Salt Spring Island can be used as a basecamp for kayaking in the Gulf Islands.   Some of the areas to paddle include Fulford Harbour, Long Harbour, Ganges Harbour, Prevost Island, Wallace Island, and coastline sections wherever a good launch can be found.   Paddling out of Ganges Harbour is a good choice early in the morning before the crowds come to the markets and parking will be impossible, let alone getting the boats down to the water.   We chose a weekday morning and parked at Centennial Park, hauling boats down the Ganges Centennial Harbour concrete ramp (with permission from the Harbour Authority).   We launched into calm waters behind the 150m breakwater, paddling out the entrance channel among a wide assortment of moored vessels.

Ganges Harbour is a busy place and there were many boats heading out and coming in and float planes landing and taking off.   The winds were strong from the west too so we had to work hard through incoming waves, watching for all the traffic on the go.   By taking a route close to the islands, we had some protection from the wind.   Our destination was the Third Sister Island where there is a crushed shell beach on the northwest end of the island.

Locals call this spot Chocolate Beach.   We were pleased to be the only visitors to the beach at this time.  It can be a busy spot with boaters landing on the beach at high tide on weekends.   A trail climbs up the spine of the island with a unique outhouse along the way.

We had lunch on the white shell beach and explored a bit before heading back to Ganges.

This 7 km paddle is the same one that kayak companies offer their clients for a day excursion.   On a less windy day, we would have explored the shoreline beyond the islands, but we chose to head back with the winds behind us, staying close to the islands as power boats, fishing boats, water taxis, tugs, float planes, and ferries passed our kayaks.

There are two or three other launch spots for the harbour – one behind Moby’s Pub, one at the end of Churchill Road, and a couple of hand launch spots only suitable for high tide.   On a calm day, paddlers could go around into Welbury Bay or Long Harbor (about 10+ km each way or along the south shore toward Yeo Point (10km each way) and beyond to Prevost Island.

We paddled several other spots off the coast of the island and found Fulford Harbour to be the most enjoyable.   The whole south end of the island was less busy, but still very scenic.

Kayaking the Gulf Islands requires some good research about launch spots (for both high and low tides), wind and weather forecasts, local currents and open channel conditions, and good kayaks suitable for ocean paddling.   Salt Spring Island is a good spot for exploration and we will return to paddle and camp on Prevost and Wallace Islands on a future trip.