Red Tape & Fine Print

Will We Let You In?

There are no formal certifications required to enter R2AK. But that doesn’t mean we take anyone who can spell “Ketchikan.” In fact, we say “no” often enough that we’re thinking about getting a custom stamp made.

This race crosses some of the roughest, most remote water in North America. People have been traveling the Inside Passage for thousands of years in every kind of craft. People have also gotten hurt, killed, lost boats, and made awful decisions in the same water for just as long.

We don’t use checklists. We look for evidence that you know what you’re getting into and that your experience matches the realities of the route. Every single year, we turn down applications because the experience, the training plan, or the vessel isn’t there yet. A common red flag is when someone’s idea of “big, steep seas” turns out to mean four-foot swells and twenty-eight knots—a scale that doesn’t match what the Inside Passage can deliver.

You don’t need to have already dealt with every type of nasty that R2AK can deliver, but your experience should make the jump a realistic one – and you should know enough to stay competent as things get bigger than what you’ve seen.

When a team submits an application, we expect to see:

  • Navigation in complex, tidal, poorly sheltered waters
  • Time in big water with real weather and consequences
  • Long-duration rowing, paddling, or sailing
  • Night and low-visibility travel
  • Collision avoidance in mixed-use waterways
  • Independent operation in no-rescue situations
  • Practical first aid
  • Trip planning and on-water decision-making
  • Repair skills relevant to your vessel

This list isn’t exhaustive. What matters is the totality of where you’ve been, what you’ve handled, and what you’ve learned.

Boats matter, too.

We evaluate your vessel the same way we evaluate your experience. It needs to be seaworthy, recoverable if swamped, and appropriate for the route. A capable boat with an unprepared team—or the reverse—won’t pass.

The point

R2AK is unsupported. That doesn’t just mean you can’t accept help; it means that we do not provide any safety support or rescue apparatus during the race. When you’re out there, you’re out there. If you’re on the start line, you need the skills, judgment, and experience to operate independently in conditions that routinely humble experienced mariners. If you’re not there yet, get the experience and come back—many successful teams have taken that path.

Equipment

The law dictates what you need to have onboard. You will notice that we don’t have any section on our site that describes to you what those items are. Instead, we trust that you can handle that yourself. We expect you to have a full and complete understanding of the laws that pertain to your vessel – we don’t see it as our job to educate you on this. We’ll be sure to heap on the love in other ways.

In addition to what the law requires, WE will require you to carry three other things.

  • EPIRB/PLB – At least one per boat, and properly registered to you. No, a Garmin is not an EPIRB.
  • GPS Tracker Device – We will issue this to you. The tracker is how your friends, family, and fans follow along – however: it is not something that you should think of as a safety device, or rely upon in any way, whatsoever.
  • Functional VHF with enough juice for the whole shebang.

Borders

You’ll be crossing a border if you want to do this race. Some of you may cross several. Make sure you’re allowed to do so, and have all the correct documentation, both for yourself and your vessel, before you attempt to enter the Great Maple Syrup North.

Be safe, be warm, be visible

In addition to what is required, prudent racers will consider at least the following list:

  • Emergency smoke signals and dye markers
  • Radar reflectors
  • Emergency shelter
  • Sufficient water and food
  • Clothing and shelter systems that will retain heat when wet
  • Adequate first aid supplies
  • Charts and navigation equipment
  • Anchor and line
  • Redundant systems for safety, navigation, and emergencies

While our litigious society prohibits us from saying what we would bring or offering any useful advice* we encourage you to talk with fellow racers, boating education institutions, other adventure races, and life-saving organizations as to what you should bring.

* Legal counsel has advised us to remind you that this could be pretty damned dangerous. You should probably just forget about the whole thing.

Look at what other racers have to say about gear and everything else at the R2AK Racer Forum.

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