[Rick Davies]

I’ll be there for the BBQ

Thank you

Rick Davies

604-519-0477 (mobile)

[Jayne Hardy]

1. I now have my kayak stored at the Jericho Sailing club and I am looking for partners who would like to get out for some day paddles before the weather gets too cold. I will be available this coming Thursday or Friday then mainly on weekends.  Give me a call at 604 521 0301 or email me jh99155@gmail.com.

[Nick Heath]

Thks for sharing, Sarka. Nice photos! I’m interested in what you thought of Read Point East (undeveloped Prov Park site) and any of the smaller sites you visited. Did you record a gps track?

Best/Nick

[Former Member]

Thank-you Karin! I’ll post a 2nd group for people to register on for Twin Islands.

[Karin Hartner]

Happy to lead a group to Twin Is.

Karin

[Former Member]

Hello all! Registrations are now open for our coming Fall Fling event on Saturday, September 25. We have 4 different paddling options listed for the day (see our Trips List). All launch from Cates Park, allowing for short, medium, and longer adventures:

– Cates Park wildlife viewing
– Jug Island (2B)
– Twin Islands (2B)
– Thwaytes Landing (3B)

The Twin Islands group is now full (there is a waiting list in the comments there). Is there anyone willing to lead a 2nd group? Please let us know!

We are hosting a BBQ for members afterwards and hope to see you all there.

[Former Member]

Thanks Sarka,

Sorry your trip didn’t go quite as planned, but looks like you managed to have a nice trip.

Hopefully, we won’t be hampered by any commercial groups this late in the season.

Good to know there are options in case of bad weather.

Looking forward to possible humpback sightings.

BTW – Allan provided some tips on my circumnavigation in the General Discussion Forum – he is omnipresent!

Thanks

[Kapila Jayaweera]

I am at Shawnigan Lake area this week, wondering whether anyone available to paddle Cowichan Bay, Cowichan lake or Shawnigan lake area.

Currently available Tuesday Aug 24- Wednesday 25th. Morning may be better due to wind condition in the afternoon.

Email or text me if anyone available.

Kapila_j@hotmail.com or cell 604 626 9054

Thanks. Kapila

[Kirsten Hathaway]

Interesting thread. Chantal Ethier last season introduced me to the idea of buying unused wine bags from winemaking businesses. AMAZING!!

Affordable, efficient, reusable, no aftertaste and they pack down really well after they are depleted.

[Former Member]

Hello all!

Labour Day is coming up in 2 weeks and we still have space available for a few more participants. If you are still on the fence, come on down! We have a good time planned with a fun group.

Experienced paddlers – bring your charts so we can talk about trips to do next year!

[Sarka Lhotak]

Hi David,

I am back. I haven’t done the circumnavigation because on the first day when I arrived in the early afternoon the NW wind was so strong I didn’t dare to make the crossing and stayed instead at the campground of Heriot Bay inn (OK but not great). This left me short of one day. Next morning all was calm and I crossed to Read island east campsite. Later in the afternoon a commercial Wildcoast group of 10! arrived to spend the night at the same campsite which is not that big :(….. Fearing that other campsites will be full as well I stayed there for the next two nights and did day trips from there. I later discovered that there was a nice site for 1 full tent + 1 tiny tent just one bay over to the east. It does not have the signs of overuse by large groups and the beach is steeper there albeit the same 8″ coble stones.

Next three nights I spent car-camping in the lovely campground We Wai Kai on Rebecca spit. It is very well run and convenient for paddling, their brand new loop of campsites #151 and higher is right above the beach on the outer side of the Spit. We did a nice bumpy paddle with Allan one evening. The strong NW afternoon winds seem to be the norm there. Humpbacks everywhere.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Q7eE3wn5N1SVWgB78

Sarka

 

 

 

[Former Member]

You’re welcome. Local knowledge is very handy.

[Former Member]

Thanks Allan, I was aware that you live on Quadra, so was hoping you would weigh in.

Very much appreciate the level of detail and useful tips in your response.

[Former Member]

Late to the party here. I live on Quadra. I see you are leaning towards the option to circumnavigate Read. That’s what I would have recommended.

It is roughly 31 NM starting/ending at Heriot Bay to go all the way around Read Island. The map I linked to breaks it down into 4 legs. Those athletic (and masochistic) types could do it all in one day, but that would be 10+ HRs paddling. You could do it in 2 days with a rest day between. I recommend doing over 4 days (3 nights), which allows you to stray off course and poke into places like Von Donop Inlet (on Cortes) or the islands around Surge Narrows.

You can go clockwise or widdershins; it is the same either way, but you would do well to consider the tide tables and wind forecast to put conditions in your favour. On this side of Quadra, the tides flood north and ebb south, mostly.

If the tides work out right, you can launch from Heriot Bay and paddle on the flood north to Freedom Point (8 NM), lunch there, the paddle through Whiterock Passage at the slack, and ride the ebb north (yes, I said that) to North Rendezvous Island (6 NM) to camp there. It’s a tidy way to get almost half your journey done in 1 day. This is your best option as well if there is a SE wind pattern, since it limits your exposure to getting across Heriot Bay to the shelter of the Read Island shore. Do take care not to lollygag too much on your way up as it is no fun arriving at North Rendezvous at low tide. At high tide, the water laps at the foot of the campsite which is much preferred to hauling your gear and boats across the oyster beds.

If the wind is prevailing NW, going counter-clockwise is better. You launch from Heriot Bay, paddle up to Big Breton Island, head over to Viner Point, and then follow the Read Island shore up to Whale Passage camp (aka Frederic Point) or one of the camps in the Penn Islands. Again, it is best to time your arrival at a mid to high tide. Landing at low tide anywhere in the Discoveries will put a damper on anyone’s day.

Bring your own water. Full stop. Yes, there are streams to be found on the shores of Read Island and surrounds, but this has been a very dry year and there are no guarantees any of them will be flowing by the time of your trip.

I very much recommend to anyone in the club considering trips up here to look to the shoulder season months — April/May, September/October for the best experiences. By September the crowds will have largely abated. The days are long enough to avoid paddling in the dark. All of that said, review my map (or the BCMT map) for your camping options. North Rendezvous Island, South Rendezvous Island, and the Penn Islands are all popular sites and you may arrive to find them full. Know your options and give yourself time to paddle on if necessary.

You can email me if you have any questions. If weather, tide, or a desire for solitude affect your plans, I can point you to other places to paddle that would be a better fit.

 

 

[Johan Worst]

Great news, the “Frances Barkley” will continue to sail and service the west coast of Vancouver Island from Port Alberni. It’s still the best service to Bamfield as the logging road to the town is still quite dangerous (and ridiculously dusty) to travel.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/local-businessman-buys-bamfield-ferry-1.6143185

[Author]

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