[Falling in Love with Sailing alongside a Young Captain] Rediscovering Taiwan from the Deck — Taiwan's Northeast Coast (Part 1)

For someone who spends five out of seven days glued to an office chair, reading an article about the principles of sailing would send them running — just like a partner who's already checked out. Knowing this all too well, Ray's second sailing article for BlueTrend (【Falling in Love with Sailing alongside a Young Captain】Sailing — What Exactly Is a Sailboat?) takes a different approach. Instead of theory, Ray decided to indulge everyone's wanderlust by writing a series of destination guides for sailing travel — a way to help you escape the office and chase the dream of roaming the open ocean.

What Is There to Do on the Northeast Coast?

Everyone knows Taiwan is surrounded by the sea — but who actually knows where you can sail in Taiwan? In the summer of 2018, OffshoreLifeStudio set off from Keelung on Taiwan's Northeast Coast. Having studied at National Taiwan Ocean University in Keelung, Ray had an adventurous spirit by nature — and long before many of the Northeast Coast's now-famous landmarks went viral, he was out there with friends and a machete, blazing trails through those very spots. Then, in his second year of university, he joined the sailing team and found his bond with the sea. He figures that if he had tracked every training session on the water, the entire Keelung sea area would by now be a solid block of color on the map.*Note 1

So what else is out there to explore on the Northeast Coast? Please stop telling me it's only Longdong or Chao-jing. When the season is right, every stretch of water on the Northeast Coast is absolutely world-class. People often ask: "Ray, why do you love Keelung and the Northeast Coast so much?" The answer is simple — because here, you can head up into the mountains or down to the sea without any fuss.

Keelung Islet

During four years of study at Ocean University, the waters around Keelung Islet carried some of the most important memories of Ray's student life — and the islet itself, standing resolute in the sea, holds a special place in his heart. Often awkwardly mistaken by tourists for Guishan Island, Keelung Islet actually features strikingly dramatic sea-cliff formations. Most visitors never get the chance to board a vessel and round to the islet's far side, but foreign guests who have seen it up close have described the experience as almost spiritual — a kind of awe-inspiring energy.

A quick note for BlueTrend's many diving fans: Keelung Islet is home to a superb dive site called Rainbow Reef. Colorful soft coral, enormous gorgonians / sea fans, and sea whips — the current-zone staple — are all waiting to be found beneath the surface. Pick the right day, pick the right tide, and join OffshoreLifeStudio for an adventure above and below the waters of Keelung Islet.

Wai Mu Shan

Which beach in northern Taiwan is closest to central Taipei? Wai Mu Shan Beach is without a doubt the definitive answer. Head along the coastal highway from Hoping Power Plant toward Jinshan and Wanli, and you'll find the small Wai Mu Shan bay — a wonderfully gifted spot for water activities and especially well-suited for anchoring. Why? The hills on either side of the bay block most of the wind, so as you approach the cove you'll typically encounter flat, calm conditions. And the sandy seabed makes it easy to drop anchor — when visibility is good, posing with the rippled sandbars below while golden light showers down from above makes for an incredibly atmospheric photo.

Paddle a SUP ashore, storming the beach from the sea while envious eyes follow your every move. Even a quick trip to grab sausages from a roadside stall feels like walking a red carpet. Enjoy good food and drinks on deck with a few close friends, then sail back into the sunset gradient behind Keelung Islet — pure bliss.

Heping Island

Once voted by a U.S. Chinese-language website as one of the 21 most beautiful sunrise spots in the world, Heping Island boasts a remarkably natural geological landscape. Viewed from the water, these strange and fantastical rock formations take on an almost lifelike quality.

Chaojing Bay

All of BlueTrend's diving fans are probably more familiar with what lies beneath Chaojing's surface than Ray is — but sailboats typically anchor off Wanghaijang Beach to swim and play. Curiously enough, the water near Wanghaijang is consistently clear and clean, making it a highly recommended spot for snorkeling or freediving practice.

Elephant Rock

Please tell me you're not still squeezing in with the tourists to snap a photo from the elephant's head — that trend has been going for ages. Viewing it from the sea is the way to do it now. And honestly, local fishermen have always called it Elephant Rock (大象石), because when you see it from the water you can make out the entire elephant. Next time you have the chance to sail out to Elephant Rock, grab a shot at the bow with your partner or your family, with the hillside town of Jiufen as the backdrop — absolutely perfect.

For the more adventurous, try paddling your SUP right in beneath the elephant's head. No spoilers here — all Ray will say is that he still can't get enough of it.

*Note 1: We use a mobile app called BOATING to record a vessel's track and navigation data. Every route you travel is marked with a solid yellow line; when lines overlap repeatedly, they fill in to form a solid block of color.

Further Reading:

• 【Falling in Love with Sailing alongside a Young Captain】Sailing — What Exactly Is a Sailboat?

• [OFFSHORE 離岸生活工作室 基隆帆船浪漫之旅](http://OFFSHORE 離岸生活工作室 基隆帆船浪漫之旅)

• OffshoreLifeStudio離岸生活工作室