Nimmo Bay

Nimmo Bay 7/28/2019

Boston Legal fans may recognize Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort as the Canadian Lodge where Denny Crane (William Shatner) loved to go fly fishing. The series finale and Denny Crane’s wedding was filmed here.

The resort is very exclusive, serving amazing meals, so we are told. On occasion, visiting cruisers can book for dinner or lunch, but not during the months of July & August, when the lodge is fully booked. Maybe next time.

The resort located in Little Nimmo Bay is adjacent to Nimmo Bay where we anchored. The narrow channel between the two bays requires careful attention to your chart and depth sounder, carefully winding your way around shallow areas and rocks, but well worth the effort.

The anchorage was wide open with beautiful mountain views as well as drying flats at low tide at the head of the bay. Upon arrival, we watched a black bear combing the beach flat. He kept us entertained for about 25 minutes before disappearing into the forest. Only Kaos and a small Ranger Tug occupied this large anchorage.

Later in the afternoon, we went for a dinghy explore as the tide was dropping. The channel between the two bays provided us with great, up-close and almost personal views of the bear along the shore. He was oblivious to our presence, busy over-turning rocks on the beach. He did toss us a couple of nuisance glances, as if to say, “don’t bother me”.

The following morning was overcast with rain threatening. We upped the anchor and headed off for our next stop, Jennis Bay.

Jennis Bay, Moore Bay & Waddington Cove

Jennis Bay Marina 7/29/2019


The weather was not looking promising, and as forecast, the rain started shortly after we arrived. The rain continued all day and well into the next morning. Thankfully, there were only two boats in the marina, which meant reasonable wi-fi and the opportunity to catch up on emails from the past week or so.

Jennis Bay Marina possessed a rustic charm that was almost past its best-before-date. Dave the dockmaster was welcoming and the docks were in reasonable condition. No shore power or water available.  The marina had good internet and a good book exchange, providing a great way to spend a wet afternoon and evening.

It was still steady rain the next morning, making for a soggy departure for the line handler.


Moore Bay 7/30/2019

The rain and fog lasted all day. We arrived at Shawl Bay, checking to see if the marina had re-opened after renovations. It was still a work in progress, so we headed to Moore Bay and anchored for the rest of the day and evening.

Waddington Cove 7/31/2019

A picturesque and popular anchorage. We were one of nine boats anchored for the night.

We enjoyed our afternoon dinghy exploration. The rain started later that evening and curtailed any outdoor activities the following day.

Rain was still falling when we departed for Echo Bay.  

O’Brien Bay, Simoom Sound

O’Brien Bay, Simoom Sound


Such a serene and beautiful place!

The mountains overlooking the Sound are majestic and humbling. A reminder of just how small we are in comparison to nature.
This is portrayed here by the 164’ mega yacht anchored in the bay. It looks insignificant compared to the surrounding mountains.

 I guess they didn’t get the memo that the largest boat in the bay generally hosts Happy Hour, maybe next time.

There are several beautiful bays suitable for anchoring in the Sound. We selected O’Brien Bay, at the end of the Sound and well protected from wind or waves that might funnel down.

Our dinghy ride found a small pod of dolphins feeding in the bay as the tide came in.

Next morning the tide was dropping and the button-hole bay just beyond where we anchored, dries at low tide. As the tide dropped, we saw 3 small deer, possibly mule deer swimming and playing in the water.

About an hour later, when more of the bay was exposed, we saw a female black bear and her cub foraging for food. She was overturning some reasonable sized exposed rocks and digging beneath, likely for clams, mussels and oysters.

Alan suggested that we jump in the dinghy and head over for a closer view. I was happy to watch from the safety of our boat, especially since the mama bear had her cub in tow. An interesting and entertaining morning.

Next morning, we spied a lone bear combing the rocks along the shore. He or she, was much closer to the boat than the previous day and I could see and hear her turn over large rocks, as well as break off tree branches in the quest for food.

After coffee and breakfast, we upped the anchor and headed south down the sound towards Laura Cove.

Watson Cove

Watson Cove 

We enjoyed a very peaceful nights at anchor here. The bottom is reported to have areas fouled with logging debris. Fingers crossed that we won’t encounter any difficulty raising the anchor.

The Waggoner Cruising Guide describes Watson Cove as “surrounded by beautiful rock, stunning waterfalls and dense forest. At the head of the cove, one can tie the dinghy to rope from shore and scramble up the rock to a trail leading to “Big George”, a 1000-year-old cedar tree.”

Just West of the cove you will see Lacy Falls where the water washes down the expanse of smooth, black rock as it tumbles into the sea. During summer dry periods, the water does not fan across the rocks. Beautiful, none the less.

Woohoo, no hassle! The anchor and chain came up clean. Off to explore somewhere different.

Von Donop Inlet

Von Donop Inlet with Sailing Vessel Tamarac 7/13/2019

Von Donop Inlet 7/13/2019

A beautiful, sunny day for our 3-hour cruise to Von Donop Inlet to meet up with my longtime friend Sue and her husband John. Sue and I have been friends since the 1960’s, when attended high school together in England. We bear the same name and were born in the same year, on the same day. John refers to us as the twins.  Although there are often many years between our get togethers, our lives have followed very similar paths and successes.

Sue & John aboard their sailboat Tamarac were comfortably anchored at the head of Von Donop Inlet when we arrived.

Once we had Kaos secured and put to bed, they dinghied over for a reunion and an extended happy hour with lots of wine and storytelling.  A torrential, almost tropical down pour forced us down off of the sunny fly-bridge but did not dampen our spirits.

Following a plugged toilet aboard Kaos the next morning and a non-functioning alternator on Tamarac, Alan had earned his midday nap, while the rest of us dinghied to shore to hike the trail towards Squirrel Cove. The falling tide made dinghy tie-up challenging. John edged the dinghy into the rocky, muddy shore, necessitating Sue and I remove our sneakers and socks and wade a couple of feet to shore through smelly mud and across sharp oyster shells.

Once on shore, we had to don our socks and shoes, not an easy task. Hobbling across the sharp shells with mud squelching between our toes, we spied a small, flat rock. Amidst pain and laughter, we plunked way down and Sue produced the drinking water and a towel from her backpack and the messy clean-up began. Shoes finally on; it was now time to stand up, a more taxing task than anticipated! Upright now and ready to hit the trail, we picked our way across the rest of the sharp, shelled beach.

Meanwhile, John dragged the dinghy to a suitable tie-up, then waded ashore in his crocs.

A peaceful and sometimes challenging hike was enjoyed. The trip back across the beach to the dinghy was easier and less painful since we waded into the water with shoes still on and clambered back into the dink.


A combined effort for Happy hour & dinner aboard Kaos was enjoyed by all. Prior to dinner, we were entertained by John & his ukulele.

A fun and memorable evening together.


The following morning, Tamarac was ready to move on and rafted up to Kaos while we pumped 30 or so gallons of water into his tank. We said our farewells and watched Tamarac and crew sail off for their next adventure.

A wonderful and memorable re-union. Until we meet again!

Kaos spent a quiet day in Von Donop Inlet, reading, writing the blog and catching up with small boat chores.
Chores ended with a dinghy exploration down the Inlet to visit the reversing falls.

These waters are thick with jellyfish and although we are told that these do not sting, any thoughts of braving the cool for a refreshing swim were quickly forgotten.