This Month's Books
June-July 2004
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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by Peter Vassilopoulos Seagraphic Publications, 2004 ISBN 0-919317-32-4 208 pp, color maps & photos, index $46.95 Cdn This colorful, lavishly illustrated guide to the area between the Yucultas and Port Hardy, BC, provides up-to-date information and images to all mariners who wish to travel north of Desolation Sound. While written primarily for power and sailboaters, this book is equally valuable to paddlers. Longtime coastal explorer and writer, Peter Vassilopoulos, lends his skill at recording need-to-know facts and figures to this guide about a part of the coast that is fascinating in its history and beautiful in its topography. Dependable anchorages, safe routes and avoidable hazards are identified among the hidden passages and remote coves and islands that provide a lifetime of exploration possibilities. Pick up this book and you’ll not only want to go there, but will feel confident that you have an expert guide to show you the way. |
North of Desolation Sound
4th Edition by Marge & Ted Mueller The Mountaineers Books, 2004 ISBN 0-89886-881-5 272 pp, b/w photos and maps, $16.95 US This popular guide to outdoor adventure, updated for its fourth edition, is a must-have for anyone setting out to explore the San Juans, whether you are visiting by car or boat. Although the islands are small, there is much to see and do, both on land and on the water, and longtime residents Marge and Ted Mueller are just the people to make sure you don’t miss a thing—whale watching, scuba diving, nature viewing, beach walking, history lessons, cycling, paddling, fishing… They have included all the essential how-to-get-there information with facilities details, mileages, ferry terminals, anchorages and marinas; interesting notes about local attractions; maps to help plan your itinerary; and fascinating sidebars describing historical landmarks and events and plants and animals you are likely to encounter. This guidebook is sure to add another level of enjoyment to your exploration of the San Juans. Other volumes in the Afoot & Afloat series are: British Columbia’s Gulf Islands; Seattle’s Lakes, Bays & Waterways; North Puget Sound, Middle Puget Sound & Hood Canal; South Puget Sound. |
Afoot & Afloat: The San Juan Islands
2nd edition Edited by Peter McGee Greystone Books, 2004 ISBN 1-55365-033-6 352 pp, b/w maps & photos, index $22.95 Cdn. This compilation of information contributed by twenty-seven northwest coast paddlers (including WaveLength Editor, Alan Wilson) was first published in 1998 by the BC Marine Trail Association. The updated and expanded 2004 edition explores eighteen regions from Oregon to BC’s Central Coast, Haida Gwaii and the west coast of Vancouver Island, now including the Lower Columbia River, Klemtu and Queen Charlotte Strait. Whether you are planning a day paddle or an excursion anywhere on the coast, you have the benefit of local knowledge of the people who have been paddling in their home waters for years. All the necessary details are covered for each of more than thirty kayak routes—skill level, trip duration, hazards, appropriate charts and tide table s, camp sites, launch sites, transport information, equipment rentals and tours available. Also included is an invaluable list of contact names, addresses and phone numbers for each region. Peter McGee helped found the BC MTA to create water trails along the Pacific Northwest Coast that combine recreational and conservation values. |
Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast The Heritage Group of book publishers will donate $3 per copy to the Georgia Strait Alliance to further marine conservation, for each book purchased online through www.bcbooks.com and approximately double for books purchased directly through GSA. These books are small format paperbacks, ideal for actually taking with you on a trip! |
by Mary Ann Snowden Rocky Mountain Books, 2004 ISBN 1-894765-51-6 160 pp, maps, b/w photos $16.95 Cdn This updated, comprehensive guide for experienced and novice kayakers leads paddlers through some of the best kayaking waters on the BC coast. Originally released in 1990 as Island Paddling, Mary Ann Snowden’s book remains the definitive resource for paddlers exploring the Canadian Gulf Islands and Southern Vancouver Island. Twenty-three trips are outlined within eight areas. This new edition also covers the recently formed Gulf Islands National Park Reserve and includes information on the newest BC Marine Park: Wakes Cove. Each trip is headed with important information on tides, currents, safety considerations, charts and launchings. Included in each route description is practical information on the different land jurisdictions, campsites, suitable landings and paddling conditions. Mary Ann Snowden has spent countless hours exploring the waters covered in this book. She worked at Victoria-based Ocean River Sports for several years selling kayaks and promoting kayaking with her infectious enthusiasm for the sport. She’s done radio and television interviews and continues to give talks based on kayaking and her knowledge of the Gulf Islands area. Special thanks to Mary Ann Snowden, David Pinel and Rodger Touchie for helping to arrangethe donation to GSA. |
Sea Kayak the Gulf Islands
by Doug Alderson Rocky Mountain Books, 2004 ISBN 1-894765-50-8 176 pages, maps, b/w photos $16.95 Cdn Sea Kayak Around Vancouver Island by Doug Alderson Rocky Mountain Books, 2004ISBN 1-894765-50-8 176 pages, maps, b/w photos $16.95 Cdnwww.bcbooks. Sea Kayak Around Vancouver Island covers a full circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. If you are interested in a grand expedition, a week of summer touring, or a weekend excursion, this guidebook will give you the information you need. Each chapter covers a section of the island, providing ample information on points of access, interesting sites, safe routes to travel, hazards to avoid and comfortable campsites. While other books cover aspects of the Vancouver Island coastline, this is the first to cover the entire coastline and delve into the unique geographic and historical character of Vancouver Island. Doug Alderson is a nationally certified kayak instructor-trainer and year-round kayaker on the waters near his home on the shores of Vancouver Island. With a lifetime spent exploring the island, he has an unmatched, intimate knowledge of the coves, beaches and rugged shoreline of one of the best places in the world to go sea kayaking. He is the author of two other books on sea kayaking: The Savvy Paddler and Handbook of Safety and Rescue. |
Sea Kayak Around Vancouver Island
by Heather Harbord Rocky Mountain Books, 2004 ISBN 1-894765-52-4 176 pp, maps, b/w photos$16.95 Cdn Nootka and Kyuquot Sounds with their First Nations villages are the next step for sea kayakers who have enjoyed the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound and the Broken Islands. The area’s wetter weather and more rugged coastline offer greater challenges but also the rewards of pristine sandy beaches, remote islands, sea caves, rare sea otters, and historic sites. It brings those with the necessary skills close to the dream of remote wilderness and freedom. Divided into 49 excursions, this paddling guide is also an historical travel guide to this part of the west coast of Vancouver Island. Nootka is where the British, Spanish, Americans and others vied for a stake in the lucrative sea otter trade, and was the home base of avarice and slaughter as the sea otter was rendered virtually extinct in these waters (they have since been successfully reintroduced). Heather Harbord is a writer and photographer living in Powell River who has paddled and sailed extensively on the west coast. |
Sea Kayak Nootka & Kyuquot Sounds