Maritime Open-Water Swims
Northumberland Strait
Data gathered by Jennifer Alexander
Background | Start & Finish | Tides & Currents | Water Temperature | Marine Life | Recorded Swims |
Background Long before the construction of the Confederation Bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island to the north, swimmers sought to swim across the Northumberland Strait. The first crossing is credited to Evelyn Henry on 15 July 1951. Published times for Evelyn’s swim range between 8 hours 26 minutes and 9 hours 53 minutes. In the absence of an official organizing body, the details of the various swims are sparse; however, there has been increasing interest in the swim since the year 2000. Consequently, this listing has been compiled to help identify the real accomplishments of those who have made the crossing without swimming aids such as wet suits, swim fins, etc. Jennifer Alexander compiled the following data and the associated extensive list of references. We would appreciate receiving additional details from anyone who can provide such information. Please send the material to the Webmaster. Some illustrations were obtained from the CBC web site that reported on Kristin Roe’s swim in great detail. The Northumberland Strait has proven to be an excellent training ground for the English Channel. In 1989, Barb MacNeill went on to become Canada's 15th person, and only Atlantic Canadian, to swim across the English Channel. Mike Gaudet swam around Manhattan in 1985, and also made an attempt on the English Channel. Jen Alexander's 2006 English Channel attempt was aborted by the captain, but she will reattempt the swim in 2009. Starting and Ending Points The Northumberland Strait coastline has changed considerably since Evelyn Henry first swam the strait. Prior to 1966, Cape Jourimain was Jourimain Island, and was not connected to the mainland. Construction of the Confederation Bridge began in 1993, and concluded in 1997. As the main piers of the bridge are 250 metres apart, the bridge can give swimmers a sense of their progress (or lack of) as they swim across the strait. The starting points and courses taken by the swimmers have varied greatly over the years. The straight-line distance across the Strait is a minimum of 8 miles (13 km) from Cape Jourimain (1 on the map above) at the eastern side of the Confederation Bridge (NB) to Borden (3) at the eastern side of the Bridge on PEI. The bridge's slight bend increases its length over water to 12.9 km. Swimming from Cape Tormentine (2) to the same finishing point at Borden (3) adds a mile (1.6 km) to the course. Longer courses, up to 32 km, have finished at Summerside (5) on PEI, or at an intermediate point on Seacow Head (4). The need for an official Recording Body is again emphasized by the media reports of starting or finishing points. Media often fail to differentiate between Cape Tormentine and Cape Jourimain; and at least one article used the phrase "Cape Tormentine's Jourimain Island", even though it hasn't been an island since 1966. Tides and Currents The Northumberland Strait experiences predictable but irregular tides. During the summer of 2008, the tides will last between 2h 47min and 8h 36min. Tide information can be found on the website of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Currents peak at 2.0 knots (3.7 km/h) during the spring tide and, once each summer month, typically run at a minimum of 0.7-1.0 knots (1.3-1.9 km/h). Information on the tidal currents is not available online, but can be found in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans's "Canadian Tide and Current Tables". These books are available at authorized chart dealers, and often in public libraries. Due to the tides and currents, swimmers invariably cover a V-shaped or Z-shaped course, with the deviation from a straight-line being dependent upon their speed and the phase of the moon (Spring tide or neap tide). In contrast with the tides of the English Channel, which change 3-6 metres between high and low tide, the tides of the Northumberland Strait are far gentler, changing 2 metres at most, and occasionally not changing at all. Water Temperature All successful swims to date have been completed between July 15 and September 6. Near real-time and cumulative historical temperatures can be accessed through Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Remote Sensing service. Temperatures between mid-July and early September typically range between 18°C-20°C. A temperature plot for early August 2007 is shown in the adjacent picture. PEI is identified by the large white arrow, and the smaller white arrow identifies the 20°C point on the temperature scale. Marine Life Jellyfish can be a challenge in the Northumberland Strait during the summer months. According to the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, only five of the 56 species of jellyfish that occur in Atlantic Canadian waters are harmful to humans. Lion's Mane jellyfish are dominant, with moon jellies present to a lesser extent. Portuguese man-o-war are rare, and only get blown into Atlantic Canadian waters by the gulf stream at the end of summer. At the height of their season, the frequency of jellyfish can be overwhelming, and can be as high as one jellyfish for every 4 square metres. Jen Alexander reports being stung 10 times during the first 30 minutes of one of her swims, and estimates being stung 45 times on her single crossing, and 60-80 times on her double crossing. Jellyfish seem to concentrate at the shore, and begin to die out toward the end of July. There are large crabs near-shore; swimmers would be wise to look before putting their feet down. Fishermen claim that the strait is too shallow for sharks, and state that they have never seen them in the vicinity. (Near the bridge, the strait reaches a depth of 26 metres.) Seals also inhabit the strait. On his web site “Swimming Downhill”, George Park recalls his participation in one of the Professional races across the Strait: Recorded Swims The details have been retrieved from various reports in the news media and the sources of those reports are linked to the recorded times. · In the absence of an official recording body, there is no guarantee that these details are correct or complete. · The list has been broken into two parts. The first portion lists those successful swims that employed no aids to swimming – e.g. wet suits, flippers, hand paddles, periods out of the water, or periods holding onto a supporting object, etc. The second section lists unsuccessful attempts and swims using swimming aids (primarily wet-suited swims). · Web-links are provided where possible to extra details on the swimmer. Links to data related to the swimmer’s time are also provided. · Unless otherwise noted in the Course & Notes, the swimmer was Canadian.
No.	Name	Age	Time	Date	Course & Notes
1	Evelyn Henry (Brown)	23	9:53 8:49 8:26	15 Jul 1951	NB to PEI
2	Dorothy Peters	23	10:25	6 Sep 1955	NB to PEI
3	Jean LaCoursiere	27	7:10 7:18	29 Jul 1963	Jean LaCoursiere of Montreal was considered an international swimming star when he competed in the 1963 race. With a sustainable open-water speed of 2.5 miles/hour (4km/hr), Jean had not expected the race to take longer than four hours. After four hours, his supply of Coca Cola and Quebec maple syrup had run out. LaCoursiere used infrarub instead of grease.
4	John Sarret	39	10:45		NB to PEI. John Sarrat of Nadick, Massachusetts had polio and was "chilled to a pale blue" by the water, which ranged from 59-65ºF (15-18.3ºC). Cheered on by hundreds of Islanders, John said, "If it hadn't been for you wonderful people of Prince Edward Island, I never would have made it." John finished 3h30 after the last swimmer had been pulled from the water, and 3h15 after the race had already been won.
5	Herman Willemse		"a little more than five hours"	1 Aug 1964	NB to PEI. Herman Willemse ("The Flying Dutchman") of Holland was recognized as a "world champion long distance swimmer". Willemse had won the 26-mile Atlantic City swim five consecutive times from 1960-1964, had swum the English Channel (12h45), and had won Lac St. Jean at least twice. The 1964 race was set to pit Willemse against LaCorsiere. Shortly before the race, however, both Willemse and LaCorsiere cancelled. As the swim committee was leaving to inform the media that they'd cancelled the swim, Willemse called back and said he'd changed his mind. Willemse swam 90-100 strokes per minute for most of the swim, but ([Ed: allegedly]) cranked up 120 strokes per minute for his final mile.
5	George Park		?		NB to PEI. On his web site “Swimming Downhill”, George Park recalls his participation in one of the Professional races across the Strait: I swam from Cape Tormentine to Borden, Prince Edward Island, four major rip tides and thousands of jellyfish, the toughest nine miles I had ever raced. The jellyfish there are a variety that sting but are not as bad as some others I have experienced. They were in patches about 50 yards across and 100 yards in length and I went through several of these patches. I was stung all over my body. Half way through the race due to the stings I started seeing things. Every time I looked at the side of my attending boat I saw bacon and eggs. The most disappointing thing about this swim was as I walked out of the water after finishing, someone walked up to me and handed me a dry tasteless ham sandwich, but all I wanted was the bacon and eggs that I saw on the side of the boat. After the race was over and the prize money was given out, I was on the search for a restaurant that would make me bacon and eggs and found one who did. For about a week after that when swimming I could see jellyfish tentacles whenever my face was in the water.... even though I was swimming in Lake Ontario - no jellyfish there just lamprey eels.
6	Ralph Brooks	14	11:23		NB to PEI. At 14 years of age, Ralph Brooks, then of Hatfield Point, NB, became -- and still is -- the record holder as the youngest swimmer to swim the strait.
7	Frank Gaudet		??:??	19 Aug 1985	Landed at Seacow Head.
8	Mike Gaudet	33	10:05	02 Aug 1986	To Summerside (32 km). Fifth attempt in three years.
9	Terry Edison		7:04 ??	03 Aug 1986	Landed at Seacow Head.
10	Barb MacNeill	28	7:50 ??		Landed at Seacow Head.
11	Barb MacNeill	29	11:23 11:25	22 Jul 1987	Jourimain Island and landed at Summerside Yacht Club. Successful at third attempt.
12	Andrea Brown	???	???	1989	Daughter of Evelyn Henry
13	Jen Alexander	31	11:04	15 Jul 2006	NB to PEI. Jen Alexander, a Halifax swimmer with type 1 ("juvenile") diabetes, conducted 32 blood tests while treading water to manage her diabetes. Jen swam attached to a waterproof insulin pump, and was able to maintain her blood sugars at an average level of 7.0 mmol/L. Scheduling conflicts lead Jen to swim on the spring tide, during one of the fastest currents of the swim season. The strong currents and strong tides pulled Jen approximately 15 kilometres east of the bridge. During the worst of the tide, Jen made only 10 metres of forward progress in a 15-minute window.
14	Kristin Roe	25	7:45	28 Jul 2006	Cape Tormentine (NB), 05:40 h, to 1 km east of the Confederation Bridge, Borden (PEI), 13:25 h. CBC Report.
15	Lara Gibson	34	5:15	25 Jul 2006	Lara Gibson of Halifax, NS, started on Cape Jourimain at the foot of the Confederation Bridge, and landed just west of the bridge. Lara had been on track for a 4-hour swim, but currents slowed her progress during the final kilometre.
16	Jen Alexander	32	19:17	25-26 Jul 2007	First two-way swim: Cape Jourimain, NB to Borden, PEI to Cape Tormentine, NB. Jen Alexander, a Halifax swimmer with Type 1 ("juvenile") diabetes, conducted 60 blood tests while treading water to manage her diabetes. Jen adjusted the flow rate on her waterproof insulin pump 14 times during the swim to maintain control of her diabetes, and averaged 6.2 mmol/L during the best 10 consecutive hours of the swim. Jen swam from NB to PEI in 6:47 -- one of the fastest recorded single crossings. Her luck changed on the journey back, however. Pushed back by the wind and the tides, it took her 8 hours to swim the remaining 5 kilometres. Local media report
17				?? Jul 2008
18	Jen Alexander	33	???	??-?? Jul 2008	PEI-NB-NS attempt. ????
*	Bill Connor		Aborted	29 Jul 1963	After a 9:10am start, Bill was in second place by 9:30am (500 yards short of first place). By 12:00pm, he had slipped to third place. At 2:45pm, Bill was back in second place, 2 miles from shore, but 4.5 miles from Borden. Bill ended the race at 3pm due to sea sickness. Bill lived in Halifax at the time of the race, had previously won the Halifax 5-mile and 15-mile swims, and had "placed well" at a CNE swim.
*	Gerald MacKenzie		Aborted		After a 9:10am start, Gerald MacKenzie of the HMCS Stadecona was in third place by 9:30am. By noon, he'd moved up to second place, but fell back to fifth place by 2:45pm. At 4:15pm, he was "out of the race -- off course". MacKenzie was the last swimmer to be pulled from the water.
*	Morgan Mitchell		Aborted		Morgan Mitchell, of Charlottetown, pulled out of the race after 1 hour and 50 minutes of swimming, due to cramps in his left leg.
*	Davison Biggar		Aborted		Davison Biggar of Charlottetown ended his race after 5 hours and 40 minutes due to being pushed off course.
*	Donnie “Turk” Arsenault		Aborted		Donald "Turk" Arsenault of Summerside was in 7th place after 80 minutes, 5th place after 2 hours and 50 minutes, and out of the water with cramps after 4h35.
*	Helen Carragher	19	Aborted		Helen Carragher of Ebbsfleet was a crowd favourite, and fought for more than an hour without progress. After 6h35, she was off course and pulled from the waters "nearly exhausted". Helen was the second-last swimmer to leave the water.
*	Ronald Burns		Aborted		Ronald Burns of Cape Tormentine left the water after 2h10 because of cramps.
*	Richard Brown		Aborted	1982
*	Barb MacNeill		Aborted	19 Aug 1985	Barb was one of six Summerside Masters Swim Club swimmers to attempt the 21-mile swim to the Summerside Yacht Club.
*	Mike Gaudet		Aborted		Mike was one of six Summerside Masters Swim Club swimmers to attempt the 21-mile swim to the Summerside Yacht Club.
*	Terry Edison		Aborted		Terry was one of six Summerside Masters Swim Club swimmers to attempt the 21-mile swim to the Summerside Yacht Club.
*	Cyril Perry		Aborted		Cyril was one of six Summerside Masters Swim Club swimmers to attempt the 21-mile swim to the Summerside Yacht Club.
*	Jim Thain		Aborted		Jim was one of six Summerside Masters Swim Club swimmers to attempt the 21-mile swim to the Summerside Yacht Club.
*	Ben Kraimer		Aborted		Ben, from Quebec, was the only non-Summerside swimmer to attempt the 21-mile swim to the Summerside Yacht Club.
*	Lori Wedge		Aborted	04 Aug 1986	NB to PEI. Seasickness caused Lori to abort her swim after three hours.
*	Frank Gaudet		Aborted		NB to PEI. Frank ended his swim after 4.5 hours because of leg cramps.
*	Larry Rhindress		Aborted		NB to PEI. Larry Rhindress of Fredericton, NB, was "pulled onboard" for unspecified reasons just 1 kilometre away from his destination at Borden.
*	Wayne Berry		Aborted	31 May 1997	Wet-suited swims. Wayne and Johnathan attempted to swim along the line of the Confederation Bridge during the bridge's opening ceremonies, but experimental weights in their wetsuits strained their knee muscles, causing them to abort their attempts.
*	Johnathan Hickey		Aborted
*	Johnathan Hickey		Incomplete	28 Aug 1997	Claimed that they swam 67 kilometres, but either hung on to the boat or got on the boat regularly to eat. Got on the boat to motor over to a fisherman and ask for directions.
*	Wayne Berry		Incomplete
*	Jessica Fraser		Aborted	04 Sep 2001	Wet-suited swim. Aborted 1 km from shore.
	Jean-Francois Bergeron	33	3:25	29 Aug 2004	Borden to Cape Tormentine. Denis Sonier reported that all of the swimmers wore Wet Suits. Race organized by Circuit de l’Est. Contact Denis Sonier. Strong winds of 60-70 km/h forced the swimmers to change their initial plans. So the swim started in PEI (Borden) and finished on the new Brunswick shore (Cape Tormentine), with the strong wind aiding the leading swimmers.
	Marie-Josée D’Amour	36	3:58
	Melanie Leger	16	4:15
	Serge Melanson		4:32
	Josée Haché	19	5:14
	Pierre Samson	64	5:45
	Lise Caron	49	7:10
	Denis Sonier	65	7:10
Data provided by Jen Alexander Collected Media References Contact Webmaster Constructed 24 March 2008 - Last Updated 12 December 2009