Packing the boat is always such a huge job, but it’s getting easier with every sea trials adventure. To date, I have packed (and unpacked) WiTHiN a total of 5 times for 5 trips:

1. Vancouver Island circumnavigation attempt with Jordan Hanssen – this was a total failure, as the drive leg broke after only 4 hours.
2. Penticton lake trials – this was an attempt to salvage the failed VI trip with Jordan. On our way back to Calgary, Ken was able to fix the broken drive leg after a stop oat Canadian Tire and some extreme drive leg repair work in the car. We stopped off in Penticton and spent 3 days touring successfully around the Penticton area of Okanagan Lake. The first time out from the marina, I hot some pretty nasty weather and to date, after 2 successful ocean trips, I have still not been tossed around as much as I was on OK lake that day. I think it was because of how shallow the water was near the break water at the marina. The waves weren’t big – maybe 4 feet, but they were very compressed. I was in 10 – 15 foot swells near Ucluelet and even during a near- gale, they were not where near as wild as the OK lake waves.
3. Inside Passage trip – This was a very successful trial with Bryon Howard where we navigated 300 km up the inside passage of Vancouver Island from Nanaimo to Port McNeil. This trip was one of the highlights of my life – we saw killer whales, got caught in killer tidal currents, and just had an amazing journey.
4. Ucluelet offshore sea trials – I spent 4 days with Clive and my escort boat Theodora touring offshore near Ucluelet, BC on the west coast of Vancouver island. The swell was big, and mixed up flowing down 2 channels. Lots of wild rocks, reefs, sea lions and a nasty pre-gale wind that knocked WiTHiN onto her side and rendered her uncontrollable. When we returned to Calgary, it was decided to build a larger rudder, shift more weight to the stern, and devise a method to shift the weight of the batteries from one side to the other for trim.
5. Okanagan lake trials training trip – which I am about to embark on tomorrow (Sunday). Watch the live Greg Tracker tracking map and stay tuned for updates via this blog, and the Facebook page. The objective of this trip is to spend 4 days touring OK lake – not getting out of the boat, and trying to simulate 4 straight days of ocean crossing – pedalling long days, sleeping on board, cooking, etc..

After the OK lake training trip,  I want to get WiTHiN onto a local lake during a wind storm. It gets VERY windy here in Calgary, so I shouldn’t have to wait too long. I am scheduled to crew an offshore sailing race from Victoria, BC at the end of May. And, I will head out to Ucluelet 2 weeks prior to my July 1 departure for acclimating offshore day – trips. I really wish I could do more offshore trials, but being so close to land, and reefs is dangerous. And finding a safety escort for each trip is difficult. A couple of weeks before my Hawaii departure should be ok for short day trips offshore into the swell to get acclimated for sea sickness. Plus, the weather calms down quite a bit in the summer months. During the Spring, winter and fall, the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific” as that area is known, gets an average of a gale or storm per week!

Below are some photos of the new battery mover, the new rudder and other small additions to WiTHiN. I’m really looking forward to OK lake – 14 to 16 hours of pedaling per day for 4 days is MY KIND OF FUN!!!