Here are some pics from our cruise this summer in British Columbia. We were gone almost seven weeks and spent time in the Desolation Sound area and further north in the Broughtons/Queen Charlotte Strait area. Although not geographically a long way apart the water temperature, weather and vegetation are worlds apart. Desolation has warm water (generally warm enough to swim in) and air temperatures (we had several days at or near 90F) whereas anywhere north of about Owen Bay the water temperature drops approximately 20F and the air temperature is decidedly cooler too. While in the Broughtons it felt more like fall with a mix of mist, drizzle, rain, fog and a couple of days of sun. We ran the furnace almost every morning and sometimes all day. The trees grow thick right to the high water line and are draped with moss, much like SE Alaska. There are several marinas dotted through the area, we stopped at a few of them and they all usually have some sort of happy hour potluck each day which is a fun way to meet other boaters and swap information. Lagoon Cove Marina supplies a five gallon bucket of fresh caught spot prawns everyday to the potluck and Bill, the owner, usually tells a mostly factual local story (lot's of bear stories) so it's a well attended fun time. A cougar visited the marina grounds while we were there which added a bit of excitement to the morning trip to the woods with the dog We saw a couple of bears, had a great show from about 100 dolphins all around the boat, tracked on radar (there, gone, there, gone...) and then saw a whale (gray?) in thick fog, saw hundreds of eagles, but didn't see any Orcas at all (we later found out that 27 Orcas had come through the pass we live on and put on a great show while we were gone - oh well). Great trip, no troubles, and we came home and had the Sail with Courtney get together the next weekend which was a really special time.
Looking out from Roscoe Bay where we met up with Bilgewater and Erps.
Bilge's Impulse III in Toba Inlet
We anchored next to a logging operation in Toba which was pretty interesting. They use a big helicopter to haul the logs off the mountain and then truck them to the water. The helicopter took off at 0500 the next morning, we didn't.
Cooking salmon on the beach at Alert Bay (not us unfortunately). There is an incredible cultural center here with historical exhibits and amazing masks and carvings. The totem poles are in the cemetery on the waterfront.
Had a great sail across Queen Charlotte Strait. About 15NM on a beam reach with 20 knots of wind.
This guy came out of the woods while we were anchored in a tiny little nook in Greenway Sound. He came back the next night at the same place and within 5 minutes of the same time. I had the wrong lens on the camera, he was a lot closer than it looks.
Happy hour potluck in the shop at Lagoon Cove.
Anchored at Shoal Bay in Cordero Channel.
Sunrise over Howe Sound from Georgia St. on the last day of the trip.
Looking out from Roscoe Bay where we met up with Bilgewater and Erps.
Bilge's Impulse III in Toba Inlet
We anchored next to a logging operation in Toba which was pretty interesting. They use a big helicopter to haul the logs off the mountain and then truck them to the water. The helicopter took off at 0500 the next morning, we didn't.
Cooking salmon on the beach at Alert Bay (not us unfortunately). There is an incredible cultural center here with historical exhibits and amazing masks and carvings. The totem poles are in the cemetery on the waterfront.
Had a great sail across Queen Charlotte Strait. About 15NM on a beam reach with 20 knots of wind.
This guy came out of the woods while we were anchored in a tiny little nook in Greenway Sound. He came back the next night at the same place and within 5 minutes of the same time. I had the wrong lens on the camera, he was a lot closer than it looks.
Happy hour potluck in the shop at Lagoon Cove.
Anchored at Shoal Bay in Cordero Channel.
Sunrise over Howe Sound from Georgia St. on the last day of the trip.