Surfski Knowledge Base

See also Men's Journal Summary

Cryder…and the crack!
David Scherrer
06/10/17 #21504

Looks like Nick may have to abandon the quest….HIs modified V10 has developed a serious crack behind seat. He needs to face large conditions around the Brooks Peninsula and may just have to call it quits. Bad luck.

David

See: https://share.garmin.com/NicholasCryder

Reivers Dustin

06/10/17 #21506

Brooks is very exposed and isolated from land access. If he was past it he could mcguyver himself into sheltered waters as needed. But outside Brooks there's no net. When I did brooks I brought a VHF radio thinking I was genius. Hah. Nearly threw the damn thing away. No one to hear you out there. Also, saw lots of “boomers”. These are rock outcroppings that are below surface. When extra big swell rolls through the wave feels the bottom and caps over huge. So you paddle along oblivious, haven't seen a capper for miles, just riding swell like a king. All of a sudden your shit goes very loose and for no apparent reason you get thumped.

rd

Reivers Dustin
06/11/17 #21508

Looks like he has turned back. From his message yesterday:
It's just huge on the ocean today. Biggest waves I've ever Paddled.

Probably most other parts of the route there is a way to get into the lee. But this area is 20 miles or so of really heavy stress. Anywhere else around the island you could duct tape your way through with some safety net options. Just bad timing.

rd

Nicholas Cryder

06/11/17 #21510

Thanks guys. Yesterday was a very extreme go. 4 meter breaking seas broke my ski. It was a very close call, and in that part of ocean a water logged boat isn't as simple as just going to shore and hoping in your truck and sharing a new war story over a beer. I was about 3 miles or so off shore and roughly 12 miles out from Brooks when I noticed the ski was getting heavier, so I changed course for Lawn Point to get some lunch and evaluate. Lawn Point was in extreme condition and I was in survival mode getting in, knowing that I had little chance of remount but battling waves landing on me in steep seas with a boat that was starting to sink. It's an ugly feeling where you want to question life choices but just don't have time because you're too busy trying to stay alive. At Lawn Point I came ashore and saw a 10“ crack had formed around the back hatch, and was propogating thru the tail section and there was roughly 3 gallons of water or so in the ski. Thankful it held up, but I was in a very isolated spot with a broken boat and I knew that my trip was over. At Kirks urging I had brought some fiberglass and resin, and set about trying to repair and stop the crack on the inside, but it didn't want to adhere with the water softened material. I used duck tape on the outside to stop the water and called it good. This morning I made a dash to quatsino sound at 5am, and had to paddle 12 miles of very rugged water (4 meter seas, wind at 35mph) to get to flat water, and then paddle another 25 miles to Port Alice for a transport back to Port Hardy. The repair job held the boat together, but there was a half gallon or so of water when I got to a small beach to see how I did.

I'm incredibly disappointed to have my mission cut short, but thankful to be ok and on my way home. The real lesson here is it's a mistake to miss a Wednesday nighter to go on an adventure. Never again!

Kevin Olney

06/11/17 #21512

Nicholas,

I'm sorry you had to abandon your attempt so early. I know how much planning and training you have invested in this effort. Glad to hear you stayed safe and avoided unnecessary risk. There is always next time.

Reivers Dustin
06/12/17 #21517

Tough Deal Nicholas. I'm pretty sure most readers of your post don't realize that you are being uncharacteristically understated. There's a great book by Ivan Doig called “The Sea Runners” about some guys escaping the hard situation in Alaska when the Russians ran things up there. These guys stole a canoe and made the run down the inside. Two of them survived and were found wandering the area of Long Beach eating clams and basically insane.

Cape Scott and Brooks are hard business. The Cape Scott story is interesting. A bunch of Danish thought is was like home so they tried to settle up there. Them Danes are no cupcakes (vikings under the skin if you piss them off). They got their asses kicked and had to give it up. Nobody wants Brooks and the whole thing is a forest preserve. There's cougars and bears that have seen enough people to associate them with food. There was a TV series called “Alone” where they stuck ten people by themselves out on Brooks with some supplies and told them that the last one to subsist would get a bunch of money. Some of those folks were run out by bears or cougars and it had nothing to do with wilderness skills. These folks were squared away on the whole drill: no food or cooking where you sleep, secure your food and waste properly, etc.

There's a survival component of this Van Isle run. Plus huge luck of the draw on weather and sea state. When I did Brooks I was worried about the dang boomers so I hung back watching 1/2 mile ahead for signs of them. Problem with that: elephant seal herd that none of the other guys saw. I was the last ducky in our party and these seals are notoriously bad tempered. I did not like my situation right there I can tell you. That dang Brooks has a lot of different teeth and hair. When its big water there's a problem trying to get on and off land. Everyone talks about Barkeley sound and some of the other neato keeno spots to paddle up there. That's fine. But if you challenge Brooks might want to provide for your next of kin.

rd

jeffmuw@…

06/12/17 #21520

Nicholas, is it too late to try the trip in an epic kayak?