The entrance to Klaskino Anchorage behind Anchorage Island
We left Pamphlet Cove Wednesday morning under clear skies and motor-sailed to our next destination, Klaskino Anchorage on the southeast side of Anchorage Island in Brooks Bay.
Located between Kwakiutl Point and Cape Cook, Brooks Bay is a large open roadstead lined by high, rugged mountains. Waves break against the numerous unmarked reefs and rocks that litter the coastline leaving trails of white behind which makes entering a daunting task, at best. But once you’re through, you’ll find two well-protected inlets – Klaskino and Klaskish – with secure anchorages located within eleven nautical miles of each other.
Neither anchorage offers an advantage over the other when it comes to rounding Brooks Peninsula – it’s approximately a 30 mile trip either way – but Klaskino is the most difficult to enter . . . and exit. The entrance is less than 0.1 mile wide between rocks and reefs that break from the ocean swell and a drying flat that extends from the south: Much like Sea Otter Cove, if you didn’t have grey hair before entering, you probably will afterwards.
Taking a walk on the beach with Sally
Sitting just off the Pacific Ocean, the anchorage is sheltered from the swell and chop by outlying reefs and kelp beds. Along the southern shores, there are two nice rocky beaches to walk along, one of which offers a great view of the setting sun. And the surrounding islets and shallows would be interesting to explore by kayak if your visit happens to coincide with days that aren’t too windy . . . which ours didn’t.
Still north of Brooks Peninsula, my impression of the West Coast is fairly low. Even the wildest of places, far removed from everyday life, have been scarred by logging. But despite this, Klaskino somehow manages to retain its beauty. It is, without a doubt, the prettiest anchorage we’ve seen on this trip but, unfortunately, our time is limited. There’s a stationary ridge of high pressure sitting over Queen Charlotte Sound and a trough over the interior of British Columbia that are forecasted to bring strong to gale force westerlies and two to three metre seas over the next few days, so we’re leaving tomorrow for Klaskish Basin where we’ll have better protection while we wait out the weather to round Brooks Peninsula.
The sun setting in Klaskino Inlet
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