In Summer 2006 I paddled ~600 km down Canada's West coast between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy. Rather than follow the relatively sheltered "Inside Passage" route I followed the island chain further west that defines the "Outer Coast" of British Columbia. With no road access or habitation along the route the expedition required a month of supplies and demanded a high degree of self-sufficiency.
My choice of route around each island was driven by the weather which varied from rain and strong southeasterlies in the first few days to calm foggy mornings and sunny afternoons with northwesterly gales the rest of the time. The swell was unusually low (1-2 meters) and I had no difficult surf landings. Tidal currents were strong (up to 6 knots in places) and the tidal differences large (25ft near Prince Rupert). Good landings and camp sites were few and far between, but could be exceptionally beautiful. There was never any competion for camps. Some days I didn't see any signs of humanity. Other days I saw the occasional ship or fishing boat far off in the distance. For the first 450 km I didn't see another human being. Almost the entire route was pristine wilderness. Wildlife was abundant with frequent sightings of eagles, humpback and orca whales, bears, mink and otters as well as wolf and cougar tracks on several beaches.
Finally, many thanks to my wife Kirti for posting progress updates and for giving me access to weather forecasts by satellite phone (not to mention letting me go in the first place!) and to Nigel Dennis Kayaks for their generous support and for building such an excellent expedition sea kayak in the NDK Explorer.
For pictures of the expedition visit the photo gallery.