Laura Domela 
After a busy day doing chores in Shearwater, we were ready to get back to the fun part of cruising—anchoring in remote, beautiful places! From Shearwater, we headed west out Seaforth Channel towards the ocean, then turned north, transited Reid Passage, and slipped through Perceval Narrows. This is a relatively complicated route, but it avoids the worst of the swells in Milbanke Sound. The south entrance of Reid Passage can … Read more
The flotilla arrived at Shearwater Resort by about 10:00 a.m., which was great since it left the rest of the day for chores. Shearwater is always a busy stop for us on our way up and down the Inside Passage. We can shop for groceries, do laundry, fill up with fuel and water, eat out, and if anyone needs parts or mechanical help there’s a travel lift, full boatyard, and … Read more
We were on our way to Ocean Falls by 7am this morning. This is an early (and independent!) group. The wind started to pick up as we approached Cousins Inlet, but the sun was shining and the scenery was beautiful as usual. We took advantage of the nice weather to hike up to the dam and the lake, then wandered around town in and out of some of the old … Read more
Another voluntary early departure! We left Pruth Bay shortly after 7:00 a.m. The water was glassy when we pulled anchor, and by the time we were out in Hakai Passage we were surfing some gentle swells back in toward Fitz Hugh Sound. Codville Lagoon is a scenic, spacious anchorage with a nice hike to Sagar Lake. We were even able to get a weak cellular internet connection here! After we … Read more
The group was up early this morning and opted to depart Fury Cove at 7:00 a.m., rather than the “Hey let’s sleep in and leave at 9” decision we chatted about last night at dinner. I guess it’s tough not to leave with conditions like this (note the still-present fog bank out on Fitz Hugh Sound): Conditions out on Fitz Hugh were calm (and foggy), the cruise was on the … Read more
Rounding Cape Caution is often the least comfortable section of the trip between Washington and Southeast Alaska. It’s one of just two places where we must leave the protection of the Inside Passage and venture into the open ocean. At first glance, the weather forecast was ideal: wind light, building to northwesterly 10-15 knots in the afternoon. Windy and Windfinder both showed winds in the 0-10 knot range through the … Read more
Today we left the Broughtons. We’re constantly amazed at how quickly the miles tick by. A week after leaving the San Juans, we’re further north than many cruisers make it in a lifetime. Granted, our cruise thus far has skipped plenty of outstanding destinations, but that’s only because there are so many to see further up the coast. A week out, we’ve covered about a quarter of the distance to … Read more
Our cruise from Port Harvey to Pierre’s Echo Bay (33nm) was easy and calm. We planned to head west in Knight Inlet and then around the west side of Gilford Island, but the morning weather reports gave us some pause. The northwesterly hadn’t died down in Johnstone Strait during the night. With a 20 knot northwesterly, we worried Knight Inlet might be uncomfortable. The alternative route, through Tribune Channel, is … Read more