Not Desolate in the least

We decided to blow off Desolation Sound this year. We had been there, and had a wonderful time with friends, each of the last 2 years, and it seemed anticlimactic to go back this year on our own. The parade of mega-yachts steaming by on their way to Desolation also may have had something to do with it. Fuel prices have had seemingly little impact on the "big boys."
We had a fine NW wind to carry us back toward home, and had an excellent run down Malaspina Strait to Blind Bay, between Hardy and Nelson Islands. This turned out to be a charming and not overcrowded spot, with good swimming and kayaking to boot. We ran into fellow Ericson owners Jon and Caroline on Grand Cru out of Victoria, whom we had not seen since the rendezvous in Port Townsend a few years ago. We also talked to folks on a beautiful traditional cutter named Fairanne, out of Astoria.
The next day we had a short run down the Strait to Smuggler Cove. We had long avoided this area due to congestion, but we got there early and enjoyed a few peaceful hours before the hordes descended for the evening. It is a beautiful cove, surrounded by glacially-polished rocks, and its easy to see why its so popular.

Less Desolate than we were

Well, the weather has really turned around! The barometer is pegged on "fair weather" and it is indeed fair. We waited for the turn of the tide to leave Campbell River, not wanting to fight the 6kt ebb, and had a leisurely sail across the Strait and back thru Baker Passage. We decided not to push on, but to find an early anchorage and enjoy the sunny afternoon. So we're back in the Copeland Islands, only a mile or less south from where we were 2 nights ago. After stern tieing to a tree ashore, we found the water was warm enough for a 20-min swim. Yahoo - this is what I've been waiting for!
This morning, the sun was shining brightly and warmly, and we had coffee in the cockpit. Then we caught the scent of Nancy's Bakery, only a couple of miles away in Lund. So into the dinghy we went, and here I sit updating the blog.

almost to Desolation

We're in Campbell River, after a fairly quick trip up the Strait from Nanaimo, thanks to steady SE winds. We spent one night at Jedediah Island, between Texada and Lasqueti Islands. It's a nice provincial park with good walking trails and beautiful rocky scenery. We didn't take a single picture there this year, as we've now been there 3 years in a row!
The next day, anticipating more SE winds, we left early, hoping to get close to Desolation Sound. The weather didn't cooperate - we had more rain than wind! We ended up, though, in a charming little cove in the Copeland Islands, near Lund.
Today we awoke to more rain, and we needed to charge the batteries and check email, so we came to Campbell River instead of heading into Desolation. We had a great sail across from the Copelands, and caught the last of the ebb tide into Discovery Passage. We're tied up at Fisherman's Wharf, amongst some humongous fishing boats!

Departure Bay Arrival

We're in Nanaimo, waiting for a low pressure system to move through. This is a nice place to hang. We hiked around Newcastle Island yesterday and Protection Island today. Once the weather calms a bit, we'll head across the Strait of Georgia to Pender.

Rockin' out on Valdes Island

The Gulf Islands (and some of the San Juans) have the coolest sandstone formations. On our way north after Burgoyne, we spent one night at Chemainus, and the next night at Wakes Bay on the northern tip of Valdes Island (partway through Gabriola Pass). This is another newly-minted park, and as such is not much developed, beyond a dinghy dock and a few signs. But there was a great beach walk out to the east side of the island, where we could look across the Strait of Georgia toward the mainland. We also saw an Ericson 38, Nakesa, same year as ours, tied up to the West Vancouver Yacht Club float on Kendrick Island. The owner, Kerry, dinghied over later to say hi.

Burgoyne Bay

Here's the Internet bakery in Fulford where I graded papers, checked mid-term exams, and updated the blog. The cob oven and walls reminded us of Fireworks in Corvallis. We enjoyed chatting with the owner, Alan Golden, about some mutual favorite books and authors. He had a full selection of Terry Tempest Williams books, among others.
Fair winds blew us out of Fulford and around the southern tip of Salt Spring, through Sansum Narrows, to another peaceful bay we'd never visited before. Burgoyne is filled with mostly local boats, docks and various flotsam, many of which seem to be occupied on a more or less permanent basis. Mt. Maxwell looms overhead, capped by a dramatic granite cliff. We watched a group of otters roughhousing between the boats, until they swam over to an enormous dead cedar tree, toppled into the saltchuck. Later we rowed over to the government wharf and marveled at the huge arbutus (madrone) looming overhead. We were delighted to find that the undeveloped shoreline of the bay has recently been protected as a provincial park. We followed a peaceful old road through the forest and around to the tidal flats at the head of the bay.

Downwind to Canada

Great sailing continues! Yesterday we had a downhill run all the way from Friday Harbor to Bedwell Harbour on South Pender Island, where we cleared customs, entered Canada, and started adding a "u" to the word "harbour". We anchored off Beaumont Provincial Park for the night.

Today we tacked out of Bedwell and continued downwind toward Fulford, on Saltspring Island. On the way, 

we took a lunch break 

at Russell Island, one of the newest additions to the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. This was one of the islan

ds settled by Hawaiian natives, who arrived in the 1800s as crew on sailing ships. It had a cool "Hobbit trail" and one of the last remaining Hawaiian ho

mesteads.

We had a special reason for visiting Fulford. Our friend Cathy's old boat Gertrud was bought by a local author and now lives here. We checked on her and she looked great.