Hi Peter
I agree with the other members having rounded it myself whilst is the flooding. I don’t know what percentage it was at but it was certainly at low tide. I would certainly do it again if I knew I was within an hour of slack in an ebb current because that would be enough. The current was strong but only for a 200-300 meters and then eased off although I admit it was still quite a slog into Navarez despite being a short route.
How long are you out for? I normally take my kayak as a foot passenger using wheels when going on the ferries and park the car at the terminal if I can’t get dropped off. The Cabbage Island trip we took the ferry to Sturdies Bay, crossed Active Pass at slack before a flood tide and headed down to Cabbage.
I’ve also disembarked at Maine and headed straight to Prevost, overnighted there (nice site with deers and fruit trees), moved to Portland for 2 nights with a day trip to Gooch and back and then into Swartz Bay and the ferry home.
Coming the other way I’ve gone to Nanaimo by ferry and paddled to Pirates Cove via False Narrows, going through an hour before slack on an ebb. Pirates Cove to Wallace, camping there at the camp site in the northern tip for two nights (best site I’ve ever been to!). Over to Montague Harbor for 1 night and then into Long Harbour and the Ferry home.
There have been a other combinations of those trips but I recommend using the ferries as a foot passenger and the kayak in wheels over taking a car anywhere because it eliminates the necessity of doing a round trip when you can enter and exit for different terminals.
Good luck with your trip and I’d be interested in how it went and where you went.
Peter