British Columbia
Desolation Sound
Prideaux Haven, Desolation Sound Marine Park
Saturday, June 23, 2012TheCambrians
The rain had cleared by morning and it was another calm and quiet day on the Strait of Georgia. We took our time getting ready to leave so that we wouldn’t have to battle against a head current and, even though we were motoring against an outgoing tide, we managed to gain a one knot push once we passed Powell River.
We motored up the narrow channel that separates the Copeland Islands from the mainland and, once again, found ourselves tempted to stop –the group of islets offer some of the best kayaking in the area. But, even though we hadn’t spoken about our next destination, we both knew where we were going: Prideaux Haven in Desolation Sound Marine Park.
We rounded Sarah Point, the gateway to Desolation Sound, and were met with a similar view to the one we had when we left the area eight months, low clouds and grey skies, as if a day hadn’t passed since we were here last. David negotiated the rocky entrance into Prideaux Haven and the bay opened up before us. Unlike last September when we were alone, there were several other boats already anchored here but our “spot” was free and waiting for us to fill it, so he dropped the anchor and brought Cambria home.
It didn’t take long for us to put everything away and launch the kayaks so that we could reacquaint ourselves with the area. We floated along the channel that separates Melanie Point from Cobblestone Island reminiscing about the afternoons we spent doing the same thing last September while following a black bear as he foraged along the shore. And even though we both knew there wouldn’t be any bears this time around, it was nice to recall the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
While sitting on the deck after dinner and enjoying the view, thunder rolled to the east of us and the sky darkened. The wind began to pick up throughout the evening, reaching speeds of twenty-eight knots with gusts close to thirty-five, and the rain, once again, began to fall. But Cambria was securely anchored and merely followed the swirling winds as they made their way down from the Coast Mountains. As the night wore on, it finally blew itself out and the barometer rose bringing the promise of a better day tomorrow.
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