Don Starkell
Encyclopedia
Don Starkell is a Canadian adventurer, diarist and author.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he had a difficult childhood including an abusive father, four and a half years in an orphanage, and later with a foster family in North Kildonan
. He took up canoeing in his teens and at age 17 was named Most Outstanding Novice at the Kildonan Canoe Club. He competed professionally as a canoeist, winning 10 out of 12 races that he entered. In 1967, he was a member of the Manitoba team that competed in the 1967 Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant and Race from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
to Montreal, Quebec. The team won the race after a gruelling effort lasting 104 days. Starkell suffered serious burns to his legs, as well as smoke inhalation when a fire broke out in his house in Winnipeg in March, 2010.
to its headwaters south of Fargo, North Dakota
. From there the canoists portage
d to the Minnesota River
and then continued down the Mississippi River
to the Intracoastal Waterway
at La Rose, Louisiana. They followed the Waterway south to Mexico, then skirted the coast of Mexico to Veracruz
where they spent three and a half months (November 1980 to mid February 1981) to recover from the journey to date, a journey that had been—and would continue to be—fraught with difficulty. By this time, Jeff Starkell decided to abandon the adventure and Donald and Dana continued on alone. They paddled along the rest of Mexico and Central America to South America. Off the Guajira Peninsula
in Colombia
they were beset by modern pirates but escaped. They almost died on the Gulf of Coro, Venezuela after being trapped on a sandbar by strong headwinds as their food supplies ran out. Eventually, on October 14, 1981 they made land at Port of Spain, Trinidad, where they recuperated for six weeks. On New Years Day, 1982, they set off from Port of Spain and three days later crossed the Columbus Channel
to Venezuela. There, at Pedernales
, they entered the delta of the Orinoco River. Over the next two months they paddled virtually the entire length of the Orinoco to Tama Tama where they entered the Casiquiare canal
, the only natural canal in the world. Via this route they reached the Rio Negro and then the Amazon River
at Manaus, Brazil. From Manaus, they paddled downriver to the Atlantic
coast. The journey ended at Belem on May 2, 1982.
In 1986, the names of Don Starkell and his son Dana were entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for having completed the longest canoe journey ever, a distance of 12,181 miles (19,603 kilometres).
by kayak. Though comparatively short—at 3,000 miles—the trip was more difficult due to the cold weather. It lasted three years and had to be terminated just thirty miles short of its planned completion point at Tuktoyaktuk due to the onset of winter and frostbite. Starkell lost the tops of his fingers and some of his toes. "When I did the Arctic trip, I gave absolutely everything I had and that was success," he said. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
in 2006.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he had a difficult childhood including an abusive father, four and a half years in an orphanage, and later with a foster family in North Kildonan
North Kildonan
-History:Originally there was only one large rural municipality known as Kildonan. In 1914, it was divided into the Rural Municipality of West Kildonan and the R.M. of East Kildonan. A petition to the provincial government led to a further division of East Kildonan.On January 1, 1925, the...
. He took up canoeing in his teens and at age 17 was named Most Outstanding Novice at the Kildonan Canoe Club. He competed professionally as a canoeist, winning 10 out of 12 races that he entered. In 1967, he was a member of the Manitoba team that competed in the 1967 Centennial Voyageur Canoe Pageant and Race from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
Rocky Mountain House is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada, approximately west of the City of Red Deer. It is located at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers, and at the crossroads of Highway 22 and Highway 11 .- History :The town has a long history dating to the...
to Montreal, Quebec. The team won the race after a gruelling effort lasting 104 days. Starkell suffered serious burns to his legs, as well as smoke inhalation when a fire broke out in his house in Winnipeg in March, 2010.
Paddle to the Amazon
On June 1, 1980, he and his two sons, Dana and Jeff Starkell set out on an epic canoe journey from Winnipeg to Belem, Brazil. The trip followed the Red RiverRed River of the North
The Red River is a North American river. Originating at the confluence of the Bois de Sioux and Otter Tail rivers in the United States, it flows northward through the Red River Valley and forms the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and North Dakota before continuing into Manitoba, Canada...
to its headwaters south of Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
. From there the canoists portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
d to the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
and then continued down the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
at La Rose, Louisiana. They followed the Waterway south to Mexico, then skirted the coast of Mexico to Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
where they spent three and a half months (November 1980 to mid February 1981) to recover from the journey to date, a journey that had been—and would continue to be—fraught with difficulty. By this time, Jeff Starkell decided to abandon the adventure and Donald and Dana continued on alone. They paddled along the rest of Mexico and Central America to South America. Off the Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula
Guajira Peninsula , is a peninsula in northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
they were beset by modern pirates but escaped. They almost died on the Gulf of Coro, Venezuela after being trapped on a sandbar by strong headwinds as their food supplies ran out. Eventually, on October 14, 1981 they made land at Port of Spain, Trinidad, where they recuperated for six weeks. On New Years Day, 1982, they set off from Port of Spain and three days later crossed the Columbus Channel
Columbus Channel
The Columbus Channel is the narrow body of water between the south coast of the island of Trinidad and the Venezuelan mainland. The Columbus Channel connects the Gulf of Paria with the Atlantic Ocean. It is also known as the Serpent's Mouth....
to Venezuela. There, at Pedernales
Pedernales, Delta Amacuro
Pedernales is a city in the Venezuelan state of Delta Amacuro, with a seaport on the Gulf of Paria.It is home to the country's only Ford factory. Ford chose to build a factory there because it good access to the coast for shipping. It is one of several factories that assembles the Ford Focus...
, they entered the delta of the Orinoco River. Over the next two months they paddled virtually the entire length of the Orinoco to Tama Tama where they entered the Casiquiare canal
Casiquiare canal
The Casiquiare river is a distributary of the upper Orinoco flowing southward into the Rio Negro, in Venezuela, South America. As such, it forms a unique natural canal between the Orinoco and Amazon river systems. It is the largest river on the planet that links two major river systems, a...
, the only natural canal in the world. Via this route they reached the Rio Negro and then the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
at Manaus, Brazil. From Manaus, they paddled downriver to the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast. The journey ended at Belem on May 2, 1982.
In 1986, the names of Don Starkell and his son Dana were entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for having completed the longest canoe journey ever, a distance of 12,181 miles (19,603 kilometres).
Paddle to the Arctic
In 1990, Don Starkell embarked on another epic adventure, tracing the Northwest PassageNorthwest Passage
The Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
by kayak. Though comparatively short—at 3,000 miles—the trip was more difficult due to the cold weather. It lasted three years and had to be terminated just thirty miles short of its planned completion point at Tuktoyaktuk due to the onset of winter and frostbite. Starkell lost the tops of his fingers and some of his toes. "When I did the Arctic trip, I gave absolutely everything I had and that was success," he said. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, dedicated to the history of sport in Manitoba and honouring the best in sport. The organization began in 1980 and in 1993, a museum was opened in The Forks...
in 2006.
Publications
- Don Starkell, edited by Charles Wilkins, Paddle to the Amazon, Toronto: McLelland and Stewart, 1987
- Don Starkell, Paddle to the Arctic, Toronto: McLelland and Stewart, 1995
- Victoria Jason, Kabloona in the Yellow Kayak: One Women's Journey Through the Northwest Passage, Turnstone Press Limited, 1996. (Account by one of the participants in the Arctic journey)