What's this trip all about?

If you are in search of a sailing adventure with cascading waterfalls, freshwater lakes, warm-water swimming, energetic hikes and the serene beauty of coastal wilderness, then this trip is for you. For fourteen days, you and your fellow crew members will sail a 50 foot sloop through a coastal maze of islands, fjords, thousand-foot waterfalls that plunge directly into the sea, and deep-water bays that are recognized internationally as the most scenic and biologically diverse cruising grounds in the world. Journeying through the San Juan and Gulf Islands to Desolation Sound, British Columbia, you will skipper a large sloop through all points of sail in a variety of conditions, navigate using chart and compass, strike, set and trim sails, and manage all aspects of life at sea. Given the 18-foot tidal range in the region, you will have countless opportunities to explore deep tide pools, observe seals, sea lions and orcas in their natural habitat, take flight with bald eagles, osprey, ravens and kingfishers as they hunt in the shallows, and watch black bears cruise the beach for food from the safety of the boat. A rich curriculum in forest ecology and intertidal marine biology, as well as an examination of ancient and modern local cultures and their landscape-dependent livelihoods will enhance your time in the Pacific Northwest.

A typical day on-course will include about six hours of sailing, followed by ample time to explore beaches, hike in old growth rainforests, and visit small coastal communities. Each evening, we will find a sheltered cove, drop the anchor, set the crab trap and fishing lines with hopes for some briny hors d'oeuvres and explore our new home by kayak and inflatable dinghy. As the fiery sun sinks below the watery western horizon, you will enjoy the coming of night around a beach fire or nestled in the security of the boat’s cockpit as you relate stories of the day’s events and anticipate what the rising sun will bring.