Shoal Bay

 29 August

Our stop yesterday at Shoal Bay, off the Cordero Channel on East Thurlow Island, British Columbia. A piece of majestic paradise with stunning vistas. One of my many favorites.

Watson Cove & Tribune Channel

 

Watson Cove & Tribune Channel

The further north we travel, sightings of other pleasure craft diminish. Fish/aquaculture farms and tows moving log booms are a common sight.

Tow pulling log boom

Aquaculture Farm

Approaching Cutter Cove Anchorage

We left Cutter Cove and travelled down the Tribune Channel to Watson Cove anchorage, a spot that we stopped at last year and enjoyed. Tribune Channel is deep and well known for frequent whale sightings. Alas, today was not one of those days. 

The morning was cloudy, and rain was constantly threatening. As we approached the entrance to Kwatsi Bay, we noticed a lot of activity where Kwatsi Bay met Tribune Channel. As we got closer, we realized that it was a school of porpoise, likely feeding in the active waters. 

After watching the activity for a while, I was able to get a couple of photos, before heading into Watson Cove.

We had seen little boat traffic and suspected that we would be alone in the anchorage. We were wrong. There was a small sailboat named Serenity, already anchored there.

 I am sure he was less than thrilled when he looked out and saw Kaos was coming to join Serenity!

Once the anchor was down, the heavens opened and the rain continued all day and night, creating the roar of cascading water tumbling down the rock face of the surrounding waterfalls.

Next morning, the rain stopped, and we upped anchor, heading a mile down-stream to view the picturesque Lacy Falls.

Lacy Falls

Lacy Falls were spectacular after the heavy rain.

Blind Channel

Blind Channel Marina & Resort

2019

Blind Channel Resort is a full-service marina resort on West Thurlow Island along Canada’s Pacific Coast. Located just north of Desolation Sound. The Richter family has owned, operated, and lived at Blind Channel since 1970. In that time, Blind Channel Resort has gained a reputation for exceptional experiences, delicious food, creative artwork, and outstanding customer service.

This was our second visit and certainly not our last. Late in our 2019 cruise, we discovered Blind Channel, and unfortunately, it never got published to our blog, so I will combine the 2019 & 2020 experience here on this post.

2019

2020

Edgar Richter and his wife, Annmarie, originally discovered the property for sale while cruising the coast in a 30-foot boat. After much deliberation, they decided to sell their comfortable home in East Vancouver and move their family to remote West Thurlow Island. The property has been operated and lovingly cared for by the family for the past 50 years. Eliot, the Richter’s grandson, and his family are now the resident operators and caretakers of the property.

Annemarie Richter was an artist and her many talents decorate the docks, are seen all over the property today.

What does one do with empty wine bottles on an island?

Generally, we prefer to anchor out and enjoy the raw beauty of nature, which is a good thing because there are few marinas in this cruising ground. Having said that, on occasion, we do visit marina/resorts for the chance to walk ashore and for Susann to enjoy a cook’s night-off. Blind Channel is one of our favorite stops and we go out of our way to visit this delightful resort. In addition to the small marina, they are a one-stop shop, offering fuel, groceries, alcoholic beverages, and a great German heritage restaurant. Cottage rentals are available, and several hiking trails are maintained. The scenery and vistas are the icing on the cake.

As a result of Covid and border restrictions, boat traffic was down but Eliot told us that cottage rentals had exceeded expectations. The restaurant was only open for dinner and take out this year.  The German schnitzel, their specialty was fabulous as always.

A visit to the 900-year-old cedar tree is a good hike and worth the trip. The tree is now 22 feet in diameter ad was a favorite spot of Annemarie Richters and now bears a memorial plaque in her memory.

A visit to the 900-year-old cedar tree is a good hike and worth the trip. The tree is now 22 feet in diameter and was a favorite spot of Annemarie Richters and now bears a memorial plaque in her memory. 

The trail is narrow and rife with tree roots in areas. We enjoyed the challenge in 2019, but because of Susann’s sciatica and leg issues, we passed until our next visit.

This large, strange looking vessel arrived at the fuel dock. We determined that it was purpose built but unsure what the exact purpose was. Alan spoke with the captain and learned that it was one of 6 or 8 similar vessels that visit the many fish/aquaculture farms in the area and the strange looking submersibles on the rear scrub and clean the nets. Something new learned!

Lagoon Cove

 

Lagoon Cove - 26 August

Summer has finally arrived! It was a beautiful sunny morning when we departed Potts Lagoon. Our travels took us through Beware Passage and thankfully rocks and weed are well charted presenting no difficulties so long as the captain stays vigilant.

For future reference, we checked out several small First Nation Communities and anchorages along the route. Due to Covid 19, these communities are currently closed to visitors, so we just viewed from a distance.

                                            

By the time we arrived at Lagoon Cove the temperature had climbed to the low 70’s with not a cloud in the sky.

The dock was almost empty upon arrival, but we were soon joined by several other cruising boats. The regular pot-luck evening organized by the marina was cancelled this season due to Covid and a decline of visiting vessels. 

Parm, the gal from the boat behind us arranged an outdoor gathering for Happy Hour. Outside of two short visits with family, this was our first social contact and it felt great to chat with other cruisers. We felt very safe since there are no active Covid cases here in the Broughton Islands, plus, everyone has been isolated during their weeks of travel here in this remote area of British Columbia.

After dinner, Alan brought out our gas campfire which was enjoyed by all.

 All in all, a great evening. Thanks to Parm for being the instigator.

Next morning, we departed about 9am for the 5 hour run to Green Point Rapids and the Cordero Islands anchorage, where we planned to stay a couple of days.

The Broughton Archipelago

 

Broughton Archipelago

The Broughton Archipelago is situated to the east of Queen Charlotte Strait, just south of Broughton Island and northwest of Gilford Island. Much of this archipelago is now a marine park.

 One cruising editor wrote “our journal, written at anchor after a day of exploring, reads, “a marvelous group of islands and passages, but few good anchorages.”  This trip is an exploration trip for us to check out places we might visit and spend more time on subsequent visit. We shall see if we concur with the above quote from a cruising editor.

 

Booker Lagoon – 22 August

After 3 days of steady to heavy rain, we upped anchor and departed Nimmo Bay, heading southwest to Booker Lagoon. Our travels took us down Mackenzie Sound, where we saw many seals lazing on an exposed rock, even though it was cool and no sunshine. 

We continued through Kenneth Passage just before slack, low tide. It was benign, but we did encounter some swirls and current on the far side, where we saw the Roaring Rapids frothing and spilling out behind us. 

Continuing down Grappler Sound and Wells Passage, we entered Queen Charlotte Strait and on into Cullen Harbour, another safe anchorage and respite from Queen Charlotte Strait. Continuing through Cullen Harbour, we entered the narrow channel leading us into the land locked, expansive Booker Lagoon. 

The lagoon provides safe anchorage for a huge number of boats in its many bights and coves and one could easily spend a week here, exploring the many coves.

The day was mostly cloudy, and the west wind was cold for us Texans. The sun made a brief appearance later in the day, so we enjoyed happy hour on our back deck. Alan described this photo as brrrr Broughtons!

Next morning, we awoke to low tide and watched a bear forage along the shoreline in our anchorage. He/she turned over large rocks, looking for mussels, crabs and anything edible beneath.

After upping anchor, we cruised around some of the coves whilst waiting for slack tide and a smooth passage through the narrow channel and out into Cullen Harbour. Prior to exiting Booker Lagoon, we saw four more separate bear sightings in different coves.

 

Monday Anchorage & Joe Cove - 23 August

We anchored in Monday Anchorage and explored the area by dinghy, including nearby Joe Cove. Both were very picturesque, but we were not confident that the holding would be good in Joe Cove, so opted for the picturesque Monday Anchorage, even though it was more exposed to winds from the west. The west wind blows off Queen Charlotte Strait and is noticeably colder than farther east, which was the case during our cool but enjoyable stay.

Prior to anchoring in Monday Anchorage, we checked out Joe Cove and were greeted by a school of porpoises as we departed the cove. 

The old float in Joe Cove is past its best before date and no longer safe or useable. 

We later returned by dinghy and found at least 30 porpoises performing at the head of Joe Cove. 

They were swimming, jumping, and speeding through the water. We were unsure if they were playing or herding a school of fish. Regardless, they were fascinating and fun to watch. 

During our decades of boating and numerous dolphin encounters, we have not witnessed so many in such proximity.

Today was a wildlife bonanza with four bear sightings in Booker Lagoon this morning and the dolphin experience in Joe Cove!

The holding here was good with a mud/sand bottom and we spent a calm, peaceful night.

Potts Lagoon – 24 & 25 August

We headed into Potts Lagoon to check out anchorage possibilities. The actual lagoon lies beyond the anchorage. It is shallow but great for kayaks. There are several suitable anchorages, and depending on wind direction, some offer better protection than others. Holding is good with a mud bottom. There is room for many boats to swing on anchor, although we did not see another soul during our stay. It was a peaceful anchorage.

There used to be a log boom operation here and all except the loading dock has been removed. The ramp and dock are in good condition and provide cruisers with an opportunity to get ashore and stretch their legs along the logging roads, some of which are becoming overgrown.

 

The anchorage at the far southwest end offers the most protection and is lined with rustic float cabins, some of which are available for rent and ideal for fishermen. These just add character to the area.