Broken Islands Lodge Based Tour (308.261)

Itinerary

• Day
  1

  Meet at 7 to 7:15am at the Lady Rose Service Dock (West end of Argyle Street). We then load our gear into large plastic totes, park vehicles 1.5 block away, north of the train Station. We board the Francis Barkley at 7:45 for a scenic 3hr tour out the Alberni Inlet.
  
  To avoid the rush, some people load their totes at 6:30am, then go have breakfast and return by 7:30am. If you choose to arrive between 7 and 7:20 we meet by the office after you have loaded your gear into totes and parked your car about 2 blocks away. Once we are under way you can also have breakfast and coffee on the boat. 11:00am Arrive at Sechart Lodge
  
  Important: The Francis Barkley is a 200 ton packet freighter and may be carrying 100 or more people and cargo so it will not wait for late passengers. You need to have your gear all loaded in totes by 7:30 and your car parked approx. 2 blocks away, we will meet by the office where your guide will pass out your boat tickets
  
  If you miss the departure time of 8am you have a couple of options to get back on the tour:
  
  #1 Hire a float plane to fly you and your gear out to Sechart lodge. you can come back on the boat.
  #2 set up a water taxi from the lodge and drive the 1 hour to Toquart bay for pickup. Francis Barkley Dock staff can help with phone numbers.
  #3 Find and Hire a local Water taxi to take you our the inlet (more expensive than option #2)
  
  At the lodge we check into your rooms then have lunch. After lunch, we have a safety & paddling briefing before setting out for an afternoon paddle.
  
  TRAVEL LOGISTICS TO PORT ALBERNI:
  We meet at 7:00am, Monday morning in Port Alberni South Central Vancouver Islands.
  
  From Calgary, it is a 12 hr drive to Vancouver via Highway #1 west, a 1.5 hr ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo and a 1.5 hr drive via Highway #4.
  
  Flight options include:
  -Fly into Comox and drive 2 hours to Port Alberni.
  -Fly to Nanaimo and drive 1.5 hours to Port Alberni
  -Fly to Victoria and drive 4.5 hours to Port Alberni
  
  Bus service on Vancouver Island is available through Greyhound Canad, Island Coach Lines or via the
  Tofino Bus, Tofino Bus Http://www.tofinobus.com or 1-866-986-3466
  
  -Land travel options beside greyhound from Comox to Port Alberni Ambassador Shuttle Comox, (250) 339-5252
  - The Tofino Bus will pick people up at the Nanaimo Ferry and transport to Port Alberni for around $20 per person, based on the bus schedule.

  Meals: Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Lodge
• Day
  2

  Full day trip to explore the Broken Group Islands.
  With over 100 Islets and Islands close to the Lodge, if we plan our routes carefully we can easily have 5 or more days of paddling without always going over the same location. Most lodges on the coast have one or two days of exploring before the area is used up. This truly is a special area.
  We will launch each morning approximately 8 to 9am and return to the lodge close to 5 pm to wash up shower and enjoy a specially cooked dinner at 6pm.
  

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Lodge
• Day
  3

  Full day trip to a new area.
  Weather permitting, we hire a water taxi to boat us and our kayaks to the outer edge one day in the week. (We spend the day exploring our way back from the rugged outer Islands)

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Lodge
• Day
  4

  Full day trip to keep exploring the islands.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

  Accomodation: Lodge
• Day
  5

  We get an early start so we can have just about a full day paddle in before our return boat ride to Port Alberni, arriving in Port Alberni at 7:00pm.
  
  If individuals wish to take a day off paddling that is an option to stay and read or lounge at the lodge or on Wednesday or Friday you can board the Francis Barkley at 11am and go on a tour to Ucluelet for the day returning on the boat by 4pm.
  
  On Friday we check out of the lodge before we go paddling, if you choose not to paddle Friday you must check out by 10 and wait at the day lodge or board the Francis Barkley at 11 for the Ucluelet run.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  Accomodation: