Our goal was to be camping in the Broken Islands in the same day we left Kamloops.   We evaluated the various options and decided to try a less-known route.   We left in the early morning and caught the 10:40 ferry to Nanaimo (with an overheight reservation).   Our goal was to get across Vancouver Island and take a turn-off at Kennedy Lake (before Ucluelet) onto a logging road to the Toquart Bay area, which had been closed due to some environmental issues.   The Toquaht area Indian Band had opened a temporary kayak launch at the hamlet of Macoah, across from the Stopper Islands.   We didn't know what to expect, but we found the facility fine as a hand launch site, especially at high tide.   There was a large parking areas, a gravel ramp down to the gravel beach, porta-potties, and an attendant to take our fees.  

Within an hour after arrival, all five of our kayaks were on the beach, gear was loaded into the hatches, and our vehicles were secured.   We paddled off into the Sound.   There is often afternoon winds coming up the channel, so we had hoped to get out to one of two primitive campsites on the nearby Stopper Islands, only 2.5 km from the launch.   The islands are outside the National Park on Crown land, unlogged and wild, mostly used by First Nations for shellfish harvesting.   We had a rough set of coordinates for the beach landing which proved to be not very accurate, but we followed the shoreline until we found a sand-gravel beach behind an islet with some spots to set up tents above the high tide line.  

By early evening,  we had our boats secured, tents set up, and dinner was being prepared.   We were pleased to be camping out in the Sound that day.   We could have bypassed Stopper Islands and paddled to the closest of the Broken Islands (Hand Island), but paddling late in the evening is a bit of a risk, especially crossing David Channel, then Sechart Channel.  Hand Island is also the closest campsite for those taking the Lady Rose to Sechart Lodge.   We would have been the last to arrive that day.   We were pleased to have the whole beach to ourselves at the southern Stopper Island and we were also easily able to find firewood for an evening beach bonfire (there isn't much wood to be found at the National Park sites in the Broken Group). 

Although  we were anxious to be out in the main group of the Broken Islands, we really enjoyed our camp at Stopper Island and would gladly stay there again, especially if we had a late arrival (it took us about 11 hours to go from Kamloops to the launch spot).   From Stopper, we faced some early winds, so we crossed the first channel and tried to stay in the lee of islands and along the shores to work our way out into the Sound    Many years ago, I had paddled out of Bamfield and crossed Trevor Channel, then Imperial Eagle Channel.   I didn't want to make this kind of crossing again.   That is another story and, in short, I feel lucky to still be vertical after that venture.   Our 2013 route allowed us a safe and partly sheltered approach out into the Broken Islands.   Now we just need full rain gear.…