Salish Strokes: Vancouver Island Circumnavigation Leg 1: San Juan Island to Pt. Hardy

Vancouver Island circumnavigation was a success! We made it around with no incidents to speak of and importantly everyone on the team still talks (and wants to get together and paddle soon). I am going to breakdown the photos and recap into the 3 legs of the trip. Today, San Juan Island to Pt. Hardy, followed by Pt. Hardy to Tofino, followed by Tofino back to San Juan Island. Here is a quick recap of the inside.

Rachael, Leslie and I spent 15 days making our way north on the inside of Vancouver Island. Headwinds and sun were a theme of this section of the trip. We paddled 12/15 days, 252 nautical miles for an average of just under 17 nm/day. A good warmup! We had a very windy day(15+ kts in our faces ) coming in to Nanaimo, and Leslie's wallet and passport were stolen (nothing like MORE logistics). The folks at the Port of Nanaimo and RCMP were very helpful and got us sorted out as best possible.

Packing Practice

Sea Star Wasting Syndrome

Resting in the lee of a log boom outside Nanaimo

Rathtrevor Provincial Park

How do you cool off?

Looking back at the sea after crossing to Chrome Island Lighthouse

The crossing to Denman Island was a bit jobbly- winds from the SW gave us a nice stern quartering wind that gusted to above 25 kts and wind waves that quickly developed to 2 ft from a sea that had been flat not long before.

Buoys are Big!

Cape Mudge Light, Quadra Island

Reaching Cape Mudge was our first real accomplishment, meaning we had successfully exited the Strait of Georgia. We had to avoid many fishing boats that morning that were out during the short slack tide.

The approach to Seymour Narrows

Breakfast!

I personally consumed 2.5 bottles of Sriracha on this trip (total), with just a bit of help from Gerry and Rachael. Breakfast of champions-Sriracha, cold quesadillas, and bean! I'm not joking-I had it the first two mornings after our return.

Seymour Narrows Crossing

We utilized Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) to check in via VHF for any large vessels transiting the area-very useful in fog when your visibility is less than 50 meters!

Turning the corner into Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait

Johnstone Strait started off beautifully-we turned the corner from foggy Seymour Narrows into blue sky and sun and we even saw our first humpback whale of the trip. The next day, however, came the wind.

Morning light in Race Passage

A lot of it. So much, that we turned back 1.5nm to the last viable campsite we had passed because going forward was not an option. And the wind continued to build and build to a full gale of 35 kts, with gusts to 42. That turned into a lazy food fest-a good day to be off the water. Watching fishing boats, tugs pulling huge barges, and cruise ships all zipping past made me feel awful small.