This Month's Books and Videos
February-March 2005
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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BC Marine Parks Guide 2nd edition edited by John Shinnick OP Publishing, 2004 ISBN 1-896373-72-0 106 pp,color photos and illustrations $21.95 Cdn $19.95 US 144 pp, b/w & color photos, $29.95 Cdn, $24.95 US, This complete and official guide to the Marine Parks of BC is a great resource to consult when planning trips along the coast, and may even inspire ambitions of visiting every park as a thing to do on your ‘life list’. Organized by region, each park is featured on a page with a photograph, chart, and helpful information under headings (when applicable): History, Features, Wildlife, Navigation, Cautions, Kayaking, Fishing, Scuba. With information about all the parks compiled into this single guide, it becomes evident that there is a wealth of protected marine areas to be explored in this province—a legacy we can be proud of. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the guide goes to the BC Marine Parks Society to help fund the creation of more marine parks. |
GREENPEACE: How a Group of Ecologists, Journalists, and Visionaries Changed the World by Rex Weyler See www.raincoast.com/greenpeace for a write-up on the book.
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Canadian Hydrographic Service, 2004 442 pp, b/w photos, index, $39.95 Cdn Sailing Directions is the most comprehensive description of navigable waters in southern BC, from the entrance of Juan de Fuca Strait to Cape Caution, including the Fraser River to Pitt Lake. Used by mariners in vessels of every length, from freighters and cruise ships to kayakers, it includes information on natural geographic characteristics, climatic variations, wharves, ports, aids to navigation, tidal currents, vessel traffic service and small craft facilities. The written information in this ultimate pilot book compliments CHS charts, providing information not included on charts such as descriptions (including photographs) of the best approaches to harbors, harbor facilities, anchorages, local history, rules, regulations, and table of distances. The information is updated monthly through Canadian Notices to Mariners available at www.notmar.gc.ca. This 17th edition, published in 2004, replaces the previous edition. Other volumes are published for northern BC waters and the eastern provinces. |
Sailing Directions —BC Coast (South Portion) Volume I, 17th ed.
Waggoner Cruising Guide 2005 Weatherly Press division, Robert Hale & Co., 2004 ISBN: 0-935727-23-X 356 pp, color photos, maps, index $24.95 Cdn, $19.95 US The Waggoner Cruising Guide , considered by many to be the ‘bible’ for Northwest cruising, has gone full color and glossy—a great new look with the same comprehensive, reliable information for cruising anywhere from Olympia, WA to Prince Rupert, BC, including the west coast of Vancouver Island. Publisher Bob Hale and his wife, Marilynn, spend two to three months each year cruising the waters covered by the guide, and so keep the published information up-to-date and interesting. With first hand descriptions of marinas, parks and anchorages; local knowledge of tides and currents; sound advice regarding weather and boat piloting; color photos and reference charts; and entertaining stories gleaned from the Hales’ travels, this ‘bible’ is one that no mariner will want to be without. |
Guide to the Oceans by Dr. John Pernetta Firefly Books, 2004 ISBN 1-55297-942-3 240 pp, color photos, index, $19.95 Cdn For anyone interested in the oceans of the world, Guide to the Oceans is a handy, multidisciplinary reference book full of fascinating facts, including information about how the oceans came to be, exploration over the ages, ocean life, marine resources and lesiure time activities. Well illustrated with color photos, charts and illustrations, this guide could be used as a reference book or to dip into when you’re in the mood for a lesson in oceanography. The author is Project Director for the Global Environment Facility of the United Nations Environment Programme, and brings his considerable knowledge and skill to this interesting compendium. |
Bijaboji: North to Alaska by Oar by Betty Lowman Carey, Harbour Publishing, 2004 ISBN 1-55017-340-5 288 pp, b/w photos, maps, $34.95 Cdn This is a remarkable story, told by a remarkable woman who defied the social conventions of the day to follow her heart and live her dream. In 1937, at the age of 22, Betty rowed up the Pacific Northwest coast from Puget Sound to Alaska in a thirteen foot dugout canoe. She had little money and carried few provisions, but relied on her ingenuity and the generosity of coastal people who welcomed her all along her route, to survive in often risky situations. She loved to be alone and on the sea, and reveled in her own strength and self-sufficiency, singing her way northward and thinking nothing of the perils that could be lying in wait. Her beloved Bijaboji (named after her brothers, Bill, Jack, Bob and Jimmy) was an open boat, but was “a masterpiece of workmanship…perfect for survival on the open sea” according to her father who had found the dugout and given it to his only daughter on her 18th birthday. More than just Betty’s personal story, Bijaboji is a fascinating account of coastal life in the 30s, adding to the body of literature that brings the history of this region into sharp focus. |
Captain’s Quick Guides McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2004 $14.95 Cdn, $8.95 US each • Knots, Splices and Line Handling by Charlie Wing ISBN 0-07-142370-2 • Rules of the Road and Running Light Patterns by Charlie Wing, ISBN 0-07-142369-9 • Using VHF and SSB Radio by Bob Sweet ISBN 0-07-143047-4 • Using GPS by Bob Sweet ISBN 0-07-142371-0 Captain’s Quick Guides outline essential information for mariners presented on sturdy, laminated panels that fold up into a handy 4” x 9” size, perfect to keep close at hand for quick reference. The use of clear illustrations and color help make information easily accessible. These durable, waterproof guides can be stored on your boat so you’ll have the answer to your question when you need it even if your boating library is back at home. |
Hiking the Gulf Islands: an Outdoor Guide to BC’s Enchanted Isles by Charles Kahn Harbour Publishing, 2004 ISBN 1-55017-315-4 288 pp, b/w photos, maps, index, $24.95 Cdn This newly revised and comprehensive guide to hiking routes on the Gulf Islands (including islands not always included in references to the Gulf Islands: Bowen, Cortes, Denman, Hornby, Lasqueti, Quadra and Texada) provides a wealth of information and almost endless exploration possibilities. A chapter is devoted to each island, with general information (history, how to get there, available services) and directions for specific hikes. To help with planning, a quick reference section for each hike states trail length, time required, a short description, level of difficulty, accesses and cautions, if necessary. A full description of each hike and its special features follows the summary. A five-star system is used to rate the hikes according to interest and beauty. Road walks and short off-road walks for easier access are listed for each island, as well as a special note for paddlers. This is a great reference tool for anyone planning a visit to the beautiful Gulf Islands. |
Songhees Pictorial by Grant Keddie Royal BC Museum, 2003 ISBN 0-7726-4964-2 175 pp, b/w photos, index, $39.95 Cdn If the past interests you and you’re cruising in the Victoria area, take along this book for a great lesson in local history. With well-researched text and some 200 archival photos, Songhees Pictorial: A History of the Songhees People as seen by Outsiders, 1790–1912 provides fascinating insight into how the native Songhees people were perceived while Victoria grew and developed as a city. The Songhees Reserve was a prominent feature in Victoria at the time, and served as a gathering place for coastal people who came to trade with Europeans. The author, Curator of Archaeology at the Royal BC Museum, collected photographs, newspaper reports, government documents and personal papers to create a picture of everyday life on the reserve, and to provide insight into the agreement that led to the move from the Songhees’ traditional home on the Inner Harbour to a new location in Esquimalt. He reveals the attitudes of government officials and of other citizens of Victoria as expressed in newspaper reports and editorials, and documents the sweeping changes in the lives of the Songhees at a critical time in their history |