Gig Harbor Kayak Club
Newsletter
June 1999
Paddle & Events Schedule
June 1999
June 5 Parade at 10am, see related article
June 11 Night paddle at Olalla. 7:30 PM at the boat launch in Olalla. Lead by Liz and Marty
July 1999
July 9 Evening paddle Seattle waterfront. Trip leader Oskar 857-4694. Leave Gig Harbor park and Ride at 6:15. Leave the rest area at the North bound truck scales at 6:40. We will launch from the boat ramp at Don Armeni Park, which is in West Seattle, just north of Seacrest Park.
July 23-25 S. Gulf Islands (Canada) Swartz Bay to Beaumont Marine park on S. Pender Island, Portland Island (Princess Margaret Marine Park) and back to Swartz Bay. 18 miles total. Contact Oskar Hinz Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com
August 1999
August 7 One way trip to Fox Island. Trip leader Phil Lynch philip.m.lynch@boeing.com and Jim Davis jim.davis@weyerhaeuser.com Big incoming tide to ride south thru the narrows. Launch at the Gig Harbor boat ramp at 10:30 AM. We will need to leave a car or two at fox island so we can shuttle people back and forth.
August 13 Friday the 13th. Good luck night paddle. Trip leader Mik Mikitik. Launch from the Gig Harbor boat ramp at 7:30.
August 21 LaConner/Goat Island/Skagit River Delta. Trip leader Oskar Hinz Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com Leave Gig Harbor Park & Ride at 9:00 AM. Leave rest area North bound I-5 truck scales in Federal Way, 9:20 AM . Launch from the boat ramp at the "Rainbow Bridge" in LaConner at about 11:00 AM
September 1999
Sept 2-12 The Bowron Lakes, in Canada. This will be one of the big trips for the year. 11 lakes, 4 rivers and portage 7 time. 72 miles total. Good portage wheels are a must. Oskar has reservations for up to 6 people so contact him as soon as you can to reserve a spot. Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com
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Launch Access Information
Many of you may be unaware of new 1999 enforcement policy by the Department of Fish & Wildlife (http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/wildlife.htm) with regards to gaining access to many recreational areas.
In order to park your vehicle at any Department of Fish & Wildlife access area, you'll need to have an Access Stewardship Decal (http://www.wa.gov/wdfw/hab/steward/steward.htm). The Access Stewardship Decal is part of a hunting/fishing license -or- can be purchased separately. The club uses several of these access areas. There is a $66 ticket issued for not having this Access Stewardship Decal on your vehicle when parked at these launch areas.
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Trip Rating System
Gig Harbor Kayak Club is seeking to institute and use a rating system to determine which trips a paddler is able to participate in. Ratings are based on factors important to sea kayaking like navigation ability, stamina, stability in waves, and ability to control the kayak. The ratings help assure that trip participants have sufficient skills for a safe trip. This has been an idea we have kicked around for awhile but never got around to instituting. Beginning with the next newsletter, we hope to list a numerical rating for skill level and a letter rating for exertion (speed) level for each of our scheduled paddles. For example, the Gulf Islands trip might be rated as 3B-C, meaning intermediate paddling level with ability to brace & self rescue with a moderate pace of 2.8 nautical miles or 3 miles an hour speed for several hours. More in depth info to follow.
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Welcome these new paddlers to the kayak club:
Jerry Aker of Lakewood, Ken Richard and Susie & Rich Gray of Gig Harbor.
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Gig Harbor Maritime Parade
Y2Kayak
We will once again be pulling our boats in the annual parade. We are entry #73 and can start forming our group just after 0900 on Austin Street-the little angled one that runs behind Borgen’s Lumber. Be aware that the Fun Run will be passing through in front of Mik’s and all along the waterfront and roads will be closed and inaccessible (even to the Shorline’s parking lot until 0900). Last year we parked there and met at Mik’s, and pulled our boats down the road to our starting place. Hopefully we can do the same this year but with the road closings, some of you may have to take 144th and Peacock to get into town. Bring candy to throw at the kids and be prepared to paddle back to the shop for take out.
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Olympic Kayak Club Schedule
June 12th, Kevin Koski Salisbury point to Point no point
June 19/20 Blake Island Bar B Q, help us celebrate the summer solstice with Salmon Bar B, Skip & Sharon McKenzie
June 27th, Black river swamp, suppose to be south of Olympia, Rick McNicholas
July 11th, Ballard locks / Lake Union, Kathy Kennedy
July 16, 17, 18, Hobuck camp surf clinic on the coast, Al Chan
July 25th Kevin Koski, Kingston to ??, don't worry there` s still time
July 31 Pt Whitney to Dabob, B. R. Love
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Dessert Potluck and Alaska Slideshow
We will be having another potluck at Mik’s on June 12th starting at 6pm. This will be a dessert potluck so eat dinner early, or just dine on desserts! A schooteacher couple spent seven weeks kayaking in Alaska last summer and will narrate their slides and entertain us with their tale.
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Shelton Paddle on Hammersley Inlet
On May 15th, twelve of us paddlers met and caravaned to Shelton where we launched at Walker County Park and were swept along with the outgoing tide six or seven miles to Squaxin Pass where we paddled across to Hope Island for lunch and leg stretching. We dilly-dallied around waiting for the tide to change, and then ventured back around the island the opposite way we had come and were entertained and awed by a lone grey whale who surfaced often and seemed to be actively feeding. After watching for awhile, we headed back to Hammersley Inlet, and the water was still running out at us! Nothing to do but paddle against it for the six-seven miles it took to get back to our launch site. It wasn’t impossible, but it sure made for some tired bodies! Later we found out that the time difference was 2 hours and 5 minutes and not the 45 to an hour that we estimated. That area is real squirrely with the tide charts and timing. It changes a lot from point to point as we found out. But all in all it was a great paddle and definitely one to do again, but it does take up most of the day.
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Another Potluck Success May 16
We had great potluck food once again, heavy on the desserts(!), and enjoyed and learned from a first aid slide show and demo put on by Paul Berlin, and Phil Lynch showed us his survival pack. We examined the contents of Oskar Hinz’s first aid kit as well as Jenny Berlin’s and Matt Minarck’s. If you didn’t get to attend this one, now is the time to check out your personal first aid kit and see what is in it and if you know what each item is and what to do with it, and check for expirations and add back in the items you may have used. Also remember to try and have your kit in your cockpit with you so it is accessible.
Phil Lynch demonstrated his bailout pack and why he had each item and how it was packaged. If you should for some reason be parted with your "stuff" in your kayak and your partners, this small survival pack kept within your PFD or easily grabbed from your cockpit could save your life and buy you some time until you are rescued. These packs are more for longer, expedition-type trips and where you are less likely to encounter people and may have to fend for yourself for a time.
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Membership/Treasury Note:
New members and renewing members may now make their $20.00 annual membership checks out to "Gig Harbor Kayak Club." We have a savings account and a post office box. If your address label is highlighted in pink it means that your membership is due within the next quarter. Please mail your check for $20 to:
Gig Harbor Kayak Club
P.O. Box 2264
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
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Regular Club HappeningsClub 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.
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Gig Harbor Kayak Club Officers
President: Jim Davis jim.davis@weyerhaeuser.comEvent Coordinators: Phil Lynch philip.m.lynch@boeing.com & Oskar Hinz Oskar.Hinz@PSS.Boeing.com
Treasurer: Paul Berlin 253-851-2968 pberlin691@aol.com
Membership: Jenny Berlin 253-851-2968 bignewf2@aol.com
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