US
Th e Kayak Sh o p include s the co mple te plans and build-
ing instructio ns fo r thre e e le gant wo o de n kayaks that
anyo ne can build. Chris Kulczyki assume s the re ade r
has o nly e le me ntary wo o dwo rking kno wle dge . The
bo ats include d are a ro und-bo tto me d, 28 po und, high
pe rfo rmance 16 fo o t single kayak; a hard-chine , 38
po und, 18 fo o t single kayak; and a co mpo unde d-plywo o d, 52 po und, 20
fo o t do uble kayak. The autho r also include s info rmatio n o n de signing yo ur
o wn kayak, and plans fo r building wo o d & e po xy paddle s. Easy to unde r-
stand de taile d instructio ns & e xce lle nt pho to s.
H
ave you ever spent hours looking for something you knew
was there somewhere in your pile, but couldnt find?
As the WaveLength internet site has grown in size, a similar
problem confronted ushow to find something in nearly 800
pages of information. So we decided our whole site had to be
searchable and we set up a search engine for it. The WaveLength
Search engine works like those internet search engines with one
big differenceits search area is the material on our site.
Lets say youre interested in information about kayaking in
Thailand. Go to our Search page <http://www.WaveLength
Magazine.com/search.htm>and in the Search box type Thailand.
The search engine will go through all 800 pages looking for any
reference to Thailand and display all of the pages it finds.
In addition, it will list the most relevant pages first, display-
ing the title of the pages so you can see which issue the article
EcoForestry, The Art and Science of Sustainable
Forest Use Edited by Alan Drengson and Duncan
Taylor, New Society Books, 1997. ISBN 0-86571-
365-0, softcover, 320 pp, photos, US$24.95 /
CAN$29.95
This impo rtant bo o k fo cuse s o n the ne w paradigm
in fo re strythe philo so phy, go als, po licie s, and prac-
tice s o f e co lo gically and e co no mically sustainable
fo re st use . It include s: e co fo re stry principle s and
practice s; fo re st e co syste m co mpo ne nts and re sto ratio n; wo o d and fo re st
pro ducts ce rtificatio n; and curre nt e co fo re stry practitio ne rs and te chnique s.
Co ntributo rs include Jame s Age e , He rb Hammo nd, Chris Mase r, Nancy
Turne r, Arne Nae ss and Gary Snyde r. Ne w So cie ty bo o ks are available at
www.ne wso cie ty.co m o r 800-567-6772. t
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could win a trip on the 80-ft kayak mothership, Rolano!
One year subscription: 1 entry. Two year subscription: 2 entries.
If you give a Gift Subscription, your name will also be entered*.
Final deadline for contest is January 5, 2001
* The 1st ten who give GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS will receive
a pair of special paddlers socks from Tilley Endurables.
888-649-6669
explorecharters.com
3-day trip valued at $1000.
Holiday Gift Guide
EXPEDI TI ON DECK BAG
This medium profile, Expedition deck bag
from Northwater has plenty
of storage. Shock-cord
on top, webbing
and side-release
buckles on ei-
ther side, and a
zippered mesh
exterior pocket
on the front round out the easy to attach bag.
www.northwater.com
ZUZU PADDLE
ZuZus most popular paddle, the hand-
crafted Islander features the companys pat-
ented Helix Lamination shaft technology.
Light, warm, and beautifully constructed,
the Islander is among the finest touring pad-
dles available today. www.ZuZu.paddles.com.
ZuZu Paddle Co. Flagstaff, AZ. Ph: 520-774-
6535
DEREK HUTCHI NSON CD
This innovative CD
contains over 60
minutes of MPEG1
video of Derek dem-
onstrating different
paddle strokes and
sea kayaking tech-
niques. There are
historical segments
where he discusses
the evolution of the
Toksook paddle, and
a factory tour of Current Designs where his
kayaks are manufactured in North America.
Available at www.Epub-Adventures.com for
$14.95 US plus shipping and handling. M/C,
VISA accepted.
FUJ I WATERPROOF CAMERA
The Fujicolor QuickSnap Waterproof one-time-
use camera is great to take kayaking. Its com-
pletely waterproof and can take pictures under-
water. It features a big lever-type shutter release
and large top-mounted film advance knob that
are easy to use even with gloves. The transpar-
ent blue plastic case protects it from water, hu-
midity, dirt and sand. It contains 27 exposures,
retails for about $18 Cdn, and can be recycled.
www.Fujifilm.ca
SYMPATEX NAVI GATOR ANORAK
Designed as a versatile,
all-around jacket, the
Navigator is ideal for
paddling. Its free-
moving, active
design ensures
pe r f or ma nc e
while paddling,
and comfort while
lounging in your
beach camp.
Navarro Weather Gear: Ph: 604-251-1756 ext. 232
or 800-663-7740 ext. 232. Fax: 604-251-9862.
Email: scott@navarrogear.com. Website: navarro
gear.com
WAVELENGTH GI FT SUBSCI PTI ON
Consider giving a WaveLength Gift
Subsciption to your favorite paddler. All
those who give Gift Subs are entered in our
subscription contest (2 entries for 2 yr subs)
for a chance to win a mothership cruise with
Explore! Charters. The first ten who give gift
subscriptions will receive a pair of paddlers
quick-dry socks by Tilley Endurables. See
below. Contact: wavenet@island.net or 250-247-
9789.
PROTECT OUR COASTAL WATERS
The Georgia Strait Alliance
has various gift items
for sale: their 10th year
anniversary poster and
t-shirt, videos, and pub-
lications. See www.Georgia
Strait.org and click on Resources.
SCOTTY PUMP
All three sizes of Scotty
pumps come with a
lifetime warranty,
stainless steel piston
rod, float, and strainer
bottom. This is essen-
tial equipment for
your favorite paddler. For information on these
and all the other great marine gear from Scotty,
check out www.scotty.com or call 800-214-0141.
K AYAK RENTALS K AYAK RENTALS K AYAK RENTALS K AYAK RENTALS K AYAK RENTALS
GALIANO ISLAND KAYAKING
BED & BREAKFAST ON THE BEACH
Gabriolas south coast paradise.
Beachfront. Wildlife. Hot tub.
Gabriola Island, BC
Ph/Fax: 250/247-9824
www.island.net/~casablan
Ph/Fax: 250/539-2442
kayak@gulfislands.com
www.seakayak.bc.ca/tour
Oc ean Sound Kayaki ng 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
seaot t er@he.net
w w w .he.net / ~seaot t er/
Villas de Loreto
Charming little beach resort on the
Sea of Cortez offering sea kayak
rentals, complementary breakfast,
bicycles, pool & air conditioning. NEW at Villasa restaurant
and PADI dive shop. Check: www.villasdeloreto.com
Ph/ Fax: 0 1 1 -5 2 -1 1 3 -5 0 5 8 6
Apdo. 1 3 2 Lor et o B. C. S. Mexico 2 3 8 8 0
Kayakers & Divers
General Transport
VIC NADURAK MARINE SERVICES Landing Craft Charters
333 Chemainus Rd., Ladysmith, BC V0R 2E0
Vic_Nadurak@bc.sympatico.ca
Ph: 250-245-3532 Baj a Sea Kayak Advent ur es
with Nahanni Wilderness Adventures
Call Toll Free: (ph/fax) 1-888-897-5223
Email: adventures@nahanniwild.com
Website: www.nahanniwild.com
Explore Bajas beautiful desert
islands in the Sea of Cortez.
Local guides/interpreters.
Based at Villas de Loreto.
Rentals Lessons Tours Necky Sales
TREE ISLAND KAYAKING 3025 Comox Rd.
Courtenay, BC
V9N 3P7
May to October
250-339-0580
tree@island.net
www.island.net/~tree
coastmtn@island.net
www.coastmountainexpeditions.com
COAST MOUNTAIN EXPEDITIONS
Sea Kayak Tours
Discovery Islands & Fjordlands
(250) 287-0635
Remote Homestead Lodge
We live where we paddle
Acce ssible wilde rne ss only
2 hours from Vancouve r.
Escape by the hour, day or week.
O ce an kayak & canoe re ntals, sale s, le ssons
& trip planning. BO O K AHEAD 604/ 885-6440
pedals_paddles@sunshine.net
www.sunshine.net/ paddle
SECHELT INLET
Paddler s Paradise
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
Lice nce d Tonga se a kaya k ope r a to r s in ce 19 91
6 & 8 day t r ips
No e xpe r ie nce re quire d.
Sea Kayak Tonga with
Friendly Islands Kayak Co.
P h / Fa x: + 6 7 6 -7 0 17 3
Em a i l: k a ya k t o n g a @k a l i a n e t . t o
We b : w w w. f i kc o . c o m / k a ya k t o n g a
Ca n a d a , Be l i z e , Vi e t n a m,
An d a ma n I s l a n d s , Cu b a
SEA KAYAKING &
INLAND TOURS
_dgZYd*Y\n]flmj]k _dgZYd*Y\n]flmj]k _dgZYd*Y\n]flmj]k _dgZYd*Y\n]flmj]k _dgZYd*Y\n]flmj]k
global@portal.ca www.globaladventures.bc.ca
1 -8 0 0 -7 8 1 -2 2 6 9
VARGAS ISLAND INN
Affordable Wilderness Resor t accommodations
in Clayoquot Sound on Vargas Island beachfront.
5k N.W. Tofino Ideal for kayakers Inn &
cabins All self-catering Passenger & kayak
transpor t from Tofino available Lots to do!
CALL 250-725-3309
RENTALS, TOURS, LESSONS
rbruce@gulfislands.com
121 Boot Cove Rd.
Saturna Island, BC V0N 2Y0
Ph/Fax: 250-539-5553
2 B&BS ON BLACKFISH SOUND (VANCOUVER IS.)
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
Cost a Rica Sea Kayaking
since 1 9 8 7
If youre 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/
Ph/Fax: (250) 752-8693
Toll Free: 1-877-752-8693
current@island.net
www.extremeinterface.com/intothecurrent
KAYAK KAYAK KAYAK KAYAK KAYAK
ADVENTURES ADVENTURES ADVENTURES ADVENTURES ADVENTURES
1-800-632-0722
Offering custom, cost-effective guided tours
on the BC Coast since 1993.
TOURS LESSONS RENTALS SALES
w w w .egmont -mar i na.c om
Mothership
Paddling &
Guided Tours
Qualicum Beach, BC
Odyssey Kayaking is now accept ing r esumes for guides
and helper s for t he 2 0 0 1 kayaking season. Guides
r equir e a ver ifiable indust r y st andar d cer t ificat ion and
exper ience. Fir st aid and CPR must be cur r ent for
2 0 0 1 season and a minimum of Essent ial Wilder ness
Fir st Aid for leader s. Replies held in st r ict est confi-
dence. Please submit r eplies t o: Odyssey Kayaking,
Box 1 3 4 9 , Por t Ha r dy, BC, V0 N 2 P0 or Ema il:
odyssey@island. net Ph: 2 5 0 -9 0 2 -0 5 6 5
Kayak with gray whales in Magdalena Bay. Island
hop and snorkel in turquoise waters in the Sea of
Cortez.Small groups, expert guides, delicious
meals, all equipment & hotel included for just $940!
No experience necessary! Free brochure:
Call 1-800-616-1943, skadvent @iea.com
www.seakayakadvent ures.com
SEA KAYAK ADVENTURES, Inc
Whale Wat ch & Island Hop in Baja!
KAYAK NOOTKA ISLAND
Breathtaking scenery and wildlife in an
historic setting, with all the comforts of
home. Guided tours available. Lessons for
beginners. Inquire about special packages.
Discover this Newly Remodeled Hotel located
in Downtown Loreto. Reasonalbe Rates, 10 Rms, A/C,
TV & Hot Water. Kayak & Whale Watching arrangements.
Bicycle Rentals & Beach Club. www.terrafin.com/posada
Juarez Esq Davis #4, Loreto B.C.S. Mexico 23880

Call or Fax: 011-52-113-5-07-92
Villas de Loreto
Nootka Island Lodge. Ph: 250-752-0455
www.nootkaisland.com
info@nootkaisland.com
TROPI CAL PADDLI NG I N FI J I
White sand beach camps, blue lagoons,
spectacular snorkelling
and Fijian hospitality.
PTARMI GAN TOURS PTARMI GAN TOURS PTARMI GAN TOURS PTARMI GAN TOURS PTARMI GAN TOURS
Box 11 Kimberley BC
V1A 2Y5 250/422-3270
E-mail: ptarmigan@cyberlink.bc.ca
http://www.cyberlink.bc.ca/~ptarmigan/
BC, BAJA, TUSCANY & BEYOND...
2923 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Saltspring Island, BC V8K 1X6
Sal t spri ng Kayaki ng
Dail y Tours, Rent als & Sales
Ph/ Fax: 2 5 0 / 6 5 3 -4 2 2 2
SEA KAYAK TOURS2000
Cowichan Bay VANCOUVER ISLAND
1-8 8 8 -ECO-WEST
t ours@ecowest .com
Check out our on-line cat alogue at
www.ecowest .com
sskayak@salt spring. com
www. s alt spring. com/ sskayak
Exp lo r e ! De s o la t io n So u n d a n d Gu lf
Islands. Also custom cr uises: 3 , 4 and 7
d a y e xp e d i t i o n s . Ad ve n t u r e wi t h
Co mfo r t a n d Sa fe t y. No e xp e r ie n ce
necess ar y. Ever yt hing provided.
www. e xplore cha r t e rs. com
explore@explorechar t er s. com
Toll Free: 8 8 8 -6 4 9 -6 6 6 9
Ph:2 5 0 -6 4 2 -6 6 6 9 Ce ll:2 5 0 -3 6 0 -6 7 6 3
8 0 ft Ka ya k Mot or s a ile r Mot he r s hip TROPICAL & POLAR PADDLES
ANTARCTICA FIJI, AUSTRALIA, ANTARCTICA
AND THE HIGH ARCTIC
7 -1 5 day advent ures. Lovely beaches.
Gr e a t s n o r ke lli n g . Wi ld e r n e s s &
Cult ural t rips. Ice and wildlife.
Toll Fre e : 1 -8 8 8 -2 8 3 -0 9 5 4
Fa x: 5 1 0 -8 4 8 -2 5 6 5
Ema il: cve nt ure @pa cbe ll. ne t
www. sout he rnse a ve nt ure s. com
Wilderness Experience in Comfort
Whale watching, forest tours, native ar t & dance.
Kaya k Mot he r s hipping a va ila ble . 4 t o 6 day
cr uises. Comfor t able and friendly wit h wonder -
ful food. G. Cooks Tours, Box 2 2 , Aler t Bay,
BC, Ca na da V0 N1 A0 . Toll fre e 1 -8 7 7 -9 7 4 -
5 0 0 2 . Email: waletail@island.net
Web: www.alertbay.com/cooktour
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
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
EXPERIENCE BOUNDLESS LAKES & WATERWAYS IN THE KOOTENAYS
OF BCS INTERIOR VIEWING OSPREY, EAGLES AND ALL WILDLIFE
LAND AND WATER BASED
14 week semester programme
Outdoor Education Practicum
Phone (250) 286-3122
www.colt.bc.ca
I
n
a
c
t
io
n
f
o
r
2
4
y
e
a
r
s
!
SPECIALIZING IN MARINE AREAS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
1 5 MAPS AVAILABLE
Bella Bella, Hakai Passage, Johnst one St r ait , Br ought on Ar -
chipelago, Kyuquot , Desolat ion, Noot ka, Barkley and Clayoquot
Sounds, Gulf Islands, Georgia St rait , Sunshine Coast , Esperanza
Inlet , Quat simo-Golet as Channel. Coast al Wat er s Recr eat ion
Suit e 5 4 7 , 1 8 5 -9 1 1 Ya t e s St . , Vict or ia , BC V8 V 4 Y9 .
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
KAYAK SALT SPRING 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
See our ship
on page 3 7
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
Epub Adventures
Int erac t ive CDs on Sea Kayaking
Now available Ma st e r Se a
Ka ya ke r: De re k Hut chinson:
over 6 0 minutes of MPEG1 video, dozens of
hist orical photos. Micr osoft operat ing system
compat ible. Master Card/ Vis a accept ed.
Available at : www. Epub-Adve nt ure s. com
1 888 KAYAK-67 1 888 KAYAK-67 1 888 KAYAK-67 1 888 KAYAK-67 1 888 KAYAK-67
escapades@saltspring.com www.islandescapades.com
COSTA RICAJANUARY 2001! COSTA RICAJANUARY 2001! COSTA RICAJANUARY 2001! COSTA RICAJANUARY 2001! COSTA RICAJANUARY 2001!
Exciting, Eclectic, Small Group Adventures.
Kayak in tropical aquamarine waters.
Exotic interpretive rainforest hikes.
Sailing, Snorkelling, Riding, Cycling, Surfing.
Spectacular scenery, amazing birds & wildlife. Spectacular scenery, amazing birds & wildlife. Spectacular scenery, amazing birds & wildlife. Spectacular scenery, amazing birds & wildlife. Spectacular scenery, amazing birds & wildlife.
NEW ZEALAND
Bowen Island Sea Kayaking
OPEN ALL WINTER
Tours Rentals Lessons
Call to reserve
604-947-9266
www.BowenIslandKayaking.com
LEAD AND ASSISTANT GUIDES WANTED
New company requires full time guides for 2001 season.
Lead guide applicant s must be fully qualified
and have 5 + year s sea kayak exper ience.
Par t ner ship possible for r ight candidat e.
Resume t o Fax: 4 0 3 -5 4 7 -2 5 2 9
Email: peyt osl@t elusplanet . net
BANCAN ADVENTURE TOURS INC.
SEA KAYAK ITALY
Italian guide, turquoise water, caves,
cliffs, sand beaches, espresso,
unforgettable seafood, and hey, its Italy!
Elba Island for a day or a week. Sardinia,
11 days in spring or fall. (650) 728-8720
bkossy@igc.org www.seakayakitaly.com
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
2.9 per min local and long distance!
Set-up fee waived for Kayakers only!
Must mention this AD (US only).
Visit
WaveLengthMagazine.com
your Gateway to the
World of Paddling
FOR SALE 1994 Feathercraft K-1
Expedition, teal deck, hull in great
shape, brand new spray skirt and sea
sock, asking $2,000 US. Will ship
anywhere. Call 406-582-0315.
Email: tim@crossinglatitudes.com
Know Your Nei ghbour s
Coast al Trees Bryan Nichols
the past century. If our predecessors had
had the forethought to leave more stands
intact, all of us (locals, tourists and critters)
would look upon the forest industry a bit
more kindlya lesson modern foresters
are reluctantly learning.
But enough about the foresthow
about the trees? Stretching your minds
way back to high school botany, you might
well remember there are two main types
coniferous and deciduous. You might also
have noticed that coniferous (cone bear-
ing) evergreen trees dominate our forests,
and forests dominate the coastal land-
scape. The cool, wet climate is ideal for
growing gigantic coniferous forests, al-
though our fall colors fall short of the more
deciduous East.
What sorts of trees do kayakers regu-
larly see? Surprisingly, there arent that
many speciesour forests are renowned
for their size, not their diversity. This
months lifelist covers the most common
and notable trees youll see as you paddle
along Northwest shorelines. t
T
rees. Ancient giants, green gold,
shade, protection, lumber, food. Trees
are big woody plantsthough I think that
we shall never see, plants as impressive
as our trees (apologies to Joyce Kilmer).
The Northwest is famous for its trees,
and notorious for our rapid removal of
them. Our temperate rainforests are fas-
cinating ecosystems as well as a key part
of our economy.
Trees are essential to paddlers as well.
They shelter our campsites, fuel our beach
fires and frame our coastal scenery. We use
logging roads to access many fine pad-
dling areas where the vistas are marred
by industrial clearcutting. Isnt it ironic?
Of course all those missing trees are an
integral part of our lives as wellwho
hasnt lived in a wood-framed house or
read a book?
Its hard to talk about coastal trees in
the Northwest without getting a little de-
pressedso many of the oldest and most
impressive examples of them were logged
in the orgy of clearcutting that has marked
Biologist Bryan Nichols has
worked as both a timber
cruiser and a Lorax loving
environmental educator.
Hes not sure which side of
his brain is to blame for
either job, but he tries to see
the forest and the trees.
brynance@pacific coast.net
T
here are a number of good books on
BC trees but for paddlers you cannot
beat Plants of Coastal BC. This is the sort of
book that makes the world a better place
it is thorough, easy to use, field sized and
full of beautiful color photos. Its also
packed with info, including line drawings
of foliage and range maps. There are scads
of details on ethnobotanyif youre in-
terested in how First Nations used local
plants, youll love it. Every kayaker
should have this bookit is one of the
three essential guides you should have on
each trip. Its also worth mentioning Hik-
ing the Ancient Forests of BC & Washington
by Randy Stoltmann, which will guide
you to the best examples surviving of the
trees on this checklist. Bryan Nichols
WaveLength WaveLength WaveLength WaveLength WaveLength (print version)
has 50,000 readers per has 50,000 readers per has 50,000 readers per has 50,000 readers per has 50,000 readers per
issue, six times a year issue, six times a year issue, six times a year issue, six times a year issue, six times a year
WaveLengthMagazine.com WaveLengthMagazine.com WaveLengthMagazine.com WaveLengthMagazine.com WaveLengthMagazine.com
gets 150,000 hits gets 150,000 hits gets 150,000 hits gets 150,000 hits gets 150,000 hits
per month per month per month per month per month
PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT PRINT & && && WWW WWW WWW WWW WWW ADS ADS ADS ADS ADS AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE AVAILABLE
AT AT AT AT AT VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY REASONABLE REASONABLE REASONABLE REASONABLE REASONABLE RATES RATES RATES RATES RATES
(1/3 (1/3 (1/3 (1/3 (1/3 OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR US US US US US EXCHANGE EXCHANGE EXCHANGE EXCHANGE EXCHANGE) )) ))
Plants of Coastal
British Columbia
(including Washington,
Oregon & Alaska),
by Pojar & MacKinnon,
Lone Pine Publishing
1994. ISBN 1-55105-
042-0. 527 pp, full color
throughout $24.95 Cdn
Chec k l i st # 16Coast al Tr ees
Bryan Nichols 2000. No reproduction without permission of the author.
WESTERN RED CEDAR Thuja plicata
BCs provincial tree has been a boon to human
life on the coast for thousands of years. The bark,
the roots and of course the reddish, fragrant
wood were all used for the essentialsfood, shel-
ter, clothing, medicine, fuel and transportation.
Even now, cedar is a prized timber tree because
its weather and rot-resistant wood is great for homes and
rooves. Most of the biggest, oldest cedars close to sea level
have been logged but there are notable exceptions you might
come across in some remote cove, red giants over a thousand
years old, up to four meters across and seventy tall. In many
places the stumps are still impressive and show evidence of
old logging techniques.
YELLOW CEDAR Chamaecyparis nootkatensis
Found only at higher elevations in southern BC, this
tree gets lower and lower as the growing sights get
lousiercolder, swampier and more extreme. Yel-
low cedar or cypress is usually shaggy looking,
with peeling gray bark, scaly needles and a smell
that gets described as anything from lovely to like cougar
piss. The distinctive yellow wood is often used for carving.
WESTERN HEMLOCK Tsuga heterophylla
What they lack in beauty, hemlocks make up for
in numbersthese shade tolerant trees are the
most common along the coast. Droopy tops and
scaly bark help identify them. Second growth
stands can be so dense that it is dim or dark un-
derneath the thick canopy, even at noon.
DOUGLAS FI R Pseudotsuga menziesii
A favorite of the forest industry, much of the
second growth we paddle past is replanted
doug-fir. Preferring drier sites, doug-firs
have thick, fire resistant bark. Weathered vet-
erans that are old but small and oddly shaped are common
sights from a kayak. If youre lucky, youve wandered through
some of the few remaining patches of low lying doug-fir old
growthsome of the most amazing stands of wood on the
planet.
TRUE FI RS Abies amabilis & Abies grandis
Incorrectly called balsam by many locals and
the forest industry, our true firs have thin,
smooth bark with pitchy blisters. Youll find
Grand fir at sea level on the south coast
Amabilis fir towards the North. Amabilis (which means lovely)
is a beautiful tree. The pitch (or balsam) from both was used for
everything from chewing gum to shellac for paddles.
SI TKA SPRUCE Picea sitchensis
Ah, sprucetall, straight, majestic, and increas-
ingly rare. My favorite tree of BC, an old growth
sitka spruce grove is something to wax poetic
about, if youre so inclined. Even if not, seek them
out because forest scenery doesnt get much more
impressive. Alas, because they are valuable tim-
ber and grow best in low valleys near the ocean, theyve been
sorely depleted. Young spruce plantations can be downright
nasty to walk throughthe needles are sharp.
SHORE (LODGEPOLE) PI NE Pinus contorta
Contorta is an excellent species name for coastal
lodgepole because it grows in some of the most ex-
treme spots trees can growrocky, storm battered
shorelines. Hurricane force winds contort these trees
into bizarre and artistic shapes familiar to outer coast
paddlers. Their short needles come in bunches of two.
PACI FI C YEW Taxus brevifolia
Yews are short, shrubby trees with flat needles
that come to a point. They have small red berries
and reddish, peeling bark and are found near the
ocean right up to Alaska. The hard wood was
used for bows and a wide range of tools, includ-
ing sea urchin rakes and it is still used for carv-
ing. Taxol, an effective anti-cancer drug, was de-
rived from the bark. Thankfully for the slow growing yew, it
is now made synthetically.
ROCKY MOUNTAI N J UNI PER Juniperus scopulorum
This shrubby tree with gray, stringy bark is
relatively rare in BC but grows right in our
front yardsdry, rocky sites along the Strait
of Georgia. Gulf Island paddlers see (and of-
ten camp under) juniper trees all the time.
The harsh growing conditions they endure shape them into liv-
ing art. Squeeze one of the bluish berries and youll be reminded
of gin; juniper berries have provided that distinctive flavor for
many generations of English drunks.
RED ALDER Alnus rubra
Alder is the pale-barked, toothy-leafed tree that
usually grows first in disturbed sites like old roads,
creeks, settlements and landings. You might have
noticed such sights are very common along the
coast, so you see lots of alder. Alders live short (60
yrs) lives but enrich the soil they grow in. You can
often spot creeks and old roads along hillsides by
the bright green trails of alder leaves amid the conifers.
BI GLEAF MAPLE Acer macrophyllum
Canadians ought to recognize the leaf shape,
and bigleaf maples really do have big leaves.
The trees themselves can be huge as well, and
so covered in mosses and lichens they are remi-
niscent of southern bayou scenery. Maple wood
was used to make paddles by numerous First
Nations. You might have found the helicopter seeds to be a
fascinating diversion in your younger years.
ARBUTUS (Madrone) Arbutus manziesii
Arbutus is an odd tree in many respects, not least
for its smooth, peeling red bark that hides a green
photosynthetic layer underneath. The thick, waxy
leaves are adapted to dry sites and are not decidu-
ous. Arbutus is a good indicator species when
youre scouting your retirement homeit marks
the drier, rain shadowed portions of our coast. Older ones may
not be huge but they are impressive nonetheless, strange sen-
tinels on the rocky edges of the Strait of Georgia. t
Mot her shi p Meander i ngs
Alan Wilson
F
or three summers we have travelled
north to the Broughton Archipelago to
enjoy this extraordinary maze of island-
strewn waters.
The Archipelago is a resource-rich area
which has supported First Nations peo-
ple for 10,000 years. Remarkable cultures
arose and spread throughout the land-
scape when the glaciers retreated, sup-
ported by abundant fish stocks and great
forests.
In the 19th century, diseases arriving
with immigrants sparked epidemics
among First Nations people, destroying
communities and an ancient way of life.
The population of the area peaked again
in the early 20th century on the strength
of many small logging and fishing com-
munities, populated mostly by non-na-
tives, but most of these towns have now
vanished too.
These days the individualist gypo log-
gers are long gone, and logging and fish-
ing are done mainly by multinational cor-
porations based outside the region. Resi-
dents are few and far between: a few First
Nations communities remain, and here
and there are congregations of float-
homes, seasonal marine resorts, fish farms
and temporary logging camps. Mostly its
just seals and ducks, some whales, and
jumping fish in season.
This is just what were looking for as
each August we try to escape the compu-
ter, email, and pressing details of business.
Just islands and us, for days on end.
We head north in our boat, up Johnstone
Strait. Like many small boaters, we tend
to prefer the backwater routes wherever
possible to avoid the shipping traffic and
weather in Johnstone Strait. Timing the
many tidal passes of these routes is a chal-
lenge but the scenery is breathtaking and
the waters are calmer than the Strait. There
is, however, an 11-mile stretch of the Strait
which is unavoidable, north of Kelsey Bay.
Last summer we had quite a blow in this
stretch and made slow time after leaving
Forward Harbour. The first day we
ducked into Blenkinsop Bay, expecting the
wind to die down after a few hours, but it
howled all day and night and our boat
ranged around, straining at the anchor.
The next day looked like an improvement
The Brought on ArchipelagoPar t 2
Minstrel Island
Port Neville
Potts
Lagoon
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Forward
Harbour
Kelsey Bay
LAURIES HOUSE LAURIES HOUSE LAURIES HOUSE LAURIES HOUSE LAURIES HOUSE: : : : : Cosy 1000 sq. ft. log
home: 2 bedrooms, lifetime metal roof,
covered porch, separate 100 sq. ft.
workshop/shed (with power/light) on level, half acre treed
lot, near shopping (caf, deli, groceries, liquor store) and
backed by 100 acre forest with trails. Cathedral ceiling,
wood windows-beams-staircase, loft office area, propane
fireplace and electrical heat, cistern and well, fridge, stove,
washer & dryer, new wall-
to-wall carpet, circular
driveway, young fruit trees,
berries, herb garden,
raised beds, ornamental
shrubs. You can wheel your
kayak to the nearby beach!
Asking $115,000 Asking $115,000 Asking $115,000 Asking $115,000 Asking $115,000 Cdn
(approx. $77K US)
250-247-8670 250-247-8670 250-247-8670 250-247-8670 250-247-8670
ALANS HOUSE ALANS HOUSE ALANS HOUSE ALANS HOUSE ALANS HOUSE: : : : : 1500 sq. ft. bright and spacious home,
owner-designed and built, on treed half acre lot. Efficient
heating by south-facing passive solar design, plus wood and
electrical. 3 bedrooms plus home office, large livingroom and
kitchen, wood floors, one and a half bathrooms, fridge and
stove, patio, fertile garden
area, and 8,000 gallon
concrete cisternexcellent
water supply. Private, treed
setting. Great neighbours.
Handy to ferry, shopping
centre, school, doctor, etc.
Minutes from kayak launch.
Freshly painted throughout,
new tile, new windows, etc.
Asking $125,000 Asking $125,000 Asking $125,000 Asking $125,000 Asking $125,000 Cdn
(approx. $83K US)
250-247-8858 250-247-8858 250-247-8858 250-247-8858 250-247-8858
Sylvia Douglas of Minstrel Island Resort
is raising an abandoned seal pup.
WaveLengt h is Moving. . .
Were consolidating offices at a new location on Gabriola Island. As a result, Alan and Lauries
houses are both for sale, both ideal for anyone interested in experiencing the great paddling in the Gulf Islands.
More photos at WaveLengthMagazine.com. We also recommend you visit GabriolaIsland.org
Distinctive arbutus fringe
the coast of Gabriola
FUNCTI ONAL
TOURI NG
GEAR FOR
KAYAKS
& CANOES
BEST DESIGN
CANOE & KAYAK
MAGAZINE
PRI MEX of Cal i f or ni a Box 5 0 5 Beni ci a, CA 9 4 5 1 0
Tol l Fr ee 1 8 0 0 4 2 2 2 4 8 2
Ph: 7 0 7 - 7 4 6 - 6 8 5 5 Fax : 7 0 7 7 4 6 0 4 9 3
Emai l : pr i mex @del uge. com
V i si t Our Web Si t e: ht t p: / / w w w . del uge. com
but after only two miles we had to duck into Port Neville and sit
out another day as the winds came in long, keening gusts.
The first opportunity to leave the Strait is at Havannah Chan-
nel, some eight miles north of Port Neville. Hang a right at the
Broken Islands (not the famous Broken Group Islands of Barkley
Sound) and scoot inside to get out of the weather.
Here you have your first taste of the areas protected waters,
and pass the first of many abandoned First Nations sites (Matilpi),
as you make for Chatham Channel. Named after one of Captain
Vancouvers ships Chatham, this channel can run with a strong
current so check your tide and current tables. Vessels must keep
close watch on the range markers to stay in the narrow channel.
As the Channel widens, youll see Minstrel Island Marine Re-
sort, the first refueling spot after Johnstone Strait. Minstrel Is-
land has been here in one form and another for many years, a
real fixture on the coast, with a fuel float, store, pub, restaurant,
bunkhouses and cabins. (Phone: 250-949-0215)
We make it a habit to stop at Minstrel, have a meal and a shower,
pick up on local gossip, savor some of the historic atmosphere,
and fuel up before heading on.
This year we met a special new Minstrel resident, a young seal
pup which owners Grant and Sylvia Douglas rescued and were
raising by hand. We watched as they filled a clean grease gun
with a fishy mixture and pumped it into her tummy.
After leaving Minstrel, pass through the Blow Hole into Clio
Channel. Bigger vessels should watch the depth, but paddlers
will have no trouble.
Clio Channel, aside from some active logging, is gorgeous. Ma-
rine mammal researcher, Alexandra Morton, named her daugh-
ter Clio after this beautiful body of water which lies between
Turnour and Cracroft Islands and leads into Blackfish Sound (the
name of Alexs boat).
Our favorite spot in this area is Potts Lagoon on Cracroft Is-
land, one of the most protected anchorages in the Broughton,
with room for several boats in two separate coves. From the in-
ner cove you can kayak through a tidal channel into a lagoon
and river marsh which meanders deep into the island. The outer
channel can run at several knots so check your tide tables. But
its a good place to practice moving water skills.
Creative campers have lots of camping choices in the Potts La-
goon area, although you could get stranded at the head of the
lagoon at low water. We saw a black bear on the beach this sum-
mer, so be sure and practice bear-proof camping (hang your food,
cook separately from your tent area, etc).
Islets are a good place to camp to avoid bears and there is one
inside Potts where weve seen paddlers. Outside Potts, there are
View from the dock at Minstrel Island, and our boat. Paddling in the island-filled back waters near Potts Lagoon.
CALL US TOLL FREE
1- 888- 833- 8887
VIEW PICTURES AND INFO
w w w.islandnet .com/ ~momship
68 Mot hership M.V. Columbia
Access Remot e Wilderness Areas
Warm and Dry Accomodat ions
Hot Show ers Superb Cuisine
Qualified Naturalist Guides
All Inclusive 6 Day Trips
SEA KAYAKING IN
COMFORT & SAFETY
MOTHERSHIP
ADVENTURES
Inc.
Dec 15, Deadline for the Feb/Mar issue of WaveLength: Wooden KayaksPart 2. Call 250-
247-9789 or 247-8858 or email wavenet@island.net.
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, International Adventure Travel Show, 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, International Adventure Travel Show, Toronto, Ontario. Info: 800-891-4891 or
ronc@nationalevent.com, www.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. See www.wta.org.
Mar 13-18, World Surf Kayaking Championships, Santa Cruz, California. Contact Dennis
Judson 831-458-3648. See www.asudoit.com.
Mar 23-25, Paddlesport 2001, Garden State Exposition Center, Somerset, New Jersey. Contact
Jersey Paddler: 888-225-2925. See www.jerseypaddler.com.
Mar 30-Apr 1, International Adventure Travel Show, Calgary, Alberta. Contact 800-891-4891 or
maureenhenderson@sprint.ca, www.nationalevent.com.
May 18-21, Coast Kayak Symposium, Thetis Island, BC. Contact Mercia Sixta at 604-597-1122
or mercias@excite.com.
Jun 16-17, Okanagan PaddleFest, 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. Contact 250-245-
4939 or the Island Outdoor Centre at 250-245-7887.
Cal endar
many other islets, and gorgeous paddling
through rich kelp beds and shallows, with
gleaming white shell middens peaking
out from the forest here and there.
From Clio Channel you can travel up into
the Broughton Archipelago Marine Park
through island-studded Beware Passage
and past the First Nations village of
Karklukwees, which was abandoned along
with nearby Mamalilaculla in the 1960s.
Boaters should indeed beware this
complicated body of rock and water al-
though paddlers have nothing to fear from
it. When we transit Beware Passage
aboard our boat, we follow the route sug-
gested in Waggoners to pick our way be-
tween surface and subsurface rocks. When
paddling, however, were drawn to those
rocks and reefs, to enjoy the marine life
that flourishes around them.
Once through Beware Passage, you en-
ter the cosy waters of Village Channel
the area we described in the last issue
with First Nations sites of Mamalilaculla
and New Vancouver. Next issue well look
at some of the resorts and marinas in the
Broughton where you can get services. t
Photos by Laurie MacBride
and Alan Wilson
SKGABC Membership
To become a member of t he Alliance, mail
t his for m and a cheque t o t he addr ess below.
Company Member ship$ 1 0 0 / year
Individual Member ship$ 3 5 / year
Associat e Member ship$ 2 5 / year
Alliance T-shir t $ 2 0 each
Subscript ion to WaveLengt h at
special rat e$ 1 2 / year (s ave $ 7 !)
Infor mat ion and a copy of t he
latest newslet t er FREE!
Name_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Address_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Phone_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Email_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
P.O. Box 1005, Station A,
Nanaimo BC, V9R 5K4
250- 245- 3706
maj estic @island.net

YEAR 2 0 0 0 SKGABC EXECUTIVE
PRESIDENT:
Liam Edwards <geofilia@island. net >
VICE PRESIDENTS:
Brian Collen <info@seakayakbc. com>
Colin Mac Neil <oskayak@home. com>
SECRETARY/ TREASURER:
Tracy Mor ben <majest ic@island. net >
MEMBERS AT LARGE:
Liz Richards <deer_ paddles@hotmail.com>
Ian Ross <roscoe@s alt spring. com>
Piper Harris <piper.harris@gems2 .gov.bc.ca>
WWW. SKGABC.COM
Sea Kayak
Guides
Alliance of BC
Sea Kayak
Guides
Alliance of BC
The Se a Kayak Guide s Alliance
o f BC is a no n-pro fit so cie t y
who se p urp o se is to up ho ld
high standards fo r pro fe ssio nal
se a kayak guide s and ope rators
in BC.
Thro ugh o n-go ing pro fe ssio nal
deve lopme nt and ce rtification,
the Alliance strive s to e nsure
safe practice s o n an industry-
wide basis.
Canada' s Ul t i mat e Paddl e Showcase !
Top manufactur er s and r etai ler s showcase 2 0 0 1 pr oducts wi th presea son dea ls a nd demos
Semina rs Series on Techni ques, Ti ps and Tour i ng Tales
Dynami c fr eestyle kayaki ng demos wi th Wor ld Class athletes
Ken W hiting a nd Corra n Addison
Kids Ka ya k Br i ng the ki ds for a safe and fun sessi on on the water
Boa ts, gea r, a ppa rel a nd touring pa cka ges ca n be yours!
CO M I N G SO O N TO A W A RM A N D D RY STA D I U M N EA R Y O U !
BC Pl ace - Vancouver, BC
Febr uar y 16-18, 2001
I nt er nat i onal Cent r e - Tor ont o, ON
Febr uar y 23-25, 2001
Roundup Cent r e - Cal gar y, AB
Mar ch 30 - Apr i l 1, 2001
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Visit Vancouver Islands
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located in Ladysmith, BC
NEW & USED KAYAKS
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Island Outdoor Centre
The Centre of Vancouver Island
610 Oyster Bay Dr, Ladysmith, BC
250-245-7887
Mail orders welcome
Kayak & Dive Lessons
& Equipment.
Backpacking, Camping,
& Boating Supplies.
w w w . c d k a y a k . c o m
HEAD OFFI CE: Uni t 300, 770 Ent er pr i se Cr escent , Vi ct or i a, B. C. V8Z 6R4
Phone: ( 250) 479- 0106 Fax: ( 250) 479- 0906 Emai l : i nf o@cdk ayak . com
I N THE USA: We- No- Nah, Post Of f i ce Box 247, Wi nona, M n, USA 55987
Phone: ( 507) 454- 5430 Fax: ( 507) 454- 5448 Emai l : w enonah@l umi net . net
Desi gned and bui l t usi ng knowl edge of t he past and t echnol ogy of t oday.
A work of art , bui l t t o l ast .
Desi gned and bui l t usi ng knowl edge of t he past and t echnol ogy of t oday.
A work of art , bui l t t o l ast .
PHOTO OF I NUI T AT PELLY BAY I N THE CANADI AN ARCTI C TAKEN BY PHI L HOSSACK
4 -1244 Cartwright Street

Vancouver BC

Canada V6H 3R8
tel 604 681- 8437 www.feathercraft.com info@feathercraft.com
Naturally.
It must be beautiful. It must be swift. It must be strong. It must be dry. It must fly
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6061 T6 aluminum
alloy frame. Reinforced
urethane fabric skin.
In rough seas, the flex
of skin kayaks gives
you a remarkable
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passage over waves
with less effort. The
secret of Inuit inspired
kayaks.
Deck and hull seams
are now welded.
Shut. We call it
Feathercraft Sealskin
Technology. You call
it DRY.
Exp ec tations
Folded Feathercrafts
travel at 550mph.
Feathercraft is folding.

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ECOMARINE

3 1 DECEMBER JANUARY 2 0 0 1 WaveLengt h

I spent most of the summer learning

The tiny Echo Bay School opened its

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