VANCOUVER ISLAND — They made it.
Three Bainbridge Island men — one 60 and two others in their late 50s — swam today across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the North Olympic Peninsula to Vancouver Island, a distance of some 12 miles.
The three had left at 6:55 a.m. from Freshwater Bay, west of Port Angeles.
Orlando Boleda, 59, was the first to reach shore just west of Beechy Head at 1:53 p.m., accomplishing the long-distance swim in 6 hours and 58 minutes, said Heather Burger, who was in the lead support boat, the 32-foot Isle of Shoals.
Paul Webber, 56, arrived 12 minutes later, at 2:05 p.m. and Ken Goodman, 60, reached shore at about 2:40 p.m., Burger said.
“They are all in good shape,” she said.
“They are very, very cold, but we’ve got them wrapped up in blankets, and they are pounding down” various snacks “and the first coffee of the day.”
“Everybody is just jubilant,” Burger said.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment.”
The swimmers expect to dock in Port Angeles late this afternoon. They are traveling back on two sailboats, the Isle of Shoals and the 37-foot Solh.
The sailboats, along with a power boat and three kayaks, served as support for the swimmers.
Along the way, they may be eating salmon.
A Canadian fisherman, who told Burger his name was Raymond Martin, hailed the lead support boat when the swimmers were some 3-to-4 miles from Vancouver Island.
He told the crew he would give them a fish when the swimmers came ashore.
Once they arrived, “he handed over a huge silver salmon to us,” Burger said by cell phone.
“We’re going to take it somewhere and grill it and really, really enjoy eating it,” she said before adding, “hey, we have grills on both the sailboats.
“We may eat it on the way back.”
EARLIER STORY
STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA — Three swimmers who left Freshwater Bay near Port Angeles this morning to swim the Strait of Juan de Fuca were about 2 miles from Vancouver Island by noon today.
At this rate, the three Bainbridge Island men could come ashore by 1:30 p.m. or 2 p.m.
“They are doing great. They’re in their groove, haven’t slowed down, staying warm and staying strong,” said Heather Burger, who is in the lead support boat, Isle of Shoals, a 32-foot sailboat.
Ken Goodman, 60, Paul Webber, 56, and Orlando Boleda, 59 launched their swim from Freshwater Bay between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m..
They had mapped out a 12-mile route to Church Point, which is about 11 miles southwest of Victoria and about 4 miles west of Race Rocks.
But they may come ashore a few miles west at Beechy Head because of the influence of the currents, Burger said.
EARLIER STORY
STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA — Three Bainbridge Island men aiming to swim 12 miles to Church Point on Vancouver Island were about halfway across the Strait of Juan de Fuca at 10:30 a.m. today.
Ken Goodman, 60, Paul Webber, 56, and Orlando Boleda, 59 launched their swim from Freshwater Bay west of Port Angeles between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., said Heather Burger, who is in the lead support boat, and Chris Simmons, who is piloting the lone power boat in the entourage.
The swimmers, supported by three boats and three kayaks, have experienced no problems so far, said Burger and Simmons.
“One is lagging 500 to 600 yards from the others but all are doing well,” Simmons said.
Boleda and Webber are in the lead, Burger said.
Goodman “is the slower of the three swimmers. That doesn’t mean he’s not doing well. It’s just the pace that he sets,” she said.
The weather is “absolutely perfect,” Burger and Simmons said.
“It’s virtually glassy out here,” Simmons said. “It’s about as good as it gets for swimming the Strait.”
Burger said that the cold is the biggest obstacle.
The Strait water temperature, which ranges between 51 and 53 degrees, is slightly colder than the Bainbridge Island waters where the men have trained, Burger said, adding that the water around the island is generally between 55 and 58 degrees this time of the year.
All the swimmers are in wet suits and support crew members are feeding them warm soup and sweetened water.
“They’re doing fine but it is a little colder than they are used to,” Simmons said.
Simmons said the currents have drifted slightly west “but they are about to change and that should put us in an easterly direction so we’ll be back on track,” he said.
Burger and Simmons hope the swimmers will reach Church Point, which is about 11 miles southwest of Victoria and about 4 miles west of Race Rocks, between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. today.
Some of crew supporting the swimmers are from D.A. Davidson & Co., Simmons said.
Webber is a financial advisor with the Bainbridge Island office. Simmons and another support boat captain — who has a 37-foot sailboat — are from the Port Angeles office of the company.
“We’re supporting our fellow employees,” he said.
Each of the swimmers is being monitored by a kayaker.
Since Simmons has the power boat, he can get a swimmer to a hospital should the need arise, he said.
Burger, who is on the Isle of Shoals, a 32-foot sailboat, pacing the lead swimmers, is a fellow long-distance swimmer who serves on the board of Arms Around Bainbridge with Goodman, an attorney, and Boleda, who is vice president of operations for KP LLC in Seattle,
Arms Around Bainbridge was formed in 2007 to give financial assistance to people with serious illnesses and its major fundraiser is an annual swim around the island.
Burger also did a 10¼-mile swim in the Willamette River near Portland, Ore., with Goodman and Boleda last year.
Today’s swim has been approved by the Coast Guard, Simmons said.
“The ships and planes can see what we’re doing and they are avoiding us,” he added.
As for wildlife, crew members have seen no large mammals, but they have released two native silver salmon.
“We’re fishing while we’re doing this,” Simmons said.
EARLIER STORY
PORT ANGELES — The three Bainbridge Island men, ranging from 56 to 60 years old, had talked for years of swimming across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the North Olympic Peninsula to Vancouver Island.
If the weather seems right and the waves aren’t too high, today is the day.
“We tossed the idea around for a couple of years,” said Ken Goodman, 60, an attorney.
“Early last spring, six to seven months ago, Paul said we should do that this year.”
Financial adviser Paul Webber, 56, Orlando Boleda, 59 — who is vice president of operations for KP LLC in Seattle — and Goodman will check it out at Freshwater Bay at about 6:45 a.m.
Their best hope is for a sunny day with no wind and a smooth, glassy water surface, but they’ll settle for waves they can handle.
“If the wind wave is more than 2 feet, it’s too difficult to swim, too tiring,” Goodman said.
“We may even start and get out there and, if weather conditions deteriorate,” give it up.
Thursday’s weather forecast for today was for virtually no wind and no waves.
“So we’re almost certain to go,” Goodman said.
All three are experienced open-water long-distance swimmers.
“Orlando is the best swimmer, Paul’s close to him, and I’m dragging along,” Goodman said.
They’ve done open-water swims around Bainbridge Island since 2005.
In 2007, they organized a swim from Bainbridge Island to west Seattle, a distance of 5¼ miles, and in 2008 did it round trip, Goodman said.
The three men, along with four other people, formed a charity in 2007 called Arms Around Bainbridge to raise money to give financial assistance to people with serious illnesses.
“The signature event is a swim around Bainbridge Island every August,” said Goodman, who serves with Boleda on the board.
Last year, Goodman and Boleda completed a 10¼-mile swim in the Willamette River near Portland, Ore.
“That was flat, not much current — easier conditions” than open ocean, Goodman said.
The swim from Freshwater Bay to Church Point on Vancouver Island would be the longest swim any of the three has attempted.
Their chosen route, which would put them at a point about 11 miles southwest of Victoria and about 4 miles west of Race Rocks, is 12 miles.
They plan to have one kayaker guide and one support boat providing warm drinks and other care for each of the three.
The swim should take between six and seven hours. The three will return to the Peninsula by boat.
They will wear wet suits.
They aren’t trying to emulate Andrew Malinak, a Seattle civil engineer who almost made the swim from Vancouver Island to the Peninsula in July 2013 without wearing a wet suit.
The 26-year-old got as far as about 2 miles west of Crescent Beach before giving up in the face of strong currents and chilly water.
“He is in a whole different league,” Goodman said.
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Managing Editor/News Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3531 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
