Orienteering with a Kayak

December 2001 - January 2002

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Dave Spittlehouse

How do you orienteer with a canoe or kayak?" I hear you ask. "Doesn't it get tiring carrying your boat as you run through the woods like a like a demented Mr. Canoehead?'

We recently took part in a kayak and canoe orienteering 'meet' at Thetis lake, near Victoria, and were happy to find that all the control points were in or by the water. There were only a few forays onto the land, and carrying your boat was optional.

The fun took place on a sunny Sunday afternoon, organized by a group of 'orienteers' who normally (if that's not an oxymoron) stay on dry land. The participants were in 15 canoes with 2 to 4 occupants, our double ocean kayak and two single ocean kayaks.

At time zero we were given a detailed topographic map of Thetis Lake and the surrounding terrain. Twenty-four control points were marked on the map, and we had to find them using topographic features as a guide. Each point had a unique stamp that you used to cancel a marking sheet. The controls had values from 10 to 30 points and we had two hoursto find as many of them as we could. Each minute longer than the two hours meant 10 points deducted from our total.

The water-based points consisted of a orange triangle of cloth hanging or floating by the stamp. They were readily found by careful matching of the topographic features of the shoreline with those of the map. Or, noting where the boat ahead had stopped and the bow paddler was grabbing at the bushes, or plunging hands into the water-though the latter action might have been a desperate attempt to rescue a pair of prescription sunglasses. Those controlsin the water required no more than immersion up to the knuckles.

Accessing the water-based controls required a controlled glide, a graceful partial turn and brake to bring the boat to a halt with the control point by the hand of the bow paddler. Acceptable modifications included yelling, 'Rudder left you idiot!', grabbing at an overhanging branch as you shot by the control (I still have the gouges on my hands), or testing the hardness of the rocky shore with your bow.

Reaching the five land-based control points required a different set of skills. The first was getting out of your boat while it was floating because there weren't any beaches, only a break in the bushes on a low bank. The canoes were at an advantage here with the bow paddler able to stand and get out as the bow hit the shore. At least with the double kayak the stern paddler could steady the boat while you hauled yourself out using branches for leverage. Fortunately, there were no points lost for wet feet, or for samples of foliage in your boat. The single kayaker was well challenged trying to avoid the ignominy of tipping over when exiting. (Yes, there are uses for the skill of exiting while bracing on the water surface rather than on a rigid surface.)

Once on shore, your backcountry skills were brought to the fore. The ability to read subtle landscape clues was needed in your hunt for the controls. For example, seeing another competitor running towards you with a smile on his or her face meant you were heading in the right direction. When you saw orange moving flashes of a PFD suddenly stop, bend down and then turn towards you, you'd found the control point.

The controls were scattered along the shoreline of Thetis Lake. Thus some planning was required to minimize the distance traveled and maximize point total. Thetis allows the option of a portage of about 200 metres from a swamp back to the finish and zigzagging between points. Portaging was not an option with our floating tank. Not having a waterproof computer and the solution to the traveling salesman problem for n = 24, we decided to circumnavigate the lake.

As we entered the last leg of our paddle we saw some experienced canoeists ahead. Could we catch them? Then we saw them heading away from the finish to get a control that we'd got at the start. A final sustained effort of hard paddling brought us home, having found all the controls and with five minutes to spare. We were tired, and my feet were wet, but we didn't hit any ducks and unlike two canoes, we didn't tip over.

Credit goes to my partner Margaret for steering, steadying the kayak for exits and entries (resisting the temptation to tip me in the water), and for paddling hard. Thetis Lake was a great spot for this exercise. The scenery is great-Arbutus and Douglas-fir, moss covered rocks, small islands, a tunnel to pass through, and a number of inlets to confuse you. Also, we won.

© Dave Spittlehouse is with the Kayakers' Network
in Victoria, BC: 250-290-2653