2 0 C a n a d i a n Y a c h t i n g F E B R U A R Y 2 0 18a tte n tio n. O n th e w a te r, a n e v e n in g ’s e n te rta in m e n t c o n sists o f
w a tc h in g th e te rn s so a r, w in g s o u tstre tc h e d , b e fo re h o m in g in
o n d in n e r, tu c k in g th e ir w in g s b a c k a n d d iv e b o m b in g th e ir p re y,
re e lin g a w a y w ith a ta sty m o rse l.
S o , w h a t e lse c a n b o a te rs d o w ith th e ir tim e h e re?
O n e d a y w e to o k th e c a n o e a n d sta n d u p p a d d le b o a rd a n d
d isa p p e a re d in to th e a llu rin g c o lle c tio n o f c h a n n e ls, ro c k y o u t-
c ro p s, a n d isla n d s. W e c h e c k e d o u t so m e c o tta g e s fo r sa le.
W h ile d e lig h tfu l, w e h a v e y e t to se e so m e th in g to c o n v in c e u s
to tra d e in o u r ‘m o v in g c o tta g e ’ fo r a p e rm a n e n t p la c e , a n d th e
h e fty p ric e ta g h e lp s a ssu re u s b o a tin g is still th e w a y to g o.
T h e h ig h e r w a te r le v e ls a re a d o u b le -e d g e d sw o rd fo r p a d -
d le rs a s w e ll a s c ru ise rs. M a n y c h a n n e ls th a t w e re p re v io u sly
im p a ssa b le a re n o w o p e n fo r e x p lo ra tio n , b u t m o re w a te r a lso
h id e s ro c k s th a t w e re e a sy to sp o t w ith lo w e r le v e ls. A k a y a k ,
c a n o e , a n d S U P a re fin e , b u t if y o u ’re u sin g y o u r d in g h y, w a tc h
th e p ro p a s y o u e x p lo re a n d b e re a d y to tilt u p th e o u tb o a rd a t a
m o m e n t’s n o tic e.
A n o th e r d a y w e to o k th e s m a ll b o a t a n d v e n tu re d o u t
th ro u g h H a n g d o g C h a n n e l to P o in te a u B a ril lig h th o u s e. T h e
b a y s h o w e d u s a n o th e r fa c e th a t d a y a s th e w a te r w a s fla t
c a lm , ro u n d in g th e m a rk s th a t u s u a lly b o b a n d w e a v e in th e
w a v e s. In th e u n u s u a lly s till w a te r it is e a s y to p ic k o u t th e
d e a d ly s h o a ls h id in g b e n e a th th e s u rfa c e th a t c h a lle n g e
m a rin e rs h e a d in g th is w a y.
W e ’v e v isite d th e lig h th o u se b e fo re , b u t it’s a lw a y s w o rth a
re p e a t v isit w h e n e n te rta in in g g u e sts to p ro v id e th e m w ith a n
in trig u in g g lim p se in to th e w a y life o n th e b a y w a s o n c e liv e d b y
d e d ic a te d lig h tk e e p e rs.
A fte rw a rd s w e w e a v e o u r w a y b a c k th ro u g h w in d in g sla sh e s
th a t a p p e a r in th e ro c k y la n d sc a p e to e x p lo re N a re s In le t, w h ic h
o ffe rs so m e a n c h o rin g p o ssib ilitie s in its sh e lte re d w a te rs.
T h e n w e h e a d o u t a g a in , sto p p in g a t se v e ra l b a re ro c k isla n d s
o n th e o u tsid e fo r p h o to g ra p h s. W h e n th e w in d b lo w s h a rd ,
w a v e s w a sh c o m p le te ly o v e r m a n y o f th e se o u tlie rs. A t n ig h t,H e a lth y e c o s y s te m : K e e p a s h a rp e y e o u t fo r d iffe re n t s p e c ie s w h o c o m e c a llin g lik e s n a k e s a n d s k in k s.
F r o g S n a k e S k in kP h o to g ra p h e rs a n d p a in te rs w ill fin d p a le tte p le a s in g la n d -
s c a p e s a b o u n d in B a y fie ld In le t.