Weekend paddleboard adventurer, Victor Okunev, takes the 2019 Starboard SUP Windsurfer for a solo trip through the picturesque wilderness of British Columbia, Canada.
Ahh, the call of an old good adventure and the freedom to play it by ear!
This was my second attempt at harnessing the wind power in my SUP touring pursuits. The first one was quite short and I wished for more wind. This time I got more wind than I could chew at times.
I started from Nanaimo, BC at Duke Point ferry terminal. Three days and 80 kilometres later I have arrived at Sturdies Bay ferry terminal on Galliano Island. I have sailed almost exactly half of that distance. My max speed was 19 km/h.
Putting a sail on a SUP and venturing off for a few days sounds easy enough. But as Vincent Vega once said, it’s the little differences… Having to manage a windsurfing rig as part of your gear, adds a whole bag of complexities to many aspects of SUP touring. However, it all pays off when the wind is right and you are blasting at the speed never felt before on your SUP loaded with the touring gear.
I think it was the most physically demanding way of the water travel I’ve ever attempted. But then, perhaps I felt it that way because of my beginner’s windsurfing skills and my large 7.5m sail. They were no match to the strong northwesterly wind the Strait of Georgia has swiftly cranked up after my departure.
I’ve learned a lot about SUP sailing from this trip and I’ll keep practising to become a better windsurfer. But one thing for sure – now I know I can do it!
Picture and video credits: Victor Okunev
