Comments: We will take the 7:15 am ferry to Mayne Island on April 27, arriving at the Bakery for coffee at 9:00am. We should be on the water by approx. 11:00 a.m., departing from Bennett Bay.
 
We will camp on Cabbage Island on Sunday/Monday nights. On Monday we can hike on Tumbo Island. (We will not be kayaking around Boiling Point).
On Tuesday we will return to Mayne Island where we can go to the Japanese Gardens, possibly do some hiking and have dinner at Saltwater Lodge. The ferry leaves Mayne for Salt Spring at 9:05pm
 
We will prepare our own food for the trip:
2 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 2 dinners.
 
Note:
There are a lot of persistent racoons so it is recommended that you bring a rope to hang your food.
If the weather does not look good for the above dates, the following May 4,5,6 (Sun, Mon, Tues) would be possible.

Comments: We will drive up to Fair Harbour and then be taken by boat to one of the Bunsby group of islands, south of the Brooks Peninsula. From there we will kayak to other islands of the group for day trips. After spending a few days on these islands we will head for Spring Island. This will depend on winds and weather since there is a 5-mile open stretch of water that we will have to be quite careful with! My hope is that we can spend a few days on Spring Island, again doing day trips including to Kuyuquot. From there we will kayak back to Fair Harbour.
 
These plans require firming up after consultation with those involved. I am hoping to have a meeting in May with those who sign up.

CANCELLED
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Comments: 8 days (7 nights of camping) includes a day of travel at each end. 2-3 days at each campsite
 
We will take an early ferry from Salt Spring and drive north to Port McNeil, taking the water taxi across the Johnstone Strait to our first campsite. We will stay there 2 or 3 nights and explore the area and eat heartily, before moving on to explore another area, again spending 2 or 3 nights in one place to avoid constantly packing up and loading kayaks every day. The exact itinerary from here on will depend on the experience of paddlers, the weather and other paddling factors. On the last morning we will be picked up by water taxi for the return trip to Port McNeil and the drive south
 
The Broughton Archipelago is a group of small islands at the mouth of Knight Inlet. It is a good place to experience a level of paddling between the gentle Gulf Islands and the Wild West Coast. There can be rain, wind or fog but this is a relatively protected area with beautiful scenery and lots of wildlife.

Cost: Approx. $600 return for the group from Port McNeil across the Georgia Strait to the Broughton Archipelago by water taxi

Comments: Probable dates: 6 days within the last 2 weeks in June, tbd

The group will drive to Toquart Bay on the west coast and be on the water by 2 or 3pm. We should be at our first destination by 5PM. The following day we will head for an island where we wish to camp for two or three days, doing day paddles. We will then move to a second island for the same amount of time for more day paddles, then paddle back to Toquart. I would like to stay flexible about the dates, which will depend on weather and peoples‚ availability.

Because of the crossing and the possibility of significant afternoon winds, I would characterize the trip as intermediate/experienced.

For those who have never been there, the Broken Group - part of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve - is an archipelago of exquisite small islands; little gems of aesthetic perfection that provide for some blissful paddling, as long as you're off the water by about 2pm when the winds come up and make it difficult to return to camp. To get a good day‚s paddle in, I would suggest we breakfast early and try to be on the water by 9-ish. Tent pads are provided on the seven islands where camping is permitted, there are biffies and there is a nightly camping fee, collected by a park ranger.

Those interested should contact me by phone or email and I will set up a meeting where we can go over the charts and details.

Type „Broken Group‰ or "Barkley Sound" into Google to read more about the destination

Note: (dates are dependant on weather and reports of crowds, which can be overwhelming during the summer months)

Comments: We plan to leave from Southey Point, paddle to Blackberry and spend a night there. The next day we paddle slowly to Wakes Cove on the east side of Gabriola Passage, marvelling at the sandstone galleries of Valdez as we pass. After spending a night at Wakes Cove, we paddle out to the Flattop Islands, where we spend the day exploring, returning to Wakes Cover for our second night there. The next day we paddle back to Salt Spring or camp again at Blackberry so that we can spend an extra day visiting some of the other islets in the area.

Comments: This trip will leave from Bennett Bay on Mayne Island, requiring an early ferry from Salt Spring and a car trip across Mayne. We will paddle down the Belle Chain Islets to Cabbage Island where we make camp for our first night. The next day we will head around East Point at the south end of Saturna to arrive at Taylor Point where we establish our second camp. The third day we paddle up the impressive west side of Saturna, past Samuel Island and back to Bennett Bay. Damned if I know how we get home from there; I guess we'll just have to see what David Hahn and B.C. Ferries have in store for us this summer. (See Jim Standen’s trip for Ferry times to and from Mayne Island)

Comments: