June 14th Sunday

From: Heriot Bay Inn campground To: east side of Cortes Island
Start time: 0645        Finish time: 1400      Distance: 34 km
Tide: Heriot Bay
0337    4.6
1056    1.0
1807    4.5
2312    3.3

     I was up at 5:00 am to dead calm conditions. I started packing up camp right away. I was planning to have breakfast here at the restaurant but I really wanted to get out there and enjoy the conditions. I ate an orange and was off the beach by 6:45 a.m., not even my morning travel mug of instant coffee.

Early morning heading for the mainland

I could find some coffee and a bite to eat on Cortes Island. I was hopping there would be a restaurant or a store at Mansons Landing. I crossed over to the south end of Read Island then cut between Cortes and Marina Islands. I was starting to notice arbutus trees for the first time on this trip. From here I made my way over to Mansons Landing. But I couldn’t see anything that looked like a store or restaurant. I tied up at the government wharf and asked a older gentleman if there was a store around here. He said “yes, about a mile up the road.” He asked where I had kayaked from so I told him and he seemed impressed and said he was about to leave and could give me a ride – wow, yes thank you. On the way there I asked him if he’d been on the island long. He chuckled and said a couple of years, then pointed out at the water and told me, “I was born out there on a fishing boat on the way to the Campbell River hospital”. I got a coffee and some baked goods while he waited outside for me then he gave me a ride back to the dock. Thank you.
     The paddle around Sutil Point off the south end of Cortes is a shallow boulder field and I had to keep a sharp eye out for large rocks just under the glassy surface. I came close to hitting a few but made it around without any mishaps.

The boulder field around Sutil Point 

On Twin Island I had a camp spot marked out on the chart. When I got there it didn’t look very inviting so I paddled over to what looked like a possible site directly across from me on Cortes. It turned out to be perfect with a nice beach to land on and a good shady spot up on a rock bluff to set up camp. I was exhausted from the late night I had at the jam and hit the sack at around 6:30.

My campsite on Cortes Island