[Fall in Love with Sailing with a Young Captain] Rediscovering Taiwan Through the Lens of a Voyage — Taiwan's Northeast Coast (Part 1)

For someone who spends five out of seven days glued to a desk, reading an article about the principles of sailing would be about as appealing as a partner who's already checked out — they'd leave without a second glance. Knowing exactly where your heads are at, Ray's second sailing article in the BlueTrend series (【Fall in Love with Sailing with a Young Captain】Sailboats — What Exactly Is a Sailboat?) takes a different tack: instead of theory, he's decided to do everyone a favour and indulge that restless urge to break free, writing a series of destination guides for sailing travel — so you can live out that dream of escaping the office and running wild across the open ocean.

How to Explore the Northeast Coast?

Everyone knows Taiwan is an island surrounded by the sea — but who knows where you can actually sail in Taiwan? OffshoreLifeStudio set out from Keelung on the Northeast Coast in the summer of 2018. Having studied at National Taiwan Ocean University in Keelung, Ray has always been an adventurous spirit. Long before many of the Northeast Coast's Instagram-worthy spots went viral, he and friends would hack through the undergrowth with a machete to explore them. Then, in his second year of university, he joined the sailing team and forged a bond with the sea. He reckons that if he'd tracked every training sail on a chart, he would have filled in nearly the entire Keelung sea area with coloured lines.*Note 1

What else is there to discover along the Northeast Coast? Don't just keep talking about Longdong and Chaojing — the truth is, when the season is right, virtually any stretch of this coastline is spectacular. People often ask: "Ray, why do you love Keelung's Northeast Coast so much?" The answer is simple: here, it's incredibly easy to both hike the mountains and dive into the sea.

Keelung Islet

After four years at Ocean University, the waters around Keelung Islet hold some of the most important memories of Ray's student life, and the islet itself — standing resolutely out at sea — holds a very special place in his heart. It's often awkwardly mistaken for Gueishan Island by tourists, but it actually boasts dramatically beautiful sea-eroded cliff formations. Most people never get the chance to see its far side from a boat, yet foreign visitors who have witnessed it have described the sight as almost spiritual — a raw, awe-inspiring grandeur.

A quick note for BlueTrend's many diving fans: Keelung Islet is home to a superb dive site called Rainbow Reef. Vibrant soft coral, enormous gorgonians / sea fans, and sea whips — the current-lover's staple — are all found in abundance beneath the surface here. Pick the right day, pick the right tide, and join OffshoreLifeStudio to explore both above and below the waves at Keelung Islet!

Waimуshan

Which beach in northern Taiwan is closest to central Taipei? Waimushan Beach is the definitive answer. Head along the coastal road from Hoping Power Plant towards Jinshan and Wanli, and you'll find the Waimushan cove — a wonderfully sheltered spot for swimming and ideal for anchoring. The hills on either side of the bay block most of the wind, so as you approach the cove it's almost always flat calm. And the sandy seabed? Perfect for dropping anchor, and on a clear day, when the light filters down through the rippled sand in heavenly rays, you end up with photos that feel almost poetic.

Paddle in on a SUP board, beach-landing like a commando, and you'll draw every eye on shore — even popping out to grab sausages from a roadside stall feels like walking the red carpet. Enjoy good food and drinks aboard with a few close friends, then sail back watching the gradient sunset sink behind Keelung Islet. Pure bliss.

Heping Island

Once voted one of the world's 21 most beautiful sunrise spots by an American Chinese-language website, Heping Island features remarkably natural geological scenery. Viewing these extraordinary rock formations from the sea makes them look even more uncannily lifelike.

Chaojing Bay

BlueTrend's diving fans are almost certainly more familiar with what lies beneath the surface at Chaojing than Ray is. That said, sailboats typically anchor off Wanghai Lane Beach to swim and relax. Strangely enough, the water around Wanghai Lane always seems to stay crystal clear — it's a highly recommended spot for snorkeling or freediving practice.

Elephant Trunk Rock

Don't tell me you're still squeezing in with the tourists to get a selfie on the elephant's head — that spot has been overdone for ages. The truly cool way to check it in is from the sea! In all seriousness, local fishermen call this landmark "Elephant Rock" because from the water you can see the entire elephant. Next time you have a chance to sail out to Elephant Trunk Rock, snap a photo with your partner or your family at the bow, with the hillside town of Jiufen as your backdrop — it's absolutely perfect.

For the more adventurous, try paddling your SUP right underneath the elephant's trunk. No spoilers — all Ray will say is that he still thinks about it to this day.

*Note 1: We use a mobile app called BOATING to record each vessel's track and voyage data. Every route you sail leaves a solid yellow line on the chart; when the same line is repeated, it fills in to become a solid block of colour.

Further reading:

• 【Fall in Love with Sailing with a Young Captain】Sailboats — 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