Desolation Sound, 2017

Tomorrow morning, early, we leave to head North to Desolation Sound. My wife really wanted to return there to be able to spend lots of time relaxing in the warmer waters. She resisted all my suggestions for exploring different places. Last year she just didn't feel she had as much time there as she would have liked. So of course, that is exactly what we will do. I only have two weeks available to me, which certainly isn't enough time.

The nice thing this year, compared to last, is that we don't have other people's schedules to take into consideration. Last year we needed to pick up and drop off our kids for the week they joined us. That meant that there were two days where we had to be in a certain location at a certain time. This year, we only have one commitment, that is the North Pacific Rendezvous at Genoa Bay Marina Aug 23 and 24. Then we need to hurry to get back home.

Tonight we will spend on the boat after I get home from work. Then around sunrise tomorrow we will leave Gig Harbor and see if we can make to Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island for the night. That will be a long day (about 95 nm) and will only work if the weather cooperates. If not, no problem.

Good luck! We were going to spend a few weeks there and it didn't work out. Hope the smoke clears for you!

I hope you have a great, relaxing trip! Let us know how it's going please.

Smoke is lifting a bit. I can see both Harwood and Texada today.

Dave. Have a good trip, hopefully good weather and time to kick back and relax. Will be at Genoa, so I will see you there. DS

drb1025 said:

I hope you have a great, relaxing trip! Let us know how it's going please.

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No problem there. If it is meaningless, silly, inane, or downright stupid, I'll be sure to post it.

Northern Spy said:

Smoke is lifting a bit. I can see both Harwood and Texada today.

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That is an improvement. Looks like rain next week, so hopefully it will help with the fires and smoke.

Rebel112r said:

Dave. Have a good trip, hopefully good weather and time to kick back and relax. Will be at Genoa, so I will see you there. DS

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I'll look forward to meeting you there!

Moonfish said:

Good luck! We were going to spend a few weeks there and it didn't work out. Hope the smoke clears for you!

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Thanks Darren. I'd love to see you do some videos of BC locations.

Dave:

We are presently in Cortez Bay. Today the smoke is lighter than yesterday, really not an issue. We spent 2 nights at Otter Island, but on our 3rd day the smoke was considerable, so we moved to Cortez.
Yesterday some folks came into Cortez from Manson's landing and reported much less smoke there.
I don't know when we will move, nor which direction we will go, but give me a PM or call (PM me for my cell #) when you get close, as I would like to be able to meet up.
We will likely hit Pendrell Sound at some point but not when it is too smoky or if it is raining. When there, cell phone coverage is a 1/2 hr dinghy ride away (each way) as it is anywhere up Waddington Channel, so prior notice is necessary.
Hope you get the benefit of the predicted southeast over the weekend.

koliver said:

Dave:

We are presently in Cortez Bay. Today the smoke is lighter than yesterday, really not an issue. We spent 2 nights at Otter Island, but on our 3rd day the smoke was considerable, so we moved to Cortez.
Yesterday some folks came into Cortez from Manson's landing and reported much less smoke there.
I don't know when we will move, nor which direction we will go, but give me a PM or call (PM me for my cell #) when you get close, as I would like to be able to meet up.
We will likely hit Pendrell Sound at some point but not when it is too smoky or if it is raining. When there, cell phone coverage is a 1/2 hr dinghy ride away (each way) as it is anywhere up Waddington Channel, so prior notice is necessary.
Hope you get the benefit of the predicted southeast over the weekend.

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If all goes according to not much of a plan, we might his DS on Sunday, likely Monday, very remote chance for Saturday. If you are up there, no sense in me doing a close pass by your place on Saltspring to wave like last year.

PM sent.

Got off this morning at 6:00, just as the sun came up. So far today looks cool and overcast. The recent hot weather has seemed to left us leaving more typical weather in it's wake.

I'm the one waving as you pass Bainbridge!

JustBob said:

I'm the one waving as you pass Bainbridge!

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O/ (Waving back)

Hope the weather cooperates and the machinery is flawless.
That is an easy place to relax and enjoy.

Dave;

Sunny and hot today at Cortez. Very little smoke.
Please leave the overcast skies behind as you head north.

Doing almost 10 knots in fog at 1450 rpm due to the strong ebb out of Admiralty Inlet.

We are about 30 minutes out from Cattle Pass and I must say this has been one of the most unpleasant crossings of Juan de Fuca I've had. The waves were quite a bit more than forecast, although the wind wasn't too bad. For a while we had 5-6 feet breaking waves at at 3 seconds.

Now it isn't so bad as the period has stretched out to a good 4 seconds and we are able to take them on the stern quarter instead of the bow quarter or abeam. Otto can handle this just fine so I can clean the remains of spilled lunch plate off the PH floor. Still, there are two distinct waves patterns from two different directions. They get impressive when they combine constructively.

Anyway, I'd rather be doing this run alone. My wife doesn't like this kind of boating so I'm more concerned about her lack of comfort than I am my own.

The good news is that so far the engine hasn't missed a beat. Right now running at 1800 rpm to reduce the numbers of waves going under our stern and give the rudder as much bite as possible. Not crazy about the 4.5gph fuel burn though.

So we made it to Prevost Harbor around 6:00 pm and were sitting secure at anchor by 6:30. Had a quite night at anchor. Yesterday was long. 96nm in 12 hours. My wife informed me that she doesn't like crossing the Strait. It was the most unpleasant crossing for me so far and if I am going to keep my wife coming along I need to figure out a way to avoid those.

This morning, stopped at Bedwell to check in to Canada. We got there about 7:50 and the supposedly open at 8:00. The customs dock was absolutely empty. Hard to imagine on a Summer Saturday. I called in on the dock phone about 5 minutes to 8:00 and was cleared through quickly.

Now we are trying to make the 1:50 slack at Dodd Narrows. It will be close. Looks like we will be about 30 minutes late on the slack. If anyone knows what transiting North through Dodd Narrows is like in the first 1/2 hour of the flood, feel free to chime in.

dhays said:

If anyone knows what transiting North through Dodd Narrows is like in the first 1/2 hour of the flood, feel free to chime in.

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You'll be fine.

1-2 kits in your favor.

Thanks Rebel and HW. Looks like my initial estimate was off anyway. I'm making better time than I thought. Going between Thetis and Reid Islands now.

In Cortez Bay at SYC dock smoke has lifted and we can see the sky for first time in days. Very crowded in Prideaux haven and many other places in Desolation sound. Was less crowded further north-west.

eyschulman said:

In Cortez Bay at SYC dock smoke has lifted and we can see the sky for first time in days. Very crowded in Prideaux haven and many other places in Desolation sound. Was less crowded further north-west.

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HA. Here I was telling Dave the crowds are significantly lower than would be normal for this time of the summer, likely due to the smoke.

Look due north, Eyeschulman. I am waving at you from the RVYC outstation. I paddled over yesterday afternoon on a SUP, but I didn't know to look for you.

Back to Prideau, we dinghied through a few days ago and counted about 50 boats in Prideau, 25 in Melanie, another gaggle in the other nearby coves. That accumulation is way down from the usual 100 in Prideau etc, so only about 1/2 as busy as at max. That is the reason we have never anchored in Prideau and the only time we ever anchored in Laura was 41 yrs ago.

I can confirm the above smoke report. It is ALL GONE!

koliver; said:

HA. Here I was telling Dave the crowds are significantly lower than would be normal for this time of the summer, likely due to the smoke...counted about 50 boats in Prideau, 25 in Melanie, another gaggle in the other nearby coves. That accumulation is way down from the usual 100 in Prideau etc, so only about 1/2 as busy as at max.

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Friends from Secret Cove were in Squirrel on the long weekend (not by choice) and said there were roughly 50 boats, down from the usual 150 for BC Day.

They have been in Simoon Sound since Wednesday and all they have seen are bears, crab and prawns. Poor folks might get fat and lonely.

koliver said:

...That accumulation is way down from the usual 100 in Prideau...

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Egad.

Seems like an intriguing destination.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desolation_Sound

markpierce said:

Seems like an intriguing destination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desolation_Sound

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Reality is, it is a third the size of San Pablo Bay and in summer looks like the Red Bull Flugtag in another thread.

Hawgwash said:

Reality is, it is a third the size of San Pablo Bay and in summer looks like the Red Bull Flugtag in another thread.

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To be fair, that applies only to the several coves that are and surround Prideau Haven. The rest of Desolation can be quiet.

koliver said:

To be fair, that applies only to the several coves that are and surround Prideau Haven. The rest of Desolation can be quiet.

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Oh I agree. Mostly. But "Desolation Sound" is a very small area. Wiki with talk of fjords and all makes it sound so vast.

Semantics, I know.

I've only been to Desolation Sound once, that was last year. Now my wife can't talk about anything else. It really is wonderful, and I'm pretty used to some pretty great cruising areas.

However, it looks like Desolation Sound may need to wait for a day or two. We are in Nanaimo tonight, at the Nanaimo Harbor marina. Nice location btw. I used the information gleaned from the tipping thread to give the warfinger that helped us find a slip and catch a line a $5 CDN tip. I had to chase him down later in the office to give it to him.

The weather in Georgia Strait tomorrow doesn't look that promising to me. My wife didn't like the crossing of Juan de Fuca yesterday so I'm not eager to subject her to another rough crossing.

Right now there is a pretty strong SE wind. Sometime tomorrow morning, the wind is forecast to switch from 15-25 kts out of the SE 180 degrees to come out of the NW at 15-20 kts. Tomorrow morning the current in Georgia strait will be going Northwest. So with a SW wind the waves shouldn't get stacked up too much. However, as soon as the wind shifts, then it could get ugly.

Now, I've only been up here once so maybe I am reading the signs wrong. If the conditions will be as bad as I expect I see two options. The first is to see if I can stay here. Not sure if they have room for me tomorrow. The second option would be to leave in the morning, hopefully before the wind shifts, and hug the coast to Comox and spend the night there.

Any thoughts from you locals would be welcome.