An Incredible Journey: The Idlewild Expedition

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

The Idlewild Expedition

by Ben Gray

Copyright 2011 Ben Gray

Smashwords Edition

www.idlewildexpedition.ca

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Copyright © 2011 Published by Ben Gray

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

ISBN: 978-0-9868634-1-7

Cover design by Mike Reeve —Velocity Video

Idlewild Special Report

Circumnavigation Ends

June 25, 2006

At 22:27 local (z-9) we are here at 65 degrees 30’ N / 168 degrees 48.5’ W, where, on July 31 of last year, we turned around to go west to east around the world via the Northwest Passage. It has been a long and exciting trip back here, 329 days of which we spent 202 at sea and traveled 26,827 nautical miles, 30,851 statute miles, or 49,362 kilometers.

We also had a great voyage from Dunvegan, Alberta; down the river system to Tuktoyaktuk, and through the Western Arctic to get here the first time, and we still have a nice journey yet to Vancouver BC.

A quiet cheer and a salute to Neptune.

Ben, Brad, Kevin, & Kurt

To Alice,

Bradley, Jodie & Kevin

You made it possible,

and you made it fun.

Contents

Preface

Chapter One — Preparing

Chapter Two — Rivers to the Arctic

Chapter Three — Arctic Ocean

Chapter Four — Atlantic Ocean

Chapter Five — Indian Ocean

Chapter Six —Pacific Ocean

Chapter Seven — Alaska & British Columbia Coasts

AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY

The Idlewild Expedition

Preface

I have been very fortunate in my life to do a variety of interesting things. I have prospered in business and experienced bankruptcy. I raced jet boats and had several small aircraft that I flew extensively. I travelled a good part of the world (around it three times by air) since 1959 and did some lesser expeditions in Northern Canada. I have invented useful machinery and continue to enjoy design and development. Doing preliminary design for Idlewild and helping build it was part of the challenge and fun, it didn’t always follow conventional wisdom.

The Idlewild Expedition was in my realm of interesting challenges for some time, but not at the top until 2003 because of time or money issues as dictated by life. It remained important over the years because it was so unique to my past experience. I had read lots about the sea, and had some experience as crew, but not as captain or in rough conditions at high latitudes. I have read considerable history of exploration and shared the excitement of arriving into a foreign and uncertain environment. Add the challenge of the unknowns about navigating in a storm in the uncharted Arctic. These things to me are as attractive as the spellbinding scenery that you can see no other way. And when you get anywhere in the world and meet the locals you realize what draws you there. Each place is unique and many places require special attention to learn about local winds, currents, and pirates. We enjoy the aloneness at peaceful times and feel concern about the remoteness when you’re far from help and things look bad. I knew I would be frightened at times. It’s all part of the challenge and makes you want to go back again. To me this expedition was a completely interesting, demanding, and fulfilling challenge.

Log of the Idlewild

Chapter One — Preparing

In 1979 my brothers and I had taken two jet boats from Fort Nelson BC, down the Muskwa, Nelson and Liard Rivers to Nahanni Butte, then up the South Nahanni to Victoria Falls, back down and continued down the Liard to Fort Simpson. We left one boat in Fort Simpson and in 1980 my boys, Brad and Kevin and I went from there down the Mackenzie River to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic coast.

The North was interesting to me, and I started exploring the idea of building a boat for traveling throughout the ice free area of the Canadian Arctic. This expanded to going around the World via the Northwest Passage. In 1980 no one had done that so it seemed an interesting addition to my challenge. It was subsequently done by David Scott Cowper in Mabel E Holland in four and one-half years from 1992 to 1996 as explained in the book Northwest Passage Solo.

In 2001 I realized that if I was to go around the World by boat I would need to do so while my health was still good. I was born Dec 1938. My wife, Alice, and I were ranching at the time, with son Kevin, with 500 buffalo on 3500 acre Idlewild Ranch. The buffalo business was deteriorating and I had an Oilfield Drilling Tool that I had invented and spent a considerable amount of money on, that I was having trouble selling. I explored the idea of what a minimum boat would cost and decided to try hard to sell the buffalo, the ranch, and the drilling tool. If all went well the trip would be feasible, but otherwise out of the question. By the end of 2002 I had sold the buffalo and the drilling tool but still had the ranch. I proceeded with a boat design and efforts to identify all trip costs. That was time consuming but necessary to help decide whether the boat trip would be really practical for me. In October of 2003 we still hadn’t sold the ranch, but as a family, we discussed the ‘Idlewild Expedition’ and decided to proceed. It was a major expense for us, but my wife Alice worked tirelessly to help in any way she could in spite of concerns about our safety. Her constant selfless support is a lifetime treasure of our family.

My original budget to build the boat was $250,000 with a further $100,000 in trip expenses. Ultimately I spent much, much more. In the end I considered it a good deal in view of the satisfaction in the scope of the achievement, and the fact that our family and many others enjoyed participating.

One additional quirk I dreamed up somewhere in 2002 was the concept of possibly starting our ‘Round the World’ voyage near our ranch. Dunvegan is a historic trading post on the Peace River and was the closest launch site to the Idlewild Ranch. It has been a common launch site for our local river travels for 35 years and only 45 km from the ranch as the crow flies.

There are two sets of impossible rapids between us and Great Slave Lake on the way to the Arctic Ocean. We would need to portage around both. There has been a good road around the four rapids between Fort Fitzgerald, Alberta and Fort Smith, Northwest Territories for about 100 years. There is only a narrow path for the Vermillion Chutes and no way to get a trailer into that area in the summer.

In 2003 I decided to explore downstream on the Peace and Slave Rivers to see if it was practical. Since my first view of a river, and throughout my life, whenever I stand on a river bank and view a river I want to float down like Huck Finn. 2003 was an opportunity to take a raft trip from Dunvegan 1000 miles downstream to Great Slave Lake and check out the feasibility of taking an ocean going boat on that route. We had plenty of used boards on the ranch and Jason Fimrite provided eight used 205 liter gas barrels for floatation. We had a 12 foot aluminum skiff with a 20 hp motor which we put under the stern of the raft for more floatation and directional control and set out June 30th for points north. This too was a fantastic trip. Jodie made two large placards of ‘Precarious’, which was perhaps descriptive. Daughter Jodie, their kids, Ryan and Scott who were six and four, and Alice came for the 316 miles to Fort Vermillion. Chip, Jodie’s husband, who had participated to Peace River, joined us again in Fort Vermillion where Alice, Ryan, and Scott went home. From Fort Vermillion down to Great Slave Lake there is very little traffic because the Vermillion Chutes (rapids and falls) stop the River traffic from our end. There is some local traffic between Fort Chipewyan and Fort Resolution and some near Fox Lake and Garden River.

I had arranged with John Laboucan of Fox Lake Native settlement to meet us at the takeout spot above the Chutes on July 7th, 2003 with quads to drag our disassembled raft components around the Chutes on the canoe portage. We were also fortunate since John Laninga, a ranching neighbor in Silver Valley has a 12 foot aluminum boat with 10 hp motor which he and our son Kevin brought up to Fort Vermillion. They joined us on the raft to the takeout, helped us disassemble, haul, and reassemble below the Chutes. They stayed overnight, and then walked back the five miles to their boat at the takeout and headed home.

The end of the canoe portage was steep and would be impossible to launch an ocean going boat so I thought that plan was out. As we progressed downriver the next day we came to the old Fox Lake settlement on the Little Red River. We went up the river 500 meters to explore and found it had potential as an alternate launch site for a big boat. The remainder of the river to Great Slave Lake appeared suitable for an ocean boat.

Then — a plan for a boat. The primary criteria for our expedition boat specifications were low cost, shallow draft for the river sections, light weight to manage the portages, low fuel consumption for our planned long crossings, strong for the Arctic ice, and seaworthy. To me seaworthy meant I didn’t want to be afraid the boat would sink no matter what sea conditions developed. This meant good doors and hatches and strong windows that wouldn’t break even if the boat rolled a full 360 degrees, and it would need to right itself quickly. I knew we would have enough to be concerned about in a wild sea without thinking we might die.

The first specifications I presented to George Buhler, my original Naval Architect, were met with dismay. He said It’s too much like a canoe, you, and I are too old to go to sea with a light boat like that. I begrudgingly let him modify it a bit but kept the primary concept to fit the necessary guidelines and allow me to keep the trip doable on my selected route. George did a great job for me and helped through to the hull material part. He had no experience with aluminum construction so I hired Alex Brydon to do the final design work. George did come to see the Idlewild after it was launched and was appreciably impressed with it.

I have built oilfield equipment and farm equipment and while I didn’t have experience in shipbuilding, I had, through extensive research, developed a good general feel of what I should have and how it should go together. The naval architects provided the guidance to keep me from making a bad mistake. My input assured the boat would fit my particular objectives that were a bit unique.

I received a good amount of criticism while the boat was being built, but once the boat was in the water we got nothing but compliments. While pleasure boats are generally just that, people felt the Idlewild was a do something boat. We like her, and to this day there is nothing I would change if I were to do the same trip again. Unless of course I had more money, then I would add more beam, another engine, more depth sounders, an extra radar, a GPS compass, and bigger fuel tanks to feed the other engine.

Designing the boat, like building the boat, is a work in progress and extends into the building and pre-trip preparation. As the construction is underway spaces become more realistic and require change. For me as a first time builder, I didn’t even think of many details until the boat was being built and got to the stage that required developing those sections. Machinery too, required more thought and understanding of the exact details. As an example, I had settled on steering and autopilot equipment plenty early, but hadn’t realized that we needed a power take off adapter that was near the motor mount. This required a long wait for the adapter and subsequently changing the engine mount to make room.

The boat was built by Wayne Reyse of Reyse Marine in Surrey, BC near Vancouver. Wayne is a very experienced shipbuilder and with the help of Alex Brydon we were able to work through the troubles and surprises. Changes and complications are unavoidable in a one of a kind design and unfortunately they are always costly and take more time. As with anything, these challenges are resolved with a good crew working together. Everyone was proud of what we had done when it was in the water and going.

There was some finishing to do after the boat was launched and Wayne and his crew worked at it until it was done. There were many details for me to do for boat comfort, security and supplies that were much more time consuming than I had anticipated. We launched at Shelter Island Marina 10:30 July 21st 2004. I had lived in a motel in Surry until the Idlewild was launched and then lived on the ship.

My son Brad had been helping me for three weeks, then Alice, Kevin, Jodie, Ryan and Scott came to christen the boat and go for our first journey. On July 24th we headed down river, across Georgia Strait, through Porlier Pass and south to Montague Harbor for a wonderful two days. A big boat next to us advertised fresh bread so we thought we would go buy some but discovered we had forgotten our oars for the dinghy. We weren’t well prepared for this one, but learned slowly as we went along. We had a wonderful time and everyone got a picture of what sailing in the Islands is like.

My brother Dale had arrived in Nanaimo with his boat Camelot V after seven years of exploring and enjoying the South Seas as far as Australia. On Aug 21 I went over to Nanaimo and picked up him, his grandson Justin Morris, and Justin’s friend Greg Christensen. We stayed that night in Nanaimo Harbor and returned to Shelter Island the next day. Dale went home and John Laninga came for a three day cruise with Justin, Greg and me.

September 2nd Jason Fimrite arrived in Richmond and we took Idlewild to Sydney and picked up Tex, Grete, Troy, & Bobby-Jo Fimrite. We then cruised the Gulf Islands for a week, met other friends and had a wonderful time.

September 26th, 2004 Brad, Dale, and I left for a shakedown cruise to San Francisco. We were very fortunate to have my brother Dale along. Prior to his seven years sailing to and around the South Seas, Dale had commercial fished in British Columbia for 10 years. We encountered thick fog in Georgia Strait and the usual heavy ferry traffic in Active Pass. Midway through the Pass our engine stopped. I got it going intermittently, and enough to get into Mayne Harbor. After some time I got it going well, but didn’t know what the problem had been other than shortage of fuel. We started out again and were just getting out the west side of Active Pass against a strong tidal current when the engine stopped cold again. I worked frantically with no luck as we drifted at three knots within 30 meters of the north side cliff. Brad and Dale had pike poles to push us off if we got that close and I flagged down a whale spotting tour boat and asked them for a tow. They pulled us back to Mayne Harbor where we tied up again determined to resolve the problem. It took a while, but I discovered the electrical plug for controls and power to the engine was loose. The fuel level had got down to where the engine needed the fuel pump to add some pressure. That experience in the fog was to help us many times later in our travels.

We had intended to get to Port Angeles, but decided to anchor at Sidney Spit, across from Sidney for the night. This was a nice quiet anchorage and Dale showed us how to grab a buoy chain for a secure moorage. Parks people came by for their moorage fee.

We left early and had a nice crossing to Port Angeles except Brad called out to say we had smoke. After some more excitement we discovered the exhaust fan in the head got too hot and was igniting the wood around itself. We turned the switch off and threw some water at it and monitored it for a while. At Port Angeles, Customs and Immigration came with four people and a dog and were very nice. We lost our meat supply to Customs, then fueled up and tied up for the night. We went up to a restaurant for supper and a walk, explored the area, and went to bed early.

It was comforting, in Active Pass, to have Dale with us when we had our first navigation in heavy fog, particularly in a narrow high traffic area. It takes a long time, and probably we never feel comfortable in difficult situations without good visibility. In the Arctic it was worse, because many areas aren’t charted. We had several situations of no visibility with high winds and blinding snow at night with a dragging anchor. It is fortunate that our motor, radar, and depth sounder never failed us in these situations. And we followed closely, the rule, of never entering a strange harbor at night; the charts are probably good, but lights from ships, markers and even street lights can be confusing. Even a familiar harbor can be confusing in poor visibility if you notice sudden unidentifiable traffic.

The next big unknown was moving out into the open ocean. Getting good weather reporting, trusting it, and knowing how much wind and waves from which direction that you can or should go out in and challenge are not generally absolutes. Much of the marina talk isn’t helpful either, to a novice, because it usually includes stories meant to provide an exciting atmosphere instead of usable values. So then what is reasonable? We came to learn that, with our boat, our big risk was the shore, not the sea. While the sea is totally unforgiving with the relentless wind and waves, it can only do so much to a well found boat. Remember that an empty bottle with a good cork can survive any storm at sea if it avoids bumping other vessels. I built our boat for that security and we don’t have a life raft. We have a dinghy which would suffice in calmer seas, but would be no help in a hurricane. The question then becomes not what you can survive in, but how much torture do you want to put up with while the ship is rolling and bouncing around? All of these issues need to be thought through as far as possible then learn as you go.

The next morning we headed out past Cape Flattery and decided we would stay about 50 miles offshore and go directly to San Diego if weather permitted. Weather was reasonable at 20 to 25 kts and very little traffic.

Our first day out the two engine room fans seized up and the next day the radar quit working. We decided not to risk going without radar and headed in toward Astoria Oregon. We called the Coast Guard to inquire about the entrance to the Columbia River, which has the worst reputation in the world for difficulty in bad weather. It is the training ground for all the US Coast Guard.

When the wind is high and the waves are big, the Coast Guard won’t allow entrance because big rollers develop that can roll your ship as the water gets shallower. If you are out there in a storm which is bad and getting worse, it doesn’t seem fair, but the safest place is back out to sea.

They said it wasn’t bad, so we went on up to West End Mooring Basin, Astoria Oregon and tied up for the night on September 9th. Next morning we called a marine electronic expert who checked the radar ordered parts and had it fixed in a couple days. In the course of analysis while still at sea, we realized our generator was charging too much and two of our four house batteries were dry so we changed to a new alternator. We bought two new batteries, but our alternator troubles weren’t over.

We had a good trip south; Dale caught a 10 pound Albacore Tuna. We would have liked to have gotten to San Diego but settled for San Francisco when it looked like poor weather ahead. There was a low fog as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge. We could only see up as far as the main bridge deck and got some nice pictures. We went under the bridge at 15:00. Inside the harbor was nicer and we got moorage at Richmond, Marina Bay Yacht Harbor for the winter.

We toured the greater area, then packed up and flew home.

I thought I would be back in San Francisco and head south in a month, but too much work at home.

Idlewild Ranch sold to Ryan and Nadine Lyske on Feb 19th 2005 and got us focused on the definite changes ahead. Ryan wasn’t in a rush to move into the house so this helped us with the transition. We found an apartment in Grande Prairie near our family and got moved before the end of February.

March 9th George Myette, a friend from Calgary and I arrived in San Francisco to get some sailing experience and bring the boat back to Vancouver to prepare for our expedition. March 16th after repairing the radar, which had apparently been hit by lightning, we cleaned the boat and decided to head to Ensenada, Mexico. The weather turned out better than expected for an excellent trip south. After two interesting and very enjoyable days in Mexico we headed north again.

Once we were back in San Diego, George headed for Calgary and I explored the area for a few days. On the morning of April 2nd I went south east to the end of the bay in the early morning to view the main inner harbor. After a quick look around I headed out to sea, then north to Dana Point. No room in the marina and nobody answering the phone so some fishermen suggested I tie to a mooring buoy near the fuel