*** Updated July 2002 ***
What's New
July 4, 2002
HWS Update
Bear Creak Blowout
our annual downwind race from Harrison Village to the Bear Creak
campground is being held on Saturday afternoon July 20. Meet in front of the
SPA Motel
in the village at 11:30 for registration. Carey is organizing the event again
this year and
is looking for volunteers and a good chase boat. If you can help or have further
questions
contact Carey at 604-794-7490 by July 14th.
Updated Information
on Sailing Spots
New Classified ad,
check it out.
New Windsurfing Links:
http://www.windsurfdeal.com - New and
used gear as well as a bunch of cool Pacific Northwest /
Southern BC links.
Wind And Wake Boardshop
Your Source for Wakeboarding, Kiteboarding, and Windsurfing Gear
77 Main St.
Grand Bend, Ontario
1.800.888.9510
Feb 28, 2001
Windsurfing Threatened on Toronto Waterfront – Read what
you can do to help
New Windsurfing Business
Wind And Wake Boardshop
Your Source for Wakeboarding, Kiteboarding, and Windsurfing Gear
77 Main St.
Grand Bend, Ontario
1.800.888.9510
Pacific Boarder in Vancouver has a
new website
July 16, 2000
Added a few Pictures - from Day One of the 2000 Bear Creek Blowout. If you
have any other photos, please let me know and we'll try and put them up.
May 4, 1999
Thanks to Patti Turner for much of the
information stolen from this month's newsletter!!!
Updated the links - Great Links to Local Weather and Sailing Info around BC. Also some
links to popular Windsuring Search Engines and on-line shopping for new and
used gear.
- Welcome,
News about Breakwater Beach, 1999/2000 Executives
- Harrison-wear
- get the coolest clothing on the beach
- 1999
Schedule of Events at Harrison
- Updated
Harrison Membership form for 1999. Remember the May 31, 1999 deadline for
this years dues.
Jan 1, 1998
Updated the Where to Sail In Vancouver and Area.
Aug 17, 1997
Transport Canada has informed the HWS that if recent complaints from area residents continue about overnight camping on Breakwater Beach, it may close all recreational access to the beach. Although it appears that most of the complaints are against non-windsurfers, please respect the area residents and use the nearby Sasquatch Springs campground if you intend to stay the night. Sasquatch Spring almost always has room for a tired windsurfer.
July 11, 1997
Web Page Official Launch Ceremonies - July 11, 1997
Check out our Windsurfing Related Links - Lots of Great
ShredSites.
I need your help! In order to make this a great web site, I need input from everyone,
especially in the following areas: (send info to Shane)
- Where to get gear or get it fixed - if you have a business that caters to the Windsurfing crowd in town or know of someone who does - drop me a line with some information.
- Your travel stories - local or far away.
- Hints and tips for anything: beginners, how to rig, favourite waterproof sunscreen ... whatever.
- Info about other cool web sites.
Send me information as plain text in e-mail and I'll format it onto the page. If you need any help, give me a call or e-mail me
Carey's
Corner - Northern BC
Barbados
Report
Baja
California
Carey's Corner (Northern BC) The old saying "never leave wind to find wind" is usually true. In this case it worked out in my favour, I'm happy to say. With work taking me out of town for a few weeks last summer I had to take my gear with me just in case the opportunity arose. Kitimat was my destination for 3-6 weeks so I hoped to sail a few times at least. Between Terrace and Kitimat there is a lake called Lakelse Lake. It's about 6-7 miles long by a mile across and my first day sailing there I launched from the Provincial Campground at Furlong Bay. Although there is a nice rigging area the launch sucked. A large wind shadow resulted in a long hike out to the point through muck and weeds. Rewarded for efforts with 3 hours of solid 5.5 chop hopping I forgot about the muck until I had to go back in. While sailing I saw a number of other sailors upwind so I beat up in search of their launch. As you head west past the entrance to Furlong Bay there is a road called Lakelse Lake Lodge Road. Take this road till you come to a stop sign. Turn right and drive for approx. 100 yards till you come upon a road that leads to the water. Turn left there and park on the side of the road, rigging wherever you can. This is a boat launch so don't block the access to the water. This area provided the best launch and the best sailing.
The locals tell me Spring offers great 4.0 to 5.0 conditions with the summer slowing down to 6.0 to 6.5 when the thermals kick in. This lake must be one of the best spots in the area as most of the guys drove from Prince Rupert and Smithers (1.5 to 3 hours away). With many possibilities for sailing up here on the North Coast I don't recommend coming up without your gear. I'm not saying to cancel any Gorge trips and head North but with some help from the locals you are pretty much guaranteed wind if you have the time to go windsearching.
If it's ocean sailing you want then Douglas Channel offers some great swells for riding. Full suits are a must as the water is cold! Access is available on both sides of the Channel. On the South side MX Marina has a few campsites available right on the water. There is a slight wind shadow close to shore but once out 100 feet you're in clean wind. To get here you drive down the highway from Terrace towards Kitimat. As you pass the travel infocentre on your left you'll come upon a road leading you to MX Marina and the Kitimat Village. Follow this road and you can't miss the marina. The Indian Village is the end of the road.
On the other side of the Channel is Hospital Beach. Follow the main road through town past the Methanex, Eurocan, and Alcan plants. Just before the Rivtow compound on your left is Hospital Beach with two accesses. If you're looking for somewhere to camp in town Radley Park has up to 150 sites. It's situated just before the fish hatchery across from the Chevron. Personally I found this a better launch area with a grass picnic area to rig on and the wind was blowing directly side shore. The only problem was the lack of sailors. There are lots of starboard ramps if you like that tack for jumping and they get big in the storms! This channel comes in from the open ocean so swells have plenty of push behind them. The only obstacles in the Channel are the Indian fishing nets and the freighters; yes, big freighters! They load at the Alcan docks and made the barges in the Gorge look tiny.
Another spot of interest which I never got a chance to check out is on the Skeena River. Local sailor Jim Johnson who sails there frequently informed me it's a lot like the Columbia River. When the tide is right and the wind is blowing the conditions are excellent. The Skeena moves so fast that sailing on it in ebb tide is nearly impossible. About 30 miles east of Prince Rupert is a town called Skeena and nearby is a pipeline or powerline that crosses the river. This is the area where the sailing is best. Unfortunately I never got to sail this spot but it sure sounded great. Anyone wishing more info on this spot or any of the others may contact Jim Johnson at 627-1001 in Prince Rupert and he'll try to help you out. The Terrace Airport can give you a detailed forecast of the wind, especially if you say you are going windsurfing.
Apparently they are used to a lot of calls from the local sailors. The Terrace Airport phone number is 635-3224. Methanex has a weather report just for Kitimat and the Douglas Channel that is updated every couple of hours. The number for that is 632-7864. Two Lakelse Lake sailors who live right at the lake and may be able to help you with your choices about sailing there are Jeff Niem at 798-2549 and Frank Ryan at 798-2230.
-Dan and Donnalene Hayward
We were lucky to be able to take the month of December off and to have enough Aeroplan points to get us to Barbados for free. Some US carriers fly in there but generally Air Canada is the way to go and to do this you must go through either Montreal or Toronto. Travel to Barbados is a lengthy process from the West Coast (basically a full day), but worth the wait.
Barbados is the southern most Caribbean island, just off the north tip of South America. Small in size, it is only 75 miles around. Under British rule until the early sixties, it is generally accepted that rum was invented there, and this, sugar cane, and tourism are the main industries. Barbados also brews probably the best beer in the world called Banks. We drank one or two during our stay. -Per hour.
Windsurfing is done mainly on the southern end and the two main places are Oistins and Silver Sands. Oistins is the flatter of the two, with Silver Sands having big waves and usually bigger wind. 5.0 is the sail of the day most days.
At Oistins, there is a great little hotel (two star) called Windsurf Village (246-428-9095) and rates here are as little as $35 US per night. It is spartan but clean, and more importantly there is a great bar with great food right on the water. Lots of restaurants and shopping are a few minutes walk away. Next door is a Club Mistral Centre
(246-428-7277) where weekly rates are the way to go if you have to rent. This is around $350 US. Bringing your own is the best way of course and that is what we saw most visitors doing. Most airlines will allow a gear bag and a board for a minimal charge (in Air Canada's case, zero)
Silver Sands Hotel (246-428-6001) is generally self-contained; once you're there you don't need to leave. It is a little more expensive as is rental of gear there. Again, it is a Club Mistral operation
(246-428-6001) . Rates are around $100 US per night with gear rental around $450 US per week. This however is a 4- star operation with better winds and waves, if that is what you seek.
December to March is the season. The Mistral operations have all new Mistral boards and all new Naish sails and booms. Donnalene and I sailed only at Oistins with both of us on Screamers; Donnalene on a 4.5 and me on a 5.5. No, Kevin, leave your 7.8 at home. The biggest sail there is a 6.4, and these are rarely used. The water is clear and like a bathtub, with air temps in the low 30's every day.
Baja California had quite the introduction to the Canadian lifestyle. We had a great showing of Harrison windsurfers there this year and Los Barriles will never be quite the same. JUST KIDDING!
But we did have good representation. Ray and Nancy Janzen were among the first to arrive. Ian Carmichael was also among the crew (and quite popular with the ladies we've since heard-Editor). The list expanded from there with Rodney Howard, Jim Player, Len Janzen and Margot Gregor and family, Guy, Logan Yeates, and Peter and Alex Weremchuk. Also there were Henry and Mary Epp, Steve Jansen, Bonnie Steenbeergen, Steve's brother David ...and the list just kept growing. The winter on the Baja this year was filled with events and even when there was not enough wind for sailing there were always plenty of things to do. If you're interested in going down yourself sometime, talk to anyone listed above-they'll be glad to tell you where to go, do's and don'ts, etc.
See you there next winter! -Alexandra Weremchuk
Where to Sail in Vancouver and Area
Please help this area to grow and be more accurate! Please send in your
information and observations about your favourite sailing sites. Please send
the info to Shane
for addition to this site. Please include as much of the following information
as possible:
Getting There, Setup Area, Hazards, When to Sail, Cost and Anything Else Useful
Wind Lines: (no charge - providing it is not long distance)
Harrison: 796-0405
Tsawwassen: 943-7134
Squamish: 892-2235, 926-WIND
Choosing A Sailing Site
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Lower Mainland |
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Vancouver Island |
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Interior BC |
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Nicola Lake |
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Sailing Sites
- Getting There - Take Highway
17 towards the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and take the last left turn
before the Causeway (at the park and sail area) and proceed around for a
short while until you hit the south side access road parallel to the
Causeway - most sailors go right down to the end (near the porta-potties)
- Setup Area - anywhere
on the rocky shore. Depending on wind direction you can sail both sides of
the causeway, although the north side requires a white knuckle run across
the highway with your gear.
- Hazards
- Weeds - certain times of the year you need a good weed fin
- Flat tires from nails on the access road - occasionally after serious winter storms there is not much road left to drive on but if I can make it out in a Ford Probe, so can you!
- During extreme low tides, you can be in for quite a walk and only a narrow channel to sail in.
- Be careful about sailing close to dark - there is a guy that comes by to put a gate across the access road (which is only open dawn to dusk) - don't be late or you might have to sleep in your car.
- Watch for log's in the water
- When to Go - Call the
Tsawwassen Wind Line (943-7134) -
Pretty much any direction when the wind is greater than 7 knots average on the windline.
Tsawwassen is quite safe in the winter as it is surrounded by land on 2 sides and the ferry access road on the other so it is unlikely that you will get blown out to sea.
Usually best during storms - October/November and March/April tend to have a number of days with excellent conditions. This is a great spot for beginners/intermediates to learn - especially at lower tides.
- Getting There - Take
Highway 99 to the King George. Go Southwest on Crescent Road and through
the small village of Crescent Beach until you hit the water. Best place to
sail from is usually by the life guard station
- Setup Area - (By the
life guard station). A small grassy hill with ample room for rigging, and
the lifeguards even have a fresh-water hose that you can use to rinse your
gear.
- Hazards
- Weeds - certain times of the year you need a good weed fin
- Sandbars at low tide
- Serious current near the shore.
- Be very careful here during high southeast winds - the combination of wind, waves and a strong current makes staying upwind a challenge sometime (trust me I got rescued there in 35 knot winds!).
- When to Go - Call the
Tsawwassen Wind Line (943-7134) -
When the wind is from the SouthWest, South or South-Southeast at 9 knots or better.
White Rock - Main Beach
- Getting There - Go to
Marine Drive in White Rock then pick a spot.
- Setup Area - Lots of
grassy setup areas near the train tracks.
- Hazards
- Weeds - certain times of the year you need a good weed fin
- Logs
- Parking is $1/hr after noon.
- When to Go - Call the
Tsawwassen Wind Line (943-7134) -
When the wind is from the Southwest, South or South-southwest at 9 knots or better. - White Rock Web Cam
Centennial Park
- Getting There - Take
Highway 17 towards the Tsawwassen Ferry. Go South on Point Roberts Road to
12th Avenue. Go East on 12th Avenue / Boundary Bay
Road to Centennial Park.
- Setup Area - Grassy
Area near the beach
- Hazards
- Low Tide - Can be quite a walk at low tide. You may wish to consult a tide table before heading over.
- Weeds? - Possibly
- When to Go - Call the
Tsawwassen Wind Line (943-7134) -
When the wind is from the East or Southeast at 9 knots or better. This is a nice place to sail in the winter as it has a heated public bathroom and a hand-dryer to warm up.
- Getting There - Near
4th Avenue and Alma in Vancouver
- When to Go - Apparently Jericho is very good during Northwesterly Storms.
- Jericho Beach Web Cam
Where
to Get Gear, or Get it Fixed
North Shore Ski and Sailboard (info subject
to change without notice)
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Address |
1625 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver |
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Phone |
604-987-7245 |
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Address |
1793 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver |
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Phone |
604-734-7245 |
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Address |
77 Main Street, Grand Bend, Ontarios |
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Phone |
1-800-888-9510 |
Roof Racks: Rack Attack
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Address |
368 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver |
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Phone |
604-872-7225 |
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Web |
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Hours |
M,T,W 10-5 Th, F 10-7 Sat 10-5 Sun 12-5 |
For Sale
Items 9' wind dance 160L Alpha with daggar board2 one piece masts3 booms, one a new chinook6 sails in good conditionmast basesfinsAll stored inside for years
[Posted July 2002] |
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Contact: Matthew Jones, Abbotsford504-4440
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Want to Place an Ad in the Newsletter and/or
on the Web?
Contact Shane
Web Page Designer: Shane
O'Neill
eMail: ldsmoneill@hotmail.com ldsmoneill@hotmail.com
Phone: 590-5860
Windsurfing
Related Links
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Local Windsurfing Info and Weather |
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General Interest |
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Vancouver Island Windsurf Info |
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Shopping! |
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Other Destinations |
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