Solo Kayak Expedition along Maine's Coastline

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‘Will aka The Mad Yakker, a seasoned Merchant Marine Officer, recently embarked on a daring solo kayak expedition along Maine's rugged coastline. His 200-mile journey, meticulously planned using the Maine Island Trail Guidebook, saw him navigate treacherous waters, sleep under starlit skies on remote islands, and confront unexpected challenges.’

Background

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I was raised on the banks of the Suwannee River, in North Florida. The Suwannee was a big part of my identity growing up, and I spent a lot of time exploring its banks by kayak and canoe. My grandparents and a handful of cousins lived only a quarter mile downriver, so I would often paddle over to visit them as well.

Before travelling along Maine’s coastline, how much experience with sea kayaking did you have? 

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While I have always enjoyed kayaking, I didn’t get into Sea-Kayaking until my time as a cadet at Maine Maritime Academy. I moved to Maine in pursuit of becoming a Merchant Marine Officer; a goal made possible through the academies’ 4- year program. While at school, I began exploring the waters around our campus with an inflatable kayak (Kept hidden from inspections under my dorm bed).

Although I’ve almost always paddled solo, I’ll have to give my college roommate, Ben, a little credit here. Ben and I had begun testing my new craft back in the spring of 2020, pushing out to sea just a bit further each time. While I was a bit timid to leave the safety of our cove at first, Ben provided proper encouragement, yelling “Let’s just go a little farther!” while bracing against the pass of each increasingly larger swell. Eventually, we became emboldened enough to cross the Castine Harbor Channel, marking a relatively small, but first island crossing for me.

After graduating from the academy, I found a shipping job working a 60 day on- 60 day off schedule. While long vacations are nice, I quickly discovered the off-time could get quite boring. Most of my friends from school had now dispersed themselves around the country, and the unusual work schedule made relationships difficult. So, I thought, what is something I can do alone, that I love doing, and that keeps me busy and healthy? Sea Kayaking was the answer. I decided to retire my inflatable and purchase a real Sea- Kayak: A Wilderness System’s Tsunami 175 in my case and began spending time exploring some areas that were previously out of reach.

  You very recently completed a 200-mile solo expedition along Maine’s coastline from Portland to Cutler which you documented on your YouTube Channel The Mad Yakker - Can you tell us what inspired you to embark on this solo expedition? 

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Although shorter excursions and day- trips are fun, I could feel the calling for a longer voyage in my bones. I had the urge to do something wild; to be completely immersed in the environment around me, uncaring of the salt encrusted on my clothing or soreness in my arms. Just to be a man alive in the moment, living atop piles of rocks between miles of ocean in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Silly question, but where did you sleep? Was it a matter of stopping every few miles at the nearest town? 

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Not at all! I have actually been asked this a couple times.

I slept on islands for the entire voyage, carrying in my kayak’s “cargo holds” everything I needed to do so, including a tent, sleeping bag, and cooking equipment. After landing on an island, my first task was to carry over 100lbs of gear and supplies from the beach to my campsite, or at least above the high tide line. The difficulty varies based on distance to the campsite and landing type.

Some islands have sandy beaches, but others require landing on slick rocks in relentless surf, or granite ledges covered in seaweed. Once all the gear had been carried (and the boat itself), my immediate objectives were setting up solar panels to begin recharging electronics, and hanging wet clothing out to dry. After that, I like to set out and explore the island. I usually give my viewers a tour through the camera lens as well.

  What type of research did you conduct prior to your expedition? If any, and how did you choose the route from Portland to Cutler? 

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The most important tool in my planning arsenal was a Maine Island Trail Guidebook. The “Maine Island Trail” itself is a collection of over 250 islands and costal sites, many of which are free to camp on. The guidebook includes rough maps of each section of coastline, detailed descriptions of each island on the trail, and notes about areas prone to heavy vessel traffic, strong tidal currents, and other dangerous conditions.  

Starting with the guidebook, I identified many of the potential islands I could camp on, and ports I could resupply at. I then used the measurement tool on google earth to find distances between these areas and plotted a series of routes.

I should note that unlike a trail on land, the Maine Island Trail has no one “correct” path to follow. Instead, it was important to identify as many “possible” paths as I could with the understanding that even the foolhardiest plans can be shattered the moment you begin a Sea- Kayaking voyage.

How much Food and water did you bring?

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I had capacity for 3 days of water on board, and 5 days of food. I tried to resupply as often as I could, and I never dropped below 1.5 days of either in reserve. It is good practice to have much more than you need, in case you get stranded on an island due to rough weather for a couple nights.

For those curious, what gear and supplies did you consider essential for this journey? 

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I bring a plethora of gear along with me, and most all of it can be considered “essential” in some capacity. For anyone looking to learn more about Sea- Kayaking safety, equipment, I’d recommend looking at one of the many online resources or watching my safety video on “The Mad Yakker”.

I’d like to use this opportunity to depart from the usual arsenal of Sea- Kayaking safety equipment and list some unique gear that I have come to appreciate through experience.

·         Drinking water pouch: I stow a “camel back” style water pouch on deck directly behind me, which has a long straw and nozzle for easy drinking. This enables me to continue paddling while I get a drink, instead of having to pull off my spray skirt and fumble around with a water bottle!

·         A sail: I carry with me a cheap, basic circular- kayak sail which folds down nicely. It provides very little speed when compared to paddling, but is great for lunchbreaks at sea!

·         “Dude Wipes”: A type of body wipe I found at the local store. Really any body wipe will work, but you’ll want something tough enough to scrape a day’s worth of salt spray off your body before climbing into your relatively clean sleeping bag for the night.

·         Mosquito Spray!! A must for anyone on the Maine Island Trail. Salt-water mosquitos are ferocious!

Were you at all nervous about this particular trip? And what safety measures did you have planned out? 

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Of course! But I’d categorize it more as a having an appreciation for the dangers, and a hope that all would go smoothly. The ocean is much more powerful than you, and just as there are beautiful days filled with fair winds and following seas, there are raw days filled with stinging spray and white-capped-power that would make survival challenging at best. The most important safety measure was filing a “float plan” with my dad, which meant informing him of my intended destinations and ETAs. Although I carry a plethora of safety equipment on board, it is important to have someone ashore who is aware of your approximate position if all goes wrong.

   Did you encounter any unexpected challenges along the way? If so, how did you handle them?

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My environment was constantly changing, thus requiring 100% mental focus to safely navigate between campsites while sunlight lasted. Wind and waves can interact with tides, cliff faces, and undersea bars to create dangerous conditions out of nowhere, even in otherwise benign weather. But weather wasn’t the only danger.

At one point, I ended up paddling in pitch- black darkness for some time after being chased by a pod angry grey seal, who I presume were only protecting their pups near the island I wanted to land on. The seals acted aggressively towards me, surfacing and slapping their fins only a couple feet from my boat. I plan on sharing this experience and many others in my upcoming YouTube series.

 In total, how long did it take you to complete your solo expedition? 

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I departed from Portland, ME, on August 29th at 1130, and I arrived at my final destination of Cutler, ME, on September 6th at 1300. Total time was 8 days 1.5 hrs, total paddling time was 48 hrs.

After your trip was completed, did you have any ‘Wow’ moments that stuck with you? 

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On my final evening, I landed on Cross Island just before sunset. I was exhausted, wet, cold, and mosquito- bitten despite 3 layers of OFF. I expected to find a well-maintained grass lawn to camp on in front of an outdoor survival school as described in the guidebook but found something completely unforgettable instead. The lawn had grown over, and the survival school’s “staff house” was completely abandoned.

Inside, its walls held decades of memories in old photos, drawings, and trinkets made by the school children. There was even a logbook dating back to the 1970s! It was such a peculiar feeling being in such a remote, dated building surrounded by memories of people I’d never met. But most importantly, it was warm, dry, and mosquito free inside. After a candlelight dinner on the old dining table, I threw down my sleeping bag and called it a night.

The morning light brought more clarity to my new home’s condition: The paint was peeling down, floors were peeling up, and there were more than a few missing window panes. But the most peculiar thing was: It wasn’t vandalized. All of the damage could be chalked up to the toll of time. I felt extremely lucky to have found shelter in a place so well preserved from the past, and to think that it had once again provided a warm place to lie down. Plus, I discovered a map inside indicating the location of an 85ft sea cave on the island, which I explore in my YouTube series as well!

Lastly, if you had to change anything about this trip, what would it have been?

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Honestly, I think the trip went very well! It was a unique experience and I’m not sure I would change anything if I could.

Thank you Will, for taking the time out of your day to inspire others. At this stage, you are welcome to add any additional information you feel the audience should know about yourselves or share additional stories.

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Besides my boat and equipment, most of which I’ll probably continue to use for the rest of my life, this trip cost me virtually nothing. All I had to pay for was the food and water that fueled my body, and I got to experience 200 miles of Maine’s coastline. Prior to this trip, the longest I had ever paddled was 60 miles… and before that, only 12. While I don’t advise anyone looking for an adventure to do exactly as I have, I believe that most people set limits for themselves far below what they are actually capable of, and I hope this inspires some to depart their comfort zone for their own adventure.

To continue following our explorer The Mad Yakker’s journey or simply want to reach out and say Hi, you can connect with them on the following accounts:

Episode 1 of my series “Maine by Sea Kayak” is out now! I will be posting footage from the rest of my voyage as I edit it. Go look for “The Mad Yakker” on YouTube or visit my Instagram page at billyprocko42 for a link in the bio. 

If anyone has other questions about the trip, or would like to connect, feel free to email me at wdprocko@gmail.com or message me on Instagram @billyprocko42

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