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Sea Kayak Leadership Development

Clinic

Sea Kayak Leadership Development - San Juan Islands from Anacortes

A 7 day leadership development clinic leaving from Washington Park.

Contacts

Michael Everett
Michael Everett
Primary Leader
  • Sea Kayak V
  • Challenging
  • Mileage: 70.0 nm
  • Maximum Wind: 15 kts
  • Maximum Waves: 4 ft
  • Maximum Currents: 5 kts
  • Pace: Brisk

Please read all the notes;

This is a leadership clinic, NOT a 7-day "pleasure paddle", but we still have fun. We will ask that each participant plan a seven day trip from Washington Park, returning to Washington Park.  The instructors will go over each person's plan in detail, and critique it's practicality.  Then each participant will be given our actual plan, and they will be responsible for planning that week.  Each participant will be the trip leader for at least one day.  During each day's paddle we will include scenarios where appropriate, and at the end of the day we will have a group de-brief about the days events.  The instructors are there to keep the wheels on the wagon, so to speak.

Each participant should be a kayak trip leader, or a trip leader in-training.  Each participant should have kayak camping experience, and have taken a wind and waves clinic, an incident management clinic, an eddies and currents clinic, and a kayak navigation clinic.  During the week, we hope to utilize all of your past training in real world paddling. You will likely get experience communicating with VTS on your radio. 

The venue is the San Juan Islands.  It's a beautiful kayaking paradise. Paddling in the San Juan's is all about using the currents for their maximal benefit throughout the trip.

There will likely be several items on the intermediate sea kayaker badge logbook that can be checked off after the trip, including vhf radio use, and at least one long day's SK-IV/SK-V paddle.

As per all of my trips, please no alcohol or recreational pharmaceuticals.

There will be parking fees, and camping fees payable at the time of the trip (bring cash).  

Open to mountaineers members only.

In past years I've had numerous cancellations.  Many slots have gone unused, as some people need months of notice for time off from work.  I'm asking the mountaineers member services not to refund registration fees.  If you sign up, you are making a promise to attend, please keep that promise.

Launching from Washington Park, Anacortes Sunday July 12, returning either July 18 or 19. Launch time TBD.

Route/Place

San Juan Islands from Anacortes


  • Rosario Strait & Bellingham WA001
    Sea Trails Lopez, Blakely, Decatur & Shaw Islands WA002
    NOAA Bellingham to Everett No. 18423
    NOAA Strait of Juan de Fuca to Strait of Georgia No. 18421
  • See full route/place details.
Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

Read thoroughly;

Sea Kayaking Equipment + 10 Essentials. You do not need fire starter.

Expedition kayak suitable to carry all your required equipment for a week-long trip.

Full drysuit in good repair.  We will have you in the water at times.

Food and water for 8 days. Water on some islands has been unavailable in the past, and as practice we'd like everyone to take their own.

Kits; boat repair, first aid, spare clothes, compass (prefer deck plus hand held) and chart (maptech 104 of the San Juans, or equivalent), signaling (vhf marine handheld radio required, should be able to hold a charge for 8 days of paddling, or be rechargeable on the trip, or you bring spare charged battteries), towing (short and long), camping (tent, bag, pad, stove (ok to share with another participant); no sleeping hammocks, food hanging (for raccoons and mice, no bears), several gear hauling bags (like IKEA zippered bags).

Kayak helmet required. No helmet, no go.

Recommended; neoprene spray skirt (rather than nylon spray skirt), spare paddle, GPS, camera, tarp, camp chair, book, camp clothes, small tarp (5x7), binoculars, power brick and cables, camp shoes, cordage.

Contact primary leader directly if you have any questions or need to purchase anything for the trip.

Trip Reports