Currents at Boiling Reef during ebb at a spring tide

Boating Hazards at Boiling Reef, East Point

Recent rescue scenarios at Boiling Reef prompted me to get this article out quickly. Just this past Easter Sunday two people using a small inflatable boat who had drifted beyond their control were rescued from the reef by Hovercraft thanks to the emergency call-out by some onlookers. A sailboat stranded on the reef and at several occasions over the past years, kayaks have capsized, and the paddlers were unable to re-enter without outside assistance, sometimes capsizing their peers that tried to help.

Visitors to Saturna Island are often unaware of the hazardous waters at Boiling Reef, East Point.

Look at the Nautical Chart and Current Atlas images to notice the hazards in the area. Both publications can be purchased at marine stores.

Boiling Reef, East Point Area

Unless you fully understand when to go kayaking (or boating in general), take a course first. These waters require the right boat, skills and conditions to safely navigate them. Shell Beach at East Point can occur deceivingly calm and sheltered. The current flowing between Saturna and Tumbo islands moves toward Boiling Reef at flood and ebb. A small vessel that is lightweight with a large surface area (i.e. inflatable kayak) quickly acts like a sail and becomes impossible to control in currents with enough wind added, even for an athletic person. Here strong currents, rips, eddies, waves and increase of wind effects are not obvious to the untrained eye and using a marine chart is crucial to help identify hazards.

Additional factors: Spring tides around full and new moons mean greater water fluctuation and faster currents, increasing the risk of capsize or being carried out and off to the United States. Capsize of any vessel can potentially lead to its passenger’s death by drowning or hypothermia after prolonged exposure to cold water.

When approaching a headland (i.e. Monarch Head, East Point), currents that funnel or form eddies can change significantly, also wind speed and direction, potentially resulting in a quite different sea state.

From East Point along Cliffside and all the way to Monarch Head there are potentially strong currents also, even at the occasion that Boiling Reef itself shows little indication. Our resources page has a link to current speed data for Boundary Pass near East Point.

Sea kayaks are designed with the ocean in mind but require training and practice for proper use. Some are intended to handle waves and dynamic conditions while others target forward speed on flat water and require more balancing skills. Recreational kayaks from large retail stores are typically made for flat, sheltered water and are unsuitable for venturing into areas like Boiling Reef, East Point. Some do not have enclosed buoyant compartments that displace water to prevent sinking if capsized.

Things you can do to paddle safely: take a course and learn about safe paddling conditions, gather local knowledge of areas you intend to explore, practice rescues, learn risk assessment and reading nautical charts, use the right boat and safety equipment, paddle with peers that also know how to rescue you, check weather, tides and currents, paddle in conditions that you are skilled to handle, and file a float plan with a reliable friend. Wear immersion gear and PFD, we are surrounded by cold water throughout the year. Avoid strong currents by choosing neap tides around first and third quarter moons. Use our KayakingSkills.com Saturna Kayaking Resources page.

KayakingSkills.com teach essentials of tides and currents and about hazards to avoid on your sea kayaking adventures. Our intermediate courses include rescue practices in waves and currents.

 

Winter Paddling on Saturna Island with KayakingSkills

Saturna Island Winter Paddling

Temperatures have cooled, we see more rain and wind but less small boats out and about. Yes, winter is approaching. While the weather pattern has changed dramatically, we can still have a great time kayaking our gorgeous coast. Get out more this winter. Paddle safely year-round.

Top Tips for Winter Paddling:

Dress for the occasion: Sea water at shallow beach accesses will be much colder this time of the year making getting on and off the water more challenging. The air is cooler and in combination with rain or spray water, everything will feel cooler in winter. Dress for immersion, even when you do not intend to swim. Layer up and ideally wear a full dry suit. Staying comfortable while exercising in warm clothing can be challenging. You will end up sweating. Choose underlayer fabrics that breathe and wick away moisture. While the perfect solution does not yet exist, do the best you can with functional clothing pieces. We often use marino wool blend fabric layers and top them with a thin fleece underneath our dry suits. The next option is a farmer john with a padding jacket and moisture wicking upper body layers between. Neoprene booties are very helpful in winter though they certainly get wet too. Wear a polyester or wool hat to reduce heat loss from the head. These types of fabric provide warmth even when a little wet. Avoid wearing cotton full stop. Cotton is slow to dry and has a cooling effect (only desirable in hot climate and warmer waters). Before I had a dry suit, I would wear gum boots to get in and out of the kayak, multiple layers of leggings, a fleece and a rain jacket. Paddling outings are cut short if you do not have the right clothing. I highly recommend investing a little into winter paddling clothing. We use our dry suits year-round when navigating cold choppy waters away from shore and practicing re-entries.

Keep the fingers warm: make sure you have drip rings on your paddle and keep your hands outside the water most of the time. If you opt to wear neoprene gloves, make sure that they are of thick enough material to actually provide warmth and that the grip you get in them works for you. I have paddled with thin neoprene gloves that provided a cooling effect which I only realised after I took them off. Pogies are another great option. They typically Velcro fasten over the paddle shaft and you can stick your hands inside of them, fabulously protecting your hands from wind, rain and cold air.

Be seen. Even on a sunny day, daylight is limited to shorter hours with just over 8 hours between sunrise and sunset in the shortest days of the year. Best plan to be on the water in the middle of the day or even earlier. Consider bringing a watertight flashlight and a glow-stick with you in an emergency dry bag, just in case you get delayed beyond your control when out. Have reflective tape on your kayak, paddle and clothing. Wear bright colours like yellow, orange and lime green. Sea kayakers are hard to spot, especially in slight chop and if they wear dull colours. Consider that less boats on the water in winter mean less people available that could spot and help you. Assume that vessels do not see you till very close, maybe too close. Avoid collision by making yourself visible. Paddle close to shore when possible.

Check the weather and check the weather again. Gather all the data on a single sheet (download and use our KayakingSkills’ printable pdf form Saturna Island Kayak Day Trip short), especially if planning a full day trip. Look for less wind (unless you are looking for downwind paddling conditions and are skilled and fit for it), more sun and less precipitation. How much wind is ok for you will depend on your skill level. For many hobbyist kayakers winds above 12 knots feel challenging. Between Remembrance Day and March 20th, the marine weather forecast does not issue a “Strong Wind Warning” for our waters (which would be indicated at winds of 20 to 33 knots for the remainder of the year). If in doubt about the conditions, either do not go or remain in an area with easy and frequent landing options. There are windows of opportunity with sunny winter days. Enjoy the exhilarating experience of being in the fresh air on the water. It’s hard to beat!

Paddle with a partner. It is far safer to paddle with a similar or higher skill level partner. Email us to be included in our kayak group sessions. Join the Saturna Kayak Club if you are a resident of Saturna Island.

Float plan: Let someone know you are paddling, where to, and when you will be back. Make a clear arrangement with your float plan holder for the case that you are not back. Search parties in the dark are much more challenging than in daylight.

Go for shorter paddles and have an exit strategy to transition fast to getting dry and warm. Even an hour on the water feels great and you will need less time to warm up again if you get chilled or wet.

Launch and land safely: this starts with wearing the right clothing. If you try to avoid getting wet when launching and landing on a beach, you are increasing your risk of injury during these transitions. Balancing over a partially floating boat to stay dry is tempting, but not safe. Instead, wear clothing including booties that keep you warm and ideally dry. You can also launch from a dock if available. Check tides for water levels that will work for comfortable launching and landing at beaches.

Be conservative when leaving a sheltered bay: conditions around the corner may well be different. Our biggest concerns as paddlers are winds, waves and strong currents. Headlands often provide changing and challenging conditions.

Bring water, and an emergency snack, and if out for longer also pack warm liquids.

In addition to the usual safety equipment you legally must bring, make sure to always wear your PFD on the water and carry your VHF radio. I also bring a folded mylar emergency blanket in my dry bag.

Bonus tips: have some soup ready at home for when you return. All you got to do is heat it up slowly while you put away things from the trip and warm up. If you feel cold and cannot warm up easily, take a hot bath (remember to turn off that soup though till you are back to keep an eye on the stove).

Short Saturna Island shoreline paddles to do this winter – approx. total distance in nautical miles – time it takes when moving at good pace for intermediate sea kayaker (3 knots):

Winter Cove round trip – 1.5 NM – 30 min plus

Boot Cove round trip including loop around Trevor Islet – 1.75 NM – 40 min plus

Lyall Harbour around King and Queen Islets – 3 NM – 1 hr plus

Winter Cove and Irish Bay round trip – 3 NM – 1 hr plus

Boot Cove to Saturna Beach round trip – 4.5 NM – 1.5 hrs plus

Lyall Harbour to Saturna Beach round trip – 5.5 NM – 2 hrs plus (As you round various points, watch out for a change of sea state and make good judgement of your ability to paddle further prior continuing.)

Winter Cove to East Point one way – 6.5 NM – 2 hrs plus (Putting in at Winter Cove, make sure to check the currents for Boat Passage to go through at slack time. East Point take out point is a bit of a walk; a lightweight kayak pays off here. Doing this stretch one way is a good option if currents and / or winds are strong. You need to arrange transport on the other side prior going, and have some warm clothing and beverages stashed at take out. This can be a fast ride if currents are in favour.)

Saturna Beach to Taylor Point round trip – 6.5 NM – 2 hrs plus (Not many landing options. You need to qualify wind and waves before putting in and allow enough time. Beware that if winds are strong, paddling into them on the way back can be hard and slow you down to crawling speed at full effort. There is no take out option for your kayak at Taylor Point; be prepared to paddle both ways.)

If you catch a high tide at Lyall Harbour, be sure to check out Lyall Creek also. It is mystical in the wintertime when you can paddle a little into this otherwise hidden little gem.

If you love kayaking in the summertime, give winter paddling a chance. It is an amazing experience when picking the right day. Fred and I had some of the best paddles in winter. Tides are also often in favour for launching and landing.

Happy Winter Paddling!

clouds

Marine Weather Workshop Report

Let’s face it: talking about the weather can be a dry or wet subject.

Not so at the April 14th Marine Weather Workshop with Tony Merry from the Pender Island Squadron.
13 eager students gathered in the Community Hall on Saturna Island to talk about the weather.
The weather man brought some good weather humor with him too.

Here are some weather nuggets for those that missed this Marine Weather Course with Tony Merry, hosted by KayakingSkills.com:

The sun causes our weather.

We are surrounded by air which is 78% nitrogen and only about 21% oxygen.
So, when Tony fills his car tires with air, he uses 78% nitrogen 😊

Without water as vapour, liquid or solid, there would be no weather.

We looked at a surface analysis NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) printout that gives a good picture of the weather that is approaching from the Pacific. We learned to make more sense of this surface analysis with its isobars, fronts, highs and lows.

Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts and when they catch up, we end up with a TROWAL (Trough of warm air aloft).

Wind moves from high to low pressure.

Isobars are 4 mbar apart. The closer the lines of the isobars, the stronger the winds.

In the Southern Gulf Islands, the prevailing winds are South Easterlies (wind moves from whatever direction is indicated).

Buys-Ballot’s Law: “If you stand with your back to the wind in the Northern Hemisphere, pressure is lower to your left.”

Wave height is influenced mostly by wind speed, duration of wind and fetch. Fetch is the distance the wind blows over an open water surface. The largest waves will be generated when the wind speed, time frame, and fetch are greatest.

Clouds are mainly defined by the height of their base above the ground and their shape.
High clouds are composed of ice crystals, giving them a white and bright appearance. Medium and lower hanging clouds may include ice crystals, but often mostly water droplets and look greyer.
Clouds high in the sky give information about future weather tendencies, lower clouds are relevant for present weather conditions.

Whether you are inside the fog or looking at a low-lying cloud is merely a matter of perspective 😊

To determine the height of cumulus clouds, check this out: is the cloud element bigger or smaller than your 3 fingers held next to each other at armlength? Bigger: it is lower (stratocumulus). Smaller: it is higher (altocumulus).

And then there are clouds of vertical development that we need to look out for…

Hail only comes from cumulonimbus clouds. Therefore, we know what clouds were over Saturna Island on April 7th (2018), when hail fell and thunder and lightning hit Saturna Island. Though rare for thunder and lightning to be quite as close to home here, it does happen.

KayakingSkills.com occasionally hosts workshops and speakers about being safe on the water; especially interesting for kayakers and boaters. Drop us an email if you like to be informed about future events. All kayaking courses conducted by KayakingSkills.com cover a relevant marine weather overview also.

Local Marine Weather Workshop

Local Marine Weather Workshop on Saturna Island with Tony Merry

We are hosting a one day Local Marine Weather workshop with our favourite weather teacher Tony Merry (Canadian Squadron Instructor of the Year).

Tony was a Canadian Airlines pilot for a couple of decades and a sea kayaking tours and rentals business owner on Pender Island and successfully navigated a sailing trip from Vancouver Island to California and then to the Hawaiian Islands.

This course is specific to our local Southern Gulf Islands area and the information can used anywhere on the West Coast.
You will learn how to read the clouds, understand wind and fog, effectively use forecasting and marine weather information.

This course is a must for kayakers, boaters, nature enthusiasts, adventurers and all those interested in the weather in the Salish Sea.

Saturday April 14th, 2018
10:30am to 3:30pm at the Community Hall.
Bring lunch with you.
Course fee is $50.00 per person (Handout will be provided)
Please make check payable to: Pender Island Squadron.

Call or email us to reserve your spot.

604-725-8897

Fred@KayakingSkills.com

Read our Marine Weather Workshop Report to see what we learnt at this workshop.