2018 Barefoot Raid – Northern Strait of Georgia

The inaugural Barefoot Raid took place from 20-26 August, 2018, and followed a route devised by organizer Quill Goldman northward through the Strait of Georgia from French Creek to Cortes Island. About 36 people participated in 19 teams supported by an amazing crew (including Pat, Peter, Mitch, Chris, Sz, Jo, Finn, Robin, Hippy…) and the cook-ship “Poor Man’s Rock.”

Results (least points wins)

15 Over Easy (Ted and his dad) — 107 points
14 Miss Moose (Jeff and Suzanne) — 106 points
13 Red Urchin (Rick & Chloe; Adrian & Natalie) — 102 points
12 Mellon Head (Eric) — 99 points
11 Luna (Dale and Tim) — 95 points
10 Fly (Steve and Barb) — 77 points
09 Alfred Greenling (Heidi and Ingrid, and Tor) — 74 points
08 Bunny Whaler (Coop and Nate) — 54 points
07 Nomadica (Ryan) — 53 points
06 Do Something (Ron and Ben) — 52 points
05 Coastal Express (Heather and Dan) — 45 points
04 Sea Runners (Scott and Cora) — 44 points
03 Better Left Unsaid (Dylan, Trevor, Emil) — 36 points
02 Ballpoint Buccaneers (Quill, Tim, and Chris) — 33 points
01 Moon Jelly (Chloe and Blaine) — 30 points

Teams that registered but did not start included:

Scamp (Josh)
Weta or Knot (Brian)
Skate (Brandon, Shannon, Tayla)
Hoping for Light Winds (David)
Hodge (Rob)
Pieced Together Sailor (Pierre)

Route

This was the route for 2018. The Raid proceeds from south to north. Click on legs (orange = a.m.; purple = p.m.) for more details. Click upper right corner icon to view full-size chart.

The course & schedule

Cooling off after pedaling in the sun near Oyster Bay.

The 2018 course traversed the northern Strait of Georgia from French Creek (just north of Nanaimo) to the edge of Desolation Sound (where summer water temps are comfortable). On most days of the Raid, the fleet raced (or cruised) through two legs: one in the morning; one in the afternoon. Here’s a text-version of the daily schedule:

Day 1. 20th (Mon)
Leg 1 Start at French creek marina, Vancouver Island, race to Sangster islands. 8nm
Leg 2 Sangster Island > Long Bay, Jedediah Island. 8 nm

Leg 2. Sangster Island > Long Bay, Jedediah Island. 8 nm

Day 2. 21st (Tue)
Leg 3 Jedediah > Finnerty Islands. 8 nm. lunch
Leg 4 Finnerty Islands > Tribune Bay, Hornby Island. 10 nm.

Day 3. 22nd (Wed)
Leg 5 Hornby Island > Millard Beach, Denman Island. 12 nm
Leg 6 Denman Island > Sandy Island. 8 nm

Day 4. 23rd (Thu)
Leg 7 Sandy Island > Savary Island. 21 nm
( a big day, so an early start and a brown bag lunch, served underway)

Day 5. 24th (Fri)
Leg 8 Savary Island > Spillsbury Point, Hernando Island. 8 nm
Leg 9 Hernando Island > Shark Spit, Marina Island. 8 nm

Day 6. 25th (Sat)
Leg 10 circumnavigate Marina Island. 9.5 nm
Leg 11 bonus secret mystery leg……

Day 7. 26th (Sun)
Leg 12 Shark Spit 32nd Full Moon Regatta. 9.5 nm

Boats typically rafted together for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and either rafted up at anchor for the night with the motherships, or went ashore to camp.

The daily cycle of Salish Sea glee

Sailing into the sunset near Lasqueti Island.

07:00 boats and crews raft together for breakfast
08:00 skippers meeting
09:00 start the morning leg
Boats race under oar, or sail, or pedal or paddle, until the designated spot
Lunch served on the motherships
Afternoon leg starts shortly after the slowest boats arrive
Crews then race to the predetermined spot for the evening
Spend the night either:
- at anchor, alone with their thoughts and blisters
- rafted with the motherships, sharing stories of the days triumphs and losses
- camped on the beach, communing with B.C’s rugged wilderness, and the intertidal zone

The days will dawn bright and full of promise, and the cycle will be repeated. A score will be awarded for each leg according to the order of finish (1 for first, 2 for second…) The boat with the lowest score at the end receives eternal glory, and a nifty prize…

Details

The raid will feature:

7 days of racing
12 legs
110 mile course
Poor Man’s Rock will be our mothership
Patagonia outdoor clothing as a sponsor supplying some great prizes for the racers!

Eligibility required:

A boat no smaller than 12ft, or no larger than what can legally be transported on a highway.
Complete application with deposit must be received no later than June 20th, with full amount due by July 20th.
Be a member of the TSCA (there is now a B.C. Chapter) — https://tsca.net/join/
If under 18, have signed permission from their parents.
all boats will carry the safety gear required under Canadian maritime law.

Courses and classes:

As the whole fleet can only move as fast as the slowest boats, an effort has been made to keep course lengths to that which can be done by slowest of our group. While many small boat sailors prefer to just meander about, taking in the sights, others prefer to fly at blinding speed. In an effort to appeal to as many of the Small boat types as is practical, this event will have classes. Also, in an effort to balance the spectrum of small boat types, some legs will be sailing only, while others will be rowing/pedalling only, and most will be whatever combination you prefer.

Racing class:

This will be a hard fought, bitterly contested, no holds barred, battle for supremacy. To maintain this level of focus, racers will want light, empty boats, and minimal equipment. That is why our motherships will be here. To feed us, and relieve us of that burden of gear. The ultimate glory of this adventure will belong to those of the racing class.

Cruising class:

This will be the best time out sailing and camping with your friends. Ever. Be totally self sufficient. Fill your boat with all the favourite, non-perishable, food items that you usually bring on every week long sailing trip. Laugh at the antics of the racers, battling for every fraction of a knot of boat speed. Enjoy the spectacle, while basking in the glow of your own, self-reliant, non-competitive accomplishments.

The long course:

This course will be for an elite few, who find the modest course distances outlined to be an insufficient challenge, and wish to demonstrate their superior speed by sailing circles around the fleet. Literally. Upon reaching a predetermined waypoint, long course challengers will then double back and round the race boat at the back of the fleet, before continuing on to the finish. This will promote safety, by keeping the fastest boats in touch with the slowest, and will add entertainment value for those in the back of the fleet, giving them a chance to see what the fast boats look like under sail. Those who achieve victory in the long course will receive their own even-faster-than-the-regular-racers trophy.

Getting there and away

Our race will conclude at the Shark Spit 32nd annual Full Moon Regatta. Racers with tight schedules (what are the chances of that?) can then proceed on their own from here to the haul out ramp at Oyster Bay, 13 nm. Or, they can get a tow there, or sail, and meet the shuttle bus on the 27th that will return skippers to their waiting trucks and trailers at the point of departure, French Creek. From there it is about 1-hour drive to return to your waiting boats and crews.

Costs

A 50% deposit is required upon registration, with the balance being due by June 20th

Payment may be made by etransfer or PayPal to barefootwoodenboats@shaw.ca

If paying by PayPal, please add 4% for service fees.

Payment can also be made by check to Barefoot Wooden Boats, and can be mailed to 2925 North rd, Gabriola Island, B.C. V0R1X7

What you will need :

Besides your winning attitude, there are a few things you will need to bring with you on the Raid. Some, are required under Canadian Maritime law. Others are just things you should never go to sea without, and are required under Raid law.

The following is a list of things you MUST bring:

Life jacket for each person on your boat
50’ buoyant heaving line
Noise making device
Flares
Compass
VHF radio
Paper Charts of all the area travelled on the Raid.
Anchor sufficient to hold your boat in strong winds, 20’ chain, and 200’ anchor rode. (minimum)
Three, 20’ lines for mooring boat.
GPS device (e.g. handheld GPS, Navionics on a smart phone, in a waterproof case…)
Spare batteries and charge cords for devices
Knife
Headlamp
Fire (lighter, matches…)
Personal cutlery kit (plate, bowl, cup, knife, spoon, fork…)
Sleeping gear
Shelter (tent, tarp…)
Waterproof bag with a dry change of warm clothes
Spare oar or paddle
4 good fenders.
Basic first aid kit

**These are some things you might want:**

300’ or more, of line, with pulleys sufficient to rig a clothesline mooring system
Sleeping pad
Beach chair
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Lip chap
Basic spares kit
Dry bags for everything
Blankey……….

Cookship

All our meals were prepared aboard our Cookship, the “Poor Mans Rock”

With a home port on Lasqueti Island, our race started in her back yard.

Skipper Peter Lironi graciously took a break from supplying essential items to hard to reach places, and provided the platform our cook will need to feed this army of Raiders.