Hi all, does anyone here know of anybody that has done the Inside Passage (Washington state to SE Alaska) in a canoe? Thus far my research online only reveals sea kayakers attempting this. I am in the preliminary planning stages for this trip and would prefer to do it in a canoe. I don't have any experience with canoeing in the ocean, so I'm trying to learn the limitations.

Thanks, BeaV

There are many reasons people use sea kayaks in the ocean, and not a canoe. You may now think it would be a fun trip, but trust me, don't try it in a canoe. You will not have fun.


dave

quote w_w_w_31: "There are many reasons people use sea kayaks in the ocean, and not a canoe. You may now think it would be a fun trip, but trust me, don't try it in a canoe. You will not have fun.



dave"

Dave, do you have experience with flat-water kayaking? I don't, so I really can't compare the handling of my solo canoe in rough water vs a sea kayak in rough water. Do you have any specific reasons why a canoe shouldn't be tried?

Sometimes a challenge requires foregoing fun. That said, I don't want to end up fish food.

The physics and design of a sea kayak versus a canoe in the ocean seems like a no brainier to me. The old canoes used were much larger and had multiple paddlers thus so much more stable. The idea of tipping and tides alone sound scary..sucked out to sea. Kayaks are designed to hold water out and flip back over. Sitting on your butt versus even the knees in a canoe make such a difference with a lower center of gravity and stability. Don't do it! I am sure it's enough challenge with the best of gear.

The biggest water I have paddled a canoe on, was briefly Lake Superior. I have used a kayak in the Atlantic Ocean (a sound) and Pacific (multiple places in Alaska). Despite considering myself a canoeist, I was much more comfortable in the kayaks in the ocean than a canoe on Lake Superior.

Don't know if that is an apples-apples comparison, but there's something about the center of gravity in the kayak that feels right in the big swells of the ocean. I was a nervous ninny on Superior in the open canoe and wanted to sit on the floor - and it was a very sheltered BAY!

That said - I am NOT an expert in either kind of paddling. Maybe a solo canoe with spray skirt would be OK in the right hands.

Don't let anyone take away your dream, but I guess I would encourage you to try using your equipment in similar scenarios before signing up for a huge trip in that manner...

Thanks all for your replies. After more consideration, I've decided I will definitely not do the kayak thing but will probably use a decked canoe such as the Kruger Sea Wind. Although, I would prefer to use an open canoe with a cover/spray skirt, I would definitely lose more time being wind bound. The decked canoe is a good compromise that'll keep me going. Time will be of the essence since my trip will also include the Chilkoot Pass portage to the Yukon River, up the Chandalar River to the Brooks Mountain Range, somehow cross over to the Koyukuk River drainage basin, down the Koyukuk River to the Yukon River, and ending at the Bering Sea (all in one season).

Friends have circumnavigated Superior in a tandem canoe. I have done about a third of that in a canoe.

Solo I did part of the Ontario coast of Superior this summer in a RapidFire. Its a 23 lb pack canoe by Placid Boat Works. I briefly paddled with someone in a Sea Wind and I was pleased at the seaworthiness of the Rapid. I do have a full spray cover for it.

The Sea Wind is huge and handy for living where you cannot land. Rapid cannot be lived in at 23 inches wide and 15 foot long. Its paddled sitting ala kayak with a double blade. I think windage is a bit more than Sea Wind but not much.

The Inside Passage is full of mountains meeting the sea with sometimes limited beaches.

However you may wish for the Rapid on the Chilkoot Pass.


A few decades ago kayaks on the Atlantic Ocean here abouts were an oddity. Maine Island Trail initially had canoeists in mind when the Association was founded. You canoed the Atlantic and watched the weather carefully.

Nowadays we complicate the trip with a schedule. Before one went as far as the weather permitted.

I would consider sending on a light open canoe ahead to Skagway and sending the Sea Wind home then.

Sister hiked the Chilkoot Pass a couple years back - she loved it. I'm not sure what portion you would have to do as a "portage" but I'm remembering my sister's stories of people using that pass as they moved west - and stories of them dumping things along the trail when they tired of carrying/pulling them - like maybe whole pianos and such!

In any case, when she hiked it, I did a bit of reading about the area and it was fascinating. Sounds like you're in for an amazing expedition!

quote BWPaddler: "Sister hiked the Chilkoot Pass a couple years back - she loved it. I'm not sure what portion you would have to do as a "portage" but I'm remembering my sister's stories of people using that pass as they moved west - and stories of them dumping things along the trail when they tired of carrying/pulling them - like maybe whole pianos and such!


In any case, when she hiked it, I did a bit of reading about the area and it was fascinating. Sounds like you're in for an amazing expedition!"

The little I know is it's 33 miles long with 3700 foot elevation to the pass. It will make the Grand Portage look like a walk in the park, I think. I've considered Yellowcanoe's idea of switching to a lighter canoe but the design of the Sea Wind will come in handy when going upstream on the Chandalar River and then on the lower Yukon River where strong westerly winds (in my face) are the norm.

The "expedition" keeps growing in scope. It started out with just the Yukon River but than I added the Inside Passage and then I realized by adding the Chilkoot Pass I could combine the two, and then I added the Chandalar and Koyukuk Rivers to the itinerary. Now I'm looking at the Bering Sea heading back toward Anchorage- only problem is the Aleution Islands are in the way and it may be late enough that I'll need malamutes to pull the canoe :)

I believe Verlen Kruger did the inside passage on his longest canoe trip without a layover world record.