2024: Desolation Sound - You Can't Rototill Rock

Cruising the azure waters of British Columbia is to bear witness to the awesome beauty of nature.  On a calm day the sea mirrors the sky and provides a perfect framing for the snow capped mountains, the vast forests whose towering trees stand straight and tall, and the harsh rocky shores along which the wild life searches for their next meal.  Visitors must be self reliant and well prepared to survive and enjoy their visit as it demands you be at the top of your game to survive the strong currents, rocky shoals, navigation challenges, scarce services, and wind and weather.  For boaters, it is the ultimate skills challenge.  The reward is the opportunity to immerse yourself in rugged beauty that is accessible if you are willing to accept the challenge.

We waited for 4 days for weather suitable for crossing the Strait of Georgia from Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island,  to Secret Cove, on the mainland.  If you are lucky, you may encounter a calm day to cross.  More commonly, the winds will be from the North-West at 12-15 knots, gusts to 20, and seas 1 to 2 feet of wind chop.  Get the wind going against the current and the seas will be higher.  Fetch is long so be forewarned. The secret is to check the weather observations from the Chrome, Merry, and Entrance Island Light stations and the Halibut sea buoy.  They report real time conditions.  We also use smartphone apps to check weather forecasts.  Our favorites are Windy and PredictWind.  Expect to get spray on your windows. At 7 knots it is ~ a 3 hour crossing.  We travelled at a speed that allowed us to cross in under 2 hours.  We also observed that winds tended to decrease as you approach the eastern side of the Strait.

Secret Cove

The Navaid at the entrance to Secret cove not only warns of the presence of dangerous shoals and rocks, but also hosts sunbathing seals enjoying the warmth of the sun.

We were very happy to enjoy the protected waters of Secret Cove. There was room to anchor or stay on the Marina's dock.  We choose the dock.  Fuel and basic provisions were available at the marina.

After we got settled, Beth took us for a dinghy tour of the harbor.  There were many nice cabins on shore and several additional marinas tucked into adjacent coves. 

Pender Harbor

Our next stop was Pender Harbor.  We stayed at Pender Harbor Resort.  It was very clean and offered a variety of options for visitors from cabins, to yurts, to RV spots and of course a berth at their marina.

Pender Harbor Resort had chairs strategically located for enjoying the setting sun.

One nice touch was their herb garden.  The encouraged visitors to harvest fresh herbs.  It was a nice relaxing spot to recharged and a good spot to reprovision and top off water and fuel prior to heading into the wilds of Desolation Sound.  The best shopping is accessed from the Public Dock in Madeira Park area.

Manson's Landing

We next motored to Manson's Landing.  We anchored off the Provincial Park Pier in ~ 65' of water.

Looking west we could see snow capped peaks on Vancouver Island.

We dinghied to the dock and hiked to a nearby lagoon, which the 14' tides alternatively filled and emptied.  

When empty, the floor of the lagoon was covered with shells.

Gorge Harbor

In the afternoon, Beth took us on an expedition to Gorge Harbor.  This was a reconnaissance trip.

A pedestrian bridge between two islands.

The entrance to Gorge Harbor

We spent a pleasant afternoon at Gorge Harbor Resort.  

Octopus Island

One of the challenges of Discovery Sound is the various narrows through which water must flow.  Due to the high tides, currents can reach 16 knots, among the highest in the world.  Whirlpools form that at the minimum with spin your boat and in the extreme could suck your boat underwater.  The key is to transit these narrows at slack water.  In the picture above, we are transiting Surge Narrows.  Slack water only lasts a short while, so boats queue up waiting for the window of time when safe passage can be made.  Here we are in the middle of the group of boats making northbound passage.

Once we arrived in the Octopus Islands, Beth decided to go swimming.  It was a brief swim as the water was a bit colder than is comfortable!

We had a light dinner of various goodies.

You Can't Rototill Rock

Most of the islands in this area are above water.  We spent a day doing a dinghy exploration.  We also met some boaters that we had last seen in New Jersey when doing the Great Loop in 2022.  They were aboard Sea Gypsy at that time.  They sold her on the east coast at the conclusion of their trip and repurchased in the Pacific Northwest, their home waters.  It was great to see them!

The next day we pulled anchor and were working our way out of the anchorage when we hit the rock in the above picture.  We were departing at high tide and it was below the surface of the water.  In a moment of distraction we ran aground on it and damaged our prop.  Thankfully, other boaters saw our grounding and came out in force to help us off the submerged rock.  We were pulled free by a kind gentleman with a Boston Whaler.

The challenge became, how can we get to a repair facility to have the prop repaired.  We were able to hail the Canadian Coast Guard and they contacted a towing service that agreed to tow us to a boat yard the following day.

Here's a shot of Amy Marie behind a tow boat on her way to Campbell River.

The Ocean Pacific Yard agreed to work us in and make the necessary repairs.  Currently, we are waiting to be hauled so the damage can be accessed.

This is the view over the transom of our boat at sunset in the boat yard.  Campbell River is a lovely town and we are in the process of making the most of our time in port.

Amy Marie at the Haul Out Dock

Exploring Campbell River

Out for a hike along a nearby estuary.

Kayaker in the estuary.

In a couple of days we will know more about what the repairs will entail. In the meantime we must be patient.  Once repairs are complete we will have a story to tell and be a bit wiser about staying focused while boating in challenging waters.  We are just fine, which is the important thing.  Bruised egos, but those will heal as will Amy Marie.  We will be back on the water soon!

Voyage Log