For centuries, native canoes have paddled the inside passage to Alaska and next month the historic route will again be teeming with vessels, this time with modern-day sailors out to capture a $10,000 prize.
Organizers say the 1200-kilometer Race to Alaska is the longest human and wind-powered race and they liken it to the Iditarod on a boat. The route takes mariners from Port Townsend, Washington, up the Inside Passage, to Southeast Alaska.
Jake Beattie’s business cards identify him as the “Lead Conspirator” for the Race to Alaska and one of his guiding principles is to keep things simple, with as few rules as possible.
“Get a boat without an engine, any boat, doesn’t matter what size or number of crew. Be self-supporting, meaning that you can’t have pre-arranged support or boats chasing you around to fix you if you break,” he said. “Start in Port Townsend, finish in Ketchikan. If you’re first, we’ll give you $10,000. If you’re second, we’ll give you a set of steak knives.”
The voyage can be risky, with sailors facing strong tidal currents, whirlpools, floating driftwood and logs that can punch a hole in your hull, bears on shore and sailing in the dark. Professional mariner Jullie Jackson of Port Townsend wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Having a small crew on a boat, you know, you are responsible to those people and they are responsible to you,” she said. “Being able to have a common goal that you are all working toward is really amazing. And it is an absolutely beautiful place in the world.”
“I completely understand how people would see it as crazy,” Jackson said. “But if you understand what your limitations are and you understand what risks you are going into, it can be approached in a way that is safe.”
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