Unseasonably strong winds from the north blew across Orcas Island on Aug. 18.

This was the day that Emery Rhodes chose to attempt what is believed to be the first and only circumnavigation of Orcas Island on a stand-up paddle board.  Emery is the son of Win Rhodes and brother of Bryce Rhodes who are both Orcas Islanders. He is the owner of Clarity Farms in Monroe and Othello, Wash.

A paddle boarder for many years, Emery had long dreamed of accomplishing this feat.  At 6:45 a.m. he left from the Rhodes family property on White Beach and headed toward Obstruction Pass. He immediately met cross winds from the north and for a few minutes had doubts about the wisdom of his plan. But he paddled on and grew confident. Rounding Point Lawrence he ran headlong into the northerly.

“I was staying close to the shore to keep out of the wind,” he said. “At times, I seemed to be standing still next to the same rocks for many minutes. It was discouraging.”

Twice Emery was knocked from his board by the force of wind-driven waves bouncing off the shoreline rocks. Each time he climbed back on his board and continued.

His brother, Bryce, out on a shrimping expedition, found him rounding Point Doughty at 1:45 p.m. From there Emery headed down wind and turned east toward home.

At 7:35 p.m., nearly 13 hours after departing, he arrived back at Twin Rocks, pulled his board on to the land and joined his family for a birthday celebration for his sister-in-law Sue Rhodes. They sat on the deck overlooking the beach where he had started.

“I guess I now hold the world record for circumnavigation of Orcas on a stand-up paddle board,” he said as he enjoyed his grilled elk meat burger.