It was certainly no pleasure cruise.
Local writer and magazine editor Peter Robson has just returned from quite the adventure.
Robson was aboard the 68 ft. Victoria Canada during a leg of the 2005/06 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
Robson was on the Qingdao, China to Victoria, B.C. leg of the race. The Victoria Canada won the leg by about 100 miles, which was pretty special considering they were the home town boat.
The 29-day, 5,600-mile passage across the north Pacific is considered to be the toughest leg of the race, which is the longest in both time and distance of any sporting event in the world today.
The 10 identical yachts taking part in the race left Liverpool, England in September, 2005 and are expected to finish in Liverpool this July. There are 18 crew aboard each boat. Each boat is named after one of the host cities along the route. The Victoria Canada is sponsored by the city of Victoria and other Vancouver Island businesses.
Robson left China on April 8, crossing a route that took him into the most northerly latitudes of the north Pacific, off the coasts of Russia, the Aleutians and Alaska.
The trip was everything and more than Robson expected.
"The trip was filled with storms, freezing cold, snow and sleet and proved to be the longest, roughest, coldest and overall the most difficult leg of the entire race," Robson said. "I've raced before and spent a lot of time on the water, but this trip was a whole different experience. Racing to a destination is a whole different ball game."
Robson was the only British Columbian aboard, though Calgarian Angus McKay is aboard for the entire circumnavigation. Robson has extensive racing and offshore sailing experience and has sailed between Victoria and Hawaii several times over the years - the first at age 17. While most of the crew pay up to $15,000 to participate in each of the race's seven legs, Robson worked as the onboard journalist and a full member of the crew.
Robson, who moved to Garden Bay 10 years ago to work for Howard White's Harbour Publishing, is the editor for the popular monthly magazine, Pacific Yachting.
He said battling the elements, from the rough, high seas to the intense cold, was something he never expected.
"There was no heat on the boat, so you were constantly wet and fighting to stay warm," he said. "Whether you were up top working or down below trying to get warm or sleep, it was a constant challenge. Very quickly you started to wonder 'What the heck am I doing out here?'"
Robson said there were a few days during the trip when the weather cleared and one could appreciate the moment, but those days quickly faded from memory when the next storm rolled in.
"You'd work four hours then have four hours off and that was 24/7," he said. "During my off time I tried to do my writing so I could compile my stories for my own magazine. It was pretty difficult trying to write below. I never get seasick, but I can tell you I was sick a couple of times during this trip."
Robson said the crew was under constant pressure battling the elements, while trying to remain competitive in the race.
"You have to remember that this is a race. You're in this to try to win. One wrong move with a sail or some other equipment, and it could cost you," he said. "I grew up racing yachts and was always fascinated by the idea of racing round the world. Would I do this again? No, I don't think so.
"When you get only a few hours of sleep a day, constantly battle cold and wet like we did, the conditions are just too tough. But very few people have sailed non-stop across the north Pacific. To say that I survived this gruelling passage is something pretty special. Put it this way: when we saw Vancouver Island for the first time, I was pretty relieved that the trip was over."
