The big paddle, Pender to Friday Harbour. Left Beaumont Park at 0900, arrived Stuart Island, Charles Point at 1015.
Felt like I was maintaining a good clip though I took time for rests. Took me an hour and fifteen, distance was 6 nautical miles, according to my scratch that's a 4.8 knot average speed. Ducked inside Satellite Island for some peaceful paddling and to get out of the 10 knot southerlies for awhile. Wind waves, two to three feet coming across Boundary Pass. no freighters to dodge this time 'round - whoosh. Slipped through Johns Pass to find myself being pounded by four to six foot wind waves roaring in from the south - Haro Strait. Lots of fetch and winds in the 25 knot range. Persephone handled them with grace, her bow punching into waves and then coming up and then gently lifting up and riding over. Very smooth ride these SOF's. I'll have to admit that there were a few sphincter tightening moments, but they were mine not the kayaks. Once I loosened up and tried to relax things went much easier. Rolling with the punches is easier than taking them face on. As I got close to Speiden, and out of the wind a bit in it's lee, I changed my direction and rode those beautiful big refracting waves all the way down New Channel. WoooooHoooooo!!!!!!
The crossing from Green Point to Limestone Point on San Juan was uneventful - thankfully. Heading across Rocky Bay was a bit of a slog, calm enough with Point Caution in the visible distance UNTIL the wind turned and I was now fighting a 25+ knot South Easterly headwind, I've a suspicion it reached 30 knots a few times as I was paddling and barely moving. I could feel the force on my paddle so I was forced to slip into a low angle 'Freya stroke'. Three foot, short period, cresting wind waves against the current... I was forced shoreward, taking these things on the side for an uncomfortably long time. Found a little Bay to hide in and rest before continuing onwards. My legs were aching for a stretch by this point but no landees on US soil before clearing customs. Did the coastline crawl, taking shelter where I could get it until I came up on Point Caution and the wind mercifully dropped, so that I could round it and cruise into Friday Harbour in peace.
It took me just shy of two hours to clear customs. Brutal. I don't think they believed I paddled there from Canada in one day, they definitely didn't like that I was a farmer and kayak instructor, they hated the fact that I could give them no fixed itinerary. I stood there in my Tuilik, dripping on their office floor, cold, wet, exhausted, weak-legged and off balance, while I answered questions questions and more questions. I walked out the door, went back down to the docks, changed out of my wet gear, knelt down, hung my head over the sea and vomited... I was done. I tried sleeping by my kayak for a few hours but the bitter wind kept picking up and my hands and toes were needling me so I broke down and went to find a hostel dorm-room for the night. Wayfarer's Rest in Friday Harbour. Nice place and affordable. Today is a rest and recuperation day - catching up on email, the LBSB blog and eating.
Ciao!
~d
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Waiting
South Pender Island, BC, CANADA
Early awake at 0200 in hopes of a crossing at dawn. No such luck. Winds blasting right up Bedwell started at 0300. WX08 says possibility of hurricane force winds, gales in the 30-40 knot range. Ewwww...
So I decided to take a hike up Mt. Norman, down to Canal Road, and into the bakery at Port browning for a cuppa tea, a date square, and some internet time. I think I'll back through Ainsley Point to Beaumont. I was robbed of the punishment of a view across to the San Juans, and specifically my intended destination of Stuart Island, by a construction crew working on the lookout. Very nice walk so far, I'm sitting at the Canal bridge, at the site of the former isthmus which is a historically important First Nation's site. I'm listening to the wind roar through the trees on the other side of the island - a dropped feather would drift straight down to the ground here. Time to go! Date squares a-calling.
Early awake at 0200 in hopes of a crossing at dawn. No such luck. Winds blasting right up Bedwell started at 0300. WX08 says possibility of hurricane force winds, gales in the 30-40 knot range. Ewwww...
So I decided to take a hike up Mt. Norman, down to Canal Road, and into the bakery at Port browning for a cuppa tea, a date square, and some internet time. I think I'll back through Ainsley Point to Beaumont. I was robbed of the punishment of a view across to the San Juans, and specifically my intended destination of Stuart Island, by a construction crew working on the lookout. Very nice walk so far, I'm sitting at the Canal bridge, at the site of the former isthmus which is a historically important First Nation's site. I'm listening to the wind roar through the trees on the other side of the island - a dropped feather would drift straight down to the ground here. Time to go! Date squares a-calling.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Dampness.
South Pender Island, BC, CANADA
Sun came out after a cold, damp night. Wet, wet, wet - everything is wet and cold. Slept last night in wet polar fleece, over wet meribno wool long underwear. Seems I'm living in my bibs and shell, and sleeping in them as well. I LOVE my down sweater :O)
Today's plan - laundry and shower at Poet's Cove. Dry my gear out while I can. Drink tea and plan. Tomorrow, early morning launch.
Sun came out after a cold, damp night. Wet, wet, wet - everything is wet and cold. Slept last night in wet polar fleece, over wet meribno wool long underwear. Seems I'm living in my bibs and shell, and sleeping in them as well. I LOVE my down sweater :O)
Today's plan - laundry and shower at Poet's Cove. Dry my gear out while I can. Drink tea and plan. Tomorrow, early morning launch.
Pender pending.
Ewwww... it was a nasty one last night... windy, cold, and pouring rain. Now it's snowing, lightly but it's definitely snow. I'm only carrying enough dry tinder and cedar to start a fire for a meal, so I'm hesitant to use it to keep warm last night. I'm having great results with my little hobo stove, glad I have it. Difficulty with late landings is that they force me to scavenge firewood in the dark. Hard to tell what's wet, green, dry or something I wish not to grab. LED lights don't help a whole lot.
I'm waking up a few hours before dawn, when the frost comes and the chill wakes me up - and going to bed when the sun goes down. No alarm needed when my cold ached toes are screaming at me to to get up, go for a run, rub them, or do ANYTHING to get the blood flowing at 0430hrs...
Not getting as much paddling in as I expected as I've spent a lot of this week trimming my gear down, and working out systems for packing, loading, unloading, and sleeping. K.I.S.S. 'Keep It Simple Stupid' applies in kayak expeditions, apparently as well as it does in the rest of my life. I just need to remember to simplify. Simple right? Simple... yeah right.
Hang-on... Have to reposition myself behind a log, and go fetch my tumbling hat, as the wind is blowing 15 knots with gusts of 25 from the SW. Cold wind too, This is in sheltered Bedwell Harbour - looks pretty snarky out there towards Stuart Island. Terms heard on the VHF WX weather bands that make me go hmmmm... 4-6 foot wind wave, gale warning, 35&40 knot wind. Looks (sounds) like weather is going to hell in a handbasket later this week. Best to get my butt over the border before things take a turn for the worse.
The paddling pattern thus far as I ease into my new life as paddler - one day on and one day off. 40km a day seems a managable and immediately obtainable goal until I get fully settled into the routine. For ease (mine)I'll start refering to distances in Nautical Miles. You can do the conversion yourself if you'd like :P
Whoosh - wind is still picking up - 30 knots plus - The fir trees are sounding like the surf as the wind rushes through their bent boughs. It's not even 0900hrs. yet!
0900 - time to get back to camp and get my laundry organized, and things tucked away in their drybags. I could write a novel about the things I've learned, and the love and hate relationship I have with the various dry-bags - albeit a small novel, but a passionate one!
~d
I'm waking up a few hours before dawn, when the frost comes and the chill wakes me up - and going to bed when the sun goes down. No alarm needed when my cold ached toes are screaming at me to to get up, go for a run, rub them, or do ANYTHING to get the blood flowing at 0430hrs...
Not getting as much paddling in as I expected as I've spent a lot of this week trimming my gear down, and working out systems for packing, loading, unloading, and sleeping. K.I.S.S. 'Keep It Simple Stupid' applies in kayak expeditions, apparently as well as it does in the rest of my life. I just need to remember to simplify. Simple right? Simple... yeah right.
Hang-on... Have to reposition myself behind a log, and go fetch my tumbling hat, as the wind is blowing 15 knots with gusts of 25 from the SW. Cold wind too, This is in sheltered Bedwell Harbour - looks pretty snarky out there towards Stuart Island. Terms heard on the VHF WX weather bands that make me go hmmmm... 4-6 foot wind wave, gale warning, 35&40 knot wind. Looks (sounds) like weather is going to hell in a handbasket later this week. Best to get my butt over the border before things take a turn for the worse.
The paddling pattern thus far as I ease into my new life as paddler - one day on and one day off. 40km a day seems a managable and immediately obtainable goal until I get fully settled into the routine. For ease (mine)I'll start refering to distances in Nautical Miles. You can do the conversion yourself if you'd like :P
Whoosh - wind is still picking up - 30 knots plus - The fir trees are sounding like the surf as the wind rushes through their bent boughs. It's not even 0900hrs. yet!
0900 - time to get back to camp and get my laundry organized, and things tucked away in their drybags. I could write a novel about the things I've learned, and the love and hate relationship I have with the various dry-bags - albeit a small novel, but a passionate one!
~d
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
It's Decided
GPS Clocking/Shakedown Cruise
Ron and I went for a brisk paddle out and around Gooch and Rum Islands. As he had his GPS along we decided to clock our speeds. Fairly impressive results as I haven't spent a lot of time in the new girl, I'm fairly certain with a bit of tuning of my stroke, and concentration, I can bring my solo cruising speed up a bit further yet. So far I've been nothing but impressed by this baidarka.
Ron's Italian designed kayak is a speed machine, he set an impressive pace - I imagine his highly refined stroke might have had something to do with it as well.
Thanks for a great day's paddle my friend. Looking forward to paddling with you again in a year or so. :O)
~d
He also sent me THIS link to the CASKE 2000 Expedition's Journals and Webpage. I highly recommend giving it a read!
Ron's Italian designed kayak is a speed machine, he set an impressive pace - I imagine his highly refined stroke might have had something to do with it as well.
Thanks for a great day's paddle my friend. Looking forward to paddling with you again in a year or so. :O)
~d
...and a shot of Ron that was emailed to me!
He also sent me THIS link to the CASKE 2000 Expedition's Journals and Webpage. I highly recommend giving it a read!
Skuncs on Discovery Island
Went for a paddle with the Sooke Un-club. Launched Oak Bay Marina, paddled past Fiddle Reef to Discovery. From there went around the entire group but cut back on the inside of Strongtide
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