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A Complex Coast: A Kayak Journey from Vancouver Island to Alaska
A soul-searching personal account of a young man’s 1,700-kilometre kayak journey from Victoria, BC, to Gustavas, Alaska, illustrated with whimsical watercolour maps and illustrations of local flora, fauna, and landscapes.
In 2014, twenty-four-year-old geography student David Norwell set off on a daunting kayak journey in search of purpose in his life. A jigsaw puzzle of jagged mainland and over 50,000 islands—stretching from southern Vancouver Island to Alaska—lay in front of him. A self-described ordinary kid from small-to-medium-town, British Columbia, David had paddled through the Gulf Islands and guided youth groups on a nine-day journey from Nanaimo to Victoria. But nothing could prepare him for this.
For the next several months, David navigated the waters off the coastal British Columbia, recording his observations, musings, and daily activities in a notebook. The result is this one-of-a-kind travelogue, filled with more than 700 whimsical watercolour illustrations of coastlines, local plant and animal species, camping supplies, and portraits of people he met along the way. He wrote about the nature of solitude, the search for meaning and adventure, the wildlife he encountered, the survival skills he acquired, and the existence of his own privilege. A Complex Coast is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that will appeal to kayakers, naturalists, and anyone looking for adventure.
In 2014, twenty-four-year-old geography student David Norwell set off on a daunting kayak journey in search of purpose in his life. A jigsaw puzzle of jagged mainland and over 50,000 islands—stretching from southern Vancouver Island to Alaska—lay in front of him. A self-described ordinary kid from small-to-medium-town, British Columbia, David had paddled through the Gulf Islands and guided youth groups on a nine-day journey from Nanaimo to Victoria. But nothing could prepare him for this.
For the next several months, David navigated the waters off the coastal British Columbia, recording his observations, musings, and daily activities in a notebook. The result is this one-of-a-kind travelogue, filled with more than 700 whimsical watercolour illustrations of coastlines, local plant and animal species, camping supplies, and portraits of people he met along the way. He wrote about the nature of solitude, the search for meaning and adventure, the wildlife he encountered, the survival skills he acquired, and the existence of his own privilege. A Complex Coast is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that will appeal to kayakers, naturalists, and anyone looking for adventure.
224 pages, Paperback
Published May 2, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 5, 2026
Aren't books the best gift?! I just opened a gift from a friend and this was one of three books she'd chosen for me to read on my Alaskan cruise. It sounds so interesting and the graphics are wonderful.
More to follow! Anchors aweigh!
≈≈=========================
This beautiful book was a birthday gift from a friend. It came with one condition: that I leave it in a little free library at a port on my Alaskan cruise.
It’s ½ journal, ¼ watercolour paintings, and ¼ nature lessons, recipes, tips, etc.
David Norwell was 24 years old when he became utterly frustrated with our test-centered education system and enrolled in a field course in Bella Bella, 350 miles North of Victoria, Vancouver Island. He planned to kayak from Victoria (leaving April 4, 2014) and arrive 30 days later in Bella Bella in time to start his course. This book is his record of the 1700 km paddle from Victoria to Alaska - 92 days in his kayak!
His preparation for the trip astounded me:
He wrangled a 17ft kayak (he named Bell Pepper) from one of his professors for a steal of a deal
It holds 250L of gear (trekking backpack holds 70L)
He packed 33kg of books!
90% of his food was reclaimed, meaning he dumpster-dived at grocery stores in Victoria
SPOT gizmo (one-way satellite check-in device that sends message ‘I’m ok’ along with his location to 10 preset emails)
Things I highlighted:
🙂There are over 50,000 islands between Victoria and Skagway, 29, 603 of them in B.C. alone!
🙂Info on the specialized feathers on a heron
🙂Recipe for oyster burgers
🙂“The ego is nothing more than one’s attachment to an idea.”
🙂“There are two kinds of happiness: that which comes from possessing what we desire - food, family, fame, fortune, etc - and happiness that comes from having nothing - the willful acceptance of what we lack.”
If you are outdoorsy or love to kayak, this is a must-have! I’m neither, but my friend knows I’m curious about our BC coast and this book is packed with learning experiences, making it perfect for inquisitive minds like mine.
More to follow! Anchors aweigh!
≈≈=========================
This beautiful book was a birthday gift from a friend. It came with one condition: that I leave it in a little free library at a port on my Alaskan cruise.
It’s ½ journal, ¼ watercolour paintings, and ¼ nature lessons, recipes, tips, etc.
David Norwell was 24 years old when he became utterly frustrated with our test-centered education system and enrolled in a field course in Bella Bella, 350 miles North of Victoria, Vancouver Island. He planned to kayak from Victoria (leaving April 4, 2014) and arrive 30 days later in Bella Bella in time to start his course. This book is his record of the 1700 km paddle from Victoria to Alaska - 92 days in his kayak!
His preparation for the trip astounded me:
He wrangled a 17ft kayak (he named Bell Pepper) from one of his professors for a steal of a deal
It holds 250L of gear (trekking backpack holds 70L)
He packed 33kg of books!
90% of his food was reclaimed, meaning he dumpster-dived at grocery stores in Victoria
SPOT gizmo (one-way satellite check-in device that sends message ‘I’m ok’ along with his location to 10 preset emails)
Things I highlighted:
🙂There are over 50,000 islands between Victoria and Skagway, 29, 603 of them in B.C. alone!
🙂Info on the specialized feathers on a heron
🙂Recipe for oyster burgers
🙂“The ego is nothing more than one’s attachment to an idea.”
🙂“There are two kinds of happiness: that which comes from possessing what we desire - food, family, fame, fortune, etc - and happiness that comes from having nothing - the willful acceptance of what we lack.”
If you are outdoorsy or love to kayak, this is a must-have! I’m neither, but my friend knows I’m curious about our BC coast and this book is packed with learning experiences, making it perfect for inquisitive minds like mine.
January 3, 2026
I was enraptured! Thank you for lending it to me Pookie!
January 18, 2024
The author takes an epic solo kayak trip from Victoria, BC to Gustavus, Alaska in two summers. Along the way he relates his thoughts on nature and sea life, family, friends, love life, resource extraction and his general philosophy on life. There are many great drawings of maps, coastlines and sea life together with sidebars on further information about them. This book is highly relatable since he is a kayaker as I am and he travels through coastlines of my home territory. I also happen to agree with most of his thoughts, though he dwells too much on the white guilt about indigenous peoples. Also he covers the zoology and biology of the coast too much for my interest level. To be fair, if I took such a solo journey, perhaps I would be paying much more attention to the life around me. However, I would not be taking such a journey solo. It is incredibly dangerous. It is not recommended for anyone to go out in such waters by themselves.
October 26, 2024
I adored every minute of this introspective memoir/travel journal. David Norwell kayaked from Vancouver island to Alaska, painting, connecting, and reflecting along the way. Personally, I adore the Pacific Northwest and this coastal rainforest I now call home, but the level of intimacy Norwell develops with the land and ecosystems through this kind of experience is quite inspiring. If you love a good travelogue, the west coast, a nature journal, or a lot of food for thought, I think you’ll love this book too.
August 24, 2023
Norwell's book is a combination travelogue & diary. He documents his kayak journey from Victoria, BC to Gustavas/Skagway, AL & includes lots of cute illustrations of everything he encountered along the way. While a fascinating journey because the book is built like a diary it lacks any real narrative structure, at the same time it is filled with his ruminations about his journey & his life.
December 18, 2023
After meeting David at a book festival, I couldn’t wait to read his book. Just like him, it’s open, honest, and genuine. As someone who enjoys kayaking and loves being outside, I could connect to a lot of what he was talking about. I also appreciated the attention he paid both on his journey and in the book to Indigenous people of the coast and their land. The artwork was stunning, and really helped bring David’s journal to life. The reason why I dropped a star off my rating is because I had hoped there would be more profound insights about what David’s journey taught him, but I felt it remained more surface level. Otherwise, it’s a beautiful and enjoyable read about the power of venturing outside!
December 19, 2024
I liked the format of this book - drawings and journal entries, but it was too meandering and too much information. While I was curious about his long distance kayaking trip up the west coast, there were too many details that I didn’t want to read about.
August 27, 2023
Nicely done kayak travelogue / diary - a little TMI at times.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews