British Columbia Sum It Up Sunday

Sum It Up Sunday: Moving Right Along

Sunday, September 21, 2014TheCambrians

Salubrious and Cambria rafted together in Loretta Island Cove.

This “Sum It Up Sunday” brings us back to the week of July 27th and to Loretta Island Cove along Devastation Channel.  As far as anchorages go, it isn’t anything special but it’s a pretty spot with steep, moss-covered granite and evergreen trees lining the shore.  But more importantly, the protection and holding are good making it the perfect place to rest up before making the next leg of our trip – a 28 nautical mile stretch down Verney Passage and Ursula Channel to Bishop Bay Hot Springs.

Ursula Channel.
When we arrived Monday afternoon, the anchorage was empty so we each took a mooring and David and I went straight to the hot spring for a bath.  But Bishop Bay is a popular place and it wasn’t long before more boats arrived, filling the dock.  It showered most of Tuesday and we did little more than soak in the springs and discuss our plans for the next day – deciding on nothing except that we were leaving.  But, in a last-minute moment of reluctance, I pulled the plug and we stayed another day – I just wasn’t sure that I was ready to drop below 53° for the year.  I couldn’t get anyone to agree with me (i.e. David), so Thursday morning we left Bishop Bay and started south after one final soak, ready or not.

David taking one final soak in the hot springs at Bishop Bay.

My back was bothering me so I took it easy on the trip down – walking around the boat, laying down for a nap, and generally doing everything except sitting in the cockpit which can be uncomfortable.  When I woke up from my nap, we’d passed Khutze Inlet (our intended destination) and were making way for Hiekish Narrows to spend the night in Work Bay, a lovely little spot at the northern end of Finlayson Channel.  The Douglass book says it’s often overlooked as an anchorage because it’s somewhat open to the south but is fine in settled weather.  And he’s right.  Despite the fact that we were seeing wind and chop from the inflow wind out in the channel, it was flat and calm inside . . . and beautifully quiet. 

Looking out toward Finlayson Channel from the head of Work Bay.

The next day, Salubrious went down to Klemtu to fill up with diesel and take a tour of the Big House.  Unfortunately, George was busy and couldn’t take them so they missed out . . . again!  David and I stayed behind and did absolutely nothing, something we both enjoyed a little too much.  When Saturday morning rolled around, it was foggy outside the anchorage in Finlayson Channel and our planned noon departure was set back until it lifted some time around 1:00 pm.  From there, it was a short run up the channel and over to Sheep Passage to our anchorage for the night, Windy Bay. 

All and all, it wasn’t what you’d call a very exciting week; we did little more than put miles under our keel.  But the coming one promises to be more interesting now that we’ve set ourselves up to visit our next destination – Fiordland Recreational Area. 


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