This summer we planned to circumnavigate Vancouver Island. This is one of my favourite trips. I first did it solo in 2001 in a 26 foot sailboat, and then Jan and have gone around twice, in 2017 and 2021.
We departed from Milltown Marina on the Fraser River on June 17th, with a fresh bouquet of peonies.
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Heading down the river, Jan is trying to determine where to store all our essential supplies.
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The next morning, we depart our anchorage in Howe Sound under uncertain skies.
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We stopped in at Halfmoon Bay to visit our good friend Barb and to see her luscious garden. Barb treated us to her special home-made spirits flavoured with botanicals.
Anchored near the south end of Lasqueti Island, we go for a paddle among the rocky shores.
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The skeleton of a tree tells a story of a hard life on this exposed island.
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We collect oysters from our kayaks.
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Jan is excited to be shucking the oysters with her new oyster shucking tool. Jan ate hers raw – I cooked mine on the bbq.
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Visiting the old homestead on Jedediah Island.
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A foxglove forest on Jedediah island.
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We spent a morning at the Lasqueti Island Market.
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Interesting items for sale, and interesting people make this one of our favourite stops.
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Heading north up Georgia Strait, we pass a couple of lighthouses. This is Sisters Islands. The lighthouse has been automated and the other buildings are falling to ruin.
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The Chrome Island lighthouse (still manned), at the south end of Denman Island.
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Sea Lions vie for space on this bell buoy south of Comox. I don’t know how they can stand the constant clanging of the bell!
We stop at tiny Mitlenatch Island in the middle of Georgia Strait. Paddling past the boisterous Sea Lion colony is always entertaining.
Ashore on Mitlenatch, the trail to the gull blind is one of my favourites, as it tunnels through the dense bushes. There were not a lot of gulls nesting this year for some reason.
The next day, some wildfire smoke in the air obscures the mountains as we re-cross the Strait on our way to Quadra Island.
Raven Song anchored off the beach at Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island.
During every trip a little rain must fall.
Torn clouds and fog as we approach Stuart Island.
We spent a couple of nights at Stuart Island to take advantage of the excellent cellphone service. Stuart Island is nowhere near a town, but there are a number of high end fishing resorts nearby – enough to warrant their own cellphone tower.
A couple of days later the weather is starting to improve. An early morning paddler takes advantage of the calm waters in the Cordero Islands.
At Port Neville we stop at the narrows so that Jan can make some rubbings of the petroglyphs.
Another set of petroglyphs at Robbers Nob in Port Neville.
Early morning calm in Port Neville.
We are now in the Broughton Archipelago. A beautiful area of numerous islands and very cold water. This striking white beach fronts the abandoned Native village of Karlukwees.
The beach at Karlukwees is composed of broken shells, broken glass and bits of crockery, metal and rubber.
An eagle landing on an island close to where we are anchored. Nearby we spied an eagle’s nest, and we could just make out a chick inside.
In the evening we were treated to a little rain shower followed by this fabulous double rainbow in the sky and reflected in the water.
The same view the next morning presents a different scene!
A foggy morning usually means a sunny afternoon in the Broughtons.
The following foggy morning we encounter this carpet of sea lions who seem intent on sleeping in.
The Patriarch, however, is always keeping watch over his harem!
This seemingly featureless shoreline is actually a clam garden. The former Native inhabitants built these flat gravelly areas with a rock retaining wall, all over the coast in order to increase the harvest of clams.
Pictograph next to the ‘Chief’s Bathtub’ on Berry Island in the Broughtons. This same image can be seen on a petroglyph in the museum at Alert Bay.
We are in the tide-swept Pearse Islands, and Jan is intent on going for a snorkelling adventure.
Meanwhile, I am intent on staying dry and recording the adventure.
There she is, in the frigid waters!
Jan photographs the beautiful kelp forest as she swims along.
In the Alert Bay harbour, these commercial fishing boats are on the beach for bottom cleaning.
We visit the excellent U’mista Cultural Centre museum in Alert Bay.
Archival photo of Alert Bay in the museum. In the upper right can be seen the church, which was built in 1879, and is still a landmark in the village.
A fine beaded cap in the museum. The face design is similar to the pictograph from Berry Island.
Inspired by the traditional beaded crafts, modern artists include contemporary cultural motifs.
Arriving in Sointula, we had many errands to tackle, but the laundry and everything else had to wait for the power to come back on!
While waiting, we are entertained by the comings and goings in the harbour.
Raven Song at the docks in Sointula. This marks the end of the first leg of our trip. Tomorrow we will go to the farmers market for some produce, then head over to Port McNeill for the rest of our resupply needs before heading north and west to the outer coast.
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