As noted, you will be in the boat a long time. That it is a boat in which you are comfortable and feel confident is extremely important.
Look through issues of Sea Kayaker and you will find an amazing array of boats used for expeditions.
The folks I know personally who have done true expeditions over the last decade or so have most often used Explorers or Nordkapps with one recently being very glad to have used an Impex Force 4.
I recall lot of articles on major expeditions using plastic Prijons. Many others have used whatever was safe that was available.
It is best to communicate directly with paddlers who have done equivalent trips.
“True expeditions”…yawn. In the northwest the trip from Seattle to Alaska has been made in virtually everything from rowboats to the the Nordkapp. The guy who did it in a rowboat edits your favorite magazine. I know folks that have crossed the Bering Strait in “old school” boats. Didn’t stop them that the Explorer or Nordkapp wasn’t in their heads. It’s the boater, not the boat.
"...an amazing array of boats used for expeditions."
"Many...have used whatever was safe that was available."
I also noted that the most important aspect of the boat was that the paddler feel comfortable and confident paddling.
While it may bug you that people have paddled Explorers and Nordkapps on the North Sea, in the Arctic, Antarctic, etc..., I did not state that those were the only boats that could be used for an expedition, but simply they were used by paddlers I know..
It doesn’t bug me at all, I have an Explorer. It’s just that these are not in any way in the majority for expeds. In fact, out here they are far in the minority. The PNW boat makers have long produced designs suitable for the inside/outside passage.
One thing I would strongly consider is if I could get a hardsided bear proof canister inside the hatch. Failing that, there are the kevlar bear “resistant” bags that I would consider. There are an awful lot of camper attuned bears on Vancouver island. On the mainland, there are brown bears from Knight inlet all the way up. A boat that deals with bear protected food storage would be a wise idea.
Hanging food is easy, but black bears are notorious for foiling that system. Many national parks are requiring canisters. Some may allow the kevlar bags. I’d hate to see your stash get taken by a bear.
Thanks and back at ya! There is an amazing amount of waterfront out here to paddle and a lot of ways to do it. I have my biases, but they remain just that, one guy’s bias.
Ray Jardine wrote a cool book called beyond backpacking. It is an ultralight guide that I’ve found quite useful. He has had more of an effect on my backpacking, but still some on paddling camping kit. There is value in making tough choices in equipment.
I’ve done trips with a tarp and bivy, hammock tent, tents and tarps, all kinds of stuff. The trips I’ve liked best are the ones where I brought a little less stuff. Incidentally, since so many accidents happen on the shore, I like lowering the number of trips on the slippery rocks. I like hefting less stuff to reduce the incidence of strain. To each his or her own.
Socks are great I love them on my folders. The K1 just swallows the bear canisters. Mariner kayaks are so often a great choice because you can get multiple canisters in them. Seaward, Eddyline have lots of models that if you choose to bring a canister, the boat will accomodate. My Explorer will fit a pair of mid sized cans (clear plastic with screwtop) but not the Garcia can. The Nordkapp fit the Garcia but it took alot of the space up. That is why I bought a kevlar bag and have been testing out for awhile.
The downside of a sock is that if you do not like sitting in a sock you may not be happy. Legs can slipp off thigh braces. It is possible to have a poorly fitted sock wrap around a foot and come off the coaming in a wet exit. I’ve never even come close to doing that, but it is still possible.