Tenedos Bay, Desolation Sound

Desolation Sound

Mid-morning, we departed Powell River, just south of Lund heading to the popular, scenic Desolation Sound. Winds had subsided and seas were calm on this sunny, warm morning.

About an hour out, just abeam Lund, we were approached by the RCMP vessel requesting permission to come aboard and conduct a safety and security check. They pulled alongside and one officer climbed onboard. Since we are flying the US flag, they were interested in where and when we checked in with Customs & Immigration. The officer was friendly and professional, checking our passports and clearance number, as well as checking for lifejackets, current flares and insurance coverage.

Tenedos Bay, Desolation Sound 6/21/2019

We made it safely to Tenedos Bay, a large, sheltered anchorage, where we planned to wait out the 25-30 knot winds forecast for the next two days.

The bottom was rocky, but we were secure with our 110lb Bruce anchor and 250’ of chain holding us in place. We were so protected, it was hard to imagine the strong winds bowing elsewhere.
BC Parks has installed chains anchored into the rock so that boats can anchor then stern tie to shore by looping a rope through the chin and tie back to the boat.

The anchorage was almost empty with plenty of available swing room, so most boats did not stern-tie.

The weather was pleasant, so we took a dinghy ride and beached it at the start of the trail to Unwin Lake, a freshwater lake, supposedly warm enough to swim in. After hiking through the forest for a little over half a mile, and after following a couple of forks in the trail, we gave up, unable to find a path down to the waters edge. Upon reaching the dinghy, some frequent visitors informed us that we had to walk across the logs at the end of the trail to reach the water. We decided that it was not warm enough to warrant going back to the lake.
Happy hour was enjoyed in the sunshine on our back deck.

Tomorrow morning we depart for Prideaux Haven, just about 10 miles away. Weather is expected to be calm so we will tow the dinghy for this short trip.