OUTDOORS: Warm weather and popular areas bring out sea kayakers, and a concern ...
Bellingham and the surrounding areas have some of the best winds for certain water sports, but for sea kayaking, it covers the whole spectrum of good and bad.Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, and even places like Lake Whatcom and Lake Padden offer the experienced and casual sea kayaker numerous places to enjoy their craft. Yet, taking a little time and effort to learn more about the sport can be the difference between an enjoyable experience and one that could turn out tragic.
"The experienced (sea kayaker) in Bellingham knows what they are doing," said Dallas Betz, education coordinator at Community Boating Center in Fairhaven. "There is also the other end that don't have that much experience and they just assume it's not a big deal.
"We have some of the best winds for sailing and kiteboarding in the country. Everything just funnels through here. It can really pick up out there, and a lot of times you don't expect that."
That is the the message local boating organizations such as Whatcom Association of Kayak Enthusiasts and the Community Boating Center are trying to send. And both offer several opportunities, either it be through lessons, classes or group adventures, to help the inexperienced sea kayaker out there.
The Community Boating Center, located at 555 Harris Ave. near the Amtrak station, is in a uniqe position of offering plenty of help for the beginning sea kayaker as well as assistance to experienced sea kayakers.
"The boating center is pretty unique for what it provides," said Betz, who also is a sailing instructor. "The classes is the biggest thing we are proud of. We feel like once people have gone through our programs they will be safe boaters."
The Community Boating Center takes pride in its programs, and it won't allow rentals of sit-in sea kayaks unless the people have been trained in capsizing and recovery. While it's located in an ideal situation where it has access to Bellingham Bay, offers rentals (sit-in kayaks, sit-on-top kayaks, sailboats, rowboats and stand up paddleboards) and has storage for kayaks, it's safety and getting the word out on how to sea kayak that is most important.
The center offers a wide range of classes: Skill series classes on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; capsize recovery classes; and experienced sea kayaking classes.
It also has safe sea kayaking in the Pacific Northwest classes once a month that are free. The free class includes a two-hour seminar about safety and two hours of paddling in the water with an instructor. The seminar, which is funded by a grant from R.E.I., focuses on preparedness for paddling in cold water environments, how to dress, safety and communications equipment, and a discussion of essential skills for paddling in the Northwest.
Boating Bellingham Bay - News
The Community Boating Center takes pride in its programs, and it won't allow rentals of sit-in sea kayaks unless the people have been trained in capsizing and recovery. While it's located in an ideal situation where it has access to Bellingham Bay,
Riley Ghio, the youngest finisher among the first five in the Laser Radial division, echoed those thoughts about being "so tired" after an all-out effort during 11 races on Bellingham Bay covering more than four hours each day on Saturday, June 11,
Spectators can cheer on the kayakers coming across Bellingham Bay to Marine Park from 11 am to 6 pm and receive race results throughout the day. This year, Marine Park will have its first beer garden, from noon to 5:30 pm and tickets will be $5.
Web site: www.wwuvikings.com WWU Girls Basketball CampsWhere: Western Washington University, Bellingham. For: Individual camp for girls grades 5-12, team camp is for high-school varsity girls. When: Individual Camp, July 10-14; Varsity Team Camp,
Located on San Diego Bay's Harbor Island, the 610-slip marina is one of the county's largest, and it boasts an extensive list of amenities for both weekend boaters and liveaboards. “It's a wide-open marina, and you can see the full bay,” said Sunroad
Maritime fest aims to bring boaters to Bellingham - Three Sheets ...
Bellingham will get a head start on boating season this Saturday with the inaugural Bellingham Bay Rendezvous, a one-day maritime festival that organizers hope to make an annual event.
Sponsored by the Port of Bellingham, the day will bring together historic wooden schooners and powerboats from across the region for public cruises and tours, and include a ceremony at noon officially marking the schooner Zodiac crew approached the port about holding a homeport renaming ceremony, plans started developing.
“The port wanted to support a maritime festival on the waterfront,” she said. “We felt like this event was important because it really showcases the maritime heritage that Bellingham has. The waterfront is still very much an integral part of Bellingham.”
The plan is to make the Bellingham Bay Rendezvous an annual event and likely expand it to a two-day festival, Duckworth said.
“People are really excited about it,” she said. “I definitely think this is going to be a great addition to the festivals we have here in Bellingham.”
For Chris Wallace, Zodiac relocated permanently to Bellingham. Wallace said the move was a good one for the historic schooner, which became a bigger fish in a smaller pond.
“There’s so much going on in Seattle that we kind of got lost,” she said. “Bellingham has embraced this boat like you wouldn’t believe. It’s been amazing.”
The Bellingham Bay Rendezvous runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 16 at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Ave. Tickets for the cruises are $10 to $25 for adults and $5 for kids. For information, call San Juan Cruises at 800.443.4552 or 360.738.
Boating Bellingham Bay - Bookshelf
Pacific Boating Almanac 2004, Pacific Northwest : Covers Oregon and the Columbia River, Washington Coast, Puget Sound, San Juan Islands and British Columbia Up Through Vancouver is
no facilities except for a small boat repair shop. (414) Chart 18424. ... (419) Deep-draft vessels approaching Bellingham Bay from N use the channel between ...Hutchings' illustrated California magazine
... or any kind of boat, even to a canoe. These can ascend the rapids of the river as far as Fort Yale, (which stream, by the way, we do BELLINGHAM BAY. not ...Afoot & Afloat North Puget Sound
Bellingham Bay the SeverAl ISlANdS cluStered ArouNd the edge of Bellingham Bay ... Lummi and Guemes, can be reached by car as well as by boat, making them ...2004 Atlantic Boating Almanac, Gulf of Mexico
Houston3 Berwick Bay St Marys River Sin Francisco' Puget Sound5 Seattle Traffic* . ... the San Juan Island Archipelago, Rosario Strait, Bellingham Bay; ...Pacific Northwest Trips
Launch your own boat at the marsh flats of the northern bay (high tide only) or rent kayaks from Fairhaven's Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center ...Day-by-day Knowledge Directory
Community Boating Center
The Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center strives to create experiences that will enhance awareness and skills to build stronger ties between ...
Bellingham Bay Community Boating, Bellingham, WA : Reviews ...
Bellingham Bay Community Boating, Bellingham, WA : Reviews and maps - Yahoo! Local, 360.714.8891. Get Ratings, Reviews, Photos and more on Yahoo! Local.
Bellingham Bay Sailing in Bellingham, WA on Yahoo! Local
Bellingham Bay Sailing in Bellingham, WA on Yahoo! Local Get Ratings & Reviews on Bellingham Bay Sailing with Photos, Maps, Driving Directions and more.
Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center
Bellingham Bay Community Boat Center. 501 Harris Avenue. PO Box 4272. Bellingham, WA ... Contact Information: PO Box 4272 Bellingham, WA 98225. info@sailpaddlerow ...
Boat loose in Bellingham Bay towed to shore, no fuel leaks ...
A boat that broke loose in Bellingham Bay Monday, Dec. 29, was towed into Squalicum Harbor by a private contrac-tor Monday evening.