Sailing the North West Passage in aid of Toe in the Water
by Steve Cockerill, Rooster Sailing 20 Oct 2009 17:40 BST
Back in the Spring, Rooster was approached by two Royal Marines who had an expedition planned to sail/row the north west passage. We helped them with their equipment and hoped that what we suggested would be man enough for the job; having not sailed in Inuvik we were kind of guessing. We suggested that if they were unable to dry their kit out - that Poly Pro's would be a must together with Aquafleeces, aquafleece beanies, Hi-Fit trousers and Semi-Dry tops. While you were out sailing your summer regattas - these guys were out testing our equipment in some of the most extreme conditions. Their aim was to raise money for injured servicemen's rehabilitation through adventurous training. They certainly achieved that by raising over £10,000!
Take a look at the pictures - they are awesome!
They reported to me:
The expedition was overall a success in my eyes, even if we didn’t quite make it all the way through to Baffin Bay. We sailed, rowed and dragged our 17 foot open boat over 1400 miles from Inuvik on the Mackenzie River to the community of Gjoa Haven on King William Island. It was never about a line on a map, it was more about having a remote adventure and raising the awareness of the charity. You will know that this summer in particular the number of servicemen injured has steadily increased and your support allows Toe in the Water to help some of these rediscover their sense of challenge to help them see beyond their injuries through competitive sailing. You can follow their progress at www.toeinthewater.org
We certainly had a remote adventure, with the highlights being:
- sailing in 9ft swell and 25 knot winds
- weathering a storm of 40 knot winds on a beach
- being stuck in the ice for five days and dragging the boat over the ice to escape
- seeing plenty of wild life up close including Beluga whales and a charging Grizzly bear
- the generous hospitality received from the Northern communities of Tuktoyuktuk, Cambridge Bay and Gjoa Haven
The Rooster clothing performed extremely well throughout some very demanding conditions. We literally lived in all the clothing, from Polypro base layer, through the Aquafleece which I found extremely comfortable, the Hi Fit trousers, and normally the semi-dry top as well. Despite seven weeks of continuous wear, I will continue to use all of it.
“I used Rooster Polypro baselayer, Aquafleece shirt and hat, Hi Fit Trousers and the Semi-Dry Top continuously for seven weeks while navigating the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic in an open 17 foot dinghy. The clothing performed superbly, keeping us warm and dry in extreme weather despite no facility to dry out. Despite wearing most of the clothing 24 hours a day for seven weeks, it isn’t showing significant signs of wear – Thanks Rooster”
Kevin Oliver, Lieutenant Colonel Royal Marines, The Arctic Mariner Expedition 2009.
More information is at www.arcticmariner.org