All Aboard the S.S. Funship!

By Mark Matthews - Photos by Jarrett Lindal

By KAVU

May 17^th, 2022

Sometimes my friends and I have crazy ideas, and strapping 4 Shimano E-bikes to the top of a boat to go island hopping is one of them.

My friend Peter Dick knows best when it comes to adventure. The dude takes people on fishing tours, goes free diving, mountain biking, often finds himself working on remote islands, and more. Basically anything random and awesome you can think of he’s taking part in at any given moment. Like Pete, I make it my mission to live a life less ordinary and we knew it was time to do something rad together.

Welcome aboard the latest and greatest vessel....

.....The S.S. Funship!!

It was a rainy Sunday morning but the seas were calm and the stoke was high. We set our eyes on Hornby Island. Normally, Hornby is a 30 minute drive and 2 ferry rides away, but in less than 40 minutes we had ripped across a small section of the Salish Sea, straight into Ford’s Cove, located on the south end of the island right next to the bike trails.

What looked like a perfect, calm, cloudy morning for riding all day turned into a super rainy afternoon the second we set foot on the island. We fully embraced an afternoon of muddy riding and moody vibes, strapped all our rain gear on, and hit the trails.

Flowing single track, fresh smells, and grippy dirt. Everything about the lush rain forest on Hornby is beautiful. I think we’ve just unlocked a secret, these not so easily accessible bike trails are right out our doorstep now!

Pete, his wife Alex, Jarrett, and I all made it to the top of this lookout in less than 30 minutes from where we docked the boat. The storm rolled in stronger as the ride went on but that didn’t slow down the fun. The place is steep and mountainous but the pedal assist E-bikes helped us pack in a ton of riding despite the heavy rains.

Pockets of old growth forest provided a thick canopy for keeping us dry throughout sections of the ride. Conditions were prime!

E-Bike Power!

E-Bike Beauty!

At the end of a big ride we were looking for a dry space and a couple large pizzas to crush.

Unfortunately, restaurants on small islands don’t always provide reliable service. The chef had left for the day and there was only 1 slice sitting there in a glass display beside the cash register. Pete claimed it and I ate a sandwich I had packed with me, but the mud-covered smiles say everything- this day was ultimate.

Contemplating our next move post-ride. These small Marina’s usually don’t have a fresh water source, there was only a salt water hose and we had to clean off before jumping back in the boat. An extra change of clothes and KAVU fleece happened to be key for the trip home.