Registry & Trip Reports - Names, dates and
links to IP trip reports. Just like the Inside Passage there's a lot to see here, so spend some time exploring. This page has been around for over six years and new content is added as it comes in (last updated 4/25/2012). Check the log at the bottom for details. If you have a link to a trip report, want to report a broken link below, or would like your name added to the registry, send an email to: insidepassageregistry at gmail dot com Happy and safe paddling, pedaling and rowing! Joel Check out the Panoramio Inside Passage photo page (hat tip to Denis Dwyer) Kayak, Canoe and Rowboat Registry & Trip Reports Randel
Washburne Michael Kleps & Elizabeth MacDonald Brett Friedman & Sarah Greenwood Blake Crosby & Jeff Porter Abbott King, Nick, Jake, and Matt Colin Angus Doug Clawson, Katey Clautice, L'il Bit 2010 - Seattle to Skagway single kayaks - Dave and Amy were successful in the first leg of The North American Odyssey project. Reaching Skagway (accompanied by John Amren and Clayon White who paddled with them from Bellingham) the pair continued overland to the Northwest Territories. They're currently taking a break but will resume their epic one lap around North America expedition in February 2011, working their way east across Canada with dog sleds and canoes, then paddling the East Coast of the United States; destination Florida in the spring of 2013. Conor Flannery Andy Linger Greg Kolodziejzyk Jon Dawkins, Greg Polkinghorn, Dave Resler Bill Nedderman Glenn Charles Apryle Craig
and Phil Magistro
David Omick and Pearl Mast
Sean Morley Doug Taylor and Jonathan Reggler J.J. Kelley and Josh Thomas Darrell
Gardner Denis
Dwyer Aya Reiss Colin McDonald, Jonathan Hayes and Ryan Breckle Joe
O'Blenis Mikko Suominen and Mari Impivaara Denis
Dwyer BC
Rimbeaux Nick
Gigere and Becky Peace Sue
Dandridge and Robin Clark
Amanda ? Keirron Tastagh and Jeff Norville Steven Brouwer, Molly
Bill, Ben Brouwer (and others) Bob Saunders and Graham Brown Regula and Gernot Walter Eli
Anderson Tom
Stammer Dale
McKinnon Pete
Oslund Garth and Kevin
Irwin (CanKiwisKayak) Mike
Meyers and family/friends Tim
Anderson Rob
Walker and Karen Holm La
Nina Expedition Randal
Queen Scott Davis Jim Chester Charlie
Parks (and crew) Ray
and Jenny Jardine (part I) - part
II Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler Ed Gillett
Tish Davis and Ginger Cox Camp Ta-ha-do-Wa Betty Lowman Carey Ken Wise (and two others) Jack and Sasha Calvin John Muir Tlingit
Way Party Other Notable Human-Powered IP-related Trips Jonathan Francis Erin
McKittrick and Bretwood Higman 2012 Denis Dwyer will be paddling the IP again, this time between Bellingham and Skagway. He'll be starting on May 12 and finishing up around the first of August. Denis will be using a SPOT tracking device and you can check his progress here. He writes in that his ebook "Point To Point: Exploring the Inside Passage by Kayak" is also now available in paperback (if that link doesn't work, try this one). In addition, Denis reports on starting a Panoramio group devoted to photos of the Inside Passage. 22 photographers are participating so far and have posted over 600 photos. Since Panoramio photos are geotagged with GPS coordinates, they can appear in Google Earth where you can click on a location and see the photo. This is an awesome tool for planning an IP trip or just armchair exploring (the photos are gorgeous). Here's a link to the group. Kudos to Denis who gets my IP MVP award of the year for all of his contributions in providing paddlers with excellent information resources. Herman Stiphout is planning on paddling between Seattle and Skagway in April. The trip is a fundraiser for the Baja Scholarship Foundation. Contact information for Herman is: herman_stiphout at yahoo dot com. Otto Loggers writes in about O.A.R. Northwest's Salish Sea Expedition, a counter-clockwise circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, slated to start in April. Find out more, including launch dates for Washington and BC locations, here. Max Stanley and nine friends are planning on paddling between Juneau and Port Hardy in May. From there five of the party will set out on bikes for Tierra Del Fuego. Find out more about the expedition or contact Max here. John Androsky is planning a paddle south from Prince Rupert to Vancouver in May. If you'd like to join him for portions or all, drop an email to chezmellow at hotmail dot com. 2013 Eric Buerger is looking to do a trip from Skagway (or Ketchikan) to Seattle in 2013. He's planning an August departure. If you're thinking about a similar time frame and route, drop him an email at ericjohnbuerger at gmail dot com. Trip Account Books (links to Amazon) Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage
Homelands: Kayaking the Inside Passage
Rowing to Latitude Bijaboji:
North to Alaska by Oar Row to Alaska By Wind & Oar Visions
of the Wild: A Voyage by Kayak Around Vancouver Island The
Only Kayak: A Journey into the Heart of Alaska Travels in
Alaska EBooks Point To Point: Exploring The Inside Passage By Kayak Out of Print Books Cruise of the Blue Flujin Ragged Islands a Journey by Canoe Through the Inside Passage Oar
& Sail Kayaking
in Paradise: Journey from Alaska Through the Inside Passage Guide Books Kayaking the Inside Passage: A Paddling Guide from Olympia, Washington to Muir Glacier, Alaska The Wild Coast ( I
II
III ) Exploring the Southeast Alaska: Dixon Entrance to Skagway,
Exploring the South Coast of British
Columiba: Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound to Broughton Archipelago and Blunden Harbour,
and Exploring the North Coast of British Columbia: Blunden Harbour to Dixon Entrance, Including the Queen Charlotte Islands.
Don Douglass and Reanne Hemingway-Douglass cruise around the Pacific Northwest
and Alaska in their big boat (at least compared to a kayak), visiting all sorts
of different places and taking copious notes. The above mentioned cruising
guides are a product of their first-hand knowledge and experience. In these
three volumes you'll find charts (not to replace the navigation charts you'll
need for the trip), GPS coordinates and detailed information for the entire IP
route (and a whole lot of other places too). These books are kind of spendy
between $50 and $60 US, depending on which volume you buy. At over 500 pages
each, they are great planning references. Best Anchorages of the Inside Passage. Anne Vipond and William Kelly. This is a relatively new cruising book that looks promising for IP paddlers. More info when I get a chance to see it in person. Other Books of Interest The Willits Brothers and Their Canoes: Wooden Boat Craftsmen in Washington State, 1908-1967 The
Curve of Time Old Magazines Nakwasina Goes North - National Geographic, July 1933 -
Jack Calvin Navigation Coast
Pilot 7 Coast
Pilot 8 NGA
Sailing Directions - Pub. 154 British Admiralty Sailings Directions Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) NOAA Digital Charts USGS
Topographic Maps Natural
Resources Canada - GeoGratis Garmin-compatible
GPS Canadian topo maps Magellan-compatible
GPS Canadian topo maps Canada
Centre for Topographic Information Google Earth Maptech
Map Server Light Lists Lighthouses of Canada - Lightkeepers have a pretty friendly reputation to kayakers. Here's the definitive list of lighthouses, with maps, photos and even the ability to send some lightkeepers email. Weather Western Regional Climate Center - Historical weather data for the Western United States. While the past doesn't necessarily predict the future, having good statistics can give you a better sense of the weather you'll be facing during different parts of the year. Climate Prediction Center - NOAA's generalized temperature, precipitation and hazard forecasts for the US. Outlooks range from 6 to 10 days to 3 months in the future. Environment Canada - Canadian weather, including historical, for the BC leg. Washington Ferry Weather - Real time wind and temperature data for the Puget Sound and San Juans collected by state ferries. An excellent resource. Route and General Info West Coast Paddler is an excellent BC kayaking Web site. The forums are an especially good source of local knowledge. Waggoner Cruising Guide Web site. Annually updated, the Waggoner is considered the Bible of northwest cruising. The Web site had a whole lot of useful information for paddlers and rowers, particularly in the Interviews & Articles and Reader Questions section (one gem is to check the West Sea Otter ocean buoy hourly report on your weather radio - if it's 1 meter or less, Queen Charlotte Sound is going to be nice and flat.) BC Marine Trails Network is an effort to create a human-powered water trail along the BC coast. The non-profit effort is just getting started but will be extremely beneficial to the IP paddler in identifying camp sites. West Coast Paddler has a forum dedicated to listing camp sites that will eventually be incorporated into the official trail. Hiking Trails for Boaters in Coastal British Columbia and Alaska. Bruce Campbell has been compiling this list since 1998 and it's an excellent resource for places to stop and stretch the legs a little bit (or perhaps even for locating a possible camp site).. Wavelength is a Canadian kayaking magazine with lots of information about various parts of the route (from past issues), freely available online. Ferries Alaska Marine Highway System - Schedules and fares for getting between Southeast and Bellingham. BC Ferries - Serving beautiful British Columbia. Washington State Ferries - For getting to and from the San Juan Islands. Cruise ships Yeah sure, you can take a cruise ship up the IP, but that's not what I'm going to talk about here. Suddenly having a giant cruise ship looming over your kayak as you round a point can be a bit of a heart-stopping surprise. However cruise ships are creatures of habit and follow set schedules. If you're so inclined, with a little Web research you can get a pretty good idea of ports of call and when a ship may be in the same vicinity as you. To get a better idea of summer cruise ship traffic on the IP (at least the southern section) check out the Live Ships marine traffic Web site. This slick resource uses AIS (Automatic Identification System) to display real time positions of vessels all over the world - including speed, vessel name, and size. Zoom in and out to an area you're interested in and see what vessels are on the water. Click on an icon to get information about the vessel; some even have photographs. AIS is a fairly recent technology and not all vessels use it (yet), but I've found cruise ships on the move seem to always be transmitting their positions. If you have a cell phone with a data plan (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to use in Canada) and coverage, using AIS tracking Web sites such as this one can give you a heads-up on what's ahead (or coming up behind). Other Paddling.net discussion on Inside Passage WoodenBoat forum discussion on IP by small boat WaterTribe - Hard core paddlers in Florida who do serious, expedition length races. Yes, I know, wrong coast, warm water, and snakes, but some of the gear and safety recommendations are applicable to the IP (plus the stories are good). BitterEnd - Not about kayaks, canoes or rowboats but still one of my favorite maritime blogs. Captain Richard Rodriguez pilots the Vessel Assist boat Remedy in the San Juan Islands. He accounts his adventures (and the misadventures of others he ends up towing) in words and photos. Entertaining and educational even if you don't drive an internal combustion craft. Trivia time. What brand of boat does the good captain end up towing the most? If you guessed Bayliner, give yourself a gold star. Free Tide and Current Software Knowing the tides and current in the IP is essential for planning as well as day-to-day travel. In addition to the numerous printed tide and current tables that are on the market, there are also a number of excellent free software programs for providing this information. Here is a list of some programs to download and check out.
Inside Passage Motoring Not human-powered, but still some good reference information. BoaterEd Inside Passage forum (there is a very lot of good information here, including many photos - motorboat oriented, but still useful for paddlers and rowers) Trawler wannabe spends a week on the Inside Passage Passage to Alaska - 14 Days Up the Inside Passage by Wooden Boat Alaska in 21-foot Mini-Trawlers (these little guys are as long as my surfski, but are very cool) Routes Just as an FYI, here are distances between potential stops on the Sydney BC to Ketchikan route (via Seymour Narrows). Distances are in nautical miles and were plotted on electronic charts based on following a typical kayak route more closer in to the shore. Sydney to Ketchikan Legs (657.69 nautical miles) Also, see Bob Saunders' excellent 2005 trip
report for detailed information on a less-traveled, more scenic indirect route.
Here are GPS waypoint coordinates in GPX format for campsites from Bob Saunder's 2005 IP trip - right click this link to download them. I also created a KML file you can use with Google Earth that marks all of the waypoints. Denis Dwyer kindly supplied these GPS coordinates for his overnight stays during his 2007/2008 trips up the Inside Passage. Right click to save as a tab delimited text file, GPX file or Google Earth KML file. (Keep in mind a few of these coordinates are for lodging accommodations in populated places and not tent sites. They should be apparent.) In addition to the above, I highly recommend checking out the West Coast Paddler forum devoted to BC Marine Trail campgrounds. Photos, coordinates and descriptions of some great camp sites. (I'm always looking to expand this section, so if you have GPS coordinates you'd like to share, let me know.) Gear First off, read the trip reports and blogs mentioned above. There's a wealth of practical information on gear and equipment. Denis Dwyer, for example, has extensive comments relating to IP-suitable gear. Boats I think just about anything that floats has been used to do all or part of the Inside Passage. While kayaks seem to be the vessel of choice these days, a whole lot of canoes and rowboats have successfully made the journey both ways in the past. Drysuits Two words. Kokatat, Goretex. Enough said. Radios The Icom
M88 is kind of the gold standard VHF radio for kayak use. Small, rugged,
waterproof and full featured, it easily clips to a PFD. If you shop around and
use an Internet retailer (I like www.defender.com)
and then time your purchase with an Icom rebate, it's possible to get the radio
for right around $200. Remember to get a AA battery pack, unless you're planning
on overnighting at strategic places to charge the lithium ion battery pack.
Also, keep in mind that when the AA battery pack is installed, the radio isn't
fully waterproof. Either use a dry bag or swap in the AA pack when using the
radio on land, so you conserve power in the Li-ion pack while on the water. Note
- Radios suck juice quite a bit more when you're transmitting compared to receiving. I've used Icoms for years, but my next radio may be a Standard Horizon. The company is offering some cool products such as a floating handheld that has GPS and DSC (Digital Selective Calling - a spiffy way for the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard to know you're in trouble and where - I reviewed a couple of DSC/GPS handhelds in an article for Sea Kayaker magazine.). Related to radio are PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) that send a help message with your coordinates to a search and rescue satellite. I'll be writing more about these in the near future. In the meantime, head over to Doug Ritter's most excellent Equipped To Survive Web site for more info on PLBs and SPOT. I'm doing some tests with handheld crank radios that support weather channels. These radios feature a rechargeable internal battery you keep powered by cranking - handy for conserving batteries batteries on your VHF while on land. Look for more info in future. Power I'm doing some field testing of the Solio solar charger to keep rechargeable AA batteries and various devices powered up. The Solio is unique as it combines a solar charger with an internal battery. Although not waterproof, the device could be stowed in a small dry bag and kept lashed to the aft deck for charging during the day. Since the Solio has an internal battery, you could charge your devices in the evening at camp, then recharge the Solio during the day when you're paddling. Cameras I remember my first paddling trip to Alaska in the 1980s and toting a friend's heavy and expensive Nikonos dive camera with me. Things have changed a bunch since then, and the past year or so has seen the waterproof digital camera market really start to expand. If you're shopping for a kayak and water-friendly camera, be sure to check out this in-depth review of the latest models at Digital Photography Review. Food A friend of mine with lots of experience guiding, teaching sea kayaking, and expedition paddling swears by NOLS Cookery. If you're planning the minimalist Ramen food route, this book can change your mind. You dial in how many people and how many days, and it helps you figure out caloric requirements and food quantities. Instead of planning individual meals, you bring quantities of staples and prepare good for you, yummy recipes. Food "maildrops" - Maildrop care packages are fairly common in the long distance, thru hiking world (see a great forum post oriented to the Appalachian Trail, but also applicable to the IP). BC Rimbeaux used food drops during his 2007 IP trip. Before leaving here's what he had to say: I've decided to give the mail system a try. One
Customs official gave me some instructions that should help my I'll let you know when my trip finishes how it worked. Keep your fingers crossed. After he completed his trip, BC sent this update: The food drops went without a hitch. Every box arrived in time at the P.O. I sent them to. A couple boxes showed signs of having been opened, but nothing looked disturbed inside so I think the Customs guys just gave them a cursory look. I recommend doing what I did in terms of listing all the foods, attaching the letter to Customs, etc. I think the more out front and complete you are in your descriptions, the less likely Customs would suspect a problem with the packages. Charts Charts are a big deal for the prospective Inside Passage paddler, and you've got a bunch of different options for what type to use on your trip. Here's a brief rundown. Traditional paper nautical charts (check out the classifieds for some charts I'm selling) To provide complete coverage between Sydney, BC (or the US San Juan Islands) and Prince Rupert via the main route through Seymour Narrows, you'll need 23 Canadian, paper nautical charts. This is a mixture of 1:40,000 and 1:80,000 scale charts that provide a decent amount of detail (click here to see the difference between 1:40,000 and 1:80:000 US charts to give you a better idea). Canadian charts are 20 bucks (Canadian) a pop. With the current US exchange rate, that means you're going to need to drop over $450 to get outfitted. Add on another 2 US charts for the waters between Prince Rupert and Ketchikan (which also cost around $20 US), and you're now up to around $500. Keep in mind this is for a minimal amount of charts that provide good navigational coverage. There are additional charts available of some areas that such more detail (such as 1:20:000 scale) that can optionally be purchased to provide full coverage of the route. (Don't forget about copies of Chart 1 for both Canada and the US so you know what the symbols mean. The previous links are for PDF versions, but it's not a bad idea to also have paper copies along for the trip.) Keep in mind that these charts are pretty big, and you'll need dry storage for the ones you're not using as well as a waterproof map case on deck for wherever you're located. The Canadian Hydrographic Service has an online chart catalog as does NOAA for US waters. In addition to these online resources, chart agents usually stock free paper catalogs that list all available charts. These are in the form of a very large chart, with chart numbers clearly associated with rectangular regions. I find these master charts much easier to use than their online cousins. If you don't live in Washington, BC or Alaska, and have easy access to a chart agent, a number of online retailers will send you a copy of the free master charts. I personally like the Armchair Sailor in Seattle for Internet service. Bellingham Chart Printers is also another good source for original and reproduced charts. Note: In Kayaking the Inside Passage, Robert Miller mentions that Armchair Sailor offers "chart portfolios," which are full-size, black and white reproductions of charts at half the normal price. This is a bit misleading, since Canadian charts, which account for the bulk of the IP, are not available due to copyright restrictions. Digital nautical charts What about digital charts and just printing out what you
need? That's possible for US parts of the route, since you can freely download electronic
charts and then use free programs like Maptech's Chart
Navigator or SeaClear II
to print them out. Or better and easier yet, download PDF BookletCharts. However, since the bulk of the trip is in
Canadian waters, you'll need to buy two Canadian
Hydrographic Service chart CDs to provide enough coverage for the trip, East Vancouver Island and
Queen Charlotte Sound. These CDs run about $175 US a piece (down from $299 when
NDI was running the show). Unfortunately the Canadian
government doesn't distribute their electronic maps for free like the US. So you'll be
investing around $350 US for the digital charts. (An anonymous IP paddler who goes by the handle of Edward Teach wrote in to mention that a full set of circa-1997, pre-copy protected Canadian BSB charts are floating around the Internet if you're into modern day, hi-tech piracy.) Don't forget to toss in the price of waterproof paper and printer ink, plus the time involved in printing the areas you want. (Waterproof inkjet and laser printer paper runs anywhere between .20 to .80 US a sheet, depending on size and type.) For more on do-it-yourself charts, check out this article I wrote for Sea Kayaker magazine. Jonathan Francis posted a very descriptive blog entry on his experiences using Marine GeoGarage. This has to be the cheapest legal way of getting Canadian nautical charts for the IP. It cost him $194 for all of the Canadian charts; and included in that price was a $175 printer. I highly recommend you read more about this options if you're thinking about do-it-yourself charts. Thanks Jonathan, and best of luck on your stand-up paddleboard trip. Marine Atlases A marine atlas is a spiral bound collection of reduced in size charts. Designed to be a handy and economical alternative to full-sized charts, marine atlases are popular with cruising sailors. In addition to the charts, the atlases also contain photos or ports and other information. There are two brands of atlases that a kayaker might consider for an IP trip that can substantially reduce the hit on your wallet (or purse) compared to a full set of paper charts. John Kimantas, author of the excellent Wild Coast series, recently (August 2007) released two new marine atlases especially designed for paddlers. BC Coastal Recreation Kayaking and Small Boat Atlas: Volume 1, British Columbia's South Coast and East Vancouver Island and BC Coastal Recreation Kayaking and Small Boat Atlas: Volume 2, British Columbia's West Vancouver Island. Splash-proof and spiral bound, in 1:100:000-scale, these volumes appear quite useful. Marine Atlas - This two volume set has been published for over 55 years and comes in a 11 1/2" x 14" format. I've got an older copy of the Puget Sound to Port Hardy volume and the monochrome charts are pretty darn small and a challenge to read. I haven't had an opportunity to see if the newer versions are different (where I live is landlocked and marine suppliers are a bit of a drive), but if they're not, I personally think using from a kayak cockpit wouldn't be that easy. Around $50 a volume (59 and 63 charts, respectively). Evergreen Pacific Cruising Atlas - Covers the area between Olympia and Port Hardy (21 overview and 85 detailed charts) in a 11" x 17" book, these charts are in color and are larger and easier to read than those found in the competing Marine Atlas. I think this atlas would be usable for an IP trip in place of standard charts. Unfortunately there's not a companion volume for the Port Hardy to SE Alaska leg of the trip. $49.95. Before you buy, I'd recommend checking out an atlas in person to see if it's going to meet your needs, in terms of detail and readability. Note: Atlases and any non-official charts usually have a disclaimer that says "not for navigation." Theoretically (and legally if you're involved in a commercial marine activity) you're only supposed to use the most recently updated versions of official government charts for navigation. The disclaimer is kind of a CYA on the part of publishers in case someone does something stupid and blames their chart. GPS How about a GPS receiver loaded up with maps and charts to do the full IP? It's certainly possible. I wrote the book GPS for Dummies (be sure to get the second edition that came out in October 2008, it's much more up to date and has information on marine use of GPS), so have more than a few opinions on this subject. For starters, always remember the downsides of using GPS for kayak navigation:
The prudent mariner never relies on a single navigation tool. Catch my drift? I consider some type of paper map as well as a compass (and knowing how to use both) essential. That said, here's my take on the current players in the handheld, outdoor GPS receiver market plus a few product recommendations: DeLorme -
new kid on the block in the handheld GPS market - excellent customer
support and very responsive to suggestions - can upload topo maps, NOAA nautical
charts and aerial imagery - the new PN-40 is much improved over the first generation
PN-20 but still has a smallish screen and connection contacts need cleaning
after saltwater exposure. As much as I like the Lowrance and DeLorme products (and dislike the near monopoly lock Garmin has on the industry), I still have to give the nod to Garmin when it comes to recommending a GPS receiver for using on an IP trip. My reasons include:
While any of the AA battery, color-screen Garmin GPS mapping models will work, my two current favorite models for kayak use are:
Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx -
From doing wilderness search and rescue for a bunch of years, this model is the
gold standard. It's functional and it just works (on the land or water). Decent-sized screen, high-sensitivity GPS receiver, microSD
card so you can load topo maps and marine charts, and priced in the $250 to $300
range. The
CSx model has an
electronic compass and barometric altimeter, that will cost you about $50 more.
Garmin has released newer models designed to eventually replace the venerable 60
series, but I'm not personally sold quite yet. The Colorado model's screen has problems in bright sunlight. And I
think the jury is still out on kayak use of the newest touch-screen
Oregon model. An alternative would be the marine-oriented GPSMAP 76Cx or CSx. The screen is a tiny bit bigger, it floats and is in the same price range as the 60 series. Garmin eTrex Legend HCx - Smaller screen and case than the GPSMAP 60 series makes this a true pocket GPS receiver. 24+ hour battery life, microSD card support for loading maps and charts, high-sensitivity GPS chipset, and a street price of around $190 (and falling). The eTrex Vista is a more pricier version of the Legend with an electronic compass and barometric altimeter. While the barometer can be useful for weather forecasting, I prefer the less expensive Legend as it gets better battery life. Once you have a Garmin GPS, you'll want to load it up with maps and charts. You have two alternatives for an IP trip - topographic maps or nautical charts (or if you have a deep-pockets sponsor, you can install both on a memory card). The topo maps to consider are: TOPO United States - $116.65 (1:100,000 scale - can be loaded on multiple GPS receivers without purchasing additional unlock codes - street price around $85). There is a TOPO U.S. 24K West product ($129.99 retail) with1:24,000 maps which provide much more detail than 1:100,000 scale. Unfortunately this map set currently doesn't include Alaska, so don't buy it. TOPO Canada - $151.65 (1:100,000 scale - can be loaded on multiple GPS receivers without purchasing additional unlock codes - street price around $115). Click here and then select the Topo Canada product to see the level of detail these maps provide. Quite honestly, you can get just as good if not better free, Garmin-compatible US and Canada topo maps. See the Free Information Sources above for more details. For nautical charts, you'll want BlueChart Americas. This
product has multiple nautical charts (called regions) on a CD-ROM. When you
buy it ($151.65 suggested retail, street price around $110), you get a
certificate to unlock one region. If you want to load other regions into your
GPS unit, you need to purchase additional unlock codes from Garmin (at $116.65
retail a pop, street price around $85). You'll need up to six regions for the entire
IP route. As you can see, this isn't a cheap proposition. (Here are links to the
Garmin charts for the entire IP - Region
US023-Seattle (Puget Sound), Region
CA001-Inside Passage, Region
CA010-Hecate Strait South, Region
CA011 -Hecate Strait North, Region
US024-Wrangell to Dixon Entrance, and Region
US026-Wrangell-Juneau-Sitka.) Unfortunately, at the present no free
nautical chart alternatives exist. (6/13/2009 - Garmin has recently
announced they won't be updating their BlueChart CD-ROM products. They've moved to the new G2 Vision series of nautical charts which come preinstalled on memory cards and are compatible with newer model Garmin GPS units. Since landforms don't change much, I'd personally be comfortable using the older CD-ROM version of BlueChart Americas. The benefits are you can display the charts on your PC and print them or use for planning plus you can transfer the charts to multiple GPS units, as long as you purchase additional unlocks. If your GPS unit accidentally floods, there's a very good chance the SD card will fry. With the CD-ROM version of BlueChart, you can always just upload the chart set to a new card or the GPS unit's internal memory. With a G2 card, you're out the price of a new replacement if it fries or you lose it. Be sure to check compatibility , since some Garmin models will only work with BlueChart and others with G2. Garmin has traditionally been very proprietary with their map formats. However recently they've begin to support the ability for users to create and use their own custom maps. If you have a compatible Garmin Colorado, Oregon or Dakota you can view a map that's been saved as a JPG file (such as a scanned paper map) on your GPS unit. The steps to do this are quite simple and don't require you to purchase additional software. You can read all about it here. This offers some interesting possibilities in having nautical charts on your GPS receiver that look identical to the paper versions. It's relatively easy to convert NOAA RNC digital charts to JPG format. Unfortunately, Canadian versions of RNCs are copy protected and you'd have to do some time consuming hacks with virtual printer software to create JPGs. The downsides to using scanned custom maps/charts (aside from the time it takes to produce them) are screen refreshes tend to be slower and you don't have the ability to zoom in and out with the graphics becoming jagged or distorted. In any case, this is a nice move on Garmin's part. I'll close this brief discussion with a final thought. I'm an old-school proponent of the "two is one, one is none" rule when it comes to essential gear. If you're planning on relying on a GPS receiver for extended trip navigation, if it fits into your budget, I highly recommend carrying a backup GPS unit in case something happens to your primary. Paper topographic maps In his book, Kayaking the Inside Passage, Robert Miller suggests using 1:250,000 scale topographic paper maps. You can get up the Canadian part of the route using 11 Canadian topo maps of this scale. These maps run about $10 US and are readily available from Internet retailers (www.maptown.com is a good source). I personally think this scale doesn't show enough detail for decent navigation, but if you're going on the cheap, it's better than nothing. Keep in mind the primary limitation to using topographic maps is they are created for land-users. That means no symbols identifying tide rips, beach composition, current direction, aids to navigation, and other marine-related features typically found on nautical charts. Paddlers and rowers have successfully used topo maps for traveling up and down the Inside Passage though. Digital topographic maps Bob Saunders, who did the Vancouver to Prince Rupert leg in 2005 and other parts of the IP in following years, writes in with a suggestion to use digital topographic maps. He used the eTopo topo maps and printed the areas he needed on plain paper. He carefully tucked the maps he needed in a Ziploc bag each day and managed never to get any of the paper wet during the trip. The eTopo maps retail for $99 Canadian for a region (you'll need the Southwest and Central), so for under $200 you can have 1:50,000 scale maps of all of the Canadian waters for the trip. Add in the ink and paper and this is a pretty reasonable investment. For more information, check out Dave Patton's excellent Web page that compares different types of commercially available Canadian digital topographic maps. I asked Bob more about using the digital topo maps and he kindly replied with some very useful details: "I printed 3 different sizes of maps (on ordinary 8 x11 paper): 1:250,000 for an overview; 1:50,000 covering about 16 x 22 km and another 1:50,000 set covering about 8 x 11 km. I'm not certain of the exact number of maps I printed as I gave some to Graham afterwards and have seemed to have misplaced some others, but I believe it was about 30 of the 8 x 11 km maps for the Gulf Islands to Campbell River section, about 55 for the Vancouver to Port Hardy section and about 100 for the remainder of the trip to Prince Rupert. Perhaps half that again for the smaller scale maps. I used less than two cartridges of ink (HP 932 printer). So, I'm guessing the total cost was about $280 to $300 Can (maps plus ink). I printed more maps than I needed because I didn't have a fixed route in mind when I started the trip - there are all kinds of variations possible, so I tried to have enough maps to cover some of those variations. I found that was all I needed." Both the US and Canadian governments make digital versions of topo maps available for free (see the Free Information Resources above). You can view and print the maps with any graphics program or use reasonably priced/free mapping programs like Ozi Explorer, MacGPS, or dlgv32 to view and access georeferenced data in the maps for planning (measuring distances, creating waypoints, etc.). I just learned about a cool online company called MapSherpa.com that allows you to create custom Canadian topo maps. Using a Web interface you move around, zooming in and out to define a map's area. A set of tools allows you to add text labels, lines and points to the map. When you're finished you can buy a downloadable 8.5 x 11" PDF file of the map for $2.99 or order a large, printed poster version. This map service is pretty quick and convenient and may appeal to some IP paddlers. This is a free resource for: (1) paddlers/rowers who have done an IP trip and are looking to sell boats or gear they used, and (2) paddlers/rowers planning an IP trip seeking specific gear. You need to be listed on the registry to have a for sale ad posted. You just need to be thinking about an IP trip to post a wanted ad. Send me an email with your ad and I'll put it here. If you find a buyer or seller, let me know so I can remove the ad. For Sale Inside Passage charts and books - I’m spring cleaning and putting some duplicate IP charts and books from my library up for sale (3/1/2012). Canadian See the Canadian and NOAA Web sites for the areas these charts cover. Essential, official issue, small-scale planning charts for the IP. New to very good condition (circa 2005). Rolled (not folded) with no marks and never taken on the water. This is about $200 worth of charts if purchased new. $75 PayPal (postage included – US shipping only). If interested, send email to: insidepassageregistry at gmail dot com Wanted Waypoints - If you saved waypoints on your trip and want to share them with other paddlers and rowers, please send them to me. I have programs that can convert data from just about any GPS unit, to the common GPX file format. I'm also happy to talk anyone through the process of getting waypoints to and from their GPS receiver. Thanks! insidepassageregistry at gmail dot com
update history
CC License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution, NonCommercial, NoDerivs 2.5 License Truthful Disclaimer - If you click on some of the above book or gear (GPS/software) links and then order whatever from Amazon, I get a teeny, tiny proceed from the sale. I'm not pimping books and gear, just trying to create a comprehensive IP reference. |