Paul Vercher was recovering from ankle surgery when he made a bold decision: to make rowing birds on Vancouver Island.
Vercher, a Yoga instructor and former owner of nightclubs, had always been active, and was eager to make some kind of athletic challenge. Inspired by the cross race of Terry Fox, he began to make plans for a rowing trip of one month.
“I spent about two years preparing it,” he told CBC’s On the coast.
During that time, he invested in Gear, physically trained and even considered finding a sponsor for the trip.
“In the end I realized that I was going to do it for myself.”
He left his home in Ladysmith, BC, on June 25.
For 40 days, Verchers rowing the island of Vancouver, in total of approximately 1,300 kilometers, sometimes up to 11 hours a day, transporting 40 kilograms of equipment, including 10 days of food and 10 liters of water at the same time.
“I would take all my strength to download the board, establish the camp and cook some food.
“It was difficult,” he said. “I don’t recommend it.”
But once he returned to the water and began to row again, after his alarm at 2:45 am, he would begin to feel good again.
Vercher stopped in Port Hardy and again in Tofino to gather supplies, but otherwise, he only stopped at night to establish camp, cook and sleep.
Verchers believes that he remailed about 36 of the 40 days, after having to stop for a couple of days of rest, and twice more to escape from bad weather.
The rough waters, the strong winds of the head and the curious wildlife forced the gum to change their plans on the road.
“I started my trip … Really wanting to see whales, but I reached a point where I was trying to avoid them,” said Vercher. “There were many of them, especially humpbacks.”
He said they raped just at his side, which was worrying for someone on a standing board, without protection and sometimes an imperfect balance.
“It is gratifying because, although it is a challenge, no matter how fast you go … You do not miss anything, no wildlife, every marine otter, every whale, every bear, every wolf, I saw everything on the road.”
The wind was a concern to Vercher, who expected the tail winds to push him, but did not expect such strong winds against.
“I think I had a wind against 85 to 90 percent of the time, which meant that I had to change my route. I would hide behind the islands or climb an entrance.”
At some points, the wind blew to 35 knots (65 km/h), and the giant waves forced the rowing to fall from knees for short periods to maintain balance.
The worst came when he rounded Cape Scott, at the north end of the island.
“The conditions there were quite incomplete,” said Vercher.
While I was back to Ladysmith on August 4, Vercher felt relieved.
“I had a wonderful feeling of achievement.”
And while some would be established on the couch in the predictable future after a long physical excursion like his, Vercher has been doing yoga, walks and rowing, enjoying until the last minute of the warm BC summer climate.
“My legs did not work for one or two weeks due to my standing position quite static on the board all day,” he said. “My buttocks and quads felt that they belonged to another person once I returned to a life on land, so I was going to walk every day to try to work again.”
Your rowing dream?
“I would be very tempted to make the passage of the Northwest.”
