Island-Sity

Helgoland, Germany's only high-sea archipelago, was split in two by a storm tide in 1720. The proposed project would have once again linked the two islands, which together make up less than two kilometers of landmass. But Helgoland's shrinking population was at odds over whether reuniting the main island with its smaller sister, called Düne, or "dune," would increase its tourist appeal, which has been waning in recent decades.

Some 46 kilometers (29 miles) off the German coast, the isolated island has historically been valued for its ideal location as a resort, naval base or stop on shipping routes. The islands traded hands several times between the British, Danish and Germans over the years. After World War II, the British used it as a bombing range for several years, even detonating one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history there.

But around four decades ago, bombing ceased and the islands were returned to Germany, where it soon developed a reputation for its scenic views, wildlife and tax-exempt status. In recent years, however, the quaint islands have steadily lost their appeal, and residents and tourists along with it.

While more than 2,000 people lived on the resort island in 1980, the population has since shriveled to just 1,300. The question over whether the additional land mass could stimulate the economy on the North Sea archipelago spurred an impressive voter turnout of some 81.4 percent.

Preserving Helgoland's Quaintness: The no-vote ends a tough debate that has caused tension between Helgoland residents for some time. In 2008, Hamburg developer Arne Weber teamed up with the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) and the Alfred Wegener Institute, which focuses on marine research, to propose filling the shallow gap between the islands with sand. The new stretch of land would have been roughly 850 meters (0.5 miles) long and 300 meters (985 feet) wide, increasing Helgoland's usable surface area by about a quarter.

The 300,000-square-meter space, the size of 40 football fields, was desperately needed, Mayor Jörg Singer had argued. "Helgoland urgently needs land -- for new residential housing, more bed capacity for guests and for the offshore wind industry that wants to settle onto Helgoland," he told news agency DAPD. "The economic aspects of connecting the two islands also make it the most attractive option for me."

But environmental organizations including Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) were critical of the plans. They warned that land bridge could disturb the marine environment and that increased tourism could also frighten off gray seals that use Düne as a "nursery" for their young.
"If the water taxi is replaced by a direct land connection, more people will probably come from the main island to Düne, and that will disturb the animals," said Ingo Ludwichowski, a spokesperson for NABU in the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, to which Helgoland belongs.

Felicitas Weck, a former mayoral candidate with the left-wing Left Party, expressed similar sentiment, calling the proposal "totally oversized." Helgoland should instead focus on its strength, "and that is nature," she said.

Summer Surf: In Summer the waves are smaller on the north shore, and most of the surfing is done on the south side. there are often nice southerly swells coming from the southern oceans, near Tahiti or New Zealand. Summer swell are usually mellow compared to winter. Summer swell is great for longboarding, but there are several shortboarding waves if you know where to look. Summer is often the preferred time to visit Maui for windsurfing and kiteboarding enthusiasts because of the frequency and strength of the trade winds.

Winter: Winter Winds are less predictable, and we occasionally get Southerly winds that are called Kona Winds. Kona comes from the Polynesian word for leeward. Kona winds blow from the opposite direction from the prevailing NE tradewinds. Kona winds can get extremely strong on the north shore due to the venturi effect of the wind being funneled through the valley.

Surfing in Kona Winds?: In Kona winds huge plumes of spray to peel of the crest of waves. Some expert windsurfers may venture out at Ho’okipa an Lanes, but there is a real possibility of getting blow out to sea. The strength of the Kona offshore winds may be masked close to shore because of wind shadow of the land and trees at the shoreline. So you should never attempt to surf the north shore during a strong Kona.

“She was mentally traumatized, emotionally upset,” said Civa Gauthier, one of the four-member Coast Guard contingent that rescued her. “She had been on a very remote beach by herself for several nights and days, and she had watched a loved one disappear.”Ms. Campbell, 62, survived on a single orange, drinking water from puddles and a nearby creek, and munching seaweed.

She is recovering from her ordeal in Haida Gwaii’s small hospital in Queen Charlotte City, where she is in weakened but good condition, with no serious injuries or medical issues.The RCMP are now searching for her 66-year-old companion, Fred Wydenes, who drifted from view shortly after the skiff overturned. The couple are from Courtenay on Vancouver Island.

When the Coast Guard crew drew near shore early Sunday morning, they saw the marooned woman sitting by a fire. “She was physically weak, but she was able to walk herself down the beach” to meet them, Ms. Gauthier said.

She had kept track of the days by marking a log with blackened wood from her fire.

Those who know the isolated area well say it’s a sheer stroke of luck that Ms. Campbell’s plight was discovered by the chance sighting of her flare in a cove where fish boats rarely stray.

“This is probably the most remote spot in B.C.,” said Ken Beatty, general manager of The Outpost fishing lodge, just south of where the woman was found, on the west coast of Graham Island, largest of the multi-island chain that comprises Haida Gwaii. “There are not a lot of people here. The chances of her being seen were very slim. Everyone’s pretty surprised she made it.”

The woman was airlifted to hospital from his lodge’s heli-pad. “She was not in good shape. She’s not the youngest person. It was quite an ordeal for her to survive,” Mr. Beatty said.

“You’ve got to hand it to her. She walked out of the ocean, soaking wet. And it’s cold up here. The weather has been pretty miserable the last four or five days, plus, psychologically, she must have been terrified, not knowing what was going to happen to her.”

Ms. Campbell and Mr. Wydenes had been off the coast of Haida Gwaii in their troller, waiting for Thursday’s salmon opening. They decided to do some beachcombing and took their small skiff into Tian Bay to look around.

On the way in, however, the boat overturned. Ms. Campbell was wearing a life jacket. Mr. Wydenes was not. “I guess there were some rocks, and waves hit and flipped the boat,” said Joan Yedenes, ex-wife of the missing man, who said her daughter had been talking to Ms. Campbell about the incident.

“My ex-husband told [her] to hang on to the propeller, and she hung on to that. She thought he was hanging on, too, but when she looked, she saw him sink under the water, so I don’t know what happened. It could have been anything.”

When Mr. Wydenes disappeared, Ms. Campbell swam through the cold, choppy waters to land. The Coast Guard was called in early Sunday morning, after the fish boat crew reported seeing a flare about 2:15 a.m.

The service quickly dispatched its lifeboat, the Cape Mudge, from Sandspit, about 100 kilometres south of where Ms. Campbell was stranded. “Once we arrived on the scene, we talked to the people from the fishing boat, and they said they heard her screaming on the beach. It was hard to make out what she was saying, something about how she lost her friend,” Ms. Gauthier said.

The crew – Bruce Campbell, Blake Sprague and Murray Kennedy, along with Ms. Gauthier – sent in their own small boat to pick up Ms. Campbell. Before taking her to hospital, they stopped off at the couple’s vessel moored three kilometres away, where Ms. Campbell was able to gather some belongings and her two, lonely cats.

“She was very grateful for her rescue,” Mr. Beatty reported. “She was thanking everyone for saving her, and also her two cats.”Ms. Campbell has so far declined to talk to the media about her terrifying experience.