RE: [Paddlewise] Public beaches - was Saturation Point

Here in BC, most beaches are public below higher high water (the highest the 
tide goes without storm surge, basically). The exceptions are some oyster 
leases, and some cases where rich and influential yacht clubs have persuaded 
municipal goverments to deed them areas of water as well as land - I've had 
a similar rude awakening to this as the other paddlewiser described with 
finding out some water DID belong to the yacht club. Wish I had the bucks to 
mount a legal challenge to this.
A couple of people observed that having beaches public was an indicator of 
how civilised a place was or wasn't. By this standard, Norway ranks as one 
of the most civilised places on Earth. We paddled in the Lofoten Islands 
above the Arctic Circle. Anywhere that is even remotely landable has a 
village or a few houses using the "port". They still honour a common law 
left over from the days when people used to come north to the islands in 
open boats to take advantage of the rich fishery there: you can land and 
camp even on "private" land so long as you are not visible from anyone's 
house (I'm sure there must be limits to this - you can't "squat" and acquire 
title). For kayakers and other tourers, it's ideal.

Philip Torrens
N49°16' W123°06'

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