May 12, Arrival in Powell River

The Strait of Georgia is behind me, and it was characterized by sunny days and headwinds. That's a combination I've been told to expect: If the days are fair, the wind will be from the NW. So I'm supposed to be hoping for bad weather??

Marc left the trip one day out of Nanaimo on a spur of the moment decision. We had just spent a few hours paddling into a cold 10-15k wind, and he decided that, with open water paddling coming up, and not many intimate islands to explore, he would bail and have more of a land-based adventure. I left him in Nanoose harbor hitching a ride back to Nanaimo.

I paddled across the Strait of Georgia the next morning, and I was glad for Marc's sake that he wasn't there. 15k winds, 3-5 foot waves, with the occasional 6 footer. It was a slow trudge of a paddle, but I made it.

I only have a few minutes before this internet cafe closes, so I'll be brief. I paddled up the west coast of Texada, and the last night I was saved from a potentially awful camp spot. Well it wasn't really a campspot, but I was getting desperate and willing to put up with this otter nest for the night. But the forcast was for strong winds today, so I wasn't looking forward to being there. Then my hero arrived around the corner paddling a kayak. James owns the property around there and invited me to spend the night with him. He fed me, gave me a bed, and shared some great conversation. Thank you, James.

The wind was howling this morning, but by noon it had quieted down and I had a good paddle into Powell River. I even got here with enough time to get some errands done, which was important because tomorrow is Sunday, and this is the last town of size I'll see for a while.

Next up, the Islands of desolation and discovery.

Arrival in Nanaimo, May 7, Day 5

What an amazing place to be paddling. The Gulf and San Juan islands are perfectly suited to small boats--narrow passes, demanding currents, and beautiful islands with cliffs and rocky shores.

The biggest surprise was the strength of the current in some of the passes. Without some whitewater experience, I think you'd want to be very careful around the narrowest channels. At one point, Marc was ready to camp to avoid the current that had trapped us on a private island. Eventually, we gave it a try and it turned out to be easier than expected, but it was an eye-opener.

Boundary Pass, the stretch between the US and Canada, provided the first good shot of adrenaline on the trip. We were headed between Stuart Island and South Pender Island, and the wind started blowing around 8am. It was a south wind blowing around 15 knots. The current would be taking us from east to west, but we didn't know how strong it would be. Would we be swept pass the Penders and out the Strait? And then in the middle of the passage was a major shipping channel where ships from the west would be coming from behind Stuart Island, making a 90 degree turn and bearing down on us. At least the ones from the east we could see coming.

We stopped on shore, stretched our legs, ate some food, and started paddling. We guessed the crossing would take us an hour, depending on the current. 5 minutes off shore, the first freighter showed from around Stuart. It turned and came our way. At least it looked like it was coming our way. In fact, it missed us by a mile, but it was unnerving to recognize that we had only 10 minutes from first seeing the ship to its passing in front of us. Luckily, no other ships showed up on the crossing.

The wind pushed us along and we averaged 5 mph as opposed to our 3-3.5 mph normal. But the wind also built up 3+ foot waves that were exhilerating and "something less than terrifying", depending on your perspective.

By the time we arrived in Bedwell Harbor to clear customs, we felt like we had accomplished something. It was the first time that I felt like this long-awaited trip was really happening. It took 3 days, but now the excitement of the adventure was evident.


Most days have been a mix of clouds and sun. Some days calm, others blowy. We had one long morning of misty rain when the water temp was 48 F and the air temp was 47. But we were both comfy in our dry suits. In fact, if the temp didn't get above 52 while we're paddling, I'd be happy. It's easy to start sweating in a dry suit.

I'm also discovering that 20 miles/day is a daunting goal. Yesterday, our last day into Nanaimo, we logged 24 miles, but it was the first 20+ mile day of the trip. And we haven't been dawdling. At least I don't think so. We could streamline our morning packing some, but not much.

It leaves me speculating on what changes may have to be made in the trip--Will I have to more hours per day paddling? Will I get stronger and find it easier to make more miles? Will I have to cut out some of my planned side trips to make my schedule? Or will I have to make this a longer than 3 month trip?

Marc and I are travelling well together, though I have to admit I'd feel more comfortable on some of our crossings if I thought he had a competent brace. But I know he knows how to get back into his boat if he capsizes, so that's good.

We had a good 40 minute crossing yesterday in a 15-20 knot breeze. The breaking waves we found in the middle of the passage pretty much established the limit of what Marc wants to deal with on this trip. They were enough to push a boat sideways, and I wouldn't have been comfortable out there if I didn't know how to brace into waves. But all went well, and the wind kept pushing us north along a particularly beautiful section along Pylates, Rustin, and Decourcy Islands.

We stopped for lunch on DeCourcy and met a group of women on a 3 day paddle. Some were fishery observers in Alaska and longtime friends. They gave us a bottle of wine for the trip which was encredibly generous. Thank you Lisa, Leah and gang.


I picked up my first food drop here in Nanaimo. After all that hassling with Canada customs about how to ensure a safe delivery of my packages, they didn't even open the box. Course if I hadn't done anything, they surely would have torn the package apart. Anyway, it bodes well for the other packages I've sent north to Port Hardy, Bella Bella, and Prince Rupert.


Here's hoping that both my and Carlie's moms recover successfully from their recent surgeries--mine for fractured vertebrae, Carlie's for a broken hip. Concern for them and Carlie weighs heavy at times. Good luck, all.


Continuing north tomorrow...

At Long Last, Put-In, Day 1

After arriving in Anacortes on May 2 with good weather forcast for the next day, Marc and I decided to leave a day early. Our last minute shopping (for things like waterproof bags that had been destroyed by a leaky DEET container) had been done in Seattle so we were ready to go. I think it was a measure of my excitement that I didn't remember until 2 days out that one of the reasons for arriving in Anacortes early was to practice rescue techniques with Marc, since we had never done that before. Maybe we can practice en route. I was also hoping to spend some time playing in Deception Pass, where the currents and whirlpools are pretty dramatic. It would have been a good time to get used to how my loaded boat would handle in squirrelly water. But that, too, would have to wait.

But, in general, I'd have to say my excitement was muted. By what, I'm not sure, but I think I just have to be on the water paddling to let the excitement seep in.

It's amazing to me now to think back at all the time, energy and planning has gone into this trip. And now it's time to see if it's all paid off!

It's getting closer...

Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes my way. And to those of you who think this is the dumbest thing you've ever heard of, well...we'll see.

I finally got all my gear packed up yesterday, and, amazingly, it all fit in the boat! I had to stuff the tent in the cockpit in front of my feet, but that'll work. My gear weighs 130+ lbs. Including the 4 gallons of water I'll be carrying some of the time, I guessing around 165 lbs. I took the rig down to Cochiti Reservoir for a test run in the evening. It's sluggish, but it still floats. It's kind of like paddling with another person strapped on the boat. But I can roll it so I guess it's different than having a person strapped on. Not that I expect I'll have to roll on my trip, but it's a nice boost to my confidence knowing I can roll it if I have to.

So now I feel like I'm ready to go, and I've still got a couple days before driving out.

It's hard to imagine what this trip is going to be like because I've been so focused on the details of gear and packing and logistics, I haven't had time to think about things like that. Now I can allow myself the time. But I still have very little idea what it will be like. Will I be spending all my time dealing with rain, finding suitable camping, staying warm, and worrying about what the ocean conditions are going to become? I don't think so, but certainly some of my energy will be spent there. And what will it be like to spend so much time alone? How many days straight have I ever spent alone? 2? 3? Marc Sani will be joining me for the first 2 weeks or so, and I'll bet I appreciate not having to go directly to a solo experience right off the shore at Anacortes. But what kind of company am I going to be to myself? It will be interesting to find out. Will my excitement for the journey last? Will I get bored with the monotony of the same coastline day after day? Will I reach a point where I've had enough of the experience and I just want to make a beeline for Skagway? Or to the nearest ferry stop?

I originally thought there would be 2 things of most concern for me: weather and bears. That part of the world isn't known for its warm, sunny climate, and the sto

Packing food

I'm taking a lot of precautions sending my food to my food drops in Canada. I haven't heard first-hand accounts from anyone who's done it, and some folks don't feel it's worth the risk of having a Canadian customs official decide my home-made granola looks suspicious so he's returning the whole package to sender.

I've talked to 2 customs officers in Vancouver and a lady at Health Canada, and I think I'm going to be okay. But as they all warn me, There's no guarantee...

Today I shipped my first food to Nanaimo. I expect to get there around May 8-9. Before I start paddling on the 4th, I'll send the next parcel to Port Hardy. A few days later, my wife, Carlie, will send the next parcel to Bella Bella.

Hopefully the food will arrive safely, and I won't have to rely on white bread and spam, or whatever else I can find.

Maps of my paddle route

Here are maps that show where I'll be paddling. My route isn't on them cause I'm not sure yet what my route will be. If you click on a map, it will blow up to a more readable version. The red dotted lines show ferry routes.










Admiralty Island to Skagway























Ketchikan to Admiralty Island




















Grenville Channel to Ketchikan























Bella Bella to Grenville Channel























Port Neville to Bella Bella






















Nanaimo to Port Neville























Seattle to Nanaimo

mid-April in Santa Fe

36 degrees F. on Cochiti this morning. The dry suit was the ticket today.