Here is the beginning of the story, it's been a few months of preparation but everything is falling in place and I will attempt to break the speed record for the circumnavigation of Vancouver Island by Sea Kayak this June!

Where to start!!! Well, first of all, I have never been a racer before. But I feel like I don't have that much time left to see all the places I have dreamt of. Also my work season is short and takes place mostly in summer, so I am short on time. I think the speed record might also grab the attention of the public and bring sea kayaking and the ocean environment into the public lens....

Mostly I want a challenge, real long crossings on the West Coast with nobody in sight, 50 kilometers of open waters and swells, limited landing options at the end of the day and physical strain... I am ready for that one on one with Nature at its wildest. I want the rush of surf landing in a loaded boat, the early breakfast with a sore back, the horizon looking always so far and the sun beating on the water. I want to see currents and winds meet at the head-lands, and I want the long hours of paddling in flat calm waters with no noise other than the breeze and the blade hitting the water.

Will 17 days be enough, time will tell. It will be a battle of will and endurance, about 40 to 45 knots (nautical miles), a rough 80 kilometers a day with no days off unless the weather keeps me on shore. There will be rounding Cape Scott, the Brooks Peninsula, the Graveyard of the Pacific, Juan de Fuca Strait and then the East Coast where I will try to harness the power of tidal currents to take me back to Port Hardy and the end of the trip....

You will be able to follow me thanks to SPOT and the weather forecast will be posted as well 24 hours ahead... so you can relax or think : "Hang on Nick, this can be done"....