S.V. CAMBRIA

Port McNeill, Vancouver Island

Wednesday, July 28, 2010TheCambrians

The Broughtons

Cullen Harbour

Tuesday, July 27, 2010TheCambrians

The Broughtons

Penphrase Passage

Sunday, July 25, 2010TheCambrians

The Broughtons

Cypress Harbour, Broughton Island

Saturday, July 24, 2010TheCambrians

The Broughtons

Sullivan Bay, Broughton Island

Friday, July 23, 2010TheCambrians

The view of the Coastal Mountains outside Turnbull Cove.

Yesterday was another bright and sunny day, so we took the opportunity to explore Turnbull Cove and a small section of Kenneth Passage, an area that resembles a mountain lake more than the ocean with it's close, tree-lined shores, by dinghy. It's difficult to describe the beauty and appeal of area, but I'm sure that it will remain a favourite of The Broughtons for years to come.

The goal of the trip was to take a look at Roaringhouse Rapids which apparently lives up to their name during low-water spring tides when rooster tails extend over an area 100 yards from the waterfall that forms and a thick blanket of white foam fills the entire bay. The tide was coming in, so we didn't witness anything that extreme or exciting but we did catch a glimpse of seals jumping and frolicking inside the lagoon while they fished for their next meal.

In the evening, we took the dinghy back to shore and walked up to the lake which was already shaded and didn't look as inviting as it had the day before, so we started a fire at the campsite and burned the pile of trash we'd already managed to accumulate before returning to the boat for a quiet night.

We left Turnbull Cove this afternoon for Sullivan Bay where there's another small marina and floathouse community that I'd wanted to see. In 1945, the floating village at Claydon Bay, a short distance north on the mainland, was towed to Sullivan Bay where the string of buildings, including a store and post office, serviced what was, until the mid-50s, the busiest floatplane base on the coast. Several of the original buildings remain as part of current resort along with a well-stocked grocery and liquor store, fuel dock and potable water making it a good place to reprovision before setting out to new anchorages – that's if you don't mind being $5 to death.

It's a fun place to walk around the docks, all signed with street names, stretch your legs and take a look at the upscale floathomes and motor yachts. But, once again, we opted to anchor and dropped our hook in the small bay formed between Atkinson and North Broughton Islands away from all of the action satisfied just to dinghy over for a look, a loaf of bread, a bag of chips and an ice cream treat – CA$20.11.

Some of the original floar buildings at Sulllivan Bay Marine Resort.

The Broughtons

Turnbull Cove

Wednesday, July 21, 2010TheCambrians

The evening light in Turnbull Cove.

We left Drury Inlet for Turnbull Cove off Grappler Sound after spending two nights anchored in Sutherland Bay – our quest for a grizzly bear sighting unsuccessful – passing up the opportunity to anchor in the nearby Muirhead Islands, a lovely cluster of islands, islets and rocks that form a well-protected anchorage for exploring by dingy or kayak. But the weather in the inlet over the past two days has been dismal – cold, grey and damp – and we were both ready for a change of scenery. At this point, it would be easy to give up the season in The Broughtons and go back down to Desolation Sound where we know we can find some summer weather before it's too late; but we're here and won't likely be back, except in passing, so we need to make the most of it.

So Turnbull Cove it is. And what a pleasant surprise. Motoring up Grappler Sound to the entrance of the anchorage was beautiful in spite of the low-clouds, or perhaps because of them. And after snaking through narrow passes formed by countless islands, more reminiscent of an inland river than the sea, the anchorage opened up into a large, landlocked bowl that's quiet and calm, even with the ten other boats here. This will likely be our highest latitude anchorage for the year at 50°57.710 N and 126°50.220 W, so we'll linger a day a two enjoying the accomplishment and our surroundings.

After taking a bit of time out to ensure that our anchor was holding and to have lunch, we piled in the dinghy and made our way to shore. There's a short trail that carries you over a hill and leads to Huaskin Lake via dozens of stairs cut into a secured log. There aren't many opportunities to hike in The Broughtons because of the steep landscape and wildlife (i.e. bears and cougars), and it felt wonderful to get off the boat and stretch our legs. The lake is beautiful and inviting, but we had both failed to wear our swimsuits – a good excuse to avoid jumping into the cool water without sounding too soft. Maybe tomorrow....