Summer! tenedos and melanie cove
Date: July 17, 2018
Time Start: 9:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Powell River
Cruist To: Tenedos, Desolation Sound
Engine Hours Start: 832
Engine Hours Finish: 837
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny, upper 80's, smooth water, breeze in p.m.
We catch up on some of the news of the world while we have internet connection in Powell River - a lava bomb from the eruption of the volcano hits a tour boat in Hawaii; Trump backs Putin on not interfering with U.S. elections; it's celebration time in France for winning the World Cup. Classical music is playing from our stereo system on a lovely, quiet morning as we prepare to head to Desolation Sound.
Some local fishermen come in, happy with their morning catch, a 20 lb. chinook. The eagles are back in the treetops. We say goodbye to the people we have enjoyed chatting with - Sharon and Ralph on Dragonfly, our fishing friends, and the dock assistant.
Time Start: 9:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 1:45 p.m.
Cruise From: Powell River
Cruist To: Tenedos, Desolation Sound
Engine Hours Start: 832
Engine Hours Finish: 837
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny, upper 80's, smooth water, breeze in p.m.
We catch up on some of the news of the world while we have internet connection in Powell River - a lava bomb from the eruption of the volcano hits a tour boat in Hawaii; Trump backs Putin on not interfering with U.S. elections; it's celebration time in France for winning the World Cup. Classical music is playing from our stereo system on a lovely, quiet morning as we prepare to head to Desolation Sound.
Some local fishermen come in, happy with their morning catch, a 20 lb. chinook. The eagles are back in the treetops. We say goodbye to the people we have enjoyed chatting with - Sharon and Ralph on Dragonfly, our fishing friends, and the dock assistant.
It's an easy cruise on smooth water and before we know it we are rounding Sarah Point and viewing the splendor of Desolation Sound. We've seen it before, but it is all new again to rediscover the magic of these waters and the majesty of the mountains rising ahead of us. This could never grow old!
We turn towards Tenedos Bay, enjoying the high cliff shoreline as we make our way to a spot in the little cove behind the island, near the drying tombolo, where we are able to stern tie to the shore of the island. We need to compensate for the tide here. There is a 17 foot tide today, it is low when we arrive and won't be high again until 10 p.m. It is always a math problem to decide how much rode needs to go out with the anchor!
Two other boats share the cove with us. After an afternoon of relaxing and swimming, we prepare fresh rockfish for dinner, topped with fresh vegetables from our provisioning in Powell River. We first saute the fish and then saute the veggies with garlic and Italian herbs, tossing in some Kalamata olives. Delicious, and we only use one pan! When the tide rises enough, there is a parade of dinghies through the narrow opening between the main shore and the island. We join the crowd and take the dinghy across the isthmus to check out the action in the rest of the bay.
The sun disappears early here due to the high cliffs, so it is a treat when the sky suddenly fills with a colorful, fiery sunset. And, the crescent moon is playing hide and seek with the sunset clouds.
Date: July 18, 2018
Tenedos Bay layover day
Weather: Sunny, breeze, 80's
Morning clouds burn off as soon as the sun hits our cove. And then another surprise, a wandering bear on the bluff right across from us! We name the bluff, it is now known as "Wandering Bear Bluff".
Tenedos Bay layover day
Weather: Sunny, breeze, 80's
Morning clouds burn off as soon as the sun hits our cove. And then another surprise, a wandering bear on the bluff right across from us! We name the bluff, it is now known as "Wandering Bear Bluff".
Using the Torqeedo, we take the dinghy along the shoreline to the trail for Unwin Lake, a popular freshwater swimming spot.
Along the shores of Tenedos:
Along the shores of Tenedos:
Along the trail to Unwin Lake:
A family has an outboard that says "Tenedos". Turns out this is their favorite cruising destination, and they named their boat as well as their dinghy after the bay. They hail from Tacoma. More photos of this favorite place as we return to NORTH STAR:
We do our swimming off the stern of NORTH STAR, taking lots of dips on a warm summer day. Then, in the evening I row the dinghy through the isthmus. Some familiar faces are also doing the evening dinghy ride, the crew of the sailboat "Sir Isaac". We met them in Olympia at our marina last winter and had a great visit. He is the son of Jo Bailey-Cummings who authored the "Gunkholing" series of boat guide books. We share the connection of having spent time on the remote island of Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, a place most people have never heard of. And, he grew up in Olympia, the town where we have been living for over 20 years. I tell them about our bear sighting. They were hiking atop the bluff this morning, but weren't lucky enough to see the bear. As usual, I take my share of photos.
The isthmus/tombolo at low tide, piled thick with oysters:
The isthmus/tombolo at low tide, piled thick with oysters:
Evening row:
Date: July 19, 2018
Time Start: 10:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 11:45 a.m.
Cruise From: Tenedos Bay
Cruise To: Melanie Cove
Engine Hours Start: 837
Engine Hours Finish: 838
Weather/sea conditions: Clearing, breezy a.m., cloudy afternoon and rain, 70's
Sunrise casts a rosy glow on the morning clouds - red sky in the morning, should we take warning? A seal floats in our cove, its head above water much like a whale doing its spy hopping. We watch the crew from Tenedos (the boat) climbing up "Wandering Bear Bluff". They report that no bear is in sight today. And then we leave, passing the magnificent cliffs of Tenedos.
Time Start: 10:30 a.m.
Time Finish: 11:45 a.m.
Cruise From: Tenedos Bay
Cruise To: Melanie Cove
Engine Hours Start: 837
Engine Hours Finish: 838
Weather/sea conditions: Clearing, breezy a.m., cloudy afternoon and rain, 70's
Sunrise casts a rosy glow on the morning clouds - red sky in the morning, should we take warning? A seal floats in our cove, its head above water much like a whale doing its spy hopping. We watch the crew from Tenedos (the boat) climbing up "Wandering Bear Bluff". They report that no bear is in sight today. And then we leave, passing the magnificent cliffs of Tenedos.
We cut into the narrow passage between Mink Island and the mainland shore. Lovely!
In the waters of the "officially designated" Desolation Marine Park, we do a tour of Prideaux Haven and Laura Coves before anchoring with a stern tie in Melanie Cove, attaching our anchor line to one of the chains along the high rock bluff. We note that there are two other Ranger Tugs in the neighborhood.
Eagle or sea gull? Atop a snag tree at the top of the bluff, we make out a white bird perched just as an eagle would perch. What is it? Telephoto lens and binoculars give the answer. An eagle wanna be! The gull perches on the snag for a good hour or more, keeping us entertained and intrigued.
It's too windy for swims, and we get a little rain as well. After dinner things are looking better, and we take the dinghy for a ride through Melanie Cove and into connecting Prideaux Haven where the majority of the boats are anchored.
Rocky and oyster covered shored of Melanie Cove:
Rocky and oyster covered shored of Melanie Cove:
Cruising in Melanie Cove, where the trees root right into the rocky cliff:
Cruising in Prideaux Haven, where the big boats like to hang out:
Back in Melanie Cove (some vertical photos, please click):
Date: July 20, 2018
Melanie Cove layover day
Weather: Morning clouds, clearing, breezy, low 70's
It's a day to relax and enjoy Melanie Cove. We start with a dinghy ride to shore at the head of the cove, where a trail through the forest connects Melanie Cove with Laura Cove. For those who have read "The Curve of Time", these two coves were the sites of the cabins of Mike and Phil. The cabins no longer exist, but the trail that connected these two men still does. We aren't hiking to Laura Cove but are looking for a way to get on top of the bluff over Melanie Cove so that we can walk along it. Unfortunately, we don't find a route, but we do meet up with the crew of "Tenedos" who have arrived to do the hike to Laura Cove.
Melanie Cove layover day
Weather: Morning clouds, clearing, breezy, low 70's
It's a day to relax and enjoy Melanie Cove. We start with a dinghy ride to shore at the head of the cove, where a trail through the forest connects Melanie Cove with Laura Cove. For those who have read "The Curve of Time", these two coves were the sites of the cabins of Mike and Phil. The cabins no longer exist, but the trail that connected these two men still does. We aren't hiking to Laura Cove but are looking for a way to get on top of the bluff over Melanie Cove so that we can walk along it. Unfortunately, we don't find a route, but we do meet up with the crew of "Tenedos" who have arrived to do the hike to Laura Cove.
Time for first a kayak tour of Melanie Cove and into a bit of Prideaux Haven in these picturesque waters, followed by a dinghy ride to see even more. So love the clear water!
The afternoon is capped off with refreshing swims. We've had a full day of relaxing in our incredible surroundings! Evening is quiet.