Paddling: Portage inlet, Vancouver BC

This paddle trip took place during the summer solstice of 2007. The wife and I were traveling through Victoria, BC and spent our last day there exploring by kayak. We were staying near Chinatown and found the Harbour Canoe Club (450 Swift Street) had some basic single and double kayaks for rent at a pretty standard price. It was an ideal place to launch because you could take a couple routes, either out to the main harbour to watch the seaplanes take-off and land or travel further inland through Portage Inlet. Our tracking map follows the Portage Inlet inland.

The inlet is a great way to go for a mellow paddle with fewer power boats and other disturbances. You begin in an industrial area, but as you get further up the inlet you'll discover a quiet rural area where properties meet the water's edge. There are a few bridges where the passages narrow, which may cause a fast current during a tidal exchange. It isn't perilous, but be warned that they may take some effort to get through.

This trip took us less than two hours at a moderate pace, and upon returning our vessels to the Harbour Canoe Club, we walked across the street to the Canoe Club Brewpub for a well-earned beer and some snacks. Mel, who is Canadian, was pleased to see fries with brown gravy on the menu. Its nothing fancy, but they have a patio.