Two kayaks on the beach in the Broken Group Islands on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Both are Seaworthy Enetai kayaks, designed by the late Kelly Tjaden. Kelly joined us on this trip and took the photo.
The Green boat is mine. The nearest multi-colored boat belonged to my friend Dennis and has a wild history
In 1989 Kelly and nine others from Britain and the US made an attempt to cross the Bering Strait from Alaska to the Soviet Union in kayaks. For the expected abuse from ice, etc. Kelly built the red, white and blue boat with an extra heavy hull and deck. The colors were to increase its visibility.
They started from Nome in early June paddling up the coast toward the Strait, expecting to be able to find open water along the shore inside the pack ice. But the ice had been blown inshore so they had to drag the loaded boats for many miles across the ice before they found some leads in which to continue.
They started across to the Diamedes Islands, with the international border running between them. As they neared the border strong wind and currents made progress difficult. After thirteen hours of paddling and blown well off course they decided to radio for help. The group got separated and some of the boats were picked up by a soviet military ship. Kelly and four others were rescued by an Eskimo outboard-powered umiak (open skin boat) from the village on little Diamedes, boarding the boat while the five kayaks were towed. But progress was too slow and the boats had to be cut loose.
Kelly thought that was the last of that boat, but it floated with its full load of gear drifting through the Baring Strait ice all summer. In early Fall it was found and taken aboard by a large sailboat and returned to Seattle where Kelly got it back intact.
Being such a heavy boat Kelly didn't have much use for it so it got occasional paddles over the years. My wife paddled it in Swinomish Channel near La Conner one year. Finally in the late 1990's my friend Dennis bought it and we made several trips together, including this one to the Broken Group in April 2001. That Summer Dennis and I paddled with two other friends down the BC coast from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy, joined our spouses in Shearwater for the second half. I got to know its considerable heft very well carrying it across many rocky beaches.
At one point Dennis got surfed full speed into a rock with a CLUNK heard a hindred yards away. No harm done - that boat was indestructible. I don't know what eventually became of it.
