Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Quick One

We loaded up the kayaks for the drive to Cadboro Bay in early morning fog. Not pea soup-thick fog or a London fog, but thick enough to debate the merits of a crossing to Chatham Island. But as we drove to the launch point the fog thinned out to the point that it looked like it wouldn't be a problem. It was still an issue over land, but offshore the fog gave way to high clouds and the occasional bit of blue sky.

So Louise, Paula and I headed out for a crossing to Chatham Island.
2008-11-16 Chatham 010

Sailboats were out from the yacht club. There was only a slight breeze, but enough to get them going.
2008-11-16 Chatham 007

We crossed first to Jemmy Jones Island. While I tried (and failed) to get a picture of an eagle, Paula went in close to shore to examine some tidal pools, and got caught on a rock. "I just left behind a big pink smear," she said.
2008-11-16 Chatham 015

From there, we enjoyed a calm and flat crossing to Chatham. There wasn't much in the way of wildlife today. I guess all the seals and eagles took the day off. We puttered around and then turned to head back through a channel that I didn't remember having ever gone through. Then it narrowed up and the current picked up. And then I realized it was the little channel where I went over a couple of years ago. No mishaps to report today, though.
2008-11-16 Chatham 019

As we made the return crossing, we could see the fog was still hanging over the city.
2008-11-16 Chatham 030

We also saw these little birds. We couldn't remember seeing them before. They were fishing in groups and we wondered if they were migratory and just making a pit stop.
2008-11-16 Chatham 031

We made a small diversion to Sheep Cove. You can tell, because it says "Sheep Cove" on the rock wall. And, no we didn't see any sheep.
2008-11-16 Chatham 033

As we paddled through the islets near our landing spot, we saw this heron.
2008-11-16 Chatham 054

The crows demanded that I pay attention to them, too.
2008-11-16 Chatham 056

caddy2chatham

Trip length: 11.2 km
My pictures are here.
The Google Earth kmz is here.

2 comments:

  1. Not sure as to the name of the little waterfowl, but they're here all winter every winter. Maybe they are migratory, but that makes here the south end of their route....

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  2. I should correct John on a couple of counts.
    It wasn't a big pink smear... it was a little one. On that rock. And probably another one on another rock by Chatham. *Two* moments of rocking on top of a shallow rock. The horror, the horror...
    Oh, and though there were no mishaps to report there was sure a whole bunch of paranoia, as for some reason I could actually HEAR the foghorn over at Trial Islands. (Not usually able with these ears.) Between continually checking on the fog, which stayed nicely away, and wondering if the breeze would pick up, which stayed nicely at about 5 to 8 klicks, and wondering if the current through the channels of Chatham would pick up enough to do what it did to John back in the day, I was one paranoid chatterbox. It's a miracle that my fellow paddlers didn't drown me and claim that a sea lion had held my boat underwater. Thanks, guys!

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