San Juan Island Two-Day Paddle

We are going to paddle from Friday Harbor to Roche Harbor and back, with a ferry roll-on from and back to Anacortes, starting Satuday morning and ending Sunday evening. Sunday morning, paddlers will either launch at 8:30 a.m. for an optional loop around Henry Island (... and see orcas if we're really lucky???), with 3+ knots ebb on the outside, or launch with all at 11:30 a.m. for the paddle back to Friday Harbor,

Sign-up Requirements: This will be a 22 or 29 nautical-mile two-day journey in open cold water, with areas of swift current, current rip and possible wind and waves. To sign up for this paddle, you must be an intermediate or advanced paddler with good boat-handling, bracing, re-entry, and rescue skills, training and recent practice, and you must be able to paddle a sustained 2.5 knots pace. The required kayaking experience and skills need to be documented in your meetup-profile information and your answers to the sign-up questions. RSVP's without answers to the sign-up questions may be deleted.

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RSVP: The RSVP will be waitlist only as an expression of interest. The trip will be populated from the waitlist. The maximum group size will be eight, including RSVP's from the Washington Kayak Club. If you are interested and have not prior paddled on the event host's paddles, it is recommended that you come on at least one of the event host's prior day-paddles to make acquaintance and demonstrate kayaking capability and likely compatibility with this trip's other paddlers/campers.

Camping, Meals (... and Party-time?... :)~ Logistics: We will camp Saturday night at the Cascadia Marine Trail campsite at Posey Island. We have Campsite 2 reserved, with 8 the maximum allowable party size. Each person will be responsible for his/her own camping gear and meals. Having dinner and a beer at Roche Harbor Resort Saturday night after setting up camp is a good possibility ... :)- Bring a boat light, as we may be returning after dark ... :)~

Parking and Roll-on Logistics: We will off-load and load up our kayaks at the Anacortes Ferry Terminal. Kayak wheels will be required for the ferry roll-ons. We'll likely stash our wheels in Friday Harbor while we're paddling. Prior to rolling onto the ferry, we'll shuttle most or all of our cars to the nearby Washington Park Lot B Parking Area, where overnight parking is $6 per night. We need to catch the 9:30 a.m. ferry leaving Anacortes. If you think it will take you more than an hour and a half to off-load, load up and car-shuttle, please arrive at the meeting location earlier than 7:30 a.m. . (Or stay in Friday Harbor on Friday night?) While we will try to catch the ferry that gets back to Anacortes at 5:40 p.m. on Sunday, we will more likely catch the ferry getting back to Anacortes at 7:50 p.m. Please plan on arriving back at that time.

Equipment Requirements: Kayak, paddle, pfd, paddlefloat, pump, sprayskirt, warm hat and waterproof hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, water and snacks, VHF radio if you have one, immersion gear, kayak boots, kayak wheels, boat light. Camping gear, food and water.

Immersion Gear: Wearing immersion gear, a dry-suit or a wetsuit, is required on this paddle. In typical spring climate conditions, a dry-suit works better and is safer.

Conditions and Contingency: This paddle is contingent upon wind and weather conditions that are acceptable for this paddle. If conditions are too rough for this paddle on the west side of San Juan Island, but acceptable for a more protected paddle, we will do a more protected similar-length paddle staying on the inside of the islands.

Miscellaneous Requirements: This paddle may also be posted on the Washington Kayak Club website, and, per their insurance requirements, all participants will need to sign a Waiver and Release of Liabilty, similar to the WKC Waiver (http://www.washingtonkayakclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=821680&module_id=158094). Copies will be available for signature at the meeting location.

Waiver and Indemnification: This is not a guided paddle nor a kayaking-skills lesson. In signing up for this paddle, each sign-up-ee certifies that he/she has the required kayaking skills and experience described in the "Sign-up Requirements". Kayaking activities have inherent risk and each sign-up-ee acknowledges that kayaking activities have risk of injury or even death, and signs up and participates entirely and exclusively at his/her own risk.