Nine years ago, Miranda Berry spent five months cruising up the BC Coast with her parents, Judd and Leah. She was five years-old at the time, and her strongest memory is of Father’s Day, navigating through glaciers, and taking a break to slide down them on garbage bags.
Upon return from that journey, Miranda, Judd and Leah moved from Vancouver to Bowen Island, where they had made an extended layover in order to sort out the final details before truly embarking. Miranda says she’s learned lots over the years from watching her dad putter and maintain their 1967 Cal-20 sailboat, The Sputnick, going on shorter summer trips with her parents, and learning to sail on her own through the Bowen Island Yacht Club Youth Program. Now, though, she says she’s ready for something more, ready to really learn sailing from her Dad, and to do the journey to Alaska again – only this time as a more active participant.
Miranda and Judd have applied, and been accepted as participants in the annual Race to Alaska.
As the Race to Alaska’s website explains: It’s like the Iditarod, on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear. There are squalls, killer whales, tidal currents that run upwards of 20 miles an hour, and some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.
Starting every year in June 14 in Port Townsend, Washington, participants sail across the Straight of Juan de Fuca to Victoria (40 miles), all the way up the Inside Passage to Ketchikan, Alaska (710 miles). The race requires all boats to be propelled either by the strength of the wind or the human beings inside them. If you win the race, you get $10,000 and if you come second you get a set of steak knives.
Judd, who reminisces about his daughter setting up a scene of dolls around the The Sputnik’s steering wheel when she was five, says that he has enjoyed following the annual Race to Alaska over the internet over the past few years.
Last summer, while sailing around the Gulf Islands, Judd, Leah and Miranda bumped into a number of other boaters with Race to Alaska stickers on their boats.
“They just kept on telling us not to over think it,” says Judd.
Miranda brought up the idea of combining the race with school by basing her International Baccalaureate project on it.
So, with that the two took the leap and registered.
“I think my dad was meant to be a highschool science teacher or something,” says Miranda. “Because he’s constantly fixing things on the boat and teaching me about them. Every time we go sailing I learn from him, so I know Iam going to learn so much from him doing this race and I am really looking forward to it.”
This summer, Judd and Miranda will stick to the first leg of the race from Port Townsend to Victoria, “a test run,” says Judd, and a chance to ensure their rowing system (made using rollerblade wheels) functions properly.
The pair plan to give themselves 20 days to make it all the way to Alaska in the summer of 2019.
Miranda says she’s signed up for a “strength and power” class instead of phys-ed next year in anticipation of the hard work ahead, and has also started training on a rowing machine.
Her Dad, meanwhile, is simply excited about sharing the adventure with his daughter.
“She was a bit hesitant to sail at first, when she started taking classes with the Bowen Island Yacht Club,” he says. “So I am just so happy that now she really loves it.”
Logistics for the trip will be supported by Leah. The team will also welcome community support in this department. You can look them up on the Race to Alaska website or on Facebook (look for Team Calico Race to Alaska).
