May 1, 2 Yellow and Jones Island camping trip. We will tour the wild flowers on Yellow Island then push on to Jones Island for the night. We will use our portage wheels and board the 5:15 AM ferry at Anacortes. Some people will camp Friday night (April 30^th) at Washington Park, which is only a few minutes from the ferry terminal. Bring water and wheels. For further details contact Oskar Hinz Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com

May 7 This will be our standard Gig Harbor night paddle from the boat launch at 7:30. We will probably head north out of the harbor so we can ride the tide back, we shall see when we get there. Lead by Jim Davisjim.davis@weyerhaeuser.com

May 15 Let’s do the Shelton shuttle. This is one of Oskar’s favorite trips but he will be out of town for this one. Lets meet at the Gig Harbor Park and ride at 07:30 AM and drive to Walker Co. Park in Shelton. We will ride the tide out to Hope Island. After a nice lunch break and a walk on the Island we will ride the tide back to Shelton. Bring toys such as Frisbees etc. Leader Phil Lynch  philip.m.lynch@boeing.com

May 16 5:30 PM Potluck get together at Mik’s Kayak shop. Paul Berlin will do a demo of first aid kits. Phil Lynch will do a demo of a bailout pack. Bring whatever dish you want. The club will supply paper plates, utensils and drinks. Leader Jim Davis

June 5 and 6 This is the Gig Harbor Maritime parade weekend. Some of the activities are still in the works, but we will be in the parade again this year. If you don’t have wheels for your kayak, feel free to dress up and walk along anyway. The Parade is at 10:00 on the 5^th. Contact is Jenny Berlin  bignewf2@aol.com  On Sunday the 6^th we will be doing a kayak demo at the public dock at 1:00 PM. Contact for this is Mik

June 11 Night paddle at Fox Island. 7:30 PM at the small boat launch at the end of the Fox Island Bridge. Lead by Liz and Marty

July 23-25 S. Gulf Islands (Canada) For more information contact Oskar Hinz Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com

United States Coast Guard (USCG) regulations are minimal for paddlers. Local regulations may require additional safety equipment. Prudent paddlers should be wearing PFDs in almost every conceivable instance.

As manually powered vessels, canoes and kayaks are required by the USCG to carry "some means of making an efficient sound signal." Most paddlers meet this requirement by attaching whistles to their PFDS. Plastic, pealess whistles are the best choice since they don’t tend to get jammed in saltwater environments. This sound signal does not address the need for a foghorn or other sound device during times of low visibility. If you are operating between sunset and sunrise, you must be able to display a white light in time to prevent a collision—in other words, a flashlight. Obviously, a waterproof unit with lots of "candlepower" makes sense. This white light requirement falls under those for vessels operating between sunset and sunrise and does not address the requirements for distress signals. Paddlers are exempt from distress-signal requirements except when operating between sunset and sunrise. During that time, paddlers must carry distress signals suitable for night use. These must be selected from approved distress signals and be carried in the proper number. Night-use distress signals include emergency strobes, red aerial flares, red parachute flares, and hand-held red flares. All flares should total at least three in number at all times and be within their expiration date. Paddlers are not required to carry day-use distress signals, but it would be prudent to consider including orange smoke, dye markers, or signal flags as part of your normal safety kit.

Signaling devices—with the exception of your whistle and flashlight—are meant to be used in emergencies only. Under no circumstances should you use a flare or smoke canister unless you need immediate assistance. Carry a variety of signaling devices that will work from full sun to dark, and strike a balance between visual and sound devices. (Excerpted from Shelley Johnson, 3/99 Canoe & Kayak)

Kip Dewees of Gig Harbor, Scott & Dorothy Quinn of Fox Island, & Eric Pollack of Ruston.

It was a dark and stormy night, March 20^th 1999. An impromptu camping trip to Long Island down in Willapa Bay was put together and 8 brave souls participated. The weather report Friday had Saturday a little iffy with 15-knot winds and some rain. Sunday was going to be better with lighter winds and less rain.

The paddle to the Smoky Hollow campground Saturday went OK. We did have some wind and cold rain on and off. Saturday night was cold with some freezing rain, sleet / snow. We had a nice fire going and some goodies baking in the two out-back ovens that came along..

The kayaks were covered with a thin layer of ice the next morning but it was clear and bright with no wind. About half the group (Oskar, Debby, Dave and I) went for a long walk to check out the campground at the sand spit. On the way back the weather started to turn. When we arrived back at camp the other folks were in the process of leaving. By the time we were packed and ready to go the wind and rain started to really blow, big time! We sent Sue walking to the south end of the Island on the old logging road. The wind would have been too much for her to handle in her rudderless boat. Oskar towed her boat and the four of us headed out into the roughest conditions Debby, Dave and I have ever paddled in. I would guess the wind to be 25 to 30 with stronger gusts. When we got to the southeast point of the Island we could not get around it. The wind was really blasting around the tip of the rocky point of land. We knew if we could get around it, the wind would be a little less. Oskar said he HAD t make it so he could meet up with Sue. It took him over 4 hours to go the 4 miles. Sue had been waiting there for 2 hours.

Debby, Dave and I decided to spend the night at the point. We decided this when Dave’s loaded kayak started rolling down the sand beach blown by the wind. I would guess it at 40 knots by then.

It was another dark and stormy night. I called the Coast Guard on my VHF radio and had them phone home to tell my other half we would be spending another night there. The next morning the wind was worse, We decided to see if we could find the logging road and walk to the south end of the island. Debby suggested we take our car keys just in case there was some kind of a boat there and we got off the island. The island is very close to the mainland on the south end.

When we got there we spotted a small car with a big kayak on it on the other side. It was my good buddy Mike. He had called the Coast Guard and found out we were still on the island. Not knowing what to do but feeling that he had to do something, he drove the 140 miles back down there and sat waiting at the south end. When he saw us he got the fish and game people, who have a facility there, to launch their Zodiac boat and come get us. It was a wild boat ride. We went down the next Wednesday and retrieved our boats and camping gear.

Lesson learned : It is not enough to take a weather radio along, one should also turn the darn thing on and listen to it.

Phil Lynch

The Gig Harbor Kayak Club was asked to organize the paddles for the WWTA Annual Meeting. Phil Lynch and Jim Davis said, "Yes, no problem. We would be glad to help."

Saturday Paddle -- Jim lead the Saturday Paddle. It was our standard -- launch at the boat launch and paddle the harbor, stick your nose out front and see which way the tide is going, then go the other way -- we’ve all done it multiple times.

Well, 54 paddlers showed up. So Jim & Phil were acting as traffic cops most of the morning. Mik Mikitik volunteered to give his "standard introduction" to the history of the Harbor. Everyone was most impressed with (a) Mik's ability to paddle backwards and (b) all the information Mik knew about the harbor.

When the paddlers got to the mouth of the Harbor, Jim lost any control he had -- we went every which way. But all reports are that everybody loved our "standard harbor paddle". Thanks to those that we there to help.

Sunday Paddle -- Phil lead a paddle from the Purdy Spit to Cutts Island and back. We had 24 kayaks on this one. Phil lead the kayak parade from the motel parking lot -- what a sight.

Everyone found the group that went their pace, so we had about 8 pods of kayaks working toward Cutts Island. Then it was time for lunch.

While on lunch break, another 21 kayaks from Pacific Water Sports paddled up to Cutts. So we had a WWTA convention right there on Cutts Island.

On the return trip, Phil lost the control he had. They all went every which way. Phil returned with only 5 kayaks. Oh well, all returned safely and the reports were all most positive. Again, thanks to all the club member that joined us.

Your Gig Harbor Kayak Club in action.

Oskar Hinz, Phil Lynch, and Paul and Jenny Berlin, all evening- kayaked the waterway. Because we paddled with Oskar, no rain fell and it was a beautiful evening with a bit of a breeze. We paddled to the end (or beginning) of the waterway and looked at boats in the marinas, admired the city lights, and checked out the bridges, and then all away around a freighter being loaded at the grain dock, and surprised workers loading the boat. It was a low tide that got even lower and made for a bit of a carry up the rock strewn beach.

March 7th dawned calm and cold with a thick layer of fog. By the time 8 paddlers had convened at the Herron Island ferry landing the fog had had lifted and the sun was warming all into happy moods. We had a smooth paddle passing by Herron Island where we were entertained by two eagles screaming at our presence. After parking our boats on McMicken Island we proceeded to do a thorough investigation of the island. This took probably 15 minutes. Marty Sebren was caught hugging a tree. The upscale toilets on the island were also investigated by all! We had a pleasant paddle back, helped along by an increasing southwest breeze. By the time kayaks were reloaded the sky had clouded over and the air was becoming chill again. What great timing!

Club Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at Mik’s shop. All members are welcome.

Paddles are usually held locally the first Saturday or Sunday of the month.

Night Paddle is Friday evening following the first Sunday of the month at 7:30pm.

Weekend Trips are planned for the 3rd weekend of the month normally.

Event Coordinators: Phil Lynch philip.m.lynch@boeing.com  & Oskar Hinz Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com

Free-For-All Kayak Demo Days at Thea Foss Waterway 12-4 pm on 5/2/99, 6/6/99, and 7/31/99

Contact Backpackers Supply at 253-472-4402 to RSVP

contact West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, Pt. Townsend, WA 9/17-19/99