Going round Vancouver Island

In two days(!) I leave to start a circumnavigation of Vancouver Island! This is by far the biggest sailing related feat I’ve attempted, so a lot of planning has gone into it, and Emma is coming along to make things easier (and to stop me doing a possible Crowhurst)

Here is the route we are planning (note, it is all very rough and weather dependant)

The current plan is to rip towards Desolation Sound (which has very warm waters) as fast as possible and then hang out there for a few days and swim, and then to continue onwards around Quadra Island, avoiding the Seymour Narrows. Bumbling up the Johnstone Strait towards the top of the island for the next while, before tucking in at Hope Island, while we figure out the most difficult section – rounding the top and going around the NW coast.

If it’s too bad, we’ll duck back down the east coast, else we’ll head offshore a little bit until hot springs cove, where we will chill out for a bit (and warm up!) before heading to Tofino, chilling out in the broken islands for a bit and from there back into the Juan De Fuca and home.

It’s around 1100 KM (0r 679 miles, or 590 nautical miles).

We’ve got enough food to last the whole trip, but hopefully we’ll be supplementing that with oysters, clams, fish, crabs and shrimp and stopping in at places on the way for pints and food.

I’m excited but am also nervous as it’s the furthest I’ve gone out and we are going into the PACIFIC OCEAN (and the only other time I was out there I fed the marine life)