blind channel and walsh cove
Date: July 29, 2019
Time Start: 8 a.m.
Time Finish: 3 p.m.
Cruise From: Spout Island
Cruise To: Blind Channel, W. Thurlow Island
Engine Hours Start: 1050
Engine Hours Finish: 1057
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, cool, calm, clearing to hazy 70 degrees
WOW! Did we ever pitch and roll in a wake from a passing ship in the middle of the night! A few items in the cabin landed on the floor, the door to the dish storage cabinet flew open, and we stayed snug in the V-berth. It was a bit like being hit by an earthquake.
It's another gray morning in the Broughtons as we spend our final hours here before leaving all of the amazing inlets, fjords, coves, bays, islets and islands, as well as the people who shared our experiences and enriched our lives, behind. Johnstone Strait awaits us as we begin our cruise toward home. Luckily, we have many more days to fill and places to explore before we reach our home port of Olympia. Desolation Sound, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the San Juan Islands all await us.
The N.W. winds are blowing down the Strait, churning up the water, and we have currents as well. Fortunately, we have following seas so there is little spray over the bow. We find the ride is easier when we go close to the shore of Vancouver Island. Skies start to clear, and we get a wonderful treat when a pod of Pacific White Sided dolphins swim across our bow. Fantastic!
Time Start: 8 a.m.
Time Finish: 3 p.m.
Cruise From: Spout Island
Cruise To: Blind Channel, W. Thurlow Island
Engine Hours Start: 1050
Engine Hours Finish: 1057
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, cool, calm, clearing to hazy 70 degrees
WOW! Did we ever pitch and roll in a wake from a passing ship in the middle of the night! A few items in the cabin landed on the floor, the door to the dish storage cabinet flew open, and we stayed snug in the V-berth. It was a bit like being hit by an earthquake.
It's another gray morning in the Broughtons as we spend our final hours here before leaving all of the amazing inlets, fjords, coves, bays, islets and islands, as well as the people who shared our experiences and enriched our lives, behind. Johnstone Strait awaits us as we begin our cruise toward home. Luckily, we have many more days to fill and places to explore before we reach our home port of Olympia. Desolation Sound, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the San Juan Islands all await us.
The N.W. winds are blowing down the Strait, churning up the water, and we have currents as well. Fortunately, we have following seas so there is little spray over the bow. We find the ride is easier when we go close to the shore of Vancouver Island. Skies start to clear, and we get a wonderful treat when a pod of Pacific White Sided dolphins swim across our bow. Fantastic!
We turn out of Johnstone Strait and into Mayne Passage, making our way to the docks of Blind Channel where we will spend the night. Not too surprising, there are several other Ranger Tugs here, we aren't the only ones homeward bound (but for us, it is at a snail's pace!).
Fine dining for us tonight as we head to the Cedar Post Restaurant for their fantastic German food, made from old family recipes of the Richter family who founded and still operate the resort. Goulash, spaetzle, shitznel . . . you can't go wrong on what you order. All is delicious! The setting is wonderful, too.
We meet so many boaters who have dogs aboard. Here is a boater with a cat! His boat is pretty special, too.
Date: July 30, 2019
Time Start: 2:30 p.m.
Time Finish: 7:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Blind Channel, W. Thurlow Island
Cruise To: Walsh Cove, W. Redonda Island, Desolation Sound
Engine Hours Start: 1057
Engine Hours Finish: 1062
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, cool, showers, low 50's, warming to 60 degrees at Walsh Cove
Most of the boats leave Blind Channel this morning under drippy skies. We're happy to stick around for the fresh baked scones and muffins that are still warm from the restaurant ovens. We plan to catch the late afternoon slack tide for transiting Dent and Yaculta Rapids. Until then, we have time to relax and enjoy Blind Channel. I love the many mosaics made by the family that are spread throughout the grounds and made of bits and pieces of things found on the property.
Time Start: 2:30 p.m.
Time Finish: 7:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Blind Channel, W. Thurlow Island
Cruise To: Walsh Cove, W. Redonda Island, Desolation Sound
Engine Hours Start: 1057
Engine Hours Finish: 1062
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, cool, showers, low 50's, warming to 60 degrees at Walsh Cove
Most of the boats leave Blind Channel this morning under drippy skies. We're happy to stick around for the fresh baked scones and muffins that are still warm from the restaurant ovens. We plan to catch the late afternoon slack tide for transiting Dent and Yaculta Rapids. Until then, we have time to relax and enjoy Blind Channel. I love the many mosaics made by the family that are spread throughout the grounds and made of bits and pieces of things found on the property.
In spite of the drizzle, we sit under the umbrella of one of the patio tables to enjoy our lunch. Not many people are wandering the grounds right now, but we find the garden that is the source of produce for some of the restaurant food and then pay a final visit to the store as we can smell the aroma of freshly baked bread that is now available. Kenmore Air manages to drop down from the clouds to do a passenger pick up, too.
We are off into the gray day on what I call a moody cruise! Porpoises show us their fins as we cross the Nodales Channel. We are right on time for the rapids, and then we are in Calm Channel and into the waters of Desolation Sound.
The mountains drop deep, and the cloud layers add a lot of drama. Our chart plotter isn't even reading the depths on parts of the cruise.
We cross Pryce Channel to Waddington Channel and turn into Walsh Cove where we stern tie to one of the small islets. We have a view across to the rock face that has pictographs. New since our last visit here are anchor chains that encircle the cove, making stern ties so much easier for boaters, especially those who arrive early enough to find those that are available each day. We are out of luck on the chains, but a log works just fine. Tonight there are a couple of dozen boats in the cove. One is a new Ranger Tug, and the mom and daughter paddle by on their boards. They came to Gorge Harbor as a part of the factory cruise.
Date: July 31, 2019
Walsh Cove layover day
Weather: Gray a.m., clearing, 77 degrees, water 68 degrees at surface, breezy, calm evening
A group of oystercatchers flies low across the water. The tide is low and getting lower, exposing, you guessed it, oysters on the rocks, along with barncles and algae. Sea stars add their color along the edges of the cove. The skies are gray, but the morning is warm.
Walsh Cove layover day
Weather: Gray a.m., clearing, 77 degrees, water 68 degrees at surface, breezy, calm evening
A group of oystercatchers flies low across the water. The tide is low and getting lower, exposing, you guessed it, oysters on the rocks, along with barncles and algae. Sea stars add their color along the edges of the cove. The skies are gray, but the morning is warm.
The wind blows steadily all day, finally abating in late afternoon. Calm and warm, we enjoy a swim. Dinner is in the cockpit on a summery evening, with beautiful surroundings.
Evening lighting, calm water, and high tide make the time perfect to visit Butler Point, the rock face with the pictographs. It is hard to realize how large and high the rocks are until you get up close. See video perspective.
Darkness sets in, and there is a circle of mast lights being turned on for the night around the edges of Walsh Cove.
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