KRÜGER CREATIVE
The Canoe
The last two summers, daily range was limited by space and weight on the board (as Karl brings all his supplies with him from the start of each leg), which has averaged about 400 pounds, including water, shotgun, camping supplies and Karl himself. To pull 400 pounds through choppy Arctic waters using a paddle is a feat, however, it made each day a mission to survive, rather than to thrive. Now Karl can take more time to document and share his journey, go further each day, and have time to wait out storms as they arrive. This final 1,000 miles to completion at Pond Inlet will be vastly more enjoyable and fruitful with the support of the canoe.
Jim Heath, the current owner of the canoe, writes below about the connection between Karl and the freighter canoe, and how this connection mirrors the history of the Arctic and the people.
The 2025 season begins at Kugluktuk, in Nunavut, Canada, roughly halfway through the Northwest Passage. To mitigate the risks, a 24-foot seagoing freighter canoe will serve as chase boat and supply vessel.
For almost 80 years, Canoes Nor-West of Quebec has built transport canoes that effectively replaced the umiak in the arctic. They are constructed of cedar, oak, and canvas but are vastly bigger and more stable than the recreational canoes.
When not on the water, these rugged craft line the beaches of settlements in the Canadian Arctic and Hudson Bay. They haul hunting parties and they carry thousands of pounds of walrus and seal. They are used to catch and tow narwhal and belugas. The hulls are reinforced: the big canoes ferry snowmobiles, which in turn drag the canoes across sea ice. Nor-West canoes take entire families on 100 mile open water crossings to follow game and fish migrations. Both on practical and cultural grounds, a Nor-West 24 is an ideal support vessel as it holds the heritage and has the ability to hold supplies need for support and documentation.
The owner is a nephew of the dean of arctic kayak research, the late John D. Heath, who was extremely sensitive to Arctic culture and will join the canoe with Kruger Sailing Creative to support Karl on this venture and to future explorations.