Team members: Gabe Mills, Jon Totten, Terry Brinton, Jason Taft
Hometown: Coeur d’Alene, ID, USA
Race vessel: Corsair F27
LOA: 27′
Human propulsion: Pedal (Prop)
Connect: website, instagram, facebook, youtube
In 2023, Team Dogsmile Adventures attempted to muscle their trimaran up the Grenville Channel—a dead-straight, 40-mile geological Venturi—and learned, in full Dolby Digital, what a bulkhead sounds like when it files for divorce. The ripping noise occurred while they were doing sets on a watery treadmill: doing eight knots through the water and zero knots over the ground. They turned downwind, went home having not succeeded, and made a documentary: “Success: A Race to Alaska Story.”
They’re back with the same Farrier F-27, now featuring extra Elmer’s glue holding it all together. From their landlocked base in North Idaho, they’ve refined a propulsion system of two homebuilt pedal drives that have been “troubleshot” (broken and welded) across a couple of seasons.
The logistics are purely Idahoan: they’ll be fueled by a commercial-grade stash of freeze-dried elk chili and moose sausage, managing a water budget that ran dry exactly as they hit the Bella Bella dock last time.
Underneath the high-protein diet and the quest for redemption sits Dogsmile Adventures, a therapeutic sailing nonprofit. The race is a 750-mile signal flare for their mission of breaking boats to fix people. They’ve suggested a finish time of five to eight days—a confident plan that Poseidon plans to throw sea-wrenches at.
The Race to Alaska Podcast
Episode 13: Team Dogsmile Adventures, Team Mad Hornblowers, Team Old Farts
→ Listen on Spotify
→ Listen on YouTube
→ Listen on Apple Podcasts
First things first, why Race to Alaska?
1. Why wouldn’t you Race to Alaska if you had the opportunity? It’s an incredible adventure through some of the most beautiful waters anywhere in the world.
2. To raise awareness for Dogsmile Adventures:
Dogsmile Adventures is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 therapeutic sailing program based in Sandpoint, Idaho. We create powerful opportunities for people to discover healing and potential through sailing adventures. While our focus is on under-resourced communities, such as veterans, youth, and those facing the challenges associated with addiction, domestic violence, and physical or mental disabilities, our programs are open to anyone who believes that spending time on a sailboat will make them feel better.
What’s the one piece of advice you’re absolutely going to ignore?
Slow down and be conservative.
Night-Before Sleep (hh:mm)
08:00
Confidence Level
89%