Put in point was Brechin Boat Launch adjacent to the BC Ferries operation in Departure Bay and where seaplanes take off and land.  We first tried kayaking around the island during the day only to find wind and white caps on the open water side of the island.  As we kayaked back into the bay close to the town of Nanaimo we heard music, we pedaled in the direction of the music and remained in the bay, listening to the Nanaimo Blues Concert.  After about an hour we returned to the boat launch location and return the next day at sunset to try circumnavigating the island during the full moon.

As the sun was setting we launch at the Brechin Boat Launch and decide to kayak to the south toward the Nanaimo bay and the south side of the island.  We continue around the island and enter the open water as the sun was setting and the moon was rising.  The calm water became choppy with larger waves.  This was the no-go or go point, where we were about 1/3 of the way around the 7 mile route around the island.  We can see the lights of cruise ships and ferries in the distance, and decide to continue.  We turned off our headlamps and it was dark.  The headlamps served two purposes, one for others to see us and second to see any waves were approaching us.  As a pilot, if you turn on the landing light and don’t like what you see turn it off.  We kept the lights on.  As we approached 2/3 of the way we heard a large horn and bright light pointed at us.  It was the BC ferry headed toward Departure Bay, the same place we were headed.  The ferry was in the middle of the open water as we hugged the coast line of the island.  As the ferry passed, we wandered how their wake would affect us.  There were waves, but only slightly higher waves, that we already had encountered.  As the ferry docked we passed behind it to enter Departure Bay and the Newcastle Passage.  We had the lights of the take out point in site.  What a great 2 hours we had kayaking around the island in a full moon, a definite highlight.