Sprit de Coeur

Adventures on the Inside Passage in a 17' Dion Swampscott Dory

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Compare: spare padlock with daily oarlock. Apparently 1360 miles will wear down a piece of bronze. #insidepassage #oiselletheboat

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That's all she wrote, folks. #oiselletheboat #insidepassage

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Welcome flotilla of dories! #bellinghambay #oiselletheboat #insidepassage

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As we round the corner of #portageisland, our destination finally comes into focus. #bellinghambay #insidepassage #oiselletheboat

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Boat pose. Harder than it looks. #lastday #oiselletheboat #insidepassage #boatyoga

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Alpenglow welcome. It's just like they say: there's no place like home. #insidepassage #oiselletheboat #wemadeit

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Last night dirty beach selfie. #oiselletheboat #insidepassage #clarkisland

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Views of #lummiisland from a perfect gravel beach on #clarkisland for the last night of our #insidepassage adventure. #oiselletheboat

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We're so close to home we can taste it, yet today we learned the humbling lesson that even our lovely protected waters can be beastly. We made it a whopping four miles before calling it quits at #JonesIsland. On the upside, we meet a kindred spirit in another small open boater. #insidepassage #oiselletheboat

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We've set foot on U.S. soils again, and our first stop after clearing customs is to visit with @paul_ahart, who built #oiselletheboat in 1981. In addition to serving up a fabulous dinner, Paul and his wife Marty showed us old photos of the boat and shared some great stories of their adventures. We learned that the #shawandtenney oars were a birthday present for Paul's 36th birthday! #fullcircle #insidepassage

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The further south we've traveled, the more of these beautiful #arbutus we see. #signsofhome #insidepassage #oiselletheboat #jedediahisland

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From #jedediahisland, we got our first glimpse of Mount Baker! #oiselletheboat #insidepassage

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From #Portlandisland, we can see across into U.S. waters. Tonight is our last night in Canada! #oiselletheboat #insidepassage

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On #Texadaisland, we learned that we can indeed push #oiselletheboat down the beach, fully loaded. Here we are, getting ready to launch into the surf in the fearsome #straitofgeorgia

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One of the highlights of the last few days has been getting to explore and camp in some of B.C.'s provincial marine parks. Here's the view from Sunset Cove on #jedediahisland, which is the site of an old homestead, and still home to a large flock of feral sheep! #straitofgeorgia #oiselletheboat #insidepassage

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Thanks to kayaker Rob for capturing some great images of the two of us afloat in the #straitofgeorgia

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Sunrise, Nanaimo. Getting closer. #insidepassage #oiselletheboat