June 19th Friday

From: Smugglers Cove          To: Roberts Creek
Start time: 0700        Finish time: 1300      Distance: 29 km
Tide: Halfmoon Bay
0233    3.1
0713    4.0
1413    0.9
2135    4.7

     I climbed out of bed around 5:00 a.m. and saw there was a puddle down near my feet. It must have rained down buckets last night. Outside I could see that there had been a small creek running through my tent as I slept. Fortunately I was high and dry on my down filled air mattress. I love this sleeping pad that I have been using for over a year now. It’s a long and wide model, I have never been so comfortable and it takes up very little room in the kayak.
     I made a cup of instant coffee, packed up camp and was off around 7:00 a.m. to find somewhere to buy breakfast. It was another perfect day with about five knots of wind to my back.  I spent most of the day close to shore except for a crossings at Halfmoon Bay.

On my way to Roberts Creek 

Around 9:30 a.m., I pulled into Sechelt and had breakfast at a restaurant right next to the beach where I could keep an eye on my kayak. Before leaving I phoned my daughter in Roberts Creek and gave her my ETA, jumped back into my kayak and followed the shoreline. The tide was giving me a good push and I was traveling between seven to eight kilometers an hour and arrived at Roberts Creek an hour ahead of schedule. 

Approaching Roberts Creek with a drop of water on my lens

My daughter and grandson picked me up at about 2:00 p.m. and drove me to their home where I could rinse off all my salt crusted gear, wash some cloths and have a much needed shower. Later that night we went for a great salmon BBQ and good company at her in-laws place. I get to sleep in a real bed tonight for the first time in two weeks. Tomorrow will be a busy day with two ferries and then launching again in Nanaimo.