Quite The Week

Well, this last week was quite a change. I made three trips out this week; last Sunday morning I headed out and managed to finally circumnavigate Discovery Island. Wednesday, rain and all, I went back to Discovery, and then back through the Chatham Islands--finally travelling with the current through the passage John, Dennis, and I were at about a year ago when John flipped.
And then on Saturday, conditions were perfect. I woke Paula about 7:40 am (I'd already done a 6+ kilometre walk) and told her to get ready, we were going paddling. Tide was high at 6:00 am and was dropping slightly and then rising to the second high at about 12:40--and the second high was only about a half metre higher than the first, with minimal drop off between the two. So the currents in Baynes and Plumper were going to be minimal. Also, the day was cool but still, with almost no wind movement on the water. Environment Canada described the local seas as "rippled."
We were launched at 9:00am--delays included breakfast, gear, and chatting with several people on the beach before launching. By 10:40 we had paddled through several dozen seals (some of which were following Paula's boat as close as 1.5 metres), spotted three sea otters heading for Jemmy Jones, and landed in Rudlin Bay on the south-east side of Discovery. This is where the campsite is located, and we stopped here for about 30 minutes. Just long enough to eat a granola bar, have a look around, and drink some not-quite-hot tea. Then back into the boats and back, landing about 12:30 pm. A most excellent paddle, and Rudlin Bay will make a great place for an overnight trip. The distance from Cadboro Bay park to Discovery and back is about the same as from Cadboro point to Darcy Island, or even to the south end of Sidney Island--making a trip from Cadboro Bay to Discovery, Discovery to Sidney, and Sidney to Prevost and back to Sidney (or Cadboro) a distinct possibility. Three or four nights long, and in reasonably protected waters the whole way.
So, quite a week of paddling. Wish more people could have been there.