ten weeks: along malaspina strait
Malaspina Strait flows between Texada Island in the Strait of Georgia and the shore of mainland B.C. Slightly further north are the towns of Lund and Powell River. Our cruise takes us to both of these towns and to anchorages in Ballet Bay and Smuggler Cove. These two anchorages are part of what is known as the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
Date: July 23, 2016
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Tenedos
Cruise To: Westview Marina, Powell River
Engine Hours Start: 500
Engine Hours Finish: 504
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy morning, then a sunny and warm day, 80 degrees!
The day has come, it is time to start our cruise toward home, but with lots of stops planned along the way. Hopefully we will have another week or two of cruising before we reach our homeport of Olympia.
Our stern tie is released and reeled in, the dinghy and kayak loaded aboard and secured, and anchor retrieved. We snap our last photos of Desolation Sound as we bid farewell to these waters, and note that a great number of boats are heading toward the Sound today. We were ahead of the summer crowds this year, both here and in the Broughtons.
Time Start: 11 a.m.
Time Finish: 3:30 p.m.
Cruise From: Tenedos
Cruise To: Westview Marina, Powell River
Engine Hours Start: 500
Engine Hours Finish: 504
Weather/sea conditions: Partly cloudy morning, then a sunny and warm day, 80 degrees!
The day has come, it is time to start our cruise toward home, but with lots of stops planned along the way. Hopefully we will have another week or two of cruising before we reach our homeport of Olympia.
Our stern tie is released and reeled in, the dinghy and kayak loaded aboard and secured, and anchor retrieved. We snap our last photos of Desolation Sound as we bid farewell to these waters, and note that a great number of boats are heading toward the Sound today. We were ahead of the summer crowds this year, both here and in the Broughtons.
We have beautiful water, skies, and islands and islets as we make our way along the coast of the B.C. mainland. It doesn't take long before we start to see homes along the shore.
Sitting just off the mainland are a groups of islets making up a scenic and accessible marine park, the Copeland Islands. We would love to return one day and spend time here, perhaps mooring for a night and paddling through the islets with kayaks. They are lovely.
Lund for lunch? We try to find a place to dock NORTH STAR, but on this sunny summer Saturday, all of the space is full. Our visit to Lund ends up being a few quick glances from the water. Another day . . . we fix our own lunch as we continue cruising.
Boat after boat pass us, heading toward Desolation Sound, and making lots of wakes for us. We are imagining how crowded the anchorages there are going to become! Powell River is our next option for dock space, and we are in luck (that must be our lucky eagle we see perched on a little islet!). Powell River has a large pulp mill, a ferry dock, and the marina along the shore, with the town spreading behind across the hillside.
The Westview Marina has space for both work and recreational vessels. Transients like us get squeezed in, often rafted. Luckily, we get our own dock space for tonight, at the end of a finger pier facing the main fairway. Most of the boat traffic entering and exiting the marina passes by us here. The ferry dock is just outside the breakwater, giving us glimpses of the ferries as they arrive and depart. It's a busy place!
The fridge gets defrosted and cleaned, the laundry washed, and the accumulation of recycling and garbage emptied. We haven't had a place to leave our trash since leaving Port McNeill three weeks ago.
Since we missed out on our lunch ashore in Lund, we walk up the hill to town for dinner. The streets are busy! Bikers are arriving with every ferry for a punk concert at the local bowling alley tonight. We enjoy sights along the main street of town, then have a nice meal at the Coastal Cookery.
Since we missed out on our lunch ashore in Lund, we walk up the hill to town for dinner. The streets are busy! Bikers are arriving with every ferry for a punk concert at the local bowling alley tonight. We enjoy sights along the main street of town, then have a nice meal at the Coastal Cookery.
The summer evening is warm, and sunset from the park next to the ferry dock is a treat. (Vertical photos, please click on them for full effect.)
Date: July 24, 2016
Time Start: 11:45 a.m.
Time Finish: 4:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Powell River
Cruise To: Blind and Ballet Bays, Jervis Inlet
Engine Hours Start: 504
Engine Hours Finish: 508
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny and hot! 80 degrees with N.W. winds
We are up early, and it is already warm. We climb the hill to Safeway, where we indulge in coffee and scones at Starbucks (just like home!). A cart gets filled with groceries to tote back to NORTH STAR. Our arms are loaded for the downhill return walk, and it takes us about twenty minutes to reach the waterfront. The marina park is a good place to stop for a break and enjoy the views.
Time Start: 11:45 a.m.
Time Finish: 4:10 p.m.
Cruise From: Powell River
Cruise To: Blind and Ballet Bays, Jervis Inlet
Engine Hours Start: 504
Engine Hours Finish: 508
Weather/sea conditions: Sunny and hot! 80 degrees with N.W. winds
We are up early, and it is already warm. We climb the hill to Safeway, where we indulge in coffee and scones at Starbucks (just like home!). A cart gets filled with groceries to tote back to NORTH STAR. Our arms are loaded for the downhill return walk, and it takes us about twenty minutes to reach the waterfront. The marina park is a good place to stop for a break and enjoy the views.
The water gets topped off and windows cleaned. With groceries stowed, we are ready to go. But first, we eat the blueberry/yogurt parfaits that won't fit in the crammed full fridge.
The cruise continues to the southeast, with Texada Island off our starboard side and homes dotting the mainland of B.C. on the port side. We pass long stretches of nice beaches. With following seas, we are rolling through Malaspina Strait toward Jervis Inlet. In the distance we can see the B.C. Coastal Range and mountains that are near Princess Louisa, bringing back memories of our cruise there a year ago. (See
Summer Cruise 2015.)
The cruise continues to the southeast, with Texada Island off our starboard side and homes dotting the mainland of B.C. on the port side. We pass long stretches of nice beaches. With following seas, we are rolling through Malaspina Strait toward Jervis Inlet. In the distance we can see the B.C. Coastal Range and mountains that are near Princess Louisa, bringing back memories of our cruise there a year ago. (See
Summer Cruise 2015.)
We make our way into Blind Bay just off of Jervis Inlet and a part of Nelson Island, continuing into the portion that is called Ballet Bay. There are several homes here, but anchorage is good (according to our guide books!). It takes us several attempts to anchor in Ballet Bay, as it is very rocky. Finally, we tuck into a little cove where the water is calm, hoping, fingers crossed, that the anchor will hold, and it does.
It's swim time in this water, the warmest yet, 76 degrees! (Vertical photo alert!)
We have salads for dinner on this warm evening. There are just enough clouds for a beautiful ending to the day, as kingfishers noisily chase one another around the fringes of the bay.
Date: July 25, 2016
Time Start: 7 a.m.
Time Finish: 9:45 a.m.
Cruise From: Ballet Bay
Cruise To: Smuggler Cove
Engine Hours Start: 508
Engine Hours Finish: 510
Weather/sea conditions: Sun! Light hazy clouds, warm and breezy, up to 90 degrees!
We continue down the "Sunshine Coast" in Malaspina Strait on a fairly calm morning, the hills and mountains of the B.C. coast silhouettes, the sun warm, and Texada Island still off our starboard side. We see only a few other boats as we roll along on gentle N.W. swells.
Time Start: 7 a.m.
Time Finish: 9:45 a.m.
Cruise From: Ballet Bay
Cruise To: Smuggler Cove
Engine Hours Start: 508
Engine Hours Finish: 510
Weather/sea conditions: Sun! Light hazy clouds, warm and breezy, up to 90 degrees!
We continue down the "Sunshine Coast" in Malaspina Strait on a fairly calm morning, the hills and mountains of the B.C. coast silhouettes, the sun warm, and Texada Island still off our starboard side. We see only a few other boats as we roll along on gentle N.W. swells.
Turning into Smuggler Cove, we make our way to the innermost cove and find a perfect spot to drop anchor and stern tie. Soon we are enjoying this picturesque anchorage with its many islets and waterways to explore.
A nice breeze is blowing, and we have all windows and hatches wide open on this hot summer day. We are relaxing, vacation style - swims, paddles, a shore walk for Dan.
Everyone seems to be in the water today. Boaters come to the cove just for the swims, and there are hikers on the shore trails as the park is accessible by car.
Evening invites more dinghy and kayak excursions on these scenic waterways. Kingfishers and ravens are making lots of noise, a couple of black oystercatchers are foraging along a small islet, geese swim by our boats looking for handouts. They nest on one of the grassy islets.
Evening invites more dinghy and kayak excursions on these scenic waterways. Kingfishers and ravens are making lots of noise, a couple of black oystercatchers are foraging along a small islet, geese swim by our boats looking for handouts. They nest on one of the grassy islets.
Sunset is glorious! We can't stop taking photos, and we can't choose which are best to post! Mother nature's artistry excels tonight.
And then the colors fade and the mosquitoes are thick. It's time to tuck in behind our screens. What a day. We are snuggled in Smuggler Cove.