Introduction
Dear <<First Name>>,
Thanks to those members who contributed photos and materials. After enjoying a SISKA event or paddle, please consider sending a short (100-150 words) summary article; for more information, contact one of us. If you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!
Alan Campbell (SISKA president) and Tony Playfair (editor)
PS: You can find SISKA on Facebook at this link.
PPS: SISKA has a Meetup site for "impromptu" and other paddles organized by club members. For more details, go to https://www.meetup.com/SISKA-Meetup/. To join this, you have to be a club member.
PPPS: You can find the SISKA newsletter archive here: http://goo.gl/VUkafR |
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Siska February General Meeting Agenda
by Jane Jacek/Fred Pishalski
1. Kayak Tripping Social - Wed, Feb 26th, 6:00-7:00pm
(in our usual room at The Citadel, right before our regular monthly meeting)
Did you have a great kayak trip last year? Come with charts and suggestions for others planning theirs. We’ll have some tables set up where you can inspire and be inspired to paddle in 2020. And, if you want to go kayak tripping this spring, summer and/or fall, for a weekend or longer, and are looking for others to share the experience, then come ready to discuss possible plans. You may find the perfect paddling partners!
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2. Whales in our Waters covers key information about some of the main marine mammals that we can find around S. Vancouver Island and the threats that they face, in addition to information about the BC Cetacean Sightings Network and how your members can contribute to the network to help support marine mammal conservation. In 1999, the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network was established to maintain these data in a consistent format that makes it valuable to researchers, NGOs and government. The B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network continues today as a collaboration between the Ocean Wises Coastal Ocean Research Institute and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
Our presenter will be Aaron Purdy who holds a Masters Degree in Marine Conservation, is a Research Biologist with Ocean Wise Marine Mammal Research Program, and Coordinator of its newly established Southern Vancouver Island Cetacean Research Initiative.
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Upcoming SISKA Events
For more details, go to the SISKA website
Tuesday, January 28th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Tides & Currents - Session One Part 1
Thursday, January 30th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Tides & Currents - Session One Part 2
Saturday, February 01st, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Mackenzie Bight Paddle
Sunday, February 02nd, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Crystal Pool Indoor Kayaking - City of Victoria
Tuesday, February 04th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Tides & Currents - Session Two Part 1
Thursday, February 06th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Tides & Currents - Session Two Part 2
Saturday, February 08th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Albert Head to Witty's Lagoon Paddle
Sunday, February 16th, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - SISKA - Crystal Pool Indoor Kayaking
Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - SISKA 2020 Budget Consultation
Thursday, February 20th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Todd Inlet Willis Point Paddle
Monday, February 24th, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Marine Weather Seminar by Tony Merry
Wednesday, February 26th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Monthly Meeting - Whales in our Waters
Sunday, March 01st, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM - Crystal Pool Indoor Kayaking - City of Victoria
Tuesday, March 03rd, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Charts & Compass: Basic Navigation - Course One Part 1
Thursday, March 05th, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Charts & Compass: Basic Navigation - Course Two Part 1
Saturday, March 07th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Esquimalt Lagoon to Millstream Falls Paddle
Sunday, March 08th, 2020 - 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM - Spirit Bay to Cabin Point Paddle
Sunday, March 08th, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM - SISKA - Crystal Pool Indoor Kayaking
Tuesday, March 10th, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Charts & Compass: Basic Navigation - Course One Part 2
Thursday, March 12th, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Charts & Compass: Basic Navigation - Course Two Part 2
Thursday, March 19th, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Fleming Beach to Victoria Harbour Tour Paddle
Saturday, March 21st, 2020 - 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM - Brentwood Bay Ferry Wharf to Coles Bay Paddle
Wednesday, March 25th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Monthly Meeting
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Community Events of Interest
These events are not formally supported by SISKA, but considered to be of interest to a significant number of our members.
Any member may request an event to be included in this section by sending a note to chairperson@siska.ca.
Thursday, January 30th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Paddling Presentation: Teen Angst in the Stikine - VCKC
Thursday, February 06th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Ocean River - Kayaking on the West Coast with Dave Pinel of West Coast Expeditions.
Sunday, February 09th, 2020 - 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM - Intro to Ocean Kayaking - MEC
Monday, February 10th, 2020 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM - Paddling Presentation: Baffin Island to Greenland - VCKC
Friday, February 14th, 2020 - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM - Wildlife Photographer of the Year - RBCM
Friday, February 21st, 2020 - 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM - Victoria Boat and Fishing Show
Monday, February 24th, 2020 - 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Underwater Noise - VNHS
Tuesday, March 03rd, 2020 - 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM - Quebec and Ontario on the Great Trail - Robinsons
Saturday, March 21st, 2020 - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM - One Day Fly Tying Fundamentals with Dennis Gamboa - Robinsons
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Upcoming Courses
by Barb McDougall
What: Charts and Compass: Basic Navigation 2020
Who: John Abercrombie
Skill Level: All SISKA members welcome but class size limited to 8.
When: Two classes will be offered per course:
Tuesday, March 3rd and Tuesday, March 10th, 6:30 to 9:00 pm and Thursday, March 5th and Thursday, March 12th, 6:30 to 9:00 pm.
Each workshop comprises 2 evening classes, one week apart.
The classes will run from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Pre-class help will be available from 6:30 onward.
Where: Salvation Army Citadel, 4030 Douglas Street (McKenzie exit off of Blanchard Road) Junior Room.
The Plan:
This workshop will focus on some basic navigation techniques that can be used while paddling or at a campsite, as well as during pre-trip planning.
We'll try to maximize the time spent in 'hands-on' work during the workshop.
There will be a pre-workshop "homework assignment" for each evening, which should be completed before the workshop.
Topics will include:
Basic skills when using a nautical chart
Using Chart 1 to interpret chart symbols
Measuring distance on a chart, and estimating paddling time
Kayak compasses and navigation tools
True and Magnetic bearings
Drawing a course line/heading/bearing on a chart and finding its Magnetic direction.
There will be time during the second evening class to explore further topics of interest to participants.
Workshop Materials:
Participants will need CHS Chart 1 and CHS Chart 3441 (Haro Strait, Boundary Pass and Satellite Channel) to complete the pre-class worksheet, and must bring Chart 3441 to the workshop.
A navigation protractor will be supplied to each participant at the workshop (cost is included in the class fee).
The first preclass worksheet, materials list, and book/resources list will be emailed to each participant upon registration.
Cost: $35
Registration: r.barbara.mcdougall@gmail.com
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Spring Training 2020 - Sign Up Now!
by Alan Campbell
Beginning in April, and running until June 14, SISKA is sponsoring many specially designed workshops with Bluedog Kayaking, GoKayak, Ocean River Sports and Skils, as well as Paddle Canada courses with SISKA instructors. We are delighted that our professional partners are providing their workshops at a discount over their regular prices. The course fees listed are not subsidized by SISKA – our service partners are eager to work with you and have priced these special workshops accordingly! Altogether there are over 200 course/workshop spaces available over the next few months. Let’s use them all!
Link to course information and sign up ("Click to Sign Up" column) - HERE
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$50 SISKA SUBSIDY FOR FIRST AID CERTIFICATION/RECERTIFICATION
To encourage our members to take a First Aid course, or to recertify and keep their current certification valid, SISKA will provide a $50 subsidy to those completing a basic, advanced, or wilderness first aid course. Simply enroll with the course and organization of your choice and email chairperson@siska.ca to confirm when you have completed it successfully.
Numerous accredited trainers are available in the Victoria area including Alert First-Aid, Red Cross, St John’s Ambulance and several community recreation centres, through which a variety of courses are scheduled at different times.
In order to manage this new program, we have set aside $1,000 in our 2020 budget at this time, and will re-evaluate it once the first 20 members have claimed a subsidy.
So…don’t delay, sign up for a first aid course today!
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Paddling With A Living Legend!
by Alan Campbell
What kayaker has not heard of Freya Hoffmeister?
The self-styled “Goddess of Love to the Seas”, this amazing woman has paddled around Australia and South America and is now circumnavigating North America!
And…starting February 2nd, Freya will be accompanied as she paddles in Baja Mexico by Elizabeth Purdon, a SISKA member and an accomplished PC Level 4 sea kayaker who recently paddled around Vancouver Island and down the BC North and Central Coast.
You can follow Elizabeth’s InReach Mapshare and posts for the next month at https://share.garmin.com/ElizabethPurdon .
And check out Freya’s own website http://freyahoffmeister.com/ and daily blog posts http://freyahoffmeister.com/posts/ to follow their paddling adventures day by day!
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