Here is the schedule and contact info for the next few weeks. If you are able to make it out to any of the media events, lake trials or the Vancouver Island circumnavigation stops, then please let me know – we would be happy to see you!
- Our email on WiTHiN via satellite phone (don’t send attachments. Text only please): pedaltheocean (at) spsmail.net (I will check email via sat phone twice per day)
- My cell phone (periodically as we have cell coverage): 403-651-2748
- Ken’s cell phone (land support): contact helen
- If you need to reach me and can’t, then email helen (at) justhelen.com
Follow our progress on the live map at the “follow Greg” page at either the blog or pedaltheocean.com:
Monday October 19th
- Jordan Hanssen arrives in Calgary 9:14 PM
Tuesday October 20th
- 8:00 am we magically fit 6 foot, 5″ tall Jordan into the tiny seat, adjustments, pack the boat, etc
- 9:00 am Glenmore reservoir for lake trials (we could use a couple of guys to help out – let me know if you can come):
- Capsize test (in cockpit, in cabin)
- Flood test
- Sea anchor drill
- Anchor drill
- Switching places
- Cooking
- Bathroom drill
- 11:00 am Discovery Channel interview at the lake
Wednesday October 21st
- 9:00 am Glenmore reservoir resume tests / spend time in the boat
- 12:00 noon Glenmore reservoir local Calgary MEDIA open house organized by Chris Keam. (we could use a couple of guys to help out – let me know if you can come)
Thursday October 22nd
- Greg, Jordan and Ken 6:00 am start 12 hour drive to Victoria
- Catch last ferry to Nanaimo 10:15 pm
- Drive to Comox
- Hotel in Comox
Friday October 23rd
- Local Comox media interviews organized by Chris Keam
- Launch WiTHiN and start circumnavigation heading south in a clockwise direction:
- http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=nanaimo+bc&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=59.727033,64.599609&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Nanaimo,+Nanaimo+Regional+District,+British+Columbia,+Canada&ll=49.093654,-124.61792&spn=1.568334,2.018738&z=9
Thursday October 29 (or whenever we get there)
- Victoria rest (1 full day)
Friday October 30 (or day after we get to Victoria)
- Victoria media open house organized by Mark Desseault and Chris Keam. (probably in Victoria harbor)
Saturday October 31 (or 2 days after we get to Victoria)
- Resume circumnavigation up the west coast, weather permitting:
- We wait in Victoria for a 30 hour weather window and aim for Tofino or Ucluelet (about 200 km)
- We wait in Tofino for a 30 hour weather window and head to somewhere BEFORE Brooks Peninsula
- We wait before Brooks for a 24 hour weather window to tackle Brooks and aim for Winter Harbour
- We wait in Winter Harbour for a 24 hour weather window before heading around Cape Scott
- Next stop Port Hardy, then down Johnson Straight and back to our starting point.
WiTHiN is almost ready. The hatches and ports are all in and sealed and solar panels on. Today Ken and I are sanding the hull and painting the anti-foul. Sunday we will finish wiring the electrical and my brother Alan from AK signs is going to install the cool decals. Talk about last minute!!!!
I have been spending most of the week getting all the gear organized. There is a LOT of stuff!!! I can’t believe it. Thanks to Helen for getting all of our food ready for us. The dehydrated meals weigh about 20 lbs and all the other stuff (cookies, snacks, nuts, etc, etc) is well over 60 lbs! All in, our food is 80 lbs. We need to take 8 gallons of water because we have not installed the water maker – that’s 160 lbs. Since we will have access to ports, we felt that we could take about 10 days of water before stopping to re-fill. All-in, our supplies weigh 428 lbs. Jordan is 200 lbs and I am 155 lbs for a grand total of 780 lbs. If we can keep all of that weight below the roll center, stability even while standing up shouldn’t be an issue.
When Jordan told me that he put on his dry suit and went for a swim across the bay it occurred to me that this would be a viable emergency escape plan for the west coast. If we are a mile or two off shore and worse comes to worse, we could swim to shore. After 12 Ironman races, I know I could swim that distance, but in my survival suit? Not sure. So, when we were in Whitefish, I took the opportunity to try the suit on and go for a swim in the lake. It was -10 degrees C out that day (14 degrees F)!!!
The suit works as designed – I was toasty warm and didn’t get a drop of water on me. However, you can’t do the front crawl in these immersion suits. They are designed to lay on your back and do a sort of wallowing back stroke. I won’t win any Olympic backstroke medals, but it moves along pretty good with those giant gumby paws. Since the immersion suit is so easy to put on and take off, it might make for a handy dingy to go to shore with – stretch the legs out, maybe start a fire and warm up or dry stuff out.
And, if you have not guessed by now, I have decided to take your advice as just leave the name WiTHiN alone. Many of you felt that WiTHiN was a suitable and inspired name and I agree! So WiTHiN it is! Also as per some of your comments, I agreed that making “HUMAN POWERED BOAT” large and visible is a good idea, so here is how we are going to do the graphics on WiTHiN:
Well, that’s all for now. Ken is ready for me to help him paint the anti-foul so I have to go. Still many things to tick off on my list but we’re getting there. Stay tuned for a guest blog post from my man Jordan!
Greg Kolodziejzyk
