Rowing 300 Miles In Homemade Boats

The paint is still fresh on our newly built row boats, and it's time to put them on the ocean for Sea Trials. We begin this trip from Cortes Island, which is off the west coast of Canada near Vancouver. Loaded up with enough food and supples for a month at sea we leave the island and head north. Surrounded by snowcapped mountains while gliding along on the crystal clear waters of the pacific. Learning to sleep aboard the small boats while being anchored off on the ocean was an interesting experience. Over the course of our trip we learned many things about our newly minted boats. This is a training run leading up to our main goal which is rowing the north west passage. Two months from now we will be driving to the shores of the Arctic Ocean, with these two boats in tow. Shoving off and attempting a 2000 mile crossing of the Arctic Ocean. Attempting to be the first people to cross the North West Passage under human power. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of the adventures!
If you'd like to follow along with our upcoming expedition to the arctic, be sure to check out our website at
northwest-passage.com
For anyone who would like to help support our project, there is a Go Fund me campaign going. There are still many supplies and necessary equipment needed. Click link below to donate:
gofund.me/dd76bece

[@dl3661]

Yorkshire Tea lads! This is the correct choice (from a Yorkshire lad)

[@adamriley5586]

Look at these two chuckleheads. Dink and Doink do Vancouver 😂

[@skoteoutdoors]

Dink n doink is an understatement lol

[@babyreps365]

@@skoteoutdoors love ur videos brother did you ever get the government to leave you alone about where you built your cabin? Just read an article about it from a couple years ago. Cheers bud

[@flightsimulatoradventures7246]

Yorkshire brew for the win.

[@peterklar89]

The angus rowcruiser is really a perfect touringboat because you can take enough gear with you

[@bjorngoodwin4432]

Can't wait to see the next part of the adventure!!! Much Love from your Volleyball friends in VA!!! 💚😎 Know that We will be thinking of you Both often - and especially on Wednesdays !!😋 Be Safe Be Happy!!!🤙🤘

[@skoteoutdoors]

Ahhh Mann. Just reading this gives me volleyball flash backs. Thanks Bjorn!

[@ronkirk5099]

In 2018 and again in 2020, I paddled solo in a sea kayak on the inside passage from Seattle, WA to Skagway, AK - 10 weeks the first time on the classic route with exceptional weather and 14 weeks the second time with side trips to tidewater glacier and Glacier Bay N.P. and more typical (re: wetter) weather. Great trips lots of wildlife and great camping. Best of luck to you.

[@TreDeuce-qw3kv]

As I have mentioned before, I did this solo many years ago in a similar craft. ' One thing that fascinated me back then was the remnants of old Indian villages and the totems laying and some still standing. Ghost villages. Also, the geology and always the reminder that about 10,000 years ago this passage was a massive ice sheet. A moving glacier grinding granite rock into pebbles and sand and carrying gravel and sand and big erratics as far south as the ice sheet and flood plains south of Olympia, Washington. Material now used in concrete and other uses. That massive ice formation carved out Puget Sound where I learned the ropes of sailing and boat building. Your Arctic adventure stirs me even at my very advanced age. In the early 90's I ventured up to Prudhoe and put in a plastic kayak in the Beaufort Sea just because. I didn't venture far from shore or for more than a few hours, but I could check it off my list like so many others like the Keys and the Everglades, Belize, and the Puerto Rico circumnavigation. Adventures that still live with me today as will yours many years later. Looking forward to following you two on your Arctic adventure.

[@deadpinecollective]

Your videography is absolutely amazing!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thank you, really appreciate it

[@glendonchesser7014]

Great to be watching again. Awesome primer for what's to come. Thanks boys.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Glad to see your name pop up here yet again. Thanks for your support

[@clayspurlock6849]

great video, commenting to support

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks Clay!

[@darkirondiesel]

You guys never cease to amaze me, the amount of drive and discipline you both have is admirable. P.S. I think Adam would look great with a wig ;)

[@skoteoutdoors]

Right! I can see him in a nice blonde wig... maybe even stuff the bra a little also hahah

[@n176ldesperanza7]

Thanks for sharing this. Well done!

[@jaketews938]

Im glad i stumbled upon this! Cant wait to see the full documentary of your journey ahead!

[@morrowcody]

Amazing video. Super stoked to watch the journey ahead of you two unfold! Good luck and safe travels.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thank you very much MorseCode. It's gonna be something

[@feralforestfairy]

Damn all these shots are so beautiful!! 8:16 got me rewinding!😍😂 so stoked for you both, amazing to see the boats you made glide on the water with ease! Built for adventure for sure!! Great job sir! 🚣‍♀️ that radio channel, who could forget that? Can’t wait to see this unfold!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Mmm 8:16 eh. Have to keep that in mind there Bandit. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the support

[@lobopropredatorcontrol]

Great stuff, love the positive attitude! Good luck on the expedition

[@skoteoutdoors]

Much appreciated

[@vidus0139]

Excited to see how these boats hold up!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Yes the arctic will be the real test on these ol girls

[@ronland1821]

So cool. Thank you for sharing guys.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks for watching Ron!

[@gorillagoldhunters]

Epic ! North west passage

[@jeffkatzer]

Excellent adventure and a fun video. Standing by for the big trip. Cheers, Jeff.

[@skoteoutdoors]

The big one is coming fast! Be on the road north in two months

[@mathewmacpherson857]

Awesome video. Looking forward to the next adventure

[@bluwtrgypsy]

Hey Matty, so great to see your terrific video and terrific photography of such a beautiful area during your epic trial adventure. You guys have got this!! You're a "can do anything" kind of guy. You never cease to amaze me. I read Adams blog - such a well documented and wonderful journey. You did an amazing job on the build of that boat. Looking forward to further updates. Be safe and blessings

[@skoteoutdoors]

Indigo! Always a pleasure reading your comments. Thank you again for your relentless support. Looking forward to sharing this one with you

[@timtate8520]

Awesome. I am so looking forward to your adventure. Your Labrador adventure kept me on the edge of my seat so I am sure this one will as well. Good luck & be safe!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks as always Tim! We will do our best up there.

[@borealmetalworx]

Right on man! Was wunderin when we was gonna be seein ya on the tube again. Missed your content. Really looking forward to yer big trip vids God Bless and Stay Safe.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Yess it's been a busy run here lately and haven't found as much time as would like to edit and post more videos for you.glad you enjoying them

[@elkhound25]

Cant wait to see this adventure. The boats are awesome !

[@skoteoutdoors]

Glad you like em! Thank you

[@kunze50]

Nicely done! Looking forward to more

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thank you, more coming

[@Maritimer]

Hey man ! nice video ! really love those boats, you guys did a great job building them. I also wanted to gibe you some props on your film making, just how the story went, editing, voice over's, b-roll, and you turned a 1 month trip into 18 min and kept it entertaining. Great work ! Looking forward to the big trip, stay safe ! Cheers !

[@skoteoutdoors]

Maritimerrr, man thank you. Means alot reading this. Slowly leveling out game up getting ready for the real deal in the Arctic

[@Maritimer]

@@skoteoutdoors I'm excited and nervous for you guys. I know you'll be fine and can't wait to see the trip.

[@COUNTRYSIDELIVINGWITHUS]

Godspeed gentlemen!!

[@cvaneve9852]

Rock on boys! Positive attitudes and appreciation for what you're doing will carry you far. I'm partial to the Wild Berry Zinger personally, Bengal Spice on a Saturday night!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thank you very much, appreciate the support 🙏

[@vicbartel7548]

A little suggestion, keep the top of your blades right at the surface, more efficient, uses less energy. Wish you all the best!

[@skoteoutdoors]

agreed. when I look back on the early rowing footage I cringe at our technique lol we really had no idea and no instruction of how to row. it was a long painful journey figuring it out.

[@Peyton.Hagarty]

THIS IS AWESOME!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Glad you like it!

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

Awesome 👌

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks man

[@garrydevellerez5061]

Great video and awesome boats too guys

[@skoteoutdoors]

Glad you like em! Thanks alot

[@henkvandebeek7921]

What an awesome video. Just found your log cabin video (sad outcome) and suspect I am going to binge watch now. Safe travels

[@jakelittle359]

hell ya boys cheers from good old rocky mountin alberta

[@skoteoutdoors]

Ehhh Rocky! Glad to see this pop up, thanks for the support !

[@Flowergurl2000]

This is cool!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks Jana!

[@VIKTOR.MARKOV]

странно что так мало подписчиков, ваши видео очень крутые. 👍

[@dewizard1879]

U guys are stacked

[@donfenton7473]

I am so glad I linked to you guys from Chad Zuber.

[@13prevailbushcraft]

Tetley or nuttin by's lol. Great video. Looking forward to the big journey !

[@skoteoutdoors]

Yes man I agree! Adam was in charge of groceries so stuck with the fancy stuff for the trip

[@Toweringmars]

Wow, great video guys. Way to build momentum into the trip. How was it on the arms? I imagine some days are worse than others but overall its nice to see you guys thoroughly enjoying it all. This journey is going to be epic. It was interesting to see the behind the scenes on trying to sleep in the boats, I hadn't even considered bad swells to lead to lack of sleep but dang, if you don't find safe harbor I can see it making for a long night / next day.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks Brandon. Meh it wasn't so much on the arms as it was the back and glutes. Also my hands got pretty trashed from all the friction on the oars. After a couple weeks going there wasn't much pain or discomfort anywhere. Amazing how fast the body can adapt

[@mellocello187]

Sliding seat means you are getting about 70% of your power from your legs, 10% back, 20% arms.

[@SD_Alias]

Great boats! how did the floors of the plywood boats survive the landings on rocky beaches? The boats are certainly not light when fully loaded, are they?

[@Optic_zen]

love the video.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Glad you liked it

[@Narsmoke]

“Tetley is like the tang of teas” 😂😂😂 gold!

[@billedgecombe9040]

pretty fn cool !!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks!

[@terrygalvin9653]

Are these Angus Rowcruiser boats? Surprised you aren’t letting people know that. Y’all did a great job on them.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Yes that's exactly right! They ads both designed by Angus Rowboats. Design is Angus rowcruiser

[@richardvanvoris3496]

Great project. I went to UBC for grad school and we used to go and camp on Vancouver Island for extended periods during breaks. This was before I leaned to row and quite frankly I think you are doing it much better than we did. Couple of observations We used to harvest a fair amour of our food, Mussels were a staple, I don't see you doing that and I wonder why. The other thing is oars, one of you is rowing "spoons" or "tulip" oars and the other is using "hatches" the more common oar these days for flat water rowing. Was that a decision that you made for economics or was it different than that, I know that lots of folks say that spoons are better in rough water. Finally congratulations, I have built and row my own 1x scull and I know not only the labor that it but the satisfaction of rowing a craft that you built with your own hands. If you are interested I would point you to Row2k December 8 2022 and the article I wrote about my experiences in building and rowing a wooden shell All the best Richard Van Voris

[@skoteoutdoors]

wow right on Richard, cool to hear from someone with knowledge of the area. We really had no idea what we were doing so the oars were just oars to us, crazy as that sounds lol we figure we would test out both types. and yes the satisfaction of that is something everyone should experience.

[@jakebastian6726]

Question about rowing. If three people were to row a boat in crazy waves, does it matter if one person is rowing or two individuals with a paddle each? Where would the rower(s) be in the boat? It's for a drawing. I want to be realistic when it comes to boating on a crazy lake.

[@dansw0rkshop]

How did it go? Did you get across the northwest passage? I only see a short live stream from a month ago. Are you still underway?

[@vipermadman]

Awesome trip! Any thoughts of putting in a daggerboard to help it track straight when the wind is on your beam? I noticed improved tracking and less bow sensitivity in heavy winds on my beam. Definitely a 1/2 to 1 knot slower tho. Looking forward to following your NW passage trip!

[@skoteoutdoors]

Ehh man. Funny you say that because that is one of the modifications we are making to these things in the next couple weeks. Great job on your build by the way!

[@vipermadman]

@@skoteoutdoors Awesome! And thank you. Always weird cutting holes in your boat, but the daggerboard is worth it. The Sailing rig isnt too much work after that. Cheers!

[@SoCoolOutdoors]

Drop a video bro!!!

[@ronsierdsma3172]

Hey Matty!there ya are, was wondering when you were going to post a vid.looking forward to seeing your adventures.when are ya starting for real? Watch them bears,they bite! Stay warm, dry and safe my friend.🍺

[@skoteoutdoors]

Hey Ron. The big trip will be starting late June. We plan on hitting the road to drive up to Tuktoyaktuk early June, get up there and wait for the ice to clear. Can't say an exact launch day as the ice decides for us

[@gorillagoldhunters]

Buddddy how did it go!!:)))

[@shadetreehandyman]

Great video... what time of year is this... is the water always this clear

[@skoteoutdoors]

This was late winter. Late February early March

[@kf6948]

Thanks for bringing us along. What jacket is your buddy wearing?

[@skoteoutdoors]

Do you mean the big heavy coat he is wearing in some of the snowing scenes? If so it's a micklagard wool anorak he is wearing

[@kf6948]

@@skoteoutdoorsYes. It looked wool and it looked amazing. I love wool! Thank you!

[@juanitafrost8751]

Looks great Boys . Be safe and enjoy ! How was the moose?

[@skoteoutdoors]

Moose was delicious as expected!

[@rickniemi1784]

Great video! I have a few questions. Do you have any leg bracing for the times the water gets really rough? I’m not sure how it would work with your sliding seats. Do you have sponsons to help stabilize your boats for sleeping and really bad weather? Are you bringing a sea anchor with you? It could help in nasty weather when you want to take a break to eat or relax a little. Do you plan on bringing a small controllable parafoil kite to help you when the wind is in your favor? A large beach umbrella works too. It’s good in camp for rain and for propulsion. What type of drone did you use? Thanks! Cheers, Rick

[@skoteoutdoors]

Great questions.. no to the Sail or anything of the like since we are trying to be the first ones to complete the passage via human power only. Won't be bringing a sea anchor either. There is a design for pontoons to stabilize the boat during sleep but we aren't bringing them due to space and weight

[@hughchamberlain5018]

It would be nice to know where you got the boat plans. Thx

[@jacqueline7118]

Epic journey in a boat you made yourself, can't get any better than that! Adam in a wig? May have to be some alcohol involved in that. Drinking and rowing? Probably not a good idea. lol You guys are certainly brave, wish you all the best with your journey! Thanks for sharing. :) :)

[@skoteoutdoors]

Thanks Jacqueline! Any color ideas for Adam's wig? I think he is warming up to the idea

[@jacqueline7118]

@@skoteoutdoors Hmmm.....depends on the color of his eyes. hahahaha!

[@markburr6081]

Awesome video, maybe mount a rod holder on your boats and troll while you are paddling?

[@skoteoutdoors]

That's a possibility, getting miles on the oars will be priority number one but be some rods aboard for sure

[@ShedShenanigans]

where have you been lately ?

[@skoteoutdoors]

after spending the summer up in the arctic on this rowing trip I've been back East, sifting through all of the footage.

[@lancejames9228]

Good Luck You Crazy Bastids lol

[@skoteoutdoors]

Hahah thanks Lance.. like your spelling of Bastids... sneaky sneaky

[@cm5838]

I think I’d rather have packed a small tent, probably more comfortable.

[@vagabondroller]

Still planning on doing the NW passage?

[@skoteoutdoors]

yes, you should check out the recent trailer I uploaded about our trip on the passage

[@vagabondroller]

Oh, cool. I will.

[@MusicMenacer]

What happened to your buddy Adam? Did he throw in the towel? Leak in the boat?

[@GeorgiaRidgerunner]

aint no tetley just whats wrong with tetley tea down here in the south (southern usa)we drink it cold and with sugar

[@mitchdaoust2826]

No fishing for fresh salmon , trolling while paddling?

[@skoteoutdoors]

No fishing at all on this training run since we figured in the end we would suck up alot of time fishing and we needed to focus on rowing.

[@SoCoolOutdoors]

Hopefully you bring a tent so don’t have to sleep n boat every night

[@skoteoutdoors]

Yes we will be bringing a tent for the days the weather may be to bad to sleep aboard the boats. The biggest benefit to sleeping in the boats is the time saved making and breaking camp.

[@betopandiani]

[@skoteoutdoors]

ehh

[@tylerkaralynallen9286]

Did our man die? Haven’t heard from ya in months.

[@skoteoutdoors]

been a long winter hiding away in the bush, hope you have seen the latest video.

[@tylerkaralynallen9286]

@@skoteoutdoors Yes! 91 days in the arctic! Excited for that one!

[@JamieSteam]

How do you pee at night? I guess into a can while crouching in the cockpit?

[@skoteoutdoors]

Hahah ya you nailed it! Standing up and I use the bailing bucket

[@gregsavige3587]

Great video. 69 is a good number ✌✌

[@skoteoutdoors]

You got that right!

[@canadians2214]

When are you going to give us a new video, this one is 2 months old. What is the problem of giving us another video. That is all I have to say.

[@canadians2214]

Three months since we have seen your last video. When are we going to get another one, any time soon. Big joke I guess, and very disappointing.

[@skoteoutdoors]

Hard to edit and post videos while rowing every day. Go watch the recent live stream, it's from the Arctic on our trip that I am still on currently.

[@superperson978]

I'm worried about that radio falling in thee waterr

[@skoteoutdoors]

We both keep them tied onto tbe boat but regardless they are marine grade and are fully water proof

[@user-ge2cg6md9p]

👍

[@dallasschaber8274]

Ya but you are going backwards! Seein where you were not where you are going :)

[@skoteoutdoors]

At first we thought that may be an issue or hard to get used to... not at all, though. Actually quite enjoyable to watch is all pass by in reverse

[@dallasschaber8274]

@@skoteoutdoors I’m a yukoner and I kinda follow ya when I’m online,keep livin what everyone only dreams of doing and screw the bureaucracy,the shit is only starting to hit the fan.