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CONTACT 596 Dugualla Road Oak Harbor, WA 98277 360.821.1047 info@harborsmagazine.com www.harborsmagazine.com PUBLISHER Katherine S. McKelvey BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT George V. Bivoino EDITORIAL Kat McKelvey George Bivoino Vince Hagel Russ Young editor@harborsmagazine.com ART DIRECTOR Karen Johnson ADVERTISING SALES ads@harborsmagazine.com
CONTRIBUTORS Pat Awmack Sue Frause Sean Griffin Jean Groesbeck Deane Hislop Terry W. Sheely Tom Tripp Richard Walker Russ Young PHOTO CREDITS Fantasy Cruises, pgs. 14-15, 16 (top), 25 Russ Young, pgs. 16 (bottom), 17-24 Terry W. Sheely, pgs. 26-31 Richard Walker, pgs. 32-37 Deane Hislop, pgs. 50-54 Terry W. Sheely, pgs. 58 Salt Spring Marina, pgs. 62-63 (top) Sean Griffin, pgs. 63 (bottom), 64-65 Karen Johnson, pgs. 70, 71 (top right, bottom), 72 BoatUS, pg. 71 (top left) Fairholme Manor, pgs. 74-75 Ocean Breeze B&B, pgs. 76-77 Loden Hotel, pgs. 78-79 HARBORS Magazine is a proud sponsor of: Pacific Salmon Foundation of Canada Long Live the Kings of Washington State Friday Harbor Film Festival The Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival
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Welcome to HARBORS The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
A Note from the Publisher
Harbor Lights Happy 2018 A new year … a new start … We are looking forward to bringing you another year of HARBORS Magazine in 2018 and a great year of exploring Washington, Alaska and British Columbia. What better way to get some rest and relaxation after the holidays, then getting away to a cozy peaceful destination. Going into the winter months, there are still great deals out there to take advantage of for winter getaways. Many destinations in the San Juan’s and Gulf Islands are open year-round, and usually offer a better rate. This issue brings you some attractive destinations to explore and some entertaining articles on great ideas for planning your spring and summer adventures in 2018. The latest trend in cruising is the “small ship experience.” These small ships can maneuver throughout glacial waters and fjords, too narrow or too shallow for the 3,000 passenger commercial cruise ships. It’s an experience of a lifetime, and you can read all about it in the next two issues of HARBORS. We are also, excited to introduce you to the Tribal Canoe Journey that takes place each year. It is not only picturesque, but a very heart warming and meaningful celebration of the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest and our shared responsibility to be good caretakers of the environment that sustains all of us. The 2018 ‘Honoring Our Medicine’ Canoe Journey will be hosted next summer by the Puyallup Tribe. They expect to host 10,000+ guests. Don’t forget to stop by our booth at the 2018 Seattle Boat Show and share your boating and seaplane adventures! We want to wish all our readers, advertisers, writers and staff the very best in 2018! Enjoy the magazine, your journey and your destination. Cheers!
Katherine S. McKelvey Publisher
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features
HARBORS 2018 JANUARY/FEBRUARY
COVER PHOTO: A seaplane brings pasengers to the M/V Island Spirit photo by Russ Young
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Cruising Alaska
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Bam Bam Bamfield
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The Tribal Canoe Journey
38
Travel Maps
44
Waterfront Living
50
Friday Harbor
58
Packing for a Seaplane Adventure
62
Salt Spring Marina
70
Gear Guide
74
Seaplane & Boating Destinations
Northern Latitudes, Southern Hospitality Wilderness Fishing and Harbor Town Adventures An Annual Cultural Experience and Environmental Awakening Pacific Northwest Coastal Waterways What do Luxury Homes, Cars, Planes and Boats Have in Common? The Hub of the San Juan Islands Five Criteria for Packing Your Baggage
You Can Get Anything You Want... and Soon More All Tied Up
Fairholme Manor, BC • Ocean Breeze B&B, BC • Loden Hotel, BC
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By Seaplane or Boat, However You Arrived. . . We’ve already been there.
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Photo © Chris Teren, TerenPhotography.com
From Washington to Alaska, Your Source for Marinas, Restaurants, Services, Points of Interest and much more. To get your copy call
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CRUISING ALASKA: PART 1
Northern Latitudes, Southern Hospitality Nine Days Aboard the M/V Island Spirit by Russ Young
T
here were no singers, dancers or magicians performing. There was no casino, nor was there a spa or onboard shops. You couldn’t push your tray down a dessert buffet or call your cabin steward for a 3 a.m. hamburger. There weren’t any private-balcony cabins.
And for those reasons—and many, many more—nine days aboard the M/V Island Spirit was the Alaska cruise experience we had always dreamed about. At 130 feet with a capacity of 32 passengers, the Island Spirit could be hidden in the lower decks of most
of the cruise ships that work Alaska’s inland waters during the summer. But the maneuverability of the vessel, and the Southern hospitality and can-do attitude of her crew, more than made up for the size differential ... and offered us an unforgettable cruise experience.
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DAY ONE We met our captain and his crew in Petersburg, a quaint fishing town that that is known as “Alaska’s Little Norway.” Immediately we put our land-legs to the test, taking a hike to the edge of town to experience the muskeg—an Alaska peat bog. It was a good opportunity to meet our 15
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fellow passengers, who were an eclectic group varying in age from 9 to 73, including a pediatric dentist, a geospatial cartographer, a retired schoolteacher and a former spokesman for the Central Intelligence Agency. Back aboard, we unpacked our bags in our cozy cabins, each of which has its own bathroom. But by mid-afternoon we had shoved off the dock and were motoring toward the Baird Glacier.
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Before long, we were bundling up in raingear and life jackets, and boarding the “DIB” (a Demaree Inflatable Boat) for our first time. The DIB was our magic carpet for a ride through the icebergs near the base of the glacier. They ranged from dirty white to deep blue, and the cold drizzle was quickly forgotten as we “oohed” and “ahhed” our way through the ice. Then it was back to Island Spirit, where we were greeted
by ... wait a minute, what? It was an old mariner, with a gray beard, a nor’easter rain hat, holding a navigation chart. Fortunately, it was the ship’s owner and captain, Jeff Behrens (see sidebar), giving us a first glimpse of his considerable sense of humor. We shed our raingear, convened in the main salon for hors d’ouevres and cocktails, and prepared for our first night’s dinner: salmon, the perfect entree for starting an Alaskan cruise.
DAY TWO After waking up at our anchorage in Thomas Bay, we headed toward the Five Finger Islands, where we again bundled up, climbed aboard the DIB and set out for a short hike and a visit to the former Coast Guard lighthouse. We got up-close-and-personal with a bald eagle whose nest we walked under, and toured the building and grounds with the summer-volunteer lightkeepers, a married couple from Colorado. Back aboard Island Spirit, we were motoring close to a sea lion rookery— there were dozens of the big pinnipeds on the rocks, steaming in the morning sun—when there was a sudden
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change of plans. Jeff and his crew had spotted a group of humpback whales, so we changed course and began to follow them, in hopes of watching them engaging in the group feeding activity known as “bubble netting.” We didn’t witness it this time, but the instant change of itinerary was a reminder of the advantages of the small-ship cruising experience.
DAY THREE The Island Spirit spends each night at anchor while the big cruise ships are steaming toward their next port of call. 18
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And they are quiet nights; since the ship’s batteries provide the overnight power, we weren’t listening to engines or generators. Every morning the early risers are greeted by a continental breakfast buffet—and lots of coffee— followed by a hearty sit-down breakfast served by Jeff’s remarkably chipper crew. But we soon left our anchorage in Sanford Cove for what promised to be an exciting and memorable day; we were headed up the Endicott Arm fjord to take a DIB trip through the memorably named Fords Terror, a narrow and scenic fjord that only a small ship can navigate. Later would we would visit and anchor overnight at the Dawes
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Glacier. However, there was a change of plans; there was too much floating ice in the fjord, and it became clear to Jeff that the risk was unacceptable. We had an extra challenge that day; we needed to pick up three additional passengers, who had missed flights due to summer thunderstorms in the eastern US. The trio had made their way to Juneau, where they boarded a Ward Air seaplane that would rendezvous with Island Spirit on the Endicott Arm. With the help of the DIB, they joined us aboard as we headed north for our new destination: the Tracy Arm and the Sawyer Glaciers. We took an early-afternoon kayaking break at
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Harbor Island, enjoying some brilliant sunshine that was a distinct contrast to the morning’s cold rain and icy waters. On our way up the Tracy Arm toward the glaciers, we were treated to more icebergs, some of which resembled large-scale floating ice sculptures. We also got a demonstration of Island Spirit’s maneuverability, as we nosed up to a waterfall along the fjord, getting close enough so that Tony, the ship’s Arkansas-native naturalist, was able to lean out the bow and fill a pitcher with ice-cold water. (Try doing that in a 1,000-foot-long cruise ship!) Soon we were treated to a view of the North Sawyer Glacier; there was too much floating ice for us to visit South Sawyer. But despite the day’s “Plan B” itinerary we weren’t disappointed; we were treated to terrific views of the ice, which rises a couple of hundred feet above the water, capped off by two bus-sized chunks of ice “calving” and falling into the water. The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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DAY FOUR Waking up with no other boats— or any signs of civilization—in sight at Woodspit, we found the main salon and dining area decorated in red, white and blue ... it was the Fourth of July. Breakfast was omelets with “firecracker chicken” and grits. The latter are a reminder that, despite the fact we were in the northernmost US state, the entire ship’s crew of eight hails from the southern US: Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and North Carolina. The feeling of Southern hospitality permeates everything they do, from serving meals and mixing evening cocktails, to helping you in and out of a kayak, or loaning you a pair of rain pants for a DIB excursion. The morning featured the only rough water we experienced during the trip; in fact, the weather nixed a planned shore trip and kayak excursion to Taku Harbor, a village along the Stephens Passage. So we steamed on toward our ultimate destination: Juneau, Alaska’s state capitol, which is a virtual metropolis compared to the other towns on our itinerary. En route, Jeff and the crew performed a Coast Guard-required “man overboard” drill, which, despite the nasty weather conditions, they performed speedily and efficiently (and, I should add, successfully). There were five enormous cruise ships tied up at Juneau’s docks, with fleets of buses shuttling the passengers to and from their shore excursions. The streets were crowded with shoppers and sightseers. So it’s worth noting that us small-ship cruisers chose to go hiking once we were ashore; a large group went on the scenic Gold Creek Flume Trail. A smaller, heartier bunch of us decided to hike up the back of Mt. Roberts, which rises almost vertically from the waterfront. After a steep, muddy slog up the mountain, we arrived at the top of the Mt. Roberts Tramway, much to the amazement of The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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most of the patrons of the tram-top restaurant, bar and gift shop. (We took the tram down with them, arriving in time for an onboard Independence Day feast of hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, brownies and peach blueberry cobbler. After, dinner, there was time for a twilight stroll (the sun set a little after 10 p.m.) around Juneau, which was transformed once the big cruise ships departed in the early evening. The streets were quiet and uncrowded, with the activity level a tiny fraction of what it had been midday. We settled in for a quiet night spent tied to the dock, with the sound of water lapping at Island Spirit’s hull, lulling us to sleep.
— To be continued — Part two will appear in the March/April 2018 issue of HARBORS. 24
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Jeff and Catherine Behrens FANTASY CRUISES
Born and raised on Staten Island, New York, Jeff Behrens grew up thinking he would be a pilot, just like his father. He attended military school in New Jersey, but says he was always “enticed by water,” and bitten by the “boat bug.” Armed with an economics degree, he began a career in sales, working for paper, soft drink and onsite music companies. But after he was skipped over for a promotion, he decided to try making a living with a boat that he owned for fun and charter, hosting weddings, parties and some tourism. Expanding the tourism business, Jeff specialized in boat trips for up to 149 guests, with hotels providing the lodging. Finding that arranging the accommodations was “too harrowing,” he bought a supply boat called Magnum Force, which he converted in 2002 to the Island Spirit. The project took six months; he had scheduled the first trip so tightly that he says he was “bolting down the last few toilets as the first passengers were coming down the passageways.”
For several years, his trips were within Washington and British Columbia, but in 2009 he started the Alaska cruises. A “lifelong bachelor,” he was introduced to Catherine while buying a house in Florida. They’ve been married for six years. Although she joins him on the ship for part of the year, she runs the company’s Florida office; “She’s the accountant; I’m the marketing guy,” says Jeff about their teamwork. They pride themself on the attitude and courtesy FANTASY CRUISES of their crew members. He P.O. Box 448 says that in recruiting “I Pierson, FL 32810 look first for a smile.” 800.234.3861 And those smiles help make time aboard the www.smallalaskaship.com Island Spirit both enjoyable and memorable. “It’s fun to watch as people decompress, and realize they don’t have to be tethered to the world,” says Jeff ... with a smile.
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Bam Bam Bamfield Wilderness Fishing and Harbor Town Adventures By Terry W. Sheely
W
e’re hanging on for a 90-minute buck-and-slam boat ride into an unsettled ocean toward a rumor of king salmon and halibut said to be hanging on the Rat’s Nose. In the dark, at the dock in Bamfield on Vancouver Island’s lightly settled south coast the skipper had jabbed a finger onto a chart of Juan de Fuca Strait and said “Rat’s Nose—that’s where we’re headed.” Under his finger, I saw where bottom contour lines on the chart pinch together and form an eerily striking outline of the giant rodent’s head. I was told that some of the most productive fishing in the
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region occurs in 202 feet of water right on its pointy snout at the edge of La Perouse Bank. La Perouse Bank, aka Big Bank, is a 180- to 250-foot deep upheaval in Juan de Fuca Strait. Just beyond the Rat’s Nose the bottom falls into a 1,000+ foot canyon. The intersection of canyon, cliff and shallows creates a natural concentration point for baitfish, shrimp, krill and other rungs on the salmon and halibut food chain. Where there’s food, there’s salmon and halibut. And little Bamfield, I’m discovering, is smack in the remote middle of it. An intimate Vancouver Island harbor
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town of less than 200 year-round residents, Bamfield is painted into the conifers on the edges of a protected bay at the mouth of salmon-enhanced Barkley Sound. It’s surrounded by a mix of Crown Land, Indian Reserves, Pacific Rim National Park and is the northern terminus of the historic, century-old West Coast Trail. The water-color houses and handful of unique businesses around the bay are connected by boat docks and a waterfront walkway—part gravel, part boards. The only road access is from Port Alberni, an unpaved forest road that follows Alberni Inlet for two hours. The road ends on the hillside above the harbor’s mirrored reflections of quaint buildings, saltwater boats and weathered homes. By logging road, low-level floatplane or Alberni Inlet ferry, getting to Bamfield is as spectacular as being here. My wife Natalie and I, with a couple of fishing buddies, flew to the dock at Pacific Gateway Lodge on a
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floatplane from Vancouver. Pacific Seaplanes offers floatplane service from Vancouver, Nanaimo and Port Alberni. Or for a water trip, book passage on the Lady Rose ferry between Port Alberni and Bamfield. From the balcony of our room looking out into the Broken Islands Group, it occurred to me that adventure recreation is in every direction: salmon and halibut, islands and wilderness, kayaking and diving, gunkholing and beach prowling. For anglers, salmon are the big draw. The local Pacific Seaplanes boast is that, “Here in Barkley Sound
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you will find more tyees (30-pound+ chinook) than anywhere on the west coast!” Bamfield is a small fish town, with a big Coast Guard presence, worldrecognized marine science center, boat harbor buzz, and an artistic edge. It’s eclectic by any definition. The brick, board and gravel path that serves as main street is an easy walk hosting brightly-painted houses, an artsy retail district, half dozen fishing lodges, and a miniature subdivision identified simply as “the cat house.” I didn’t ask. That’s not to say there is a shortage of overnight accommodations. Like most remote communities, Bamfield residents scramble to make a living and for a lot of them that includes operating B&Bs, cottages, lodges or rentals. More than two dozen overnight accommodations are available, plus full-service marinas, with fuel and propane, and a dozen charter boat operators for fishing, kayaking, diving, nature tours and whale watching. Winter-springs from December into June, pass-by spawner kings May into July with halibut in the 30-pound range. Coho and pinks are late July deep into September along with halibut averaging 40 pounds, and from mid-September until winter blows in
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there’s a mix of hooknose cohos and late-kings. From August through mid-September an onshore fishery develops for beach-hugging kings that typically run in the high 20s and can hit the 50s. And surprisingly there’s an energized albacore tuna fishery in late Augustearly September, highlighted by the “Bamfield Tuna Shootout” the second week in September. In the open water south of town the ocean bottom rises into a series of offshore salmon and halibut banks that provide huge pass-by fisheries for salmon runs feeding into Juan de Fuca Strait or migrating into the funnel mouth of Barkley Sound/ Alberni Inlet. The sound and inlet are enhanced by Robertson Creek Hatchery, one of the largest chinook and coho producers on the West Coast, supplementing robust runs of wild chinook, coho, pink and sockeye from tributaries including the prolific Stamp and Somass river systems. Peak chinook fishing runs from late June through September. “More chinook are caught in Barkley Sound than anywhere else on the entire BC coast,” brags one Bamfield charter. The nearby water also delivers one of the most productive, and little
known, year-round fisheries for winterspring (resident blackmouth) in the Northwest. A couple of years ago, the first week of June, my wife and I fished these winter-springs from the nearby island resort of Eagle Nook Lodge and we loaded up on hot resident chinook 10 to 20 pounds. Quadruple hookups, big fat fish, lots of bait. That trip was an eye-opener. I’m back to see what it’s like in mid-July, this time basing at Pacific Gateway Wilderness Lodge on the headland cliffs at Aguilar Point off Bamfield Inlet and Trevor Channel. From the patio deck and my secondfloor window I can see a humpback whale feeding on a ball of baitfish and sport boats trolling productive home water at Eagle Bay. Lodge Manager Brandon Kostman has upgraded the lodge and its fleet of seven sport boats, to include professional guides, gourmet meals and fly-in drive-in packages. The all-cedar lodge sleeps 24 and is well positioned to fish both the open ocean banks and the protected quiet inside waters of Bamfield Inlet, Barkley Sound, the Broken Island Group and the lower end of Alberni Inlet. Robertson Creek Hatchery typically releases 7 million chinook smolts, and 190,000 coho into the Inlet. Most
years the adult hatchery returns passing Bamfield include 150,000 chinooks and 100,000 coho. That’s a lot of salmon jammed into a narrow area, and doesn’t include the salmon passing by on the outside headed to spawning destinations down-island, on mainland BC and in Washington. We’re heading out to the Rat’s Nose in a 26-foot aluminum center console. I’m standing holding the console rail and genuflecting beside guide Rick Taylor. It’s blowing out and still throwing steep waves high enough to hide freighters, and the run is a pounder. Rick is alternately goosing and choking the twin 115 Yamahas, crashing
and surfing through the remnant of a rare summer gale. It’s 20 miles from Bamfield. Be worth it when we get there, Rick grins. The Rat’s Nose, he adds, is as good a bet as there is. Rick sets electric downriggers and rigs red and green Hot Spot flashers with plastic squid, blue on the starboard, green on the port. Rods are 10½ foot with single action Islander reels. Plastic squids and thin trolling spoons like Coyotes, King Fishers and Coho Killers are trolling standards. Drifting can be productive too, mooching herring or jigging Point Wilson Darts, and tends to mix more halibut into the salmon catch.
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Fog is spread like ugly gravy between water and sky. The wind is down though the waves are up, when Donald’s rod goes off. It’s a wild coho and is released. I land and release a small chinook; that gets the “skunk” off the boat. And then it’s as though Rick flips a bite switch. It’s a romp of kings, 10 maybe 13 pounds, with a mix of large coho that keeps Rick hopping, reloading downriggers, sweetening setups, netting, popping hooks, steering the boat. A green Splatterback squid is the hot lure, and it’s what I’ve got on when the 20-pound king pops the rigger. We come in with a limit of two kings each, and enough of the bigger cohos to sweeten the bucket. We released more than two dozen salmon. Good start. The next day craziness breaks out. Our first and only triple turns the back deck into an over-under-over “get out of the way” circus. Amazingly, we land all three, then go for halibut. Rick is a halibut troller and he replaces the salmon squid with big bullet shaped plastic glow squid and sends the downriggers to bounce along the gravelly smooth bottom 200 feet down. We haven’t fished three minutes when I nail the first hallie, a small flatty that goes back. A chrome king comes out of nowhere to inhale a halibut lure. The halibut aren’t big, but the chickens are hungry for glowing squid and we add white meat to the fish box, and the final king before heading in. Next trip to Bamfield I intend to try the beach fishery for some big hooknose and passing kings, and I need a refresher course on fishing the inside mouth of Alberni Inlet for Robertson Creek chinook and coho. I’d like to put footprints on the West Coast Trail, kayak into the Broken Islands, get details on the Cat House, and…..! At undiscovered Bamfield, I discover too much fishing, too little time, too much to do.
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The Tribal Canoe Journey An Annual Cultural Experience and Environmental Awakening By Richard Walker
F
irst, you hear the songs coming across the water. Then the canoes arrive on the horizon, the paddles keeping rhythm with the songs being sung. The Tribal Canoe Journeys are celebrated events for the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Indigenous Nations from the coasts of Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington state participate every year. Canoe families travel in ocean-going canoes—many made of cedar, others made using more modern techniques and materials—and visit Native Nations in route to the final host destination.
This Canoe Journey is a revival of the traditional method of transportation and is a significant cultural experience for all participants. The Canoe Journey began in 1989, when the “Paddle to Seattle” took place as part of the 100th anniversary of Washington Statehood. That year, the state and indigenous
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governments signed the Centennial Accord, recognizing indigenous sovereignty. Fifteen Native Nations participated in the Paddle to Seattle. Each year, a different Native Nation hosts canoe pullers support crews and other visitors from Alaska, British Columbia and Washington. Depending on distance, the trip can take up to a month. On arrival, visiting canoe families ask permission to land, often in their Native languages. Protocol—the sharing of songs, dances and gifts—lasts for days. The Canoe Journey is familyfriendly, and drug- and alcohol-free. The Canoe Journey, for the observer, 34
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is a cultural immersion experience like no other. In 2018 from July 28 to August 4, the annual gathering of Northwest indigenous peoples takes place on the lands of the Puyallup Tribe. The message this year is Honoring Our Medicine. Emphasizing that community wellness and healing form the basis of honoring our medicine, just as the Puyallup canoe family has embraced this same message from the beginning. More than 100 canoes are expected to land on the Puyallup Tribe’s shores (likely on land re-acquired by the Tribe, near what was once Ole & Charlie’s Marina) for the week-long celebration.
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It’s all open to the public, and there are a lot of ways—and places—you can experience the Journey. “You can be on Vashon Island or on Owen Beach or on the Ruston Way waterfront, and you’re going to see the canoes as they come in to Commencement Bay,” says, Paddle to Puyallup coordinator, Connie McCloud. This Journey will be significant in several ways. It was 20 years ago that the Puyallup Tribe first hosted the Journey, and much has changed since then. The Tribe’s main economic driver then was a riverboat casino, and the Tribe’s presence was crowded by
the cities that emerged on the Puyallup Reservation between 1875 and 1996. Today, the Puyallup Tribe’s economic portfolio includes Emerald Queen Hotel & Casino, Salish Cancer Center and Hospital, Chinook Landing Marina, a newspaper, seven gas stations and convenience stores, and more than 300 acres of commercial real estate. The Tribe’s K-12 school, Chief Leschi, is the site of the annual Labor Day Pow Wow and the 2018 Canoe Journey festivities.
CULTURAL REVIVAL The first Journey, to Seattle during the State of Washington’s Centennial Celebration in 1989, spawned an indigenous cultural revival: A new generation of canoe carvers emerged. Songs returned, young people started learning the languages, and the presence of the First Peoples of the Salish The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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The canoes’ arrival is followed by a hosted meal of salmon, shellfish and other traditional foods. In the evening, in the longhouse, community center or tent structure, protocol takes place—an around-the-clock sharing by each canoe family of traditional songs, dances and gifts. The host nation also hosts breakfast and dinner each day for all guests, and closes that year’s Canoe Journey with a potlatch. Hosting the 2018 Journey will cost at least $1 million and require the assistance of 600 volunteers; the Tribe expects to host 10,000 guests that week.
SUCCESSES, AND CHALLENGES
Sea was reinstated on the ancestral marine highways. Canoe families—those in the canoes, as well as support crew and family members—travel, sometimes up to three weeks, from their home territories. Some 60 First Nations and Tribes participate in the Journey—no matter where you are in the Salish Sea
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from early to late July, if you’re near an indigenous nation, you can experience the Canoe Journey. The number of canoes and participants grows as the journey draws closer to the final host nation. Once all canoes arrive at the host destination, in 2018 on the territory of the Puyallup Tribe, the weeklong celebration follows.
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Puyallup leaders signed the Treaty of Medicine Creek in 1854, ceding a large swath of the region to the United States in exchange for certain guarantees. They and other signers reserved land for themselves, and reserved the right to fish and harvest in their usual and accustomed territories. But huge chunks of land that became the Puyallup Reservation were chipped away from Indian ownership during the allotment era, and urban communities emerged within the boundaries of the
reservation: the cities of Tacoma (incorporated in 1875), Puyallup (1890), Milton (1907), Fife (1957), Federal Way (1990), and Edgewood (1996). The Puyallup River was ground zero in the fish wars of the 1960s and ’70s, when state fisheries officials enforced, sometimes violently, state fishing regulations on Indians. (The US Constitution states that treaties, including those signed with indigenous nations, are the supreme law of the land, which means treaty rights trump state regulations; a 1974 federal court decision upheld Indian fishing rights.) Despite the change—forced assimilation, loss of land, efforts to abrogate their fishing rights—the Puyallup Tribe and culture survives and thrives. That’s one of the big takeaways from the Canoe Journey. Another takeaway: Our shared responsibility to be good caretakers of the environment that sustains all of us. The Puyallup River—with its runs of chinook, coho, chum and pinks, steelhead, and sea-run cutthroat trout— is still a source of life for the people. (Salmon are part of Northwest Native Americans’ spiritual and cultural identity and, as a primary food source for thousands of years, are an essential part of their nutritional health.) But “there are no wild salmon going up the Green River, and the Puyallup River is not far behind,” said McCloud. A Puyallup Tribe council member dives in the South Sound for geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck.) In the depths off Maury Island, he’s seen discarded washers, dryers and toilets. Off Fox Island, he’s seen geoduck with discolored flesh and some coated in what looks like a tar-like substance. It’s really disheartening to see people use the water as a dumping ground— because who is going to see under the water, right?—but then we’re wondering where the clams and fish are. Many tribal members shared some words of the late Billy Frank Jr., the longtime chairman of the Northwest
Come Experience the 2018 Tribal Canoe Journey “Honoring Our Medicine” Puyallup, WA
The Puyallup Tribe will provide shuttle service to and from Chief Leschi School, site of the Canoe Journey protocols. If you’re flying in by land plane, Tacoma Narrows Airport (https:// www.piercecountywa.org/1624/Tacoma-Narrows-Airport-TIW) is closest. Northwest Seaplanes and Kenmore Air fly to and from the Thea Foss Waterway on Commencement Bay, on a charter basis. If you’re arriving by boat, there are several marinas in Commencement Bay. The Puyallup Tribe-owned Chinook Landing Marina (www.marineviewventures.com/marina) has 213 slips, 24/7 security, laundry facilities and a host of other amenities. The Emerald Queen Casino & Hotel (www.emeraldqueen.com) has 100 rooms, three restaurants, a concert venue and, of course, casino games. Reserve a room early. Check the Paddle to Puyallup Facebook page for landing schedules. To get involved with planning Honoring Our Medicine 2018, contact Connie McCloud at connie.mccloud@puyalluptribe.com; or Chester Earl at chester.earl@puyalluptribe.com.
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Skagway to Ketchikan
Alaska
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Indian Fisheries Commission: that “the region’s First People were taught to respect and care for the environment, that all lives are interconnected, that the health of our entire ecological system would be affected if the salmon were to go away and not return to the streams, rivers and lakes where they are spawned.” The hope of the tribal council is that people hear that message at the Journey, and come away with a profound respect for mother earth. They believe, if we take care of mother earth, mother earth takes care of us. McCloud added, “It’s about protecting the water and protecting the earth. Even though we live in this very urban area, by being part of the Canoe Journey and witnessing the teachings, our children—Native and nonNative—will continue to stand up and help monitor and heal the earth. It’s all of us that have to step forward and understand, so we can make the kind of changes necessary.”
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Waterfront Living in the Pacific Northwest by Jean Groesbeck
What do Luxury Homes, Cars, Planes and Boats have in common?
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How do you define luxury? If asked to define a luxury car without using a brand name, you might define it by the sleek design, feel of the leather seats, the materials used in the interior, the spectacular paint job, or engine power ‌ What all luxury products tend to have in common, other than being in the top 10% of the price range, is a design that captures the heart of those accustomed to unique and exquisite products. Luxury products appeal to a global audience. When it comes to luxury homes, there are so many features, materials
and styles that it is a more complex description. For some home owners, technology is a key component of luxury. The latest electronics in a home, car, yacht or plane raise the value and are attractive to buyers. The Northwest being one of the most technologically advanced areas makes the ranking of the latest technological features in a home or any product quite high. The materials used in luxury homes do not follow a pattern, but rare materials are the norm. A 10-million-dollar home usually features beautiful natural materials like granite or marble. Today, it could have stained concrete floors and steel beams, offering a more industrial look, which is now seen in some of the most affluent homes. Some builders incorporate antique
doors or reclaimed flooring, so the products used in luxury homes are not always even new. However, all luxury products are made from materials that have been carefully hand selected with the end user in mind. What all luxury homes products do have in common is exceptional quality craftsmanship, reflecting the inspiration of artisans that excel in their field. A common element of luxury homes is a design that embraces entertaining, whether inside, outside or both. Homes featuring spas, pools, fitness centers, tennis courts, putting greens, media rooms, and boat docks complete the entertainment essentials. Rising culinary interests for both health and hobby are influencing a desire for gourmet kitchens in homes.
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Island counters, double ovens, gas stove tops, high-tech appliances wine coolers are all becoming essentials in luxury homes. An emerging trend in luxury real estate is a second kitchen for catering. The trend first emerged as pantries that could accommodate appliances. Then came the butler’s pantry, mostly a staging area or prep area. Now the trend for luxury homes is to have a full second kitchen used by caterers in the home for large gatherings, and often the appliances are commercial grade. The second kitchen is a result of open floor plans—home owners want the mess of cooking hidden from guests. Activities, incorporated into the home design, whether man made or provided by the environment, make the luxury home a destination for family and friends within a private setting. Outside spaces are dictated by location. A beach front home focuses on stunning water views, a home in Whistler might face the ski slopes and a home in the city might be located on
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a gated site with intricate landscaping which creates multiple entertaining terraces with year-round color. Easy movement from indoor to outdoor areas is a common theme. Luxury is design, style, unique materials or materials used uniquely, which are reflective of the environmental setting and lifestyle the area defines. Most luxury homes reflect the owner’s lifestyle. Whether it is formal or casual elegance, these products provide a lifestyle that sets trends for more modestly priced products. The new homes being built in the Northwest today are using the same products in less square footage, to accommodate the retiring baby boomers and empty-nesters who want to downsize, but don’t want to give up their luxuries.
compliments your lifestyle
Jean Groesbeck (360) 941-3734 Jean@JeanGroesbeck.com 5 Star Real Estate Services
www.bcoceanfront.com Ed Handja Personal Real Estate Corporation and Shelley McKay Personal Real Estate Corporation Your BC Oceanfront Team |Specializing in Unique Coastal Real Estate in British Columbia
Quadra Island Oceanfront Estate: 50 acre peninsula, 4800sqft home with timber features, open spacious concept, excellent finishing details. Expansive decks, guest cottage, 24x50 shop, protected deepwater moorage. Approx $3,045,000US
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Office 250.286.3293 | Toll Free 1.888.286.1932 edhandja@bcoceanfront.com shelleymckay@bcoceanfront.com
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A very rare offering! 4 waterfront parcels, 2 homes & a private extended deep water dock! Located on Brown Island with easy access to the Town of Friday Harbor, the southwest-facing adjacent homes are each flanked by separate waterfront parcels for a total of over 3 contiguous acres & 480 +/- feet of medium bank waterfront. The spacious & well-built main home is designed with the enjoyment of gatherings at heart. Community marina, seasonal swimming pool & full-time island caretakers. #1131205, $3,595,000.
This single-level 2 bed/2 bath home has nearly 1500 sf of living space plus an additional 320 +/- sf attached light-filled studio/office space with its own entrance & a 2 car garage with another office/storage room. The main gathering area is the great-room, open to the kitchen, with vaulted ceilings, free-standing propane stove, numerous built-ins & French doors to access extensive wrap-around decking for outdoor enjoyment. Community amenities include a private beach, seasonal pool & marina. #1192473, $378,000
Captivating. Private. Distinct. Unparalleled & unobstructed 180 degree views sweeping across Haro Strait; south from the Olympic Mountains, west to the twinkling lights of Victoria, B.C. & north to the Canadian Gulf Isles from this pristine estate sited on nearly 11 private acres. Watch eagles soar, hear Orcas play, relish in breathtaking & dramatic sunsets, & entertain guests from several thousand sf of decking overlooking the very best the San Juan Islands offer. A sight to behold. #1094224, $1,995,000
300+ feet of protected west facing waterfront with quality home. Quality finishes throughout, 2 master bedrooms, hot water radiant heat, great kitchen. Low maintenance property with beach, mossy rocks, salal, and trees. Beautiful view of protected bay. Tidelands included. 2 3/4 baths up and 1/2 bath on lower level. #881570, $895,000.
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Private driveway winds through madrone and A chance to own a truly unique property on Brown evergreen trees, leading to this perfectly-placed Island, just minutes from Friday Harbor. Located on waterfront home. Meticulously kept and tastefully .48 acres, there’s 215 ft of waterfront with a 40 foot updated to preserve its timeless appeal, the main year round dock that leads directly to the front door. house features an open design, floor-to-ceiling The 2 story, 3 bed/3 bath south facing, sunny home windows framing w/f views from the gourmet kitchen, (renovated in 2002) has an open floor plan and a master suite (w/fp) and library. The detached 3-car spacious kitchen for entertaining. Additional guest garage has full guest accommodations. The natural quarters, shop & storage on first level. Views to landscape is easy to maintain. Septic and 5 gpm well Friday Harbor and Mt. Baker. Full time island on 2nd lot. Lots total 2.28 acres and 448'w/f. caretakers provide transportation, etc. | HARBORS www.harborsmagazine.com #1110532, $1,595,000 #930097, $1,900,00
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Friday Harbor
The Hub of the San Juan Islands
L
ocated on the west side of San Juan Island, Friday Harbor is the largest town on the island and is the commercial and boating center for the San Juan Islands. Here visitors will find a colorful harbor with plenty of amenities and spectacular views of the nearby islands as well as snowcapped Mount Baker and the Cascade Range. There are plenty of things to do in Friday Harbor and many of them are within easy walking distance from the marina. The town harbors a village feel, suitable for walking and since the San 50
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By Deane Hislop
Juan Islands sit in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, fair weather, even in winter, is distinctly possible. Besides charm, scenery and an unhurried pace, three things attract visitors to Friday Harbor: art, whales and the local food. My wife, Arlene and I visit Friday Harbor several times a year to enjoy the buzz and amenities of one of the West Coast’s busiest marinas. From spring through fall, the marina is a whirlwind of boating activity. More than 150,000 boats make overnight stops annually and an additional 15,000+ stop for
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refueling, provisioning, clearing customs or a few hours to visit town. Friday Harbor is centrally located on the eastern shore of San Juan Island. From San Juan Channel, boaters can enter the harbor northwest or southeast of privately owned Brown Island, with the northern approach preferred by most boaters. When using this approach, it’s best to favor the starboard side of the channel, as ferries and floatplanes favor the center. Located on the town’s waterfront is the Port of Friday Harbor, which has 500 slips with space available for more
than 150 visiting boats ranging in size from dinghies to 150-foot yachts. Reservations are suggested during the busy summer months. The port also provides all the amenities boaters are looking for and has nearly 30 marine related businesses. Canadian visitors or returning US boaters will find a US Customs office, a telephone and document reader on the outside of breakwater B. The regional US Customs office is in town. Fresh seafood is available in the marina at the bottom of the M-dock ramp, which is the home to Friday Harbor Seafood, owned and operated by Eric and Brenda Wagner. This floating shop is well stocked with live and
cooked crabs, prawns, salmon, smoked scallops and tuna. Our favorite is the fresh in the shell Kumamoto and Capital oysters. At the top of the dock ramp, next to the harbormaster’s office, take a left and follow the paved footpath through Fairweather Park to town. The park is a great place to stroll or sit and relax while enjoying the stunning view of the harbor. In the park, native artist Susan Point’s sculpture of red cedar house posts honors the enduring presence of the Coastal Salish people in the area. Spring Street, lined with hanging flower baskets, is Friday Harbor’s main shopping street. The town spreads out several blocks in either direction, The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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so you’ll want to take some time to stroll around and explore the many quaint shops, restaurants and attractions. Shopaholics will love the galleries featuring local artists and native art, and specialty shops featuring clothing, books, wine, coffee and ice cream are spread throughout this charming seaside community. For provisions we stock up at Kings Market, it offers about everything a boater might need, including excellent fresh vegetables and meats and a great selection of liquor, wine and cheese. Upstairs is Kings Marine Supply store with clothing, fishing equipment, boat parts, books and charts, and any lastminute accessories. Shoreline dining choices abound with many ethnic cuisines, including Chinese, Italian, Mexican and Thai, along with pub food. Our favorite place for breakfast is Rock Bay Café and for lunch or dinner, the Downrigger Restaurant is a great choice for seafood served up with an excellent view of the bay from their patio deck. In 2013 the restaurant’s building was destroyed by fire and reopened in the fall of 2016. If you have a desire for pub food, one of our favs is a Friday Harbor institution. Herb’s Tavern, the oldest tavern in town, provides a smoke-free environment in a comfortable, beachbar setting. Its ceiling is decorated with orange life rings and inflatable beer paraphernalia. The menu includes the Hippie Burger, Cow-Dipper and Pile-O-Fries. Other good dining choices are the Backdoor Kitchen—high quality international food and drink, Cask and Schooners—featuring rustic fare highlighting locally grown items, and Coho Restaurant—with its island grown pacific cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. For an education on all things cetacean, visit The Whale Museum on First Street to catch up on what’s happening with the local resident orcas and learn all about whales, from environment to anatomy, vocalizations and 52
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conservation. The Museum, opened in 1979, is housed in a two-story, historical 1892 farm house where you can learn just about everything you’d ever want to know about orcas, dolphins, porpoises and whales. The museum is considered one of the finest of its kind in the world. Or stroll up Spring Street to visit the San Juan Islands Museum of Art (SJIMA), a visual arts museum showcasing artist exhibitions from the Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada, to support the growth of the local art community. Time your visit for a Saturday from April through September and wander the San Juan Island Farmers Market. More than 40 venders sell their wares— island raised produce, flowers, meats, eggs, dairy products, as well as local seafood and crafts from area artisans. If you have a desire to get out of town and see some of the island’s attractions, mopeds and scoot coupes are available at Susie’s Mopeds. Scoot Coupes are a great option for people with children or those who want the experience of three-wheel touring. This is a wonderful way to spend a day visiting the American Camp, Cattle Point, Lime Kiln State Park, English Camp, Roche Harbor and other island attractions. Port of Friday Harbor is a great place to visit, attracting boaters from all over the West Coast with its diversity of offerings.
PLAN YOUR VISIT: Portfridayharbor.org Sanjuanisland.org Sjifarmersmarket.com Sjima.org Visitsanjuans.com/theislands/ fridayharbor Whalemuseum.org
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Packing for a Seaplane Adventure By Terry W. Sheely
S
ome people just don’t get it— like the guy on the dock with three green suitcases and an 8-foot fishing-rod case that resembles a rocket launcher. Packing for a floatplane adventure is
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nothing like loading up the mini-van for a holiday at Auntie Em’s. Beavers, Otters, Gooses (Geese?), Cessnas, Super Cubs and other broadwinged sky mules are legendary haulers of everything from 100-pound chunks
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of prime moose meat to mountains of boxed salmon fillets, and enough food to stock a remote fishing lodge for a week. They’ve taken me in and out of some amazing places in my years of chasing adventure stories, and provide
Northwesterners access to spectacular, but otherwise inaccessible, worldclass destinations. And in the true spirit of any good pack mule, floatplanes have their limits and restrictions, both of which I’ve come to appreciate. “We can accommodate just about anything,” says, Shane Carlson of Northwest Seaplanes, “but there are trade-offs. There’s just so much we can carry.” Most floatplane shuttle services, including the two Puget Sound stalwarts, Kenmore Air and Northwest Seaplanes, recommend limiting baggage to 25 pounds plus the accurate weight of each passenger. (Yes, you will be weighed. So, there’s no use in fibbing about your weight.) “Say we’re taking you into a fishing lodge,” Carlson explains, “and you plan to bring back a load of fish. The take-out weight of the fish must be considered. The allowed weight may not seem like a lot when you pack, but add your weight, and the fish on the return trip and it goes up fast.” How that weight is packed also makes a difference. “I’d rather have you bring two small bags than one big bag,” Carlson points out. Loading a small plane is like putting together a puzzle, fitting each piece into oddshaped spaces as they become available. I’ve found five criteria to packing for floatplanes: keep it flexible, soft, light, short; and use multiple small bags. My standard floatplane baggage for a weeklong trip is a 20x13x12-inch canvas bag, a padded daypack, and a six-piece fly rod and three-piece spinning rod that fit into 24-inch cases. If the rod case is longer than the luggage, don’t attach it. What does not fit these criteria are bulky carry-ons, hard-sided luggage, one-piece fishing rods, unboxed fish, and suitcases capable of housing small dogs, and/or 300-pound passengers with 60 pounds of tackle (and three similarly-equipped big fishing buddies). If it’s not possible to pack within the The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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FIVE CRITERIA FOR PACKING YOUR BAGGAGE FOR FLOATPLANES: flexible • soft • light • short • multiple small bags
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1-800-277-5421 guidelines, inform the ramp agent or the pilot. Floatplanes are regulated by total weight—if one bag is over the maximum and the other under the average levels out. The pilot makes that determination. The same goes for packing potentially hazardous materials. Every floatplane operator I’ve flown has a list of potential hazards. But unlike TSAmonitored commercial airlines, floatplane operators typically allow hazards that are necessary for safety or recreation at the destination (fish hooks, knives, multi-tools, firearms, ammunition, deterrent sprays, rescue flares, bear bangers, fuel)—provided you inform the pilot. If you intend to bring back half a moose, and a winter’s worth of salmon and halibut fillets, make sure it is secured in small non-Styrofoam coolers or preferably, sealable waxed boxes. There’s not a floatplane pilot alive who wants slabs of fish or moose flank sliding around pontoon compartments.
When I’m connecting with a TSAregulated airline I add my “hazardous” gear and soiled clothes to the checked fish boxes. Most airlines allow 50 pounds per box, but they won’t allow your pocket knife or mooching hooks in carry-on luggage. Single-prop floatplanes are work horses that can be packed with between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds distributed into three areas: passenger seats, inside pontoons, and the tapered freight area behind the back-passenger seat. How those spaces are filled is up to the pilot. If you ask to ride in the co-pilot seat and the pilot gives it to another passenger take it as a compliment—the other person is just weight-appropriate ballast to balance the plane. Bring a cooler too big, a rod too long, or a suitcase too hard and it may stay on the dock. So, remember to pack with the floatplane five: flexible, soft, light, short—and in small multiples. The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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You can get anything you want at
Salt Spring Marina and pretty soon you’ll get more by Sean Griffin
A
fter visiting Salt Spring Marina at Harbour’s End, I found a catchy little earworm stuck in my head. It took a few moments to recognize the melody of the chorus to “Alice’s Restaurant,” and a few more to connect the song’s words (“You can get anything you want at Alice’s
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Restaurant) to the marina. But it shouldn’t have taken that long. Is there anything the Salt Spring Marina doesn’t have—or which isn’t within a few hundred feet? You want motor scooters to tour the island? Check. A rental car for the less adventurous? Check. Kayaks and paddleboards to
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rent? You betcha. Treats for your dog? Right in the office in a ceramic dog that plays “Who Let the Dogs Out?” when you lift its head. A pub with a great beer selection and audience singalong nights? Right next door. So is a French patisserie, whale-watching expeditions and a free shuttle to uptown center.
And if you’re boat is acting up, a complete marine service facility. All of it under the watchful eye of a woman who calls herself the “meanest, longest-serving wharfinger on the coast.” Her nickname is Constable Cheeseman, or CC, but her business card lists Lesley Cheeseman as her given name, and general manager her title. She’s a character, though it’s hard to tell if it’s inborn or the result of serving 28 years working the marina. And she’s got plans for the marina—big plans. Not the kind of plans that are all talk and no action. These plans are once-in-a-generation plans for replacing and enlarging the 30-year-old marina. They’ve been years in the making, jumping through all kinds of regulatory hoops and addressing community concerns, finally clearing the last hurdle last summer. Guiding the project through the
labyrinth and seeing it through to fruition is Project Manager John Roland, a lifelong Salt Spring resident. “It took seven years to get everyone to all say ‘yes’ at the same time,” John said. “But at the end of the day I saw the value in making the process as difficult as it is, because it’s made it a better project and as a result gotten everyone behind it.” This past September, the first contract was set to begin construction of a wave attenuator—a floating breakwater—to protect the marina. In October, the old marina was removed and the dredges came in. By the time boating season begins again in 2019, a new marina will be in place, with 50 percent more linear feet of docking space, a spine 1/10th of a mile long, and walkways wide enough to run a golf cart along. One thing Lesley’s working toward and is hopeful of achieving—a customs The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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clearing station. At present, vessels arriving from the US must clear Canadian customs elsewhere in BC, such as South Pender Island or Victoria. But the new marina will have 5,000 linear feet of docking area, compared with the original dock at 3,341. The 1987-vintage marina is not just for visitors. Salt Spring Islanders need a place to park their boats as well, and that can prove a challenge during the summer season. “Our goal is to get good services to tourists and to locals. If you’re local and don’t have a place to put a boat, something’s wrong,” Lesley said. That approach—investing in something that brings value to the local community and which in turn ends up attracting visitors is at the heart of what Salt Spring Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Clouston calls Community Tourism, a term first coined by the National Geographic 64
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Society. The heart of the idea is that by investing in your communities— providing parks, hiking trails, cultural events and infrastructure—you create thriving communities that people will be attracted to when making travel plans. “Everything we strive to do to benefit the local community becomes part of the visitor experience,” Clousten said. “If we don’t have a good community, people aren’t going to want to come here, live here, visit or start a business.” I was reminded of a time, long ago, when I passed through Atlantic City, New Jersey. Glittering casinos had gone up almost overnight, but the surrounding area was largely slum. In hindsight it was easy to see there would be no community tourism there. The marina’s clientele has changed in the 28 years Lesley has been there. Where once boats pulled up and children and parents stepped out onto
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the docks, now there’s a greater preponderance of older folks. Hence the wider decking that can accommodate a golf cart, to ferry those who might have trouble walking the deck, whose new spine will be more than 500 feet long.
PLAN YOUR VISIT Salt Spring Marina at Harbour’s End 124 Upper Ganges Road Salt Spring Island, V8K 2S2 250.537.5810 1.800.334.6629 www.saltspringmarina.com
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OUR MISSION
SAVE THE DATE* Ground Hog Dinner Friday, February 23rd, 2018, 6PM Museum of Flight —Side Gallery For more information, email admin@washingtonseaplanepilots.org www.washingtonseaplanepilots.org
* Friday night before the Northwest Aviation Show in Puyallup, February 24-25.
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IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON GROUNDFISH SPECIES (of Washington, Oregon and Northern California)
Anglers are responsible for knowing current fishing regulations, which can change frequently. Check the state website for up-to-date information.
Yelloweye Rockfish
Canary Rockfish (Slightly indented tail)
Adult
(Smooth jawline)
Juvenile
Bright yellow eye and raspy ridges above eye. Fins usually have black edges. Juveniles have 1 or 2 white stripes along side of body.
Tiger Rockfish
Dark Version
Variants
(Smooth jawline)
Variants
(Gray lateral line)
(Anal fin slanted)
Typically three stripes across side of head and gill plate. Body orange mottled with gray.
Vermilion Rockfish
Pink Version
Strong ridges between eyes. 5 or 6 vertical bars on body.
Lower jawline rough to touch. Body reddish and mottled with gray. Anal fin rounded.
Black Rockfish
Deacon Rockfish
Large mouth. Body mottled with gray. White belly. Black spots on the dorsal membrane.
Small mouth with extendedlower lip. Vague stripes across forehead. Blue-tipped pelvic fins. Many small speckles covering sides of body.
Bocaccio Rockfish
Blue Rockfish
Large mouth extending upwards. Slightly concave between mouth and dorsal fin. Body orange, olive or brown.
Small mouth. Vague stripes across forehead. Bluetipped pelvic fins. Large angular blotches on sides of body. Photos courtesy Vicky Okimura; WDFW
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REV. 2016
Quillback Rockfish
Copper Rockfish
(Deep indentations in dorsal fin)
Variants
Variants
Light colored band along the last 2/3 of lateral line.
Freckles on head and/or throat. Yellowish saddle markings do not extend to tail.
Yellowtail Rockfish
China Rockfish
Fins yellowish, large mouth. May have pale patches or spots on back. May be confused with Olive Rockfish.
Widow Rockfish
Broad yellow stripe starting on dorsal fin, along lateral line. Yellowish white freckles.
Brown Rockfish
Dark brown patch or spot on gill cover. Underside of throat and lower jaw pinkish. Fins may be pinkish.
Small mouth, anal fin slanted posteriorly.
Kelp Greenling
Cabezon
Lingcod
Flap of skin above eye and on snout. Huge mouth, small teeth. Body marbled. Smooth skin.
Large mouth and large teeth. Deep notch in long dorsal fin. Elongated body. Smooth skin.
Male Female Small mouth, small teeth. Blue spots may be faint except when breeding, when they become almost neon. Reddish spots on female. Smooth skin.
wdfw.wa.gov
dfw.state.or.us
wildlife.ca.gov Photos courtesy Vicky Okimura; WDFW
The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
psmfc.org REV. 2016
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All Tied Up
How to Pick the Right Lines for Your Boat by Tom Tripp
Next time you walk down the dock to your boat, take a close look at how other boaters have tied their boats to the dock. You may (or may not) be surprised at the hodge-podge of different lines and techniques in use. Some will say that whatever gets the job done is fine, but I’m here to tell you, Virginia, that yes, there is a proper way to choose and deploy your dock lines. But first a word from the word-usage police. There are no “ropes” aboard boats, except the little one that rings the bell (you have a bell, right?). Everything else is a “line.” It’s related to the port-starboard, bow-stern, nautical miles per hour thing—nautical tradition. Let’s say it’s time to replace your dock lines. They’re 70
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old, chafed, weakened from years in the sun, and pretty much ready to go to the recycler. How do you decide what type of line to buy? What are the differences in materials and characteristics and how do they matter to your boat? I had a chat recently with Mark Corke, who creates the practical boater series of articles for BoatUS. He’s also built a couple of wooden boats and currently runs a 32’ Grand Banks trawler. Corke says the important thing to keep in mind when choosing new lines is whether you’re looking for lines that stretch or lines that do not. For docking lines and anchor rodes, you need lines that stretch. That ability to stretch will help absorb the shock when winds and waves try to
blow your boat off the dock or pull your anchor rode tight. Line stretch, or “give,” keeps you from pulling out cleats on the dock and on your boat. The stretch requirement means you’re basically going to be buying nylon lines, of either the familiar 3-strand or braided type. When you buy dock lines, you’ll see many options, ranging from lines in bulk on large spools, to pre-made
lines with a loop already spliced-in, cut to specific lengths. You might also see a variety of stretchy high-tech materials, but the safest bet is still to pick nylon. Choose the right size (width and length) for your boat. For length, choose lines that are roughly equal to the length of your boat. Spring lines—the ones that go from a cleat on the dock near the bow to a point on the boat near the stern,
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and vice-versa, need to be that long. Bow and stern lines can be shorter, but if you make them all the same length and color you will know at a glance when you have an appropriate docking line in-hand. Line diameter is related to boat length, too. Use 3/8” line for up to 25’ in boat length. Add another 1/8” of diameter for each additional 10’ in length. Corke says he likes to dock with the eye of the line on the dock cleat and the open end on the boat. That way he can adjust or let go the lines from the boat without any help; tossing the line on the dock for pick-up when he returns. Obviously, this means he carries extra dock lines with him for tying up while away from the dock. Speaking of the eye splice, Corke likes to splice his own and has put together some tutorials on the BoatUS 72
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website. You can splice even braided line and it’s a great way to save money by buying your preferred line in bulk. Might be something to do on these long, dark winter evenings. So when do you use lines that do NOT stretch? These lines are used for control, as in the sheets and halyards of a sailboat, and for lashing things together, like when you want to secure the dinghy to the deck. Control lines are often Dacron. Last thing to remember—all proper dock and anchor lines sink. They do not float and that’s important when lines get tossed about around spinning propellers or when anchoring. Floating lines are used by water skiers and wake boarders who need to be able to find their lines in the water.
at the Ladysmith Community Marina
One of the best marinas on the west coast! LADYSMITH COMMUNITY MARINA OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE LADYSMITH MARITIME SOCIETY
PUZZLE SOLUTION (complete puzzle on page 82)
Reservations 250-245-1146 or VHF 66A info@lmsmarina.ca www.lmsmarina.ca
HAR B OR S
Photo: G. Beltgens
History & Hospitality
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Destinations
Seaplane & Boating Fairholme Manor, Victoria, BC
If you’re seeking a quiet and elegant retreat on Vancouver Island, Fairholme Manor makes for an ideal getaway. Located in the lush Rockland area of Victoria, the six-room Italianate mansion is both plush and private. Built in 1885 as a residence for a prominent doctor, the European-style inn is situated on nearly an acre and tucked into a neighborhood of stately homes and manicured lawns. Next door are the gardens of Government House, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. The grounds are open to the public year 74
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round, and in summer the Victorian Rose Garden is abloom in color. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, paid a visit to Government House in 2002. Also within easy walking distance are Craigdarroch Castle and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Ross and Sylvia Main opened Fairholme Manor in 1999 and have tastefully decorated their inn with a style they refer to as “casually comfortable and chic.” There’s nothing stuffy or frou-frou about the inn, and its six rooms feature clean lines, blending old with the new. The accommodations
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By Sue Frause
range from the spacious Olympic Grand Suite with its sunroom and deck looking out on the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympics, to the cozy French Country Garden Room, overlooking a lovely garden. A number of the suites feature wood-burning fireplaces and kitchens, and the Fairholme Grand Suite has its own spa room, featuring a double-jetted tub and palm trees. The Manor has earned a welldeserved reputation for its breakfasts. “I’ve always felt that a homemade breakfast or brunch is the ideal way
to start a busy day or relaxing weekend,” says innkeeper Sylvia. Growing up in Austria, she says some of her fondest memories are trips with her family to local farms. “I spent many hours in the kitchen with my mother, who introduced me to her flair for entertaining in style.” Although Sylvia has no formal training as a chef, her passion for food is evident at breakfast. Served at a trio of tables in the golden-washed dining room, one morning may offer a choice of Eggs Benedict Neptune or Florentine with homemade Hollandaise sauce; another, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with fresh berries, creme fraiche and Quebec maple syrup—served with Canadian back bacon. While awaiting your entree, there’s orange juice, coffee or tea, homemade maple-cranberry granola or cereal, fresh fruit, yogurt and freshly baked goods served with homemade jams. Sylvia uses all fresh ingredients, local whenever possible, from free-range eggs to organic dairy and meats. As a result of numerous requests during her years of innkeeping, Sylvia published a cookbook in 2007. Fabulous Fairholme: Breakfasts & Brunches is a collection of some of her favorite breakfast and brunch recipes. With color photographs, it’s like a morning stroll through a garden of visually tasty delights. She followed it up in 2012 with a second cookbook, Easy Elegance from Fabulous Fairholme: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch.
Fairholme Manor 638atRockland Place Inn Port Gardner
Victoria, BC 1700Canada W Marine V8SView 3R2Drive Everett, WA 98201 250.598.3240 425.252.6779 877.511.3332 innatportgardner.com www.fairholmemanor.com The Seaplane and Boating Destination Magazine
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Ocean Breeze B&B, North Vancouver, BC
North Vancouver, British Columbia —a neighboring community to Vancouver, with its backdrop of towering peaks and evergreen forests—is a gateway to the fun and adventure in the great outdoors that Vancouver is so famous for. A 12-minute ferry ride (Seabus) across Burrard Inlet and you’re transported from the bustle of the downtown core to the slowerpaced “North Shore,” where you’ll find the Ocean Breeze Bed and Breakfast. Located on a quiet residential street, not far from the North Vancouver Seabus terminus, this European-style bed-and-breakfast has been in business for 24 years and has a loyal repeat clientele. Its owner, Margaret Gradowska, originally purchased and combined two adjoining houses to create the current larger home, with its four comfortable guest bedrooms, cozy living room and kitchen, and her private 76
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living quarters. Around the back is a one-bedroom mini-house—complete with kitchen and Wi-Fi—often booked in the off-season by long-stay guests. It can also be booked as a selfcontained unit for a family traveling with children or for those traveling with a pet. Margaret, a former flight attendant, is happiest when she’s cooking up a delicious breakfast and chatting with her guests, dispensing tips on where they should visit while they’re in town. You’ll receive a full, cooked meal every morning of your stay unless you have an early morning departure, in which case, it’s a continental breakfast. Choose from such delicious fare as a smoked-salmon omelette, French toast, blueberry pancakes or a yummy yogurt/fruit/granola parfait. Margaret appreciates good food and believes that her guests deserve the best, using
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by Pat Awmack
only top-notch ingredients. One of the best things about staying at the B&B is the atmosphere of camaraderie which you won’t find at a large, impersonal hotel. It’s almost like staying with family. Guests at the B&B tend to be mature, well-traveled individuals who enjoy interacting at the breakfast table, sharing tales of adventures from the previous day or offering helpful tips on what a fellow traveler might enjoy during their stay. While you won’t find large-hotel amenities such as a pool or spa at the property, there is free, speedy Wi-Fi, each guest room comes complete with a private bathroom, comfortable beds, bottled water, a coffeemaker and a mini-fridge. My favorite room was the Eagle’s Nest, which is built under the eaves of the house. With its angled ceilings, separate sitting area and semiprivate bedroom, it’s an ideal space for
a family or for a couple looking for a little extra space. My tip would be to try and book one of the bedrooms facing the water. They each have a balcony with a stellar view of downtown Vancouver. If you’re there over a holiday weekend such as Canada Day, it’s a prime viewing spot for the fireworks display across the water. A rental car is a good idea if you’re visiting Grouse Mountain, Capilano Canyon, or if you’re planning to explore further afield. However, if you’re containing your adventures to the downtown core or the surrounding Lonsdale area in North Vancouver, you’ll have no problem without a vehicle. Those flying into the Vancouver International Airport can hop on the Canada Line train to Waterfront Station and transfer to the Seabus. Floatplane passengers arriving at the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre can opt for a short cab ride or walk along the seawall to the downtown Seabus terminal. Once you’ve arrived in North Vancouver, it’s a fiveminute cab ride or 15-minute walk to the Ocean Breeze. Whatever you do, if you’re coming in June through September, be sure to make a reservation, as occupancy runs close to 100% through the summer season. Call Margaret directly to arrange check-in in advance of your arrival. If you visit during the summer you may be just lucky enough to enjoy one of her impromptu barbeques, an added bonus for those who have chosen to stay with her.
Ocean Breeze B&B 462 1st St E North Vancouver, BC Canada V7L 1B7 800.567.5171
www.oceanbreezevancouver.com
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Loden Hotel, Vancouver, BC
by Pat Awmack
By Pat Awmack
Have you ever found a place so special you wish it could remain a secret, undiscovered by the rest of the world? That’s how I feel about the Loden Hotel, a haven of peace and quiet located in the heart of downtown Vancouver. However, it appears—based on the number of awards it’s won— that the world has already discovered this European-styled boutique hotel. Its most recent accolade is the Condé Nast Traveler 2014 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Hotel in Western Canada, making it the country’s only hotel to make the list of Top 100 Hotels and Resorts in the World. Enter the massive wooden doors and you’re embraced by the hush of the peaceful lobby, with its combination of textures, marble fireplace, squashy cushions, wood paneling, tile floor, textured mirrors and warm hues. You won’t find a loud party atmosphere at this hotel; management has deliber78
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ately aimed for a relaxed atmosphere, where people can escape to sleep after a busy day of meetings or a night on the town. My room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows, was a mingling of Old World charm and modern-day amenities. The coral-pink wingback chair, modern lamps, teak workstation, 42” flatscreen TV and huge bed surprisingly created a harmony of sorts, despite the diverging elements. The windowwalls, which actually open, shed heaps of natural light on the room. Additional, welcome touches included sizzling-fast Wi-Fi, a bedside carafe of water and the reusable shopping bag in my room—a great idea; who thinks to take one along when they travel? Other “green” features include lowwattage LED lighting and an electric car plug-in in the hotel parkade. All 77 guestrooms face west, and while views depend on the floor you’re
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on, the higher levels enjoy vistas of the nearby marina, the Vancouver Rowing Club and Stanley Park, minutes away and easily accessible via Vancouver’s seawall. The second floor is considered its peaceful sanctuary. Guests on this floor stay in Garden Terrace guestrooms, with step-out terraces overlooking a reflection pond and an urban garden. Down the hall is the Spa Suite and its infra-red sauna, and the adjoining Befit Fitness Studio. For a hotel of this size, the gym seemed extremely well equipped (not that I had time to use it.) The 3,000-square foot, two-bedroom Halo Penthouse Suite offers a huge wraparound deck and occupies the entire top floor. It can be configured for a residential stay or as a venue for an intimate wedding or other event. The view from the deck is stunning. Immediately outside the front door is one of Vancouver’s designated bike
lanes; during the summer, enjoy complimentary use of the hotel’s 12 cruiser bicycles. The best way to see the city is from a bike; the time limit of three hours is plenty of time to ride around the entirety of Stanley Park. Located on a one-way, tree-lined street in Coal Harbour, the hotel is a three-minute walk from the Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre Seaplane Terminal, close to the financial district and five minutes from the high-end shops on Alberni and Robson streets. If you’d rather travel to your destination in style, reserve the private car service—it’s an authentic London cab. The roomy car seats five and offers plenty of room for luggage for those bound for the downtown terminus of the Canada Line metro to the airport. Another highlight of my stay was dinner at the adjoining Tableau Bar Bistro, a separately run entity with its own branding. This French bistro was created to serve both hotel guests and residents of the surrounding neighborhood. Its casual atmosphere is comfortable as is the menu, making it an ideal spot to chill after a long day. In the summer the front wall opens to the outside patio where patrons sip cocktails and indulge in such fare as French onion soup, mushrooms on toast or steak frites. My tuna tartare was amazing, as was my daughter’s lemon ricotta ravioli: puffy pillows of freshly made pasta which melted in our mouths. It’s clear that the standards of service are high, and both the hotel and restaurant rise to the challenge.
Loden Hotel 1177 Melville Street Vancouver, BC Canada V6E 0A3 877.225.6336 www.theloden.com
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