Desolation Sound Flotilla - October 3, 2010 - Egmont to Squirrel Cove

We said goodbye this morning to one of Sea Fox’s crew. Jen headed back home this morning via float plane out of Egmont. It was fun getting to know her and have her along for the first half of our trip. We hope to see her again on a future cruise!

Today is the day we enter into Desolation Sound. It is a bit of a long haul (about 50 miles) from Egmont to our anchorage in Squirrel Cove on Cortes Island, but a scenic one: up Malaspina Strait between the mainland and Texada Island, past the towns of Powell River and Lund, through the Copeland Islands (another Provincial Marine Park), past Bliss Landing where the road on the mainland ends, round Sarah Point and into Desolation Sound. Along the way we had a great view of a Stellar Sea Lion haul-out on a rocky islet; those guys are big and noisy! Several sea lions were also being very active in the water – it looked like they were hunting together. There were several groups of “rock sausages” aka harbor seals hauled out on rocks and bobbing in the water. And we were treated to the sight of Dall’s Porpoises leaping past us, with a few of the boats experiencing the joy of having the porpoises play in their bow wakes!

We entered into beautiful Squirrel Cove and had it almost to ourselves (very different from the summertime when it can be very packed). Everyone picked a spot with plenty of room and anchors were set out quite handily, especially considering this was actually our first anchorage on this trip. Dinghies were launched, and it was off to the Squirrel Cove General Store to restock some provisions, especially fresh produce. It may be a small store, but the selection and service were excellent. Then it was back to our boats after a long day for dinner and a cozy night on the hook.

Desolation Sound Flotilla - October 2, 2010 - Princess Louisa to Egmont

We enjoyed another leisurely morning at Princess Louisa Inlet, as the timing for exiting Malibu Rapids precluded a departure before 1:30 pm. We took our last hikes to Chatterbox Falls, visited with each other and the other folks we shared the dock with, and then readied our boats for departure. It was time to continue our adventure….

Out through Malibu Rapids (at slack), we retraced our path down Jervis Inlet and its constituent parts: Queen’s Reach, Princess Royal Reach, and Prince of Wales Reach. This long fjord has such sheer cliffs and deep, deep depths that there are really no anchorages along the way. It may be the same route, but it looks very different going in the opposite direction – and the autumn colors are definitely more noticeable than they were two days ago.

We cruised into Egmont and had excellent conditions for tying up to the dock at the Back Eddy Marina. It was fairly late by then, so most of the fleet quickly made their way up to the Back Eddy Pub, home of the famous Skookum Burger (a giant hamburger). Sea Fox’s crew shared a Skookum Burger, but most of us opted for the somewhat smaller Baby Skookum. No matter what the size, the burgers were excellent, as were the yam fries. The Back Eddy is an NWE favorite, and we all enjoyed a very convivial evening.

Later that night some of the crews were awakened by the pitter patter of little raccoon feet on their decks. Unfortunately for Deception we had accidentally left our hatch open to the lazerette containing the garbage stores. The raccoons wasted no time finding our mistake. It took a bit of encouragement to shoo them off; thankfully before too much mess was made! We’ll remember next time to make sure all items attractive to raccoons are well stowed before going to bed.

Desolation Sound Flotilla - October 1, 2010 - Princess Louisa Lay Day

We enjoyed a beautiful lay day in Princess Louisa Provincial Marine Park. We awoke as the sun lit up the fjord and enjoyed a leisurely morning cup of coffee and breakfast. Naturalist Emmelina and Captain Bill led an intrepid group of hikers on a morning hike (scramble!) upwards to an old trapper’s cabin and waterfall with an outlook that looked out over the entire inlet. Intrepid, indeed, as it is a very strenuous climb! There were dinghy explorations, as well, and the less adventurous among us soaked up the sunshine and this beautiful setting on our fly bridges.

Around five o’clock, we pulled the deck chairs out to the dock and began to gather for appetizers and a potluck supper. The crew of Deception provided the salmon, with the help of several of the other boats’ grills, the rest of the fleet contributed delicious side dishes, and a tasty feast was devoured by all. The hiker/climbers impressed us all with their tales of strength and endurance (and sore muscles), and a delightful evening of camaraderie was enjoyed. As darkness fell, we drifted back to our boats as the peace of this special place enveloped us.

Desolation Sound Flotilla - September 30, 2010 - Fisherman's Resort & Marina to Princess Louisa

We woke to fog this morning, as we had an early departure in order to transit the famed Malibu Rapids at slack tide. The fog lifted as the sky lightened, and by the time we exited Pender Harbour into Agamemnon Channel we had full sunshine and cloudless blue skies for our trip up stunning Jervis Inlet. The rugged mountain vistas are impressive, showing unmistakably the glacial action that formed this fjord. Amazingly, we saw only one other boat on our trip up to Princess Louisa Inlet on this gorgeous day; very different from the summer season.

Our timing at Malibu Rapids was perfect – it was like a millpond – and then we were into Princess Louisa Inlet. Magnificent sheer cliffs tower above us, streaked with bridal veil-like waterfalls. This place is truly awe-inspiring; it’s easy to see why several writers have described it as the eighth wonder of the world. There were only a few other boats on the park dock, so there was plenty of room for all of us as were greeted and helped in by the park ranger. From the dock we look right at spectacular Chatterbox Falls, the jewel at the head of the inlet (“Chatterbox” seems a bit of a misnomer – it’s more like a roaring cataract), and the crews wasted no time in making the short hike to the base of the falls.

This special place has been preserved for us thanks first to the man who first homesteaded here in the early 1900’s, James “Mac” MacDonald. He strongly felt that no one person should own this place and that it should be available for all to visit. His efforts combined with the boating community and many volunteers/donors led to the formation of the present BC Provincial Marine Park. The International Princess Louisa Society still actively raises funds to acquire land surrounding the park to preserve and protect this area.

The sunshine lasted well into the late afternoon despite the towering walls of the fjord, and most of those who weren’t on shore or exploring in their dinghies could be found basking in the sun atop their fly bridges. A few puffy clouds appeared just at sunset, but no more. We were treated to an incredible starlit sky streaked by the Milky Way undimmed by the lights of civilization. It was a truly perfect day!

Desolation Sound Flotilla - September 29, 2010 - Poet's Cove to Fisherman's Resort & Marina

Today was our longest day, travel time and distance-wise. It was also a challenging one, as we crossed the Strait of Georgia, the largest open body of water we have to traverse on this trip. The good news was that we had a beautiful sunny day; however, we also had NW winds gusting over 20 knots and very choppy seas, which made for a very bouncy ride until we got into the lee of the eastern (mainland) shore. It was the roughest water that some of our clients had ever been in. Trusty Deception, being the heaviest boat with stabilizers, ploughed through relatively comfortably while some of the smaller 36 foot boats felt a bit like they were on a roller coaster ride!

But that was only one part of the trip. We started the day with a beautiful sunrise over Ganges Harbour, and a delightful cruise along Trincomali Channel with Salt Spring Island to our port and Galiano Island to starboard. The Gulf Islands are a prime cruising area and they were really showing off this morning! In the summer months the boat traffic can be quite dense, but we were privileged to have the channel almost to ourselves. We were headed north toward Princess Louisa and Desolation Sound, though, so that meant we had to leave the Gulf Islands behind, head out through Porlier Pass and into the sloppy seas.

After the waves (and our stomachs) settled down, we were more willing to take note of our naturalist’s updates. It was fascinating to watch two giant log rafts being towed by not-so-big tugs past the Thormanby Islands, complete with both birds and seals bumming a free, if slow, ride. We cruised into beautiful Pender Harbour and found our moorage at Fisherman’s Resort and Marina in Hospital Bay, a lovely marina with plenty of room for all our boats. We celebrated our successful crossing of the Strait of Georgia with a social hour aboard Deception (lots of yummy appetizers!) – a fine and fitting way to end a long but adventurous day!

Desolation Sound Flotilla - September, 28,2010 - Bellingham to Poet's Cove, Ganges

The NWE 2010 Desolation Sound Flotilla is underway, under clearing skies and with calm seas as we set off across Bellingham Bay. We are a group of six boats – Spellbound, Navigator, Victoria, Sea Fox, and Grand Adventure, led by the ever faithful Deception. We set our course to cross north of Orcas Island, skirting Matia and Sucia Islands on our way to the Pender Islands and the Canadian Customs station in Bedwell Harbour. Along the way, our naturalist, Emmelina, noted that many of the sea birds we were seeing were beginning to don their winter plumage, especially the common murres and marbled murrelets. Lots of curious harbor seals swam by, clearly checking us out.

The fleet took no time to get accustomed to their chartered vessels and all seemed to be enjoying their first day out on the water.

By the time we got to Bedwell Harbour, we had full sunshine and sparkling seas – Welcome to Canada! After clearing customs, we set off again, rounding North Pender Island. We noted that quite a lot of those harbor seals were taking advantage of the sunny weather and basking on the rocky islets that dotted the shoreline, demonstrating why the NWE crew fondly dubs them “Rock Sausages”. From North Pender we headed almost in a straight line for Ganges on Salt Spring Island, our destination for the night. Salt Spring Island is the largest of the Gulf Islands and Ganges is the largest town. After tying up at our berths at Salt Spring Marina in Ganges Harbour, most of the crews went ashore to explore this charming town and to finish provisioning those items that have cross-border restrictions (primarily fresh produce and alcoholic libations). Several restaurants received rave reviews, and well-fed and well-satisfied with our lot in life, we settled in for a cozy evening under a beautiful starry sky (with Jupiter shining prominently) after an exciting first day.