He was raised in Victoria by a sailing family, but it took Murray Down 44 days and 1,200 kilometres of rowing to truly appreciate sa国际传媒's coastal wilderness.
Down returned Aug. 29 from the seven-week trip, spent rowing his home-built boat from Victoria to Bella Bella and back. Along the way, he saw the coastline above the northern tip of Vancouver Island for the first time. "It has a very different feel; it's very wild up there," said the 29-yearold engineering student.
"The forests have a very different look - they look older," he said. "And there seems to be way more whales."
Now returned to his studies at the University of British Columbia, he said he is more convinced than ever of the risks associated with pipelines carrying bitumen from Alberta.
He said he spoke with people in coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on the sea, including fishermen, and they are all worried about the potential for spills and other pollution.
"There are lots of people who live in urban centres like Victoria and Vancouver who think the Great Bear Rainforest [near Bella Bella] is this faraway place," said Down. "But it's actually pretty close if I can row there."
Down built the rowboat using plans from a designer in Comox. His father, now a marine surveyor but once a boat builder, offered him useful advice.
The result is a special rowboat designed for the open ocean, with covering and sealed compartments for food and equipment.
"The cockpit is still open," said Down. "It actually looks kind of like a kayak."
