S.V. CAMBRIA: August 2011

Isabel Bay, Desolation Sound Marine Park

Tuesday, August 30, 2011TheCambrians

The view of the Coast Mountains from Isabel Bay.

After spending another night in Susan Islets, we moved a couple of miles over to Isabel Bay (still in Lancelot Inlet) Monday morning and anchored in the southwest corner behind Polly Island leaving the other boats to the northern anchorage. Yet another beautiful area, Isabel Bay is dotted with small islets begging to be explored by kayak and offers a stunning view of the Coast Mountains off in the distance. The fact that we had the southern bay to ourselves was merely an added bonus to an already magical spot.

There's a boat anchored in the northern part of the bay called Ocean Frog whom we met in Walsh Cove last month and I chatted with them a bit this morning after I took Sally to shore and they told me about a trail that leads to Grace Harbour. In need of stretching my legs, I went for a hike after lunch and met them on the trail on the way back. She asked me if I had brought my bear whistle because they'd seen one the other day. No, I hadn't. Surely that's a piece of information I could have used before setting off on the trail. But I did have my camera with me which seems to work well as bear repellent, so I wasn't too concerned.

David, who isn't an avid walker, stayed on the boat and took a look at the heater . This morning I discovered moisture around the salon vent which is the front side of a sealed fan/cooling system on the heater. I showed David and, yes, we have a leak. And, no, he can't fix it. The unit will have to be replaced. And until then, we can't use it. So he sent a text to Lance, our installer, in Sidney about ordering a replacement fan. Until we're able to get to a place to pick it up, which would most likely be Pender Harbour in a few weeks, we're without a heater which is disappointing to say the least. And wouldn't you know it, there's a cold front over the Queen Charlotte's and the day was much cooler than the past week. With the boat sitting at 59°F this morning, a touch of heat would have been nice.

Desolation Sound

Theodosia Inlet

Saturday, August 27, 2011TheCambrians

The head of Theodosia Inlet, Desolation Sound Marine Park.

Tempted by the promise of a spectacular view of the Coast Mountains, we left Wooten Bay this morning and went into Theodosia Inlet where the cruising guides disagree – there's either tranquil surroundings to enjoy or nothing at all – but the view is undisputed as being stunning, so off we went.

The entrance to Theodosia Inlet is narrow, snake-like and shallow but fairly straightforward if you anticipate the currents and stay in the centre as you wind through the channel which suddenly opens to reveal a beautiful, lake-like anchorage with the rarely seen coastal mountain range creating a stunning backdrop reminiscent of our time in The Broughtons.

In all fairness, it's incredibly beautiful … or it would have been before the most recent logging operation began here in 1998 (or thereabouts), but they detract from the remote feeling of the bay and the idyllic scenery with log booms lining the shore and scared landscape. Holding no real appeal for either one of us, we decided to turn around and leave forgetting to do the most important thing: turn the VHF radio on channel 16 to make (and listen for) a securité call letting approaching boats know we were coming out and vice versa.

The tide was coming in and, as we were exiting the channel, we were pushing against the current and approaching one of the narrowest spots when a tug pulling a barge rounded the corner in front of us. I honestly didn't know what we were going to do – there couldn't possibly be enough turning room. But, like David said later, it didn't matter: we were either going to make it, hit the rocks, or get hit by the tug. He had no choice and spun the boat around on a dime… well, maybe a quarter or a fifty cent piece. But he did it and went back into the bay calling the tug operator – who just happened to be a woman – to apologize. She had indeed put out a securité call, but we wouldn't have known that.

After the tug cleared the channel, David gave it another go and we made it without incident but the current was already flowing much faster and had gone from one knot (against) to up to three (against). On the bright side, with the incoming tide, the water level in the channel was higher making it less stressful to get out … or maybe that was due to the absence of another tug.

Having had enough excitement for one day, we dropped anchor in Susan Islets, just north of the entrance to Theodosia Inlet. It's a quiet little spot tucked in behind three of four small islands and perfect for exploring by kayak. We paddled around for hours enjoying the late-summer sun and looking for treasures in the water before returning to the boat to enjoy yet another amazing sunset and the solitude of our little anchorage – it was pure magic!

Desolation Sound

Wooten Bay

Wednesday, August 24, 2011TheCambrians

Desolation Sound

Grace Harbour

Wednesday, August 24, 2011TheCambrians

The gods at sea always seem to have a way of leveling things out and this morning was my turn to be up early when Sally woke me at four by pacing back and forth along the boat and staring at me – very loudly. I thought she was just stressed from the heat, so I tried to ignore her. But I was wrong. As it turned out, she was sick and needed a trip to shore . . . desperately. I finally got the clue around 6:00 am and took her to a small beach where she promptly exploded – poor little puppy!

With Sally's shore trip already taken care of, we upped anchor around nine o'clock and made our way back into Malaspina Strait where we were greeted by an entirely different body of water from yesterday –gone were the white-caps, chopped up seas, and wind. It was flat calm doing away with all hopes we had of continuing our sail north,so we left the sail furled and kept the motor running and were treated to the most beautiful of sights – at least thirty boats travelling south and leaving the area.

It's ironic that Captain Vancouver chose the name Desolation Sound for what is now one of B.C.'s busiest and largest marine parks with forty miles of shoreline and over 20,000 acres of upland. But in 1792, when Vancouver was surveying the Inside Passage, the landscape most likely did seem desolate aided by a smallpox epidemic that had hit the area ten years earlier, wiping out the local native population.

With more and more Europeans arriving in search of gold and land in the mid-1800s, it became necessary to establish more accurate charts of the area, so the British Admiralty commissioned Captain George Henry Richards to survey the Strait of Georgia from November 1857 to January 1861. In 1863, Daniel Pender took over the job and, by the end of 1864, he had completed charting the maze of islands in Desolation Sound making the area ripe for an invasion of European settlers. The population peaked in the 1930s and 40s but declined in 1958 when Ripple Rock was destroyed making navigation in Discovery Passage safer for mariners. And, in 1973, the marine park was established.

No longer desolate, in the summer months the park is literally littered with hundreds of boats carrying holiday makers in search of fun and frolic who are generally unconcerned with disturbing the peace with their jet skis, outboard motors, loud music and the like. But now that the cruising season is coming to a close, it's much quieter and the anchorages only have a fraction of the boats in them –most of which are looking for peace and quiet like us – so it's finally safe to come in and have a look around.

For the next few weeks, this will be our home . . . starting with Grace Harbour, one of Desolation Sound's most popular and protected anchorages.

Music Festival Pender Harbour the Sunshine Coast

Pender Harbour Garlic Festival

Tuesday, August 23, 2011TheCambrians

The newlyweds

We left the Copeland Islands Friday morning and motored south to Westview to fill up with fuel and water. They're still in the process of adding new docks for temporary moorage and the new fairway is extremely narrow – limited to one boat at one point because of a shallow extending out from the seawall – but because of its convenience, worth the extra aggravation. Thirty minutes and CA$454 later, we were on our way to Pender Harbour.

It was a long day. But a good one. I love travelling along this stretch of water. We're both fairly relaxed and have some of our best conversations while sitting in the cockpit enjoying the view as it passes us by at a leisurely seven knots. That's not to say it isn't a mean piece of water. It can be. But we pick our days and most of them have been like this – flat calm without a breath of wind. The only problem being that the weather has really started to heat up and Sally's stressed. While the rest of us are shedding clothes, she's stuck wearing a fur coat which is still too thick for these temperatures.

We arrived in Pender Harbour in the afternoon and I took Sally to shore in search of information on the 2nd Annual Garlic Fest which was to be held on Saturday and Sunday. I thought it was taking place in Madeira Park – a short walk from the marina. But, come to find out, it was being held in Lions' Park – some 10 kilometres away. As luck would have it, I asked a gal at the grocery store if she knew of a shuttle and she ended up offering David and I a ride. We took her up on the offer and met up with our friends, Gary and Tani, at the park sitting with Gary's family for the night.

All and all, it was a great festival with amazing food (garlic, garlic and more garlic!) and entertainment. The music started off with Valdy, a Canadian folk musician who began his solo career in the early 70s. He was very popular in Canada, second only to Gordon Lightfoot, and received several awards along the way. Not only was he good, but he was entertaining and had the crowd laughing and clapping along with him. Next up was Larry Cook whom we had heard play at the Garden Bay Pub last year and really enjoyed – both times. And ending the night was Dr. Fun and the Painkillers, Gary's band, who had the remaining crowd on their feet and dancing the rest of the night – it was great!

Because we weren't planning to go to the wedding on Sunday, we hadn't made arrangements for a rental car –something that would have come in handy for the entire weekend. But Gary insisted that we come and worked it all out. A friend of his, Andy, would pick us up at the marina and we'd use their car to drive home so they could drink. The only problem: allergies! I've been struggling with them since we left Shoal Bay and Sunday was my day to be down and out – literally – so David ended up going by himself and had a wonderful time while I stayed home and filled myself with just about every drug I could find.

Shortly after he got home, some time after 2:00 am, the wind started to pick up and blew for days. Garden Bay is famous for being a mediocre anchorage when the wind blows and it's common for people to drag. With me knocked out by allergy medicine, d's second anchor watch of the season was born (the first being Frances Bay). But he wasn't alone: lights were on throughout the anchorage and people were up checking their positions.

With the forecast for strong winds in Malaspina Strait, the same stretch of water which was as smooth as glass a couple of days ago, we waited until today to leave and were greeted with 20+ knots of wind from the south and white caps. But, for once, we were going the right direction, north, and were able to sail. It wasn't a great sail. With the sea state, we were only able to make 5 to 6 knots, but we did sail and that's all that matters – chalking up number four for the season! But we left our departure too late in the day, so we tucked into Ballet Bay for the night and will continue on to Desolation Sound Marine Park in the morning.

Malaspina Strait

Copeland Islands Marine Park

Thursday, August 18, 2011TheCambrians

Sunset in the Copeland Islands.

We upped anchor this morning after taking Sally to shore and made way for Copeland Islands Marine Park – a miniature archipelago in Malaspina Strait reputed to be a kayaker's haven and a new destination for us. On the way over, David turned on the water-maker to fill the tanks but, during the process, the intake pump failed –the same one we had replaced from the UK just two years ago. But, with more important things to do, the pump would have to wait until later.

The Copeland Islands is a picturesque spot with several different anchoring options. According to the cruising guides, most people choose the easternmost anchorage off Thulin Passage but are subject to the wakes of passing boats, so we opted to stay in the western anchorage and weren't disappointed. Not only is it the calmer of the two, it's more beautiful and offers the most amazing sunsets we've seen all season.

We spent most of the afternoon kayaking around one of the many islands in the group and ended up putting close to two miles under our keels(such as they are) before returning to the boat tired from battling currents and the warm sun. We hadn't been back long before David pulled up the floorboards to have a look at the pump – a seal had given out and needed to be replaced. Unfortunately during theprocess, he broke the impeller (a $100 part that we can only find inthe UK). Convinced we had a spares aboard, he tore up the boat looking. I normally know where everything is but lately I've been off my game and couldn't remember where I had put them. All I knew is that he was wasting his time – I hadn't put them in any of the usual places – and that if he gave me some time, I'd remember where they were. And eventually I did. All it took was for him to pick up a set of water filters he had been cleaning for me to remember that we had spares stored in the compartment behind our bed … with the water-maker (duh!). And sure enough, there they were.

Having wreaked enough havoc for one day, we put everything away and sat on the deck to enjoy an incredible sunset – one of the many bonuses to the anchorages outside of Desolation Sound.

Desolation Sound

Mansons Landing Marine Park, Cortes Island

Wednesday, August 17, 2011TheCambrians

Hague Lake, Mansons Landing.

Mansons Landing Marine Park has a lot to offer, locals and tourists alike, and can be a busy place with boats scattered throughout the large, but somewhat unprotected, anchorage. And with a couple of nice days in store, the park was hopping with people lining the white, sandy beach with towels and ice chests while cooling off in the warmer water of the lagoon.

We took to the lagoon as well, but in the kayaks. It was low tide and we had to fight the current going out as well as the shallow water, so we didn't get very far. But far enough to appreciate the view before paddling to shore and taking a nice walk along the beach. Nothing beats the feeling of sand between your toes, but the only problem with sandy beaches is sand … it gets every where and takes weeks to vacuum it all up.

We had planned to leave this morning but decided the park merited another day. So after lunch David, Sally and I dinghied to the public dock and walked up to Hague Lake where we were greeted by another beautiful white, sandy beach and clear, warm, FRESH water. We chose to position ourselves along the “family beach” rather than going “au natural” with the locals further up - Hague Lake being “clothing optional”.

It was lovely, but we picked the wrong time of day. By the time we arrived, the sun was already dipping behind the tall cedars and shading parts of the beach depriving bathers (me) of the heat they may need to motivate themselves into going for a swim. But it was still a nice day and we enjoyed laying on the beach listening to the children play in the water reminding me of so many good times spent with my young nieces and nephews at the pool.

I'm not sure how or why the idea came up, but at some point in the past day or two we decided, on a whim, to go south to Pender Harbour for a couple of days. One of our friends, Gary Gilbert, and his band are playing at The Second Annual Garlic Fest and we decided to seize the opportunity to hear them again. On Sunday, he and his partner of ten years, Tani, will be getting married. Thinking we'd still be north, we had declined the invitation, but wanted to bring them a little gift and our best wishes, so we'll leave tomorrow for the Copeland Islands in Malaspina Strait before making the forty mile trip.

Desolation Sound

Rebecca Spit Marine Park

Monday, August 15, 2011TheCambrians

Rebecca Spit Marine Park.

With another three days spent at Rebecca Spit, it was time to up anchor and part ways with Salubrious who have a local electrician coming out tomorrow to (hopefully) fix their issue once and for all.

Our time in Quadra was short, but well spent. Thinking I needed a dayout (and there was probably some merit to that thought), David planned a trip to Campbell River on Friday, so we dinghied over to Heriot Bay in hopes of catching a shuttle to Q-Cove, on the opposite side of the island, where the ferry makes a ten minute crossing tothe city. There isn't a shuttle so we had to settle for a taxi and, CA$21 later (OUCH), we were queuing up. We walked around the downtown area in search of a tobacconist (which we never found), had lunch (which I couldn't eat because I had ordered so badly) and bought a few provisions (including a nice can of dog food and a couple of pig ears for the birthday dog who turned 15 that day) before going back to Quadra and Heriot Bay. It was nice that he tried but, the truth is, it was never going to be a good day with my mind focused on my sister and Steven Michael's 25th birthday party.

Last night, Bill and Sylvia invited us to dinner at Heron's Restaurant at The Heriot Bay Inn to say thank you to David for his help. It was delicious and unnecessary, but very much appreciated. A group of twenty locals bought the inn in 2006 with a vision to maintain, manage and develop the property locally and with local products and man-power. Since then, they've made several improvements by addressing deferred maintenance and renovations and have tried to ensure that the inn hasbeen allowed to achieve her full potential. Not having seen the property before the take-over, it's difficult to know just what they've accomplished but, shortly after taking over, the inn saw profits for the first time in years. All we can attest to is that the food is excellent, the atmosphere is amazing (old world meets the Pacific Northwest) and the service is exceptional. It was a really nice evening and a wonderful way to say good-bye.

The laundry hamper is full again so, before going into Desolation Sound Marine Park, we made the short trip across Sutil Channel over to Gorge Harbour for the night. It was busy and I had to wait to use the machines, but I managed to finish three loads before dinner so we can be on our way again in the morning. Next stop: Mansons Landing Marine Park … or exactly where we started more than two weeks ago!

Desolation Sound

Rebecca Spit Marine Park, Quadra Island

Thursday, August 11, 2011TheCambrians

the Discovery Islands the Inside Passage

Phillips Arm

Tuesday, August 09, 2011TheCambrians

the Discovery Islands the Inside Passage

Shoal Bay, East Thurlow Island

Monday, August 08, 2011TheCambrians

Cambria and About Time at anchor in Shoal Bay.

Yesterday began innocuously enough with boats coming and going out of Shoal Bay (our friends, Bill and Sylvia, among them). And ended with one of the neighbours being evacuated by helicopter to Campbell River.

To start, Bill and Sylvia arrived in the early afternoon and I took them on a tour of the place before sitting down on the deck at the pub for a drink. The neighbours, Chris and Greg, came over with a couple of friends who were visiting, so we all chatted for a while in the late-afternoon sun while they sipped glasses of wine. The next thing we knew, Greg fell to the ground, unconscious – he had had a seizure.

The deck quickly got crowded with people trying to help as Mark ran up to the house to call 911 so, hoping the rest of the lookie-loos would take our lead and get out of the way before the paramedics arrived, we decided it was best to leave. Greg was feeling somewhat better by then and was showing signs of a sense of humour, so we felt confident that he would be okay.

This morning, we said good-bye to Bill and Sylvia as they upped anchor and made way for Blind Channel and then took Sally to shore to check on Greg's condition. By all accounts, he's doing well. Apparently he had a seizure twenty years ago which was brought on by a bought of heavy whiskey drinking. Since then, he's monitored how much he drinks and has always been careful to stay hydrated. But this weekend was a busy one. Between fishing all day with his house guests, the music festival, and plenty of alcohol it proved to be too much and his body cried “uncle”. The doctor is a little concerned about his blood pressure and cholesterol level, but he was released today and he and Chris went back to Vancouver, where they live.

And then we said hello, to Bill and Sylvia that is. David saw Salubrious coming back around the corner, so he took the dinghy out to their boat to see if there was a problem. There was. On their way to Blind Channel, the gauges on the boat stopped working –depth meter, knot log, etc. David came to pick us up and we went home to have lunch, after which he packed up his tools and went over to help Bill while Sally and I went to shore to hang out with Sylvia who was using the internet. It took a few hours, but he found the problem – a bad sender – and was able to fix it by taking it out of the circuit. They'll need to replace it eventually. But this will work for now.

In the meantime our friends, Rick and Gerri Lee (who had come for the music festival and went to Loughborough Inlet for the night), returned. The plan of the day: a trip up Phillips Arm to look for grizzly bears. A couple of other boats thought we had a good idea, so they asked to join the flotilla but, with David working aboard Salubrious, we weren't in a position to go. But the great thing about not sailing to a schedule is that there's always tomorrow

Music Festival the Discovery Islands the Inside Passage

Shoal Bay International Music Festival

Sunday, August 07, 2011TheCambrians

the Discovery Islands the Inside Passage

Thurston Bay Marine Park, Sonora Island

Thursday, August 04, 2011TheCambrians

Anchorage Lagoon

With another beautiful day in store, we upped anchor early this morning and made our way through Upper and Lower Rapids, down Okisollo Channel, into Discovery Passage, up Nodales Channel and to Thurston Marine Park on Sonora Island with Salubrious following behind. We dropped our anchors in Handfield Bay, a quiet spot just north of the major passes, and were welcomed by a lovely pastoral view with gently rolling hills reminiscent of our time in New Zealand – the main reason I like it here so much.

The marine park is undeveloped except for an overgrown trail linking thebay with Anchorage Lagoon at the south end of Thurston Bay. After lunch, the four of us went to shore to find the trail. It took some doing, be we finally located it and were greeted by a two or three week old pile of scat. We later learned that a grizzly bear had been spotted in the area recently, Sonora being the only one of the islands known to have grizzlies, proving the point that ignorance is bliss. But again, it wasn't fresh and there's safety in numbers. After all, I don't have to out run the bear, just every one else. And, believe it or not, I don't fancy my chances in a race against David, so I appreciated the extra numbers and improved odds.

A fifteen minute walk through the forest and we were on the other side tramping through the muddy shoreline of the lagoon at low tide where we enjoyed an idyllic view and combed the rocky beach before walking back to the other side and returning to our boats. It had a been a long day and we still have a few more miles to travel in the morning,so David and I had an early night.

We'll be saying good-bye to Bill and Sylvia in the morning who are staying an extra day or two but should see them in Shoal Bay either Saturday or Sunday as they make their way to the Broughtons. It's been a lot of fun buddy-boating with them and a great distraction, so we'll miss them but I'm sure our paths will cross again before the end of the season… it's a small world on the water, after all.

the Discovery Islands the Inside Passage

Octopus Islands Marine Park, Quadra Island

Wednesday, August 03, 2011TheCambrians

Isabel Bay, Desolation Sound Marine Park

Theodosia Inlet

Wooten Bay

Grace Harbour

Pender Harbour Garlic Festival

Copeland Islands Marine Park

Mansons Landing Marine Park, Cortes Island

Rebecca Spit Marine Park

Rebecca Spit Marine Park, Quadra Island

Phillips Arm

Shoal Bay, East Thurlow Island

Shoal Bay International Music Festival

Thurston Bay Marine Park, Sonora Island

Octopus Islands Marine Park, Quadra Island

Welcome Aboard

Follow Us on Facebook

Blog Archive

Blog Categories

Featured Post

Why Sail to Southeast Alaska? Ten Reasons You Should Go

Popular Posts

We Survived!