Leaving the Hollyburn Sailing Club on the last Row of 2013.
The dolly belongs to another rower, out to check his crab traps.
Checking the traps.
The “Pink Palace” adds some colour to the grey West Vancouver Waterfront.
A pink walker passes by the famous “Pink Palace”.
I am off of Dundarave Pier. There is a family of porpoises breaching astern of Gwragedd Annwn.
I take a lot of photos. It is not often that I see porpoises on my Rows.
At most, I count six.
I wonder what they are feeding on.
They seem to be staying in one area, off of Dundarave Pier.
The porpoise show lasts more than fifteen minutes.
This is the longest amount of time that I have ever seen them them for.
I am drifting with the current watching them.
The porpoise show is over and I row on towards Lighthouse Park.
Looking a little dark over Vancouver.
Ships are at anchorages 15, 14, and 13 (furthest to the right).
The “Spar Rigel” fires up her engines for?….
Closer picture of the “Spar Rigel” at English Bay anchorage 13.
The Freighters at English Bay anchorages 15 (Left) and 14 (Right).
Lighthouse Park and the Point Atkinson Lighthouse in the distance.
It is 4:00pm, a half-hour to sunset. Time to go back.
These are some of the highest tides of the year. MacDonald Creek outflow.
The tide is not quite high enough to row into the culvert.
I can row right up to the Lawson Creek culvert. The tide is too high for me to enter.
Bemused resting walker.
I row back to Hollyburn Sailing Club. The last Row of the year…
The annual Hollyburn Sailing Club January 1st, sailing event.
The sail boats begin to assemble on the beach. Mirror Dinghy 41436 and 70282, and Albacore 7340.
The winds are light and the Kayaks and I are the first off the beach.
The kayaks are going to head west towards Point Atkinson.
We mill around, waiting for the sail boats.
A steering rudder is checked.
Roy, the Commodore of the club leads the kayaks out.
You can only wait so long for the sail boats.
Off go the kayaks.
Two of the Sailing Club members have commuted to the event by Power Boat. I am not sure how I feel about that. Apparently the Grand Banks is a good party boat with a large open cabin.
She flies the Hollyburn Sailing Club pennant.
The sail boats leave the beach. Not much wind.
Four Mirror Dinghies, an Enterprise and an Albacore.
I think that I will row over to Siwash Rock.
I hope that the Grand Banks never finds a log like this.
It is waterlogged enough for me to row over it.
Salvage!!! I find a fender floating on the tide line. I pull it in. I will give it to the Grand Banks.
Is this the new Coast Guard Hovercraft?
It is scaring the birds away.
The “Penac” is creating a panic with the waterfowl.
“Penac” (pronounced panache) in the Saanich Coast Salish Language means fair winds.
She is a 20-year old refurbished former passenger hovercraft originally named the “Liv Viking”.
She was purchased from the British Government.
A few stats on the Penac…
Length: 25.4 meters
Width: 11.2 meters
Cruising speed: 35 knots
Maximum speed: 45 knots
Range: 200 nautical miles
Must be something in the inner harbour for her to see……
Penac goes into Burrard Inlet.
Siwash Rock.
There are a few circular rock formations in Siwash Rock.
I wonder what they are? Remains of Lava tubes?
Two sandstone boulders encased in the basalt?
The “Penac” heads back.
The “Penac” passing by the freighters in English Bay.
Time to row back to the club.
There is a large blue sail boat anchored off of the club.
She is the AGALAR. Where is she from?
The first Row of 2014 was s short jaunt around Siwash Rock.
No Rain or Wind. Flat Calm. A good way to start the Rowing Year.
Good Rowing for 2014….
Mike