Jon Turk:
It’s been nine years since I’ve spent a night at sea in my kayak. In 1999, Franz and I endured a total of nine overnights in the frigid waters of the Kuril Islands in our WindRiders. I’ve been missing the void, emptiness of space and thought, the quiet niggling fear, the exhilaration of the smallest boats in the biggest oceans.
Last year, Nina Maclean and I toured the Vanuatu Chain in tropical waters, lined with palm trees, where we traveled among the hospitable, spiritual Melanesian people. This year, Aundrea Tavvakkoly and I plan to return to make longer passages to the outer islands, and if all goes well, to cross open water to the Solomon Islands. Our longest crossings, without landfalls, will be 230 miles, about the length of Vancouver Island, from north to south.
We will be paddling Ocean Kayak Prowlers, generously provided by my major sponsor, Johnson Outdoors. I believe that sit-on-tops are not only fun for warm-water recreation but also they are the best kayaks on the market for serious open ocean adventures in tropical waters. We will be spending many days at sea and I know that I would get cramped in a cockpit boat. We will relish the stability, speed, agility and the ability to wiggle around, all offered by the Ocean Kayak Prowler.
We will be using Lendal Wing Paddles and gear by Extrasport, Eureka Tents, Zeal Optics and Otterbox. See my sponsors page for details and links.
Dated: 07/23/2008
