The Knot is Tied

Married on the wild highlands of Comox. (Photo by Danielle Baker www.daniellebaker.com)

“Five months on a rowboat must be the ultimate marriage litmus test,” has been said more than once. Well, I guess we agreed (and passed) because this month Colin and I did get married.

“Now the real adventure begins” our parents toasted with a knowing wink.

That’s already proven true. Our honeymoon was a 10 day trip to the west coast. But abiding by the truism “it’s the journey not the destination”, we made our way there in a less conventional fashion. We left on our bicycles, towing behind us two 18 foot rowboats stuffed with camping gear, food, and a few bottles of wine. From Courtenay we followed country roads to Comox Lake. After a little bit of fiddling we fit the bikes and trailers into the boats and pushed off from shore. The boats glided across the calm evening waters and just as the sun was setting we found a camp spot. Whitecaps graced the waters the next morning but after two hours of paddling, conditions improved and we reached the far end of the lake. The boats transformed to land machines and for the next two days we pushed and pulled our bikes over the logging roads that cross the Beaufort Mountain range. Despite many moments of desperate thoughts to the contrary, we eventually reached the road’s terminus and pedaled into Port Alberni, Colin’s home town. I met Colin’s childhood buddies, saw the schools he went to, the park he used to play in, and spent the night at The Beslers (Colin’s second home growing up).

Paddling honeymoon in the Broken Islands.

It was a beautiful feeling to slide across the waters of the Alberni Inlet. Our GPS let us know that without current we rowed at 7 km/hr on average. Our maximum speed was 11 km/hr and our trolling speed was 4 km/hr (we were in prime Salmon fishing waters). Two days later we reached the west coast and the Deer Island Group. In the morning we explored the spectacular sea arch off Tzartus Island and then rowed 20 km to the Broken Island group. The beauty of this clutter of islands is breathtaking. Some are jagged and foreboding, others sandy; staring seals pop out of the water, while sea lions feed on schools of fish and whales breach. This is one of the world’s prime paddling destinations for a reason. For more information on paddling this region, check out the newest addition to our Adventurer’s Handbook.

The rain finally abated and our first day of sun was spent exploring the Broken Islands. The next day the fog arrived and we made the relatively exposed crossing to Ucluelet. We cycled to Brice Bay, transformed back to boats and spent the night on Meares Island – the site of the largest protest in Canadian history and as a result some of our country’s biggest trees. A few oar strokes later we reached Tofino and the end of our honeymoon. If we had a few more days we would have continued home by bicycle as we originally planned but our honeymoon was shortened and this turned out to be the perfect ending.

Our honeymoon was a great adventure but it’s got nothing on the guys we’ve profiled in this month’s featured expeditions. The Wild Vikings, best known for their Antarctic adventures in the 27 foot sailboat Berserk, are now sailing through the Northwest Passage on their trip around the world.

Enjoy the last days of summer.

Julie Angus

Our newest addition to The Adventurer's Handbook - a free online resource for adventurers
Paddling in the Broken Islands

View from the Tiny Islets in the Broken Island Group

The Broken Island group is located off the West Coast of Vancouver Island and is part of the Pacific Rim National Park. This undeveloped cluster of almost 100 islets and rocky outcrops offers a unique West Coast experience ideal for canoeing, kayaking or rowing. The islands are situated in Barkley Sound, and the outer islands are exposed to the full force of the Pacific Ocean. Within the group, however, the waters are placid, offering lake-like conditions suitable for various paddle craft. A labyrinth of passages through lagoons and narrow channels pass through a panoramic landscape of wind-sculpted rock, weathered cedar, fir and arbutus trees, and postage-stamp beaches.

Read more in our Adventurer's Handbook.

Our August Explorer in Featured Expeditions
Jarle Andhøy - Wild Vikings on the Berserk Expedition

Wild Viking on Berserk. (Courtesy of www.wildvikings.com)

Some may remember the crazy exploits of Norwegian sailor Jarle Andhøy and his American crewmember David Mercy featured in the film Berserk. This self-produced documentary was aired in many adventure film festivals three or four years ago.

Jarle Andhøy is a young Norwegian with a thirst for adventure. At the age of 19 he sailed from his homeland in a beat-up 27’ sailboat with the goal of rounding the infamous Cape Horn at the base of South America. Many told Jarle he was crazy, the reason why he named his boat Berserk. After becoming the youngest to round the stormy waters of Cape Horn, Jarle set sights on an even more ambitious goal – a voyage to Antarctica.

Read more about this adventure and our other Featured Expeditions.

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