pendrell sound
Date: August 1, 2019
Time Start: 10:15 a.m.
Time Finish: 11:45 a.m.
Cruise From: Walsh Cove, W. Redonda Island
Cruise To: Pendrell Sound, E. Redonda Island
Engine Hours Start: 1062
Engine Hours Finish: 1064
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, humid, showers, 60's
There is a major cloudburst as we have our breakfast, the rain comes down in buckets and loudly pounds on the roof of NORTH STAR, drenching Walsh Cove as a heavy dark cloud passes overhead. A showery day is in the forecast.
Time Start: 10:15 a.m.
Time Finish: 11:45 a.m.
Cruise From: Walsh Cove, W. Redonda Island
Cruise To: Pendrell Sound, E. Redonda Island
Engine Hours Start: 1062
Engine Hours Finish: 1064
Weather/sea conditions: Gray, humid, showers, 60's
There is a major cloudburst as we have our breakfast, the rain comes down in buckets and loudly pounds on the roof of NORTH STAR, drenching Walsh Cove as a heavy dark cloud passes overhead. A showery day is in the forecast.
Rain water needs to be pumped out of the dinghy before it can be raised to the davits. Then the stern tie is released and anchor retrieved and we are underway, hoping for an anchorage in Pendrell Sound. We head down Waddington Channel, turning into Pendrell Sound at Walter Point. The clouds are low, hiding the mountains today.
We find plenty of room to drop our anchor in "oyster cove" behind "shell island". The rain is relentless as I go to the bow to handle the windlass, and then Dan gets a turn to get wet when he takes the stern line to shore and climbs over the slippery oyster clad rocks to attach the line. Fortunately, someone left a line already wrapped around a sturdy tree trunk, and there is a convenient loop attached. The pump is once again needed to empty rain water from the dinghy when he returns! With 150 feet of rode out and the stern secured, we are set to enjoy Pendrell Sound, rain or shine (fingers crossed for the shine!).
It rains and rains and rains. The dinghy now has enough water in it to be a bathtub. The temperature is a warm 60 all day, and it is 70 in the cabin of NORTH STAR without using heat. And it is humid. This must be a pineapple express storm from Hawaii! (Later we learn that we had over 4 inches of rain!)
Dan gets restless and goes for a row. We have one neighbor boat, and they have a dog that has to be taken ashore, so Dan isn't the only one out in the rain.
Dan gets restless and goes for a row. We have one neighbor boat, and they have a dog that has to be taken ashore, so Dan isn't the only one out in the rain.
There really shouldn't be any rain left in those clouds. We are actually starting to see an outline of mountains at the end of this first August day! And a sailboat is now next to the island.
Date: August 2, 2019
Pendrell Sound layover day
Weather: Partly cloudy, low 70's, a thunderstorm and a rainbow
It continues to rain buckets all night long, and we awaken to the sounds of rain pounding NORTH STAR and our flags noisily flapping in the wind. And then . . . it stops! We can see "shell island" and across to the high mountains of mainland B.C. Blue patches appear in the sky. Out come our sponges to soak up the accumulated water all over the boat, using the fresh rainwater to clean as we dry all of the wet surfaces. Life jackets, rain clothes, everything that got wet, is hung out to dry. Sunshine, what is that? Something that feels wonderful today!
It's time to explore "oyster cove". The tide is low, exposing lots of rocky shores and oysters galore. Water rushes out of the mouth of the little stream, and water flows and drips into the cove from the rock faces along the shore. We can see waterfalls on the mountainsides across the sound. The flowing and dripping water makes so many sounds, I call it "water music", so beautiful.
Pendrell Sound layover day
Weather: Partly cloudy, low 70's, a thunderstorm and a rainbow
It continues to rain buckets all night long, and we awaken to the sounds of rain pounding NORTH STAR and our flags noisily flapping in the wind. And then . . . it stops! We can see "shell island" and across to the high mountains of mainland B.C. Blue patches appear in the sky. Out come our sponges to soak up the accumulated water all over the boat, using the fresh rainwater to clean as we dry all of the wet surfaces. Life jackets, rain clothes, everything that got wet, is hung out to dry. Sunshine, what is that? Something that feels wonderful today!
It's time to explore "oyster cove". The tide is low, exposing lots of rocky shores and oysters galore. Water rushes out of the mouth of the little stream, and water flows and drips into the cove from the rock faces along the shore. We can see waterfalls on the mountainsides across the sound. The flowing and dripping water makes so many sounds, I call it "water music", so beautiful.
My favorite water music is from the sound of the drips as I drift along the shore where low tide has exposed colorful sea stars. It is really quite magical! Hear the videos below.
The cove fills in with more boats, and dinghies bring people (and dogs!) who want to explore the cove and stream bed. We motor to the head of the sound where there are lots of boats, many are large, and more are arriving A party barge is tied to the shore, ready for a private yacht club gathering of some 200 people, and is totally sold out for the event.
Naturally, we need to take a look at some of the oyster operations. It doesn't look like there is any recent activity, and there are a lot of supplies laying around that should be cleaned up.
Clouds are gathering as we head back to our cove for a swim.
And then it happens, a thunderstorm complete with a downpour and a rainbow at the finish. The temperature drops ten degrees as a result.
That's one way to clear the air! (Note: The hillside of brown trees is due to a fire from last summer. Sadly, the fire started from a campfire on the shore that was not properly extinguished by a boater.)
We have a nice evening in our cove, away from the crowd of boats that have steadily gathered at the head of the sound.
Date: August 3, 2019
Pendrell Sound layover day
Weather: Clear blue skies and sun, upper 70's
Finally! A morning with clear blue skies, there's hardly a cloud to be seen in Pendrell Sound.
Date: August 3, 2019
Pendrell Sound layover day
Weather: Clear blue skies and sun, upper 70's
Finally! A morning with clear blue skies, there's hardly a cloud to be seen in Pendrell Sound.
The water music from the rains has come to an end. A mother and baby seal splash playfully near the island, and we have friendly new neighbor boats. One is a 23 foot Ranger Tug, Ember Marie. This is the same tug with the paddle boarders we meet in Walsh Cove. They are from Federal Way. Our other neighbors are from Abbotsford. We also have a group of Aspen boats in the cove. The president of the company is aboard one of these catamarans. That's our neighborhood for today.
The warm day is perfect for water activities. Swimming is on the list, as is a bit of cleaning along the hull of NORTH STAR. And what fun to have bubbles drifting by, thanks to our young friend on Ember Marie.
The warm day is perfect for water activities. Swimming is on the list, as is a bit of cleaning along the hull of NORTH STAR. And what fun to have bubbles drifting by, thanks to our young friend on Ember Marie.
It's party day on the barge at the head of the sound, and seaplanes fly in throughout the day bringing the food. We learn that there are paddle boat races, dinghy races, decorated boat contests, dinner, etc. Fun! The story we are told is that a West Vancouver group formed a "Pendrell Sound Yacht Club" several years ago and started gathering here on an annual basis. Others joined, and then someone from Seattle towed in a barge one year for the gathering, and it is now a tradition.
Boats have been heading up Pendrell Sound all day, but they have also been going the opposite direction. It turns out there is another big party on this August Saturday, in Prideaux Haven. There is a live afternoon concert off the stern of one of the large yachts anchored there, and people gather around in their dinghies with food and beverages to enjoy the music.
We enjoy our own beautiful evening here in our cove. An old wooden yacht, "Summer Wind" from Seattle, drops anchor nearby. Tonight, we have clear views of the mountains.
Boats have been heading up Pendrell Sound all day, but they have also been going the opposite direction. It turns out there is another big party on this August Saturday, in Prideaux Haven. There is a live afternoon concert off the stern of one of the large yachts anchored there, and people gather around in their dinghies with food and beverages to enjoy the music.
We enjoy our own beautiful evening here in our cove. An old wooden yacht, "Summer Wind" from Seattle, drops anchor nearby. Tonight, we have clear views of the mountains.