North Pacific II: Vancouver to Seattle

Leaving Vancouver, we hug the coast north into Vancouver Island – a landscape of dense forest, quiet inlets and remote communities that have little to do with the plastic that keeps washing up on their shores.

The North Pacific Current is one of the great conveyor belts of the ocean. Plastic from coastal cities, fishing fleets and container ships is swept eastward before arriving here. Sampling these remote shorelines lets us trace that journey, building our shared understanding of how much plastic is moving through the system, where it started, and what it would take to stop it.

We sail through the Broken Islands, exploring and sampling as we go. This area is home to over a hundred forested islands, protected as part of Pacific Rim National Park. Largely accessible only by water, with lagoons, secluded anchorages and abundant wildlife, including seals, sea lions, otters, eagles and grey whales.

Finally, we turn south and head into Seattle.

S/V Sea Dragon is a 72ft, 90,000lb displacement steel hulled sailing vessel built in the UK in 2000. She is one of 11 yachts built for the Global Challenge Race – one of the longest, most demanding ocean voyages ever made with an upwind, west-about 32,000km circumnavigation.

The boat provides a superb platform for rugged capability, capacity, and efficiency with a naturally low environmental footprint. The British Maritime and Coastal Agency rate Sea Dragon to the highest standard of Category 0 All Oceans. Designed to thrive in the Southern Ocean and safely handle the world’s worst sailing conditions, the boat is also specifically set up for volunteer crew with limited sailing experience while reaching cruising speeds of up to 10 knots – she is a genuine ocean explorer.

Sea Dragon can accommodate up to 11 guest crew in comfortable sea berths. There are two heads with showers, a large well-stocked galley, and a comfortable salon with seating for the entire crew. With extensive sails, fresh-water making, tenders, medical supplies and almost 1kw of wind/solar power, the boat is equipped with everything needed for extended passage making are remote exploration.