Just in case...

It was a brisk commute from Anderson Island today. Frost on the dock and in the dinghy greeted me but the trusty outboard started on the second pull. I putted my way out of Amsterdam Bay into the fog. Even though Sound View is only a mile and a half away, fog - even for that short distance - can prove to be a challenge. I pulled out my compass and steered Northwest and was rewarded about halfway across with clear visibility and the camp pier dead ahead. I tied up the boat, shouldered my backpack, and walked to the length of the pier - skirting the upside-down canoes secured to the edge.

Looking eastward was pretty so I took a picture.

Even as we prepare Sound View for the winter months, we always consider the “just in case”. Just in case our amazing but unpredictable weather yields a calm day on the Sound - even in the dead of winter - we want to be prepared. Eight canoes are ready to be carried down the gangway and launched for school groups, retreats, and our own winter camp. Personally, I love canoeing. What other activity requires two people to work together in such a way as to move a vessel forward? The more folks able to explore the wonders of Sound View - even from a canoe - the happier I am.

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It's a good feeling

As I write this, I am on the way to the mainland from Anderson Island … off to church. The wind is blowing and the rain is falling.

It is a really good feeling when Sound View's waterfront is buttoned up for the off-season. We experience relative calm in the summer weeks but really, Drayton Passage can be very rough especially when the wind is coming from the south. Wind waves and high tides move beach pebbles further ashore and even into the paddle shed.

It is good to know that the big floating pier is safely moored in the lagoon, the volleyball court is taken down, boats are stored upside down, and float lines are ashore hanging up.

Nancyrose and James moving the dock into the lagoon

I am not asking for big storms but at least we can weather them better.

Looking Back

We tend to take pictures of the water at our amazing waterfront. However, the other day after putting away the boats on the dock, I was “drawn” to the view looking back.

Looking back from the end of the pier. One can either go off to the right back to the paddle shed and the waterfront field - or they can venture straight up the stairs to shaded, quiet places. Sometimes, the gulls perch along the rail daring you to disturb their resting time.

When you choose to go straight, you encounter these stairs. Every now and then, we try to control the moss and foliage growing on the steps - not too much however, they are pretty in a rugged, semi-neglected way.

I love this cedar tree. You encounter it after climbing the stairs. Of all the trees at Sound View, I believe this one deserves an Entish name. It is a good tree to sit under to enjoy the breezes which waft up from the Sound.

And the road (trail) goes ever on and on. This one continues up to the ropes course taking a dark, scenic, wooded way. One can imagine natives using this path to portage their canoes to the other side of the Peninsula to avoid the stormy Devil’s Head.

The Sound View Armada

The Sound View Waterfront looks across Drayton Passage towards Anderson Island.

One of my favorite times during a Sound View Camp summer day is “camper’s choice”. In the late afternoon, most of the camp is drawn to our amazing waterfront to explore beautiful Drayton Passage and the camp sand spit by boat.

As a not-so-young lifeguard, (and the boss), I take the cushy job of patrolling the perimeter in the speed boat so I can shepherd wayward craft back into the fold, or talk with and congratulate campers as they venture out to me, or occasionally rescue and right kayakers who forgot to negotiate waves head on.

“Corcls” are little, round, unsinkable boats

We have a lot of boats at camp and it is wonderful to see them all out at once. I always wonder what the passing boats are thinking when they see the splash of colorful canoes, kayaks, corcls, paddle boards, and safety boats swarming about. Maybe they hear the kids’ laughter first as sound carries very well over water. Most of the boats operating near camp are considerate enough to slow down and we appreciate that. We also enjoy the big boats operating far off - the ones who have no need to slow down - because their wake ends up as big waves for the fleet to practice surfing.

Our older kayaks will be replaced in 2020

Maintaining this large fleet is always a joy and a challenge but well worth it. The fact that camps such as ours integrate water safety with responsible, recreational boating surely helps prevent drowning accidents. Sound View serves as an excellent classroom for seamanship, small boat handling, and a paddling culture. We have a waterfront fund to keep this program up to date - to refresh paddles and PFDs especially.