After our relaxed Gulf Island trip in June this year Doug and I decided to do something a little more challenging for our September trip. We have wanted to circumnavigate Nootka Island for some time now and figured this is the time!
We packed up all gear and boats on Friday and took the BC Ferry to Nanaimo where we spent a night at Long Lake Inn. This enabled us to get a nice early start up the highway to Tahsis where we would spend a night at the Westview Marina before launching on Sunday morning. We enjoyed a nice afternoon and evening at Westview Marina on their dock, sipping beer and watching the fishermen come in with their hauls. Our room was at the end of the floating dock and we enjoyed a few whiskeys at our private deck before bed.
Westview Marina
Up before dawn and launched by 7:30 am. The plan was to get to Garden Point for the night. The paddle was very easy, no winds no currents and a bit of help from the ebb tide. There was a grey whale in the Inlet which we were able to spot a few times before we headed through Tahsis Narrows. We stopped for a quick lunch break at a little creek and back in the boats. Shortly after we spotted a bear strolling along the shore line and we enjoyed watching him until he tired of us and headed back into the brush.
Instructions for Pay Parking
Govt Boat Launch Tahsis
Ceepeecee
Garden Point
When we arrived at Garden Point we had a good look around and decided that the campsite here was quite dark and not really appealing to us. We then decided to paddle into Nuchatlitz, about another hour, and to look for a nicer campsite. We were able to find a spot on Island 44, west of the main campsite which was booked up. We had checked out Rosa Island on the way over and there were so many tents on it that we didn’t bother looking for a spot for our tent.
Our back up plan for this trip, if the wind/weather turned bad on us and kept us off the coast, was to stay in Nuchatlitz and enjoy this area. We were here once before and there were places we didn’t get to that we would have liked to, so Plan B was one that we could both be happy with.
Upon listening to the marine weather on Sunday evening we realized that there was NO wind for the next two days, but starting to get pretty breezy by Wednesday afternoon and becoming very windy for the 3 days following. It was then that we decided we should take advantage of the no winds and get down the coast in the next two days. We were originally going to go to Tongue Point and camp there on Monday night and maybe even Tuesday night. That plan was abandoned and we headed to Calvin Falls on Monday, again very early in the morning. We had to pack our gear and boats in the dark and quite a distance as the only campsite we could get to the day before was not accessible at low tide.
Sunset on Island 44
Packing Boats just as dawn arrives
Paddling conditions were perfect as the water was very calm and the sun came out again today. We crossed over Nuchatlitz Inlet (so named by us as I can’t find an actual name for this body of water) and over to Ferrer Point. No issues except beauty overload. This part of the coast is gorgeous. We passed by Third Beach as we didn’t need a break yet. We paddled down the coast to Skuna Bay where it seemed that we stopped moving. By this time we were both tired and ready to call it a day. It seemed to take forever to paddle into Calvin Falls. Once we got closer to the shoreline it was clear that the only landing would be surf landing. We were trying to find the “perfect” spot for this but we kept getting pushed in closer and closer. I just yelled at Doug “Let’s just do it!” After quite an exhilarating ride I finally landed on solid ground, popped the skirt, bounced out and grabbed my front toggle and I see Doug walking down the beach towards me, his kayak right side up but quite a ways down from mine. We both landed with no swims! I kept repeating all the instructions that Liam (formerly of Tofino Sea Kayaking) instructed to us a few years ago. Those lessons really paid off on this trip.
Again we had a long walk with gear and boats to set up camp at Calvin Falls. After lunch and a walk to the falls to fill up water bags we were in the tent by 5:00 pm and ready to call it a night! The next morning we had to once again move all the gear and kayaks way out to the water and then wait for the perfect time to launch in the surf. Doug was a bit ahead of me and had no problems. I got hit by two huge waves but managed to stay right side up and not get blown back into shore. Again, I was remembering the instructions from Liam on launching in surf. At one point my bow was way out of the water! After my heart stopped racing and my breathing was back to normal I noticed that the surf took my chart and pump. I was NOT going back for it.
Continued.....
We packed up all gear and boats on Friday and took the BC Ferry to Nanaimo where we spent a night at Long Lake Inn. This enabled us to get a nice early start up the highway to Tahsis where we would spend a night at the Westview Marina before launching on Sunday morning. We enjoyed a nice afternoon and evening at Westview Marina on their dock, sipping beer and watching the fishermen come in with their hauls. Our room was at the end of the floating dock and we enjoyed a few whiskeys at our private deck before bed.
Westview Marina
Up before dawn and launched by 7:30 am. The plan was to get to Garden Point for the night. The paddle was very easy, no winds no currents and a bit of help from the ebb tide. There was a grey whale in the Inlet which we were able to spot a few times before we headed through Tahsis Narrows. We stopped for a quick lunch break at a little creek and back in the boats. Shortly after we spotted a bear strolling along the shore line and we enjoyed watching him until he tired of us and headed back into the brush.
Govt Boat Launch Tahsis
Ceepeecee
When we arrived at Garden Point we had a good look around and decided that the campsite here was quite dark and not really appealing to us. We then decided to paddle into Nuchatlitz, about another hour, and to look for a nicer campsite. We were able to find a spot on Island 44, west of the main campsite which was booked up. We had checked out Rosa Island on the way over and there were so many tents on it that we didn’t bother looking for a spot for our tent.
Our back up plan for this trip, if the wind/weather turned bad on us and kept us off the coast, was to stay in Nuchatlitz and enjoy this area. We were here once before and there were places we didn’t get to that we would have liked to, so Plan B was one that we could both be happy with.
Upon listening to the marine weather on Sunday evening we realized that there was NO wind for the next two days, but starting to get pretty breezy by Wednesday afternoon and becoming very windy for the 3 days following. It was then that we decided we should take advantage of the no winds and get down the coast in the next two days. We were originally going to go to Tongue Point and camp there on Monday night and maybe even Tuesday night. That plan was abandoned and we headed to Calvin Falls on Monday, again very early in the morning. We had to pack our gear and boats in the dark and quite a distance as the only campsite we could get to the day before was not accessible at low tide.
Sunset on Island 44
Paddling conditions were perfect as the water was very calm and the sun came out again today. We crossed over Nuchatlitz Inlet (so named by us as I can’t find an actual name for this body of water) and over to Ferrer Point. No issues except beauty overload. This part of the coast is gorgeous. We passed by Third Beach as we didn’t need a break yet. We paddled down the coast to Skuna Bay where it seemed that we stopped moving. By this time we were both tired and ready to call it a day. It seemed to take forever to paddle into Calvin Falls. Once we got closer to the shoreline it was clear that the only landing would be surf landing. We were trying to find the “perfect” spot for this but we kept getting pushed in closer and closer. I just yelled at Doug “Let’s just do it!” After quite an exhilarating ride I finally landed on solid ground, popped the skirt, bounced out and grabbed my front toggle and I see Doug walking down the beach towards me, his kayak right side up but quite a ways down from mine. We both landed with no swims! I kept repeating all the instructions that Liam (formerly of Tofino Sea Kayaking) instructed to us a few years ago. Those lessons really paid off on this trip.
Again we had a long walk with gear and boats to set up camp at Calvin Falls. After lunch and a walk to the falls to fill up water bags we were in the tent by 5:00 pm and ready to call it a night! The next morning we had to once again move all the gear and kayaks way out to the water and then wait for the perfect time to launch in the surf. Doug was a bit ahead of me and had no problems. I got hit by two huge waves but managed to stay right side up and not get blown back into shore. Again, I was remembering the instructions from Liam on launching in surf. At one point my bow was way out of the water! After my heart stopped racing and my breathing was back to normal I noticed that the surf took my chart and pump. I was NOT going back for it.
Continued.....