Barriers in Boating

I was at a boating event (yes even in January!) and got into a discussion on the different barriers that boaters on the Inside Passage typically talk about. If you are starting in the Puget Sound the first big step is getting to the San Juan Islands, then it is crossing the border into Canadian waters. If you continue to venture north, you will have to cross the Strait of Georgia and then work your way up to Chatterbox Falls or Desolation Sound. This list goes on and on until you cross Dixon Entrance to finally arrive in Ketchikan AK. Along the way you will have to anchor, account for the rise and fall of tides, read a current table to hit slack water at a number of tidal rapids, learn to judge how the wind will impact the water you will be traveling on in a given day and the list goes on. All barriers, all legitimate and clearly, all surmountable. With some planning and research, you will find that these barriers are soon behind you. This discussion of barriers also applies to the beginning-how to get started in boating. Which boat to buy, how much will it cost, how to deal with insurance and moorage. All legitimate barriers and again, all can be overcome.   It is January and that is the time for a fresh start and new goals. Decide where you want to be in your boating journey by the end of 2025, do the research, ask for help (remember boaters are friendly!) and most importantly, take that first step. I find that the mountain I just climbed over, when I look back, was really more of a speed bump.