Going Deeper Into Pedder Bay

After a successful day of kayaking with Dave & Kelly, yesterday we had planned to do a little more kayaking exploring Pedder Bay but the winds came up pretty good. Instead we explored the Sooke Basin by vehicle looking for possible launch locations for future day trips. I kinda like pre-planning anyway so we climbed into the Reaville's truck and checked out Anderson Cove, Roche Cove, Cooper Cove and Billings Point where coho salmon were being caught right off the beach. After picking up a few groceries we headed back to camp and spent the rest of the day nibbling on bacon wrapped oysters and appetizers while watching HNIC at the sports bar around the campfires. Yeah...life is tough enjoying the outdoors!  LOL

This morning we woke to calm winds and sunny skies so Robyn and I started planning our day of kayaking when we heard a knock that the RV door. Dave and Kelly came in ready to give kayaking a try again so we suited up and were on the water just after 10:30am. We decided to head out of the bay counterclockwise and since the conditions were perfect we made it all the way up to the DND dock exploring the shoreline and sea life.

Cormorants basking in the early morning sun

Heading south out of Pedder Bay

Being this far out of the bay gave us the opportunity to experience the wash of fishing boats as they came out of Pedder Bay.  It also gradually expanded our comfort zone as rollers from Juan De Fuca were present as well.  Our paddling group followed the rocky shoreline all the way up to the DND jetty and we took a few minutes to relax and stretch the legs out a bit.

Since the conditions were so favorable, we back tracked towards the narrowest point of the bay and assessed to opportunity to cross over towards William Head. After grouping up and checking for any pleasure craft that we might come cross our path we made the transit in less than 10 minutes. Although we could have made the crossing directly from the DND jetty, I felt it was better to take the shortest distance in open water and leave our group a safety margin just in case of a wet exit.  

 

Robyn has really taken to kayaking and is even getting style points with her personal gear. The kayak that she used for this weekend is a little narrow for her liking and was a bit "tippy" but she had no issues in keeping upright or maneuvering it around. I was really proud how she adapted to the kayak and was able to take away from the experience the pro & cons of a different form and length of boat.




After crossing over to the east side of the bay we paddled south to the William Head Prison checking out the small coves and secluded passages. Many of the "hidy holes" needed to be backed into to get a good photo so it gave the group good practice backing up into a tight wedge while working against the wave surge.

Gecko Paddler and RVTraveller raft up in a small cove

Dave & Kelly sharing a laugh ;-)

By the time we arrived back at the marina we had been on the water for 2 1/2 hours and were ready for a hearty brunch. It was time to wash down our borrowed kayaks and get them loaded back onto the truck for the trip home tomorrow. A special thanks to Robin and Liz for letting us use their Current Design Solstice GT & GTS and to Dave and Kelly for joining us on the water for the weekend.