cruising: cordero islands, forward harbour
Date: July 12, 2019
Time Start: 11:20 a.m.
Time Finish: 2:50 p.m.
Cruise From: Shoal Bay, E. Thurlow Island
Cruise To: Cordero Islands
Engine Hours Start: 1017
Engine Hours Finish: 1019
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, pleasant day
Mist hangs on the mountains and over the water after rain showers overnight here at Shoal Bay. The sun and mist create a stunning scene around us. Most boats have remained on the dock due to morning fog, so the day begins slowly.
Time Start: 11:20 a.m.
Time Finish: 2:50 p.m.
Cruise From: Shoal Bay, E. Thurlow Island
Cruise To: Cordero Islands
Engine Hours Start: 1017
Engine Hours Finish: 1019
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees, pleasant day
Mist hangs on the mountains and over the water after rain showers overnight here at Shoal Bay. The sun and mist create a stunning scene around us. Most boats have remained on the dock due to morning fog, so the day begins slowly.
There is plenty of time for a shower in the cute laundry cabin ($9 for a load of laundry, $5 for a shower). Cynthia's art is here, too. The surfboard has great details when you look closely.
Leisure chats with other boaters fill our morning. We especially enjoy Anne and Craig on the Ocean Alexander next to us. Named "Shot 8", the boat name refers to an avalanche control station at Alpental Ski Area at Snoqualmie Pass where Craig worked. Boat names are so interesting!
"Puffin", a Ranger Tug, arrives as we leave Shoal Bay and is just in time to take our spot at the end of the dock. We make our way to Blind Channel where fuel and water are available. Familiar faces greet us and assist with our lines, the crew of Red Otter who were docked behind us at Shoal Bay. The hard working crew of Blind Channel are unloading provisions for the store and restaurant.
It's lunchtime, and the outside patio looks inviting. And what a nice surprise to meet up with my Tugette boating friend, Lisa Corona, here! She is with her family, on the way back to Seattle after a wonderful cruise to the Broughtons. She obviously had a great time!
We plan to stay at Blind Channel on our return trip. Today we head to the nearby Cordero Islands, a very pretty spot for exploring small islets. Our anchor is dropped in the basin of the islands, and the water is like a mirror. It is time to drift in the dinghy along the fucus fringed rocks, looking deep into the clear water to see eel grass beds, kelp, crabs, sea stars, and colorful anemones. We need a lower tide to expose these wonders, but not today.
Dinner is in the cockpit on this nice summer evening, pasta and fresh cherries. We linger, enjoying our surroundings and the changing sky.
Date: July 13, 2019
Time Start: 6:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 8:40 a.m.
Cruise From: Cordero Islands
Cruise To: Forward Harbour
Engine Hours Start: 1019
Engine Hours Finish: 1021
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, calm, rain showers, mid 60's
Morning is calm and cool, with a low mist on the water as we leave the Cordero Islands. We are off to an early start as once again there are rapids ahead. We need to pass through them with slack water. We take the Cordero Channel to Greene Point Rapids and Chancellor Channel, then turn into Welbore Channel and make our way through Whirlpool Rapids.
Time Start: 6:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 8:40 a.m.
Cruise From: Cordero Islands
Cruise To: Forward Harbour
Engine Hours Start: 1019
Engine Hours Finish: 1021
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, calm, rain showers, mid 60's
Morning is calm and cool, with a low mist on the water as we leave the Cordero Islands. We are off to an early start as once again there are rapids ahead. We need to pass through them with slack water. We take the Cordero Channel to Greene Point Rapids and Chancellor Channel, then turn into Welbore Channel and make our way through Whirlpool Rapids.
We tuck into Forward Harbour, a gathering spot for boats waiting to head west in Johnstone Strait. We will be here until early tomorrow morning when (fingers crossed!) the winds will be light and water in the Strait calm enough for our small boat to make the final leg of the cruise to the Broughtons.
We have a gray, drizzly kind of day in Forward Harbour, venturing out in the dinghy only late in the afternoon for a little exploration (see the forest video below).
We have a gray, drizzly kind of day in Forward Harbour, venturing out in the dinghy only late in the afternoon for a little exploration (see the forest video below).