August 26th, a day after the e-book release of my latest book, "Raptured", I left for an overnight kayaking trip on the east coast of Vancouver Island. My goal was to kayak from Deep Bay and circumnavigate Hornby Island, a paddle that would turn out to be thirty seven kilometers. I prayed for good weather as I climbed into my sleeping bag at Deep Bay Resort, where I was camping, so I could get an early start.
Waking up at 5:00 a.m., through the tent's entrance I could see the rising sun breaking through the clouds on the horizon. I ate a quick breakfast of muesli and coffee, and then waded into the shallow surf with my kayak and some supplies, just after the tide had turned.
The water was calm. The only sounds for the first hour were made by my kayak paddle and the calls of distant seagulls. As I neared Ford Cove, a few anglers in small fishing boats puttered past. Upon reaching the island's coast, I spotted seals laid out on the sandstone, soaking in the morning sun.
By midday I had reached the north side of Hornby Island, but ran into trouble because the tide had receded too far. I had to take a much longer detour around the exposed rocky shoreline to continue. It was worth it though, because while doing this I spotted more seals. A group of over twenty of them bobbed in the water, curiously watching me as I kayaked past.
I stopped briefly to have lunch, and take drink breaks at various spots along the way. When the wind picked up, coming around the east side of Hornby Island, I had to put some heavy large rocks in the bow of the kayak to keep the keel submerged and the kayak under control. To wait out the wind and waves I sheltered in Ford Cove, having a coffee and some locally made carrot cake at the small variety store/cafe there. One of my books, "Dance With Me" had scenes that took place at the wharf, so it was extra special to sit, and sip my coffee, thinking of what my fictional character experienced at the marina.
By the time I returned to my campsite at Deep Bay the whole trip had taken just under ten hours. Tired, but excited by the accomplishment, I enjoyed a hot shower in the resort washroom. What a journey.
The next day, after I returned home, I checked my new book on Amazon, and saw that it was selling, and moving up the best-selling hot new releases for its genre, ranking as high as #4 by mid September. Over two years of writing work went into "Raptured" - another long journey. It felt good to know that people, anywhere, were now able to read it.
I took some video clips of the kayaking trip. If you're interested you can watch it below.
