Surfski Knowledge Base

(Ed. For more see Vancouver Island Circumnavigations )

flypaddle
02/11/13 #13911

Hey Gang,

Does anyone out there know of any records for circumnavigating Vancouver Island via kayak?

Thx,

Joost

paul clement
02/11/13 #13913

Not that I know of but I am pretty sure next year I will be able to say, “some guy named Joost Zeegers killed it last year!” Sounds like an epic adventure.

Brandon Nelson <brandon@…>

02/11/13 #13912

Currently held by Sean Morely of Valley Kayaks, if I’m not mistaken.

http://www.expeditionkayak.com/completed-expeditions/vancouver-2008/

<18 days…

Brandon Nelson

njcooksey@ymail.com

02/11/13 #13914

I think Joe O'Blenis recaptured the record in 2010 16d 12:14. With a wooden greenland paddle by the way.

Colin Angus set it the overall with a open water rowing shell in 2011. 15d 11:47

I think Sean Morely was the one who figured out to start in Port Hardy and wait for a good weather window to go around the cape was the most efficient way. Otherwise your chance of weather delay is much longer. Joe Oblenis' first go was from Nanaimo.

-Nick Cooksey

Brandon Nelson <brandon@…>
02/11/13 #13915

Joe’s a stud. Sorry for thinking it was still Sean, Joe. Hell, all those guys are studs!!!

Brandon Nelson

Reivers Dustin

02/11/13 #13916

LB, myself and a couple other fellas did the run 70 miles around Brooks penensula many years ago. I studied up on it and carried a handheld VHF. I realized during the trip that no one would hear a hail. There's a lot of miles where there is no way to pull out of the water out there. I read about “Boomers” and got to see some up close. These are submerged rocks that the occasional extra big wave will feel. It results in a crashing surf where you thought it was calm water. The other guys were not as reserved about these things, so I was back a little ways with eyes peeled. About this time I saw the elephant seals looking us over. I didn't like being in the back anymore.

LB did the next leg of the circumnavigation with some different guys and has some great stories.

I can't imagine doing the whole thing in one go. There's a lot of bugger-bears to watch for on that big of a run.

rd

Greg Spooner <g_spooner@…>
02/11/13 #13917

My friends and I rowed around it in April of last year, though we stayed mostly just offshore on our ocean rowboat. Have lots of beta - especially on the inside passage - and charts, photos/video etc if you want it. Would LOVE to do a non-stop row or paddle in a smaller boat sometime again.

Greg

Larry <lbussinger@…>
02/11/13 #13918

OK Joe, Sean,Greg, where do we see trip reports of these awesome adventures? Larry B

Roy Massena
02/11/13 #13919

Miles Ohlrich and I circumnavigated Vancouver Island in 2007 in 34 days and he posted a write up here:

http://nevernevermiles.blogspot.com/2007/07/vancouver-island-circumnavigation-week.html

We had a great time. I have given a detailed slide show in Bellingham about our trip and would be happy to share information with those interested.

Remote sections of the west coast deserve respect. We had no problems, but after rounding the Brooks Peninsula we met a paddler who, two days later, was lost there.

Sincerely,
Roy

Greg Spooner <g_spooner@…>
02/13/13 #13926

Hey Larry - you can see our trip from April around the island in the ocean rowboat at oarnorthwest.com. (and keep up with the Africa to Miami row that's happening right now!) In the drop-down menu under Expeditions, there's a Salish Sea Expedition section with a few things, then at oarnorthwest.com/blog if you go back in time you can see/read the blogs from the trip. They're a bit buried so I have to figure out how to make them more accessible… but there you go! email me directly if you want more info: spooner@… or g_spooner@… -Greg

Greg Spooner <g_spooner@…>

02/13/13 #13928

Larry – I figured out how to use my website!
- Here's just the Vancouver Island blogs: http://oarnorthwest.com/category/CWF-Salish-Sea-Expedition/
- Expedition page: http://oarnorthwest.com/expeditions/salish-expedition-2012/
- Route map: http://oarnorthwest.com/expeditions/salish-expedition-2012/salish-map/
- Interactive data map (big thanks to Señor Grossman!!): http://oarnorthwest.com/expeditions/salish-expedition-2012/salish-sea-environment-map/

Greg

kathleen petereit
02/16/13 #13934

I believe it was Joe as well. Derek mentioned he may try it again this year. August seems to be the foggiest on the west side.

Kathleen

Erik Borgnes
02/17/13 #13935

I would hazard a guess that a monster endurance guy like Brandon or Carter could round this thing in 10 days.

I certainly couldn't. I'd be in tears by the end of the first day.

EB

Brandon Nelson <brandon@…>

02/18/13 #13938

Hmm. Thanks Erik. Let’s hope for us boys’ sake that Heather doesn’t suddenly take an interest in a jaunt around the rock.

Vancouver Island
flypaddle
02/17/13 #13936

Anyone out there know of a Seda Glider, or perhaps a Looksha II for sale.

Joost

Brandon Nelson <brandon@…>
02/18/13 #13937

Joost, give the Epic 18X a whirl too. It’s the boat of choice for Yukon Quest racers and what Freya paddled on her speed run around Australia. I’ll check with JD and see what’s available…

Brandon

glenn biernacki

02/18/13 #13939

I've got a QCC 700 you can try out … bought it with the thought of doing a speed run from Bham to ketchikan one day … it's maybe not as fast as the epic 18x, but definately in the ballpark…. was fastest (or in top handful) sea kayak at Ski to sea for a few years. It was 30th overall the last time used… 2008.

Worth taking a look at. I believe there is less leg pump room in the QCC than the epic 18, but a better tool if you are going to be camping along your route….

Anyway, I chose it as my hull, when doing a very similar search…

glenn

Steve Bennett

02/18/13 #13941

Joost,
I know of a Looksha II you can probably buy for about 1800. I also own one you could use if you didn't think it would come back shredded. mine is somewhat modified for the forward stroke; got other modifications that I might encourage you to make. The other one is prettier.

And I was dead serious about being available for support. Go for it!

Steve

David Scherrer
02/18/13 #13942

OK
I know for sure, no doubt, Jost has decided what boat he is going to use to “go around the rock”. But this does set up an interesting debate on what exactly would be the best choice, for this kind of outing, as far as speed, safety and comfort.

I'll throw in my two bits and vote for a Spec ski with hatches. Or like a Mako XT. Epic has the equivalent in something like a V-8. I can't imagine any practical decked boat having a faster hull, and I sure can't imagine a narrow decked kayak being a safer craft, not by a long shot.

David

Michael Gregory
02/18/13 #13944

V8 is Epic 18 hull. Fast stable platform, for days!

Reivers Dustin

02/19/13 #13946

To get a sharp point on this discussion:

Would you want a boat you can sleep in?
Would you rather be able to do extreme mileage?

Nigel Foster made himself a cup of tea when stuck offshore around Australia. There's a bit of 'pluck' as they say.

rd

(following is world according to reivers stuff:)
Cape Scott and Brooks are perhaps 'choke points' where your cheeks are really exposed. Storm or equipment trouble recovery is skinny. You're probably not walking out of a failure mid-way around Brooks Peninsula.

I would almost expect a busted rudder off Brooks. That is a broken coast with crashing surf - Tsunami Ranger quality. There's pocket beaches, but most are not visible from more than ten feet away in heavy weather. Its a good plan to run these in one pass.

Most other regions offer some escape to a windward shore or a place to crawl out. Of course the bears on land really like the sweaty kayakers. They come out of the packaging already salted.

Erik Borgnes
02/19/13 #13948

“Of course the bears on land really like the sweaty kayakers. They come out of the packaging already salted.”

. . . and in some cases, a bit nutty.

I'm with Dave on this one. A stable ski with a couple of hatches would be the boat to use. Start at the top, wait for some south winds and surf with the wind and waves as far as possible along the west coast while you're fresh. Have your honey follow you in an RV and / or make your arrangements for dinners and places to sleep - because she/he has nothing better to do - which will never happen in my lifetime. . .

EB

Brandon Nelson <brandon@…>
02/19/13 #13949

It may not have come up yet, but this is a fully self-supported record. Comfort is king.

Eric Grossman

02/19/13 #13950

DJ taught us the benefits of resistance training last year on a Wed-niter flying by towing a mesh-bag full of tennis balls.

Joost I say if you are going in summer go light and fun. Last year I paddled Comox to Victoria (on the way to Olympia) on the Huki Special in just under 18 hrs over the course of a few days. However, I was towing an 6-lb oceanographic instrument (see attached)…better not to know the total drag…Even so ended up with an avg speed of 6.9 mph and could have tied on another dry bag with warm clothes, more food and continued to have pleny fun planing and catching waves. Although it was the east side two days were blowin lots of whitecaps….Pacific side will be more fun…..Better to have your sweetheart along to meet up for sure.

Looks like summer right now on the bay! who's going?
Dr.CrazyScientist

Vancouver Island [2 Attachments]
flypaddle
02/19/13 #13951

I probably should point this out, but there won't be any sweetheart in an RV, nor will there be any full support crew setting up my campsite, and cooking my meals. If that were the case, then I would just use a ski and run off a bunch of light legs between rest breaks with the group. The one caveat with this trek is that the paddler (me) has to be completely self sufficient throughout the entire course, meaning all my camping gear, food, survival gear etc. is carried within my craft. Having said that, should any islander happen to see me at a particular campsite enjoying a beer after a day's paddle, they would certainly be welcome to join me.
JZ

David Scherrer
02/19/13 #13952

Natch.
I should have guessed.

D.

ianafield
02/20/13 #13957

Joost, I'm heartened to hear that you have the integrity to aim for the unsupported record, going all gritty and grubby etc. You're a hard man. What do people know about the fully supported, deluxe, squeeze-in-the-RV, condo-on-the-beach in Tofino, drinks-dropped from helicopter record? Just curious.

Ian