With the goal clear in my mind, first step was to figure out “when”. I think that for PEI, the months of June and July are the best for a multi-day paddle. The waters start warming up, there are no bugs, it is not excessively warm which means that there is no significant weather either, and the daylight time is at its longest.

The next step was to see which way to proceed: clockwise or counter-clockwise. This took some time discussing with friends and fellow kayakers, and also looking at what other paddlers have done. Around PEI the wind is usually the most important factor, followed by current. The strongest currents are in the strait around the Trans-Canada Highway bridge. Picking up neap tides while traversing this area would make the paddling easier.

To get a feel for the winds I went to the Windy website and looked for historical data on the winds around PEI. The prevailing winds during summer are the south-westerlies. The north shore would then be mostly in the lee. In the graph below, the red arrows and text indicate the direction and the force of the wind. The way the island is positioned in relation to these winds would perhaps indicate that it makes more sense to paddle clockwise… or perhaps not. Will just listen to what the sea has to say!

The next step was to set the route and estimate the distance. With the help of Garmin HomePort mapping software I got to 282 nautical miles.

Knowing the approximate distance, next step is to see how long this trip might take. With a bit of spreadsheet, one can input the distance, the time of paddling and the break time each hour. The sheet would then spit out a bunch of values indicating in days how long it would take one to paddle a given inputted distance, given certain traveling speeds from 2.5 to 4.5 knots.

From experience, when paddling alone my average pace is 3.5 to 4 kts. Start there, and then as I would get tired, the average would drop to perhaps 2.5 kts throughout. To avoid any misinterpretations, the total traveling time as indicated by the table does not imply continuous paddling for that many hours a day. It just states that it would take that calculated number of days to paddle.

Some considerations below

The freely available 2023 Canadian Tide and Current tables for the Gulf of St.Lawrence, pages 57-58, indicate the maximum current speeds at 1.9 knots (July 5-7) just lagging a few days the “Buck Moon”. Calculate correctly and one could fly through the area! The live visualization app from St. Lawrence Global Observatory presents an amazing aid in visualizing the currents.

Another excellent resource for navigation is the also freely available Canadian Sailing Directions manual ATL-108. For weather considerations Where the Wind Blows is an excellent resource.

Charlottetown Harbour although convenient, it is not the greatest put-in and take-out spot for this trip as it adds 20 nautical miles (1 extra day). Would be at the very least one overnight plus the food and water needed. While the current is significant in the channel, it is for a short distance and one can stay closer to the shore.

Near the Sea Cow Head Lighthouse we are presented with a hazardous area due to high cliffs and deep water. The SW wind gets accelerated in the strait and the water builds up quickly. The waves then reflect from the battered cliffs and we have a chaotic environment. I have been caught unaware once in this spot by a similar build-up. It was not the most pleasant paddle.

Around Cape Egmont Lighthouse the current in the strait is a sensible presence. Augmented by the wind, the spot looks similar to the one near the Sea Cow Head Lighthouse mentioned above. One could clearly see the ebbing patterns on this image from satellite below. Something to be aware of!

Egmont Bay is a large bay and potentially one could save a lot of time by paddling deeper into the sea. There is however a long fetch for SW wind coming from the strait and the water is deep. The sea could build-up fast. Staying closer to the shore adds to the distance, the wave size increases and then you have breakers, so it is a balance act in conditions: “Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!”

The string of islands, narrows and sandbars closing the mouths of Cascumpec Bay and Malpeque Bay are known for their hordes of mosquitoes. They are many as to cover all stars, inconspicuous as dentist drills and more voracious than piranas. Experience the pristine beaches! but have an iron tent, an ample pee bottle and stay into hiding. Or better run!