Read Island Circumnavigation

I completed this circumnavigation by sea kayak on October 6-7, 2025, as part of my larger Islands Circumnavigation Project.

Read Island is the sixth island (of 40 total) I completed for the project.

Island Circumnavigated: Read Island, Discovery Islands

Date Circumnavigated: October 6-7, 2025

Circumnavigation Direction: Counterclockwise

Island Size: 40 square kilometres

Route Summary: Started and ended at Freedom Point (BC Marine Trails site) on Read Island. (Accessed Freedom Point from Discovery Islands Lodge / Hoskyn Channel Landing on Quadra Island; data for the short paddle over is not included in the stats below.) Launched from Freedom Point at 12:45 p.m. on October 6 and paddled south down Hoskyn Channel, around Viner Point and north up Sutil Channel to the Read Island public dock, then crossed the mouth of Evans Bay to Frederic Point and camped overnight at Whale Passage (BC Marine Trails site), landing around 5:30 p.m. On October 7, launched at 9:00 a.m. from Whale Passage and paddled clockwise back around Evans Bay to the Read Island public dock, then crossed back over to Frederic Point and continued the circumnavigation up Whale Passage, Sutil Channel and Drew Passage, around the north tip of Read Island, and south down Whiterock Passage, landing back at Freedom Point around 3:00 p.m.

Total Paddling Distance: 31.66 nautical miles (58.63 kilometres)

Total Paddling Time: 9 hours 12 minutes

Total On-Water Time (Including Breaks): 10 hours 37 minutes

Total Trip Time: 26 hours

Moving Average Speed: 3.4 knots

Overall Average Speed: 3.0 knots

Maximum Speed: 5.7 knots

Boat: P&H Aries 150

Highlights:

  • Trying to figure out why the current was ebbing strongly south through Whale Passage while it was also flooding north in Sutil Channel.
  • Seeing two green glowing eyes peering up from the ocean in the beam of my headlamp…a seal swimming underwater!
  • Watching the full moon rise over Sutil Channel and the Coast Mountains on the evening of October 6.
  • Hearing humpbacks blow regularly overnight in Whale Passage.
  • Exploring the nooks and crannies of Evans Bay — and finding the Read Island location of Coast Mountain Expeditions (I always wondered where that was)!
  • Gorgeous views of Raza Island, the Redonda Islands and the Coast Mountains on my journey up Sutil Channel.
  • Sun and calm seas on October 6, mixed with winds from almost every direction on October 7.
  • Paddling my P&H Aries loaded for the first time — it handled great!

Photo Gallery:
Click on any image for a larger view!

Setting out from Freedom Point, looking south down Hoskyn Channel.
Shear Point. I always wanted to see this up close!
Paddling through the King Islets.
View of Coast Mountains opening up as I round the south end of Read Island, with Cortes Island at right.
Happy paddler on a sunny, calm day.
Frederic Point, close to my camp site, with the Penn Islands and the Coast Mountains in the background.
Campsite at Whale Passage, looking back towards Read Island and Quadra Island.
Evening light at Whale Passage — and some current ebbing south.
Full moon night.
Sunrise over Whale Passage.
Exploring the nooks and crannies of Evans Bay.
The view opens up as I round Frederic Point to head north.
The hump of Raza Island ahead, with the Coast Mountains behind and the tip of Cortes Island at right.
This view never gets old.
Rendezvous Islands strung out in Sutil Channel, with mountains of the Downie Range behind.