As soon as I got back from Antarctica, I managed to get out for a paddle with Dan and Paulo. I meet them out by Cadboro Point and we did the usual circuit. Plenty of good winter birds about including 250+ ancient murrelets in Baynes channel. https://ebird.org/checklist/S295276124. I also saw some river otters and harbour seals.
Weather was great, sunny and light winds. Ebb current throughout. I could see Mt Baker easily and could just make out Mt Rainer when I started.
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I managed to get out for a paddle with Claire while she was on board. We were by Gand Island in Dallmann Bay.
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I managed to get out for a short paddle with Jenny while she was on board. Also in Hinks Channel.
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I managed 34 paddles and 367 km this year which is not bad considering how much I was away! I got to paddle in lots of places, as well as the Cadboro Bay "back yard" and this year I seem to have done better than the previous 3!
This was also my 20th year of this paddle blog!
I managed to get out for one more 2025 paddle in Antarctica!
Google maps imagery shows it to be fully in sea ice but ArcGIS shows it as clear when zoomed out a bit...
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| click to enlarge Hinks Channel |
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| click to enlarge - sea ice! |
Dan, Paulo and I went for an early paddle (0800 start) so we could get back in time for the SISKA lunch. Conditions were great - a little current against us but not too bad and no wind to speak of. I could see Mt Rainier and Mt Baker. We kept up a good pace (avg 6.1 kph, just over 3 knots) and I was back at the beach in 2 hours 25 minutes. There were a couple of noisy California Sea Lions on the west side of Chatham and then some noisy Steller sea lions (and one California) on the rock by Seabird Point. All the sea lions seen were males.
We had the usual birds: https://ebird.org/checklist/S286720019
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I organized a Wednesday Group paddle for 12 of us to leave from Caddy Bay (where else!) and head out to the islands. The winds were light and the tide levels high so we visited lagoons and passages that are otherwise impassable. The currents were not too tricky, though they seemed stronger for the return across Baynes Channel.The cacti in Cactus Islet Inlet were still there and seem to be doing well in spite of their position so close to the water. We had lunch in Rudlin Bay. We saw plenty of birds: (https://ebird.org/checklist/S286288322)as well as both Steller and California sea lions and harbour seals.
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17 km, YTD 349 km
I paddled out to Cadboro Point to join Dan and Paulo for a paddle around the islands. I could just make out the tip of Mt Rainier above the Puget Sound clouds! Conditions were good with favourable tides and light winds. I however was out of shape and my back was not happy - too much time out of the "saddle"?
It was good to see the winter birds in full swing - 19 species https://ebird.org/checklist/S285687706
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Monica and I were in Australia for two months and I managed to get 5 paddles in... I am going to post about them in one go. Prior to this there were too many crocs (salties), sharks or wind!
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| Wellington Reservoir 9 km |
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| Kalgan River 11 km |
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| Walpole inlet 7 km |
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| Augusta 7 km |
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| Perth 12 km |
I went for another solo paddle to Oak Bay in the F1. Conditions were great with sunshine and a helpful current both ways. saw some murrelets, oystercatchers, geese and plenty of seals en route.
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I paddled along the coast to Oak Bay and back. I had to paddle against wind and current on the way out and had some help on the way back. Saw several black oystercatchers and heard a belted kingfisher.
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9 km, YTD 239 km
I led a SISKA paddle out to the islands with a nice group of 12 others. We started off with a mild flood and ended with a mild ebb, but there was a moderate 10-15 kt SW wind throughout (except when we were in the lee of the islands). We had lumpy water crossing Baynes each way but not too bad. After lunch I decided to stay in the lee of the islands rather than round the SW corner where it was facing the wind and waves. A beautiful sunny day on the water! We had some nice birds (14 species noted!) https://ebird.org/checklist/S264601713
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17 km, YTD 230 km
I took the starboard SUP out so that I could dump some salmon carcasses in deep water... Results of a successful fishing trip!
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I paddled out to Cadboro Point to join Dan and Paulo for a paddle around the islands. Great conditions and a lovely day on the water. Birding highlight was seeing a bunch of rhinoceros auklets while crossing Baynes. https://ebird.org/checklist/S261510669
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I led a very small SISKA group (just Craig, Rod and myself) for a "light" paddle from Caddy Bay to telegraph Cove and back. WE made it comfortably in two hours and I was home for lunch!
Not a lot in the way of birds: turkey vultures, Canada geese and Black Oystercatchers.
Conditions were very nice with a gentle ebb current throughout, sunshine and calm seas. Visibility was not great - could not see Rainier and could barely see Mt Baker.
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10 km, YTD 197 km
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